英语中不作定语用的定语

摘要：在英语中，有时候定语从句并不是作为定语来限定先行词的意义的，而是用来表示从句和主句的连带关系或修饰整个主句的。这样的定语从句与其说是定语从句，倒不如说更象并列分句或状语从句。

关键词：定语从句并列分句先行词

定语从句用来修饰主句中的一个名词或代词(在语法上称为先行词)，在句子中作定语，这是定语从句最基本和最主要的用法。但是，在英语中，有时候定语从句并不是作为定语来限定先行词的意义的，而是用来表示从句和主句的连带关系或修饰整个主句的。这样的定语从句与其说是定语从句，倒不如说更象并列分句或状语从句。请看下面的四个例句：

On his way home he met an old man who asked him a few questions．

She was very fond of reading，which her sister never was．

It was raining hard，which kept us indoors．

For further information you had better ask our monitor，who attended the meeting．

上面第一个例句中的定语从旬并不用来表示先行词an old man的属性或特征，而是说明情况的延续，相当于一个并列分句。关系代词who的作用接近于连词and，用以连接两个并列句。这种定语从句大多属于非限制性定语从句，通常由关系代词who，which(that较少

见)或关系副词where来引导。例如：

I told the news to Mary，who later told it to her mother(=and she later told it to her mother)．

The customs officer took in his suitcase，which was opened immediately in his presence(=and it was opened immediately in his presence)．

They drove to the railway station，where they departed(=and there they departed)．

第二个例句中的定语从句前面并没有先行词，它是用来修饰主句中的一个部分(very fond of reading)的。关系代词which的作用相当于连词and，用以连接两个并列分句。这种定语从句也多半属于非限制性定语从句，通常仅由关系代词which(that较少见)来引导。

例如：

He is a very clever boy which his brother is not(=and his brother is not a very clever boy)．

She looked like an actress，which she was(=and she was an actress)．

He said he had lost the book，which was true(=and what he said was true)。

I found that the boy was busy preparing his lessons，which he seldom was (=and he was seldom busy preparing his lessons)．

第三个例句中的定语从句用来修饰整个主句，相当于一个并列分句。关系代词which的作用接近于连词and，用以连接两个并列句。这种定语从句都属于非限制性定语从句，通常仅由关系代词which(that较少见)来引导。例如：

After that things improved，which surprised me(=and that surprised me)．

My son is getting on quite well with his studies，which I am glad to hear (=and I am glad to hear that)．

He failed in the examination，which I find strange(=and I find that strange)．

第四个例句中的定语从句从形式上看，是一个非限制性定语从句，然而它所表达的内容却相当于一个状语从句，用以表示原因。关系代词who的作用接近于连词for(或because)。这种定语从句有的语法家称为“半状语”(semi—adverbial)从句，它除了用来表示原因外，还可以表示目的、结果、条件、让步、对比等。例如：A large number of doctors were sent to the disaster-sticken area, who would save the wounded and the dying(=so that they might save the wounded and the dying)．(表示目的)

The young worker invented a new machine，for which he was awarded the title of Labour Hero(=so that he was awarded the title of Labour Hero)．(表示结果)

Anyone who should do such a thing would be a great fool(：Anyone would be a great fool if he should do such a thing)．(表示条件)

My uncle，who will be seventy tomorrow，is still a keen sport man (=Though he will be seventy tomorrow，my uncle is still a keen sport man)．(表示让步)

综上所述，我们可以看出，有的定语从句(尤其是非限制性定语从句)之所以能担当并列分句和状语从句的职能，是因为从句和主句的关系本来就不十分密切。这种定语从句在形式上和内容上存在着特殊性的矛盾。因此，当我们理解一个定语从句的意义时，应着重考虑它的内容，而不能拘泥于它的形式，一律机械地把它看作是用来修饰先行词的定语。就拿本文所举的定语从句的例句来分析，从广义上讲，都可以说是非限制性定语从句，尽管有的定语从句没有用逗号与主句分开。这是因为这些定语从句所起的作用已超出定语的范围，而进入了并列分句或状语从句的领域。只要我们细读几遍，其中的道理也就不言自明了。由于定语从句在英语中用得相当普遍，而且有时又存在着形式和内容的矛盾，因此值得我们认真加以探讨。这对理解和翻译定语从句是至关重要的。