定语从句元语言解释

一、 英汉句子构句原则及其特点 1. 汉语

构句原则：

汉语根据事件的实际发生（时间/逻辑）顺序组织或构建话语（句群/长句）。先发生先表达后发生后表达，先因后果，等等。

句法特点：

自左至右音义语块（小句、词组）按事理逻辑线性铺陈，一个小句接一个小句，似断实连，层次不清（难分主次），句界模糊（语句结构开放、意尽为界）。

例1：

他原来在南方参加一项建筑工程，任务完成后上Georgia去度假，享受高加索的阳光，头一天才坐飞机回来。 不当翻译：

In the South he had been engaged in a construction job. After he completed the work he went to spend his vacation in Georgia. There he basked in Caucasia sun. And he had

flown in just the day before.

【意义主次不分、结构过于松散，不符合英

语书面语的特点】

比较：

He had flown in just the day before from Georgia where he had spent his vacation basking in Caucasia sun after the completion of the construction job in which he had been engaged in the South.

例2：我访问过一些地方，遇到不少人，要

谈起来，奇妙的事可多着呢。 不当翻译：

I visited some places and met many people. If I am asked to tell about them, there are many wonderful stories.

【结构过于松散，意义主次不明】 比较：

There are many wonderful stories to tell

about the places I visited and the people I met.

2. 英语

构句原则：

按照所要表达信息的重要性程度组织或构建复杂的句子或话语，主要信息占据主句框架，次要信息由从属连词（状语从句）、关系代词（定语从句）、关系副词（定语从句）、连接词（名词性从句）、非谓语动词、介词等添加补充。动作先后顺序由动词的时与体表示，不由在句中的先后位置表示。

句法特点：

以谓语动词为中心，以主谓（宾）为主干，向四周空间伸展，叠床架屋，空间搭架，似一枝繁叶茂的大树，树干、树枝、树叶间均有标记性环联结，环环相扣；谓语动词制前管后，句界封闭，主次分明。

例3：

Abraham Lincoln is the most famous instance of the claim that Americans often made that in their country a man may rise from the lowest to the highest position.

比较：

美国人经常声称，在他们国家一个人可以从最底层爬到最高层，林肯就最著名的例子。

例4：

In Africa I met a boy who was crying as if his heart would break and said that he was very hungry because had had no food for two days. 比较：

我在非洲遇到一小孩，他哭得伤心极了，说他非常饿，已两天没吃饭了。

二、英汉定语从句特点与功能

汉语：

定语从句位于被修饰词前面，起修饰或限定作用。由于汉语中前置修饰语一般不宜很长，所以汉语的定语从句使用频率较低。

英语：

定语从句位于被修饰词后，除了能起修饰、限定作用外，英语定语从句还能起到类似汉语中表示原因、目的、条件等小句的作用或者起衔接作用、提供背景/补充信息等，所以英语中定语从句的使用频率远远高于汉语。

（1）表修饰

We were surrounded by children who were all poorly dressed and apparently upset.

我们被一群孩子包围，他们个个衣着破旧、脸露沮丧。 （2）表限定

The leading actress whom you are

looking for will come soon.

你正在寻找的那个女主角立刻就来。

（3）表原因

In many ways, this is unfortunate for the poor actors who are required to go on repeating the same lines night after night.

这样一来，可怜的演员们可倒霉了，因为他们需要一夜连着一夜地重复同样的台词。

（4）表目的

The shop assistant fetched several bottles which she placed on the counter for Harry to inspect.

那个售货员拿来几瓶东西，放在柜台上供Harry验看。 （5）表条件

He who smokes three or four packs of cigarettes every day won’t live long.

一个人如果每天抽三、四包烟，那他寿命不会很长。

（6）起衔接作用（承接将来动作）

She ran to tell the manager who promptly rang up the fire brigade.

她跑去告诉了经理，经理马上给消防队打了电话。

（7）提供背景/补充信息

The dictionary which was compiled by first-rate scholars from different countries was considered to be of great value for beginners.

那本词典由来自不同国家的一流学者编撰，大家认为对初学者挺有价值。 二、 限制性定语从句与非限制性定语从句

的区别

限制性定语从句在意义上与先行词关系密切, 是不可缺少的定语,若去掉限制性定语从句，则主句部分的含义就会不明确或意义不完整。

例如：

I don’t like the person who often tells lies.

我不喜欢经常撒谎的人。

非限制性定语从句和主句的关系不十分密切，只是对先行词作些附加的解释、补充或说明，如果去掉，主句的意思仍然清楚。

例如：

Mr Wang is the headmaster of our school, who you saw at the meeting yesterday.

本句的主要内容是“王先生是我校的校长”，说话者要侧重的信息已经完整，而后

加上一个非限制性定语从句只是对前面的信息作些补充。

由于汉语小句按时间顺序或逻辑关系自左至右自然铺陈（可起衔接作用或表示因果等各种逻辑关系），所以一些小句在结构上非常类似于英语的非限制性定语从句，正因为如此，中国学生经常会将“他不记得那个女孩，她两岁就出国了”译成“He did not remember that girl, who went abroad at the age of 2 ”，但此句中显然应该使用限制性定语从句而不是非限制性定语从句（即应去掉逗号），因为若将该定语从句删掉，该句主句的意思就不完整。 四、结论

汉英/英汉转换（翻译）时，不能受原来句子的结构/词序限制，要根据两种语言的特点重新构建出符合译入语的句子。此外，汉语中表示条件、目的、原因的从句，或者提供背景/补充信息的小句、动作承接性质的小句等往往可以转化为英语的定语

从句。

附：限制性与非限制性定语从句

1限制性与非限制性定语从句差异的比较

名称 限制性 非限制性 意义 起限定作用，指特定的人或物，不可省，否则意义不完整 仅作补充或说明，若省，原句意义完整 结构要求 一般不加逗号分隔 用逗号与主句分隔 功能 修饰先行词 引导词 译法 关系代词/副词或一般译为定that（作O时可省） 语从句 只用关系代词/副词，不用that 可译为并列分句 修饰先行词或整个句子 I don’t like the people who lose their temper easily.

Boys who attend this school have to wear uniforms.

He lent me a thousand dollars, which was exactly the amount I needed.

He was left on a desolate island, where he stayed for as long as three months.

He has two sisters who are working in the

city.

He has two sisters, who are working in the city.

（只有两个妹妹）

He will wear no clothes which will distinguish him from his fellow men.

He will wear no clothes, which will distinguish him from his fellow men.

2. 限制性定语从句

大多数定语从句都对所修饰词的意思加以限制，表示“…..的人（事物）”

The man who told me this refused to tell me his name.

I saw something in the paper which might interest you.

He is the man whose car was stolen.

This is the photo that I took.

The man who stole your car has been arrested.

Anyone who saw the accident please get touch with the police.

Everyone that knows him likes him.

The girl who came his morning is my cousin.

The man with whom I travelled couldn’t speak English.

Here is the boy who damaged the vase.

This is the village where he was born.

There are times when such things are necessary.

The man who did the robbery has been caught.

The chair which I sat in was a broken one.

当名词中心词带有表示类别的不定冠词时，其后的关系分句通常为限制性定语从句

She was a woman who must be treated decently.

She spoke to me in a tone which I don’t at all like.

当名词中心词带有前照应定冠词时，必定用限制性定语从句

He is the man who told me the news.

This is the car I bought last year.

当名词中心词带有all, any, some, every, no等不定限定词时，通常用限制性定语从句。

Any man who smokes cigarettes is risking his health.

Some friends that I made in college were more interested in grades than in learning.

He has read almost every book on linguistics that he could get hold of in the library.

No visitors who come to Beijing would fail to see the Great Wall.

3. 非限制性定语从句

非限制性定语从句对所修饰的名词没有限制意义的作用，而只补充一点情况，与主句关系不紧密，把其拿掉，主句照样成立，有逗号分隔，译成汉语时另起一个句子，仿佛是并列句

The chairman, who spoke first, sat on my right.

His speech, which bored everyone, went on and on.

My cousin, who is an engineer, went to Europe last week.

The driver, who was very young, had only just got his licence.

This book, which only appeared a year ago, has already gone through several editions.

The Chairman’s daughter, whose name is

Ann, gave me a patient smile.

I’ve invited Diana, who lives in the next flat.

My daughter, who is in Boston now, is coming home next week.

Tom, whom everyone suspected, turned out to be innocent.

人人都怀疑Tom，结果证明他是无辜的。

Mr. Green, for whom I was working, was very generous.

The 8:30 train, which is usually punctual, was late today.

She gave me this sweater, which she had knitted herself.

The buses, most of which were already full,

were surrounded by an angry crowd.

His house, for which he paid $10,000, is now worth $50,000.

Barbary was working in Aubury, where she went daily in a bus.

Barbary在Aubury工作，每天得坐公共汽车上班。

We’ll put off the picnic until next week, when the weather may be better.

Which有时不代表一个名词，而代表前面句子的全部或部分意思。

He tried to stand on his hands for five minutes, which—as you know—is rather a difficult thing to do.

Peter drove too fast, which was

dangerous.

Rats ran about the attic all night, which kept me awake.

He said that he had had never seen her before, which was not true.

He invited us to diner, which was very kind of him.

He believes in public ownership, which idea I’m quite opposed to.

He advised me to hide behind the door, which advice I took at once.

有时，非限制定语从句在语义上起状语从句的作用。表示原因、目的、结果、条件、让步等意义。

It is in line with the Charter (联合国宪

章), which recognizes the value of regional efforts to solve problems and settle disputes. （which=for it, as it 表原因）

Chinese delegations have been sent to Asian-African countries, who will negotiate trade agreement with the respective government. (who will=so that they may, 表目的)

Dr. Lee, who had carefully read through the instructions before doing his experiments, could not obtain satisfactory results, because he followed them mechanically. （who=though he)

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