第一節(jié)　關(guān)系分句的表達(dá)功能

關(guān)系分句的主要功能是做名詞(詞組)的后置修飾語。然而，英語中有些關(guān)系分句(包括限制性關(guān)系分句和非限制性關(guān)系分句)不起修飾作用，在表達(dá)功能上則與狀語分句、并列分句、評說分句相同。這類關(guān)系分句翻譯成漢語時(shí)，要注意上下文的字里行間的語義關(guān)系，進(jìn)行靈活多樣的處理，本章擬就在深層結(jié)構(gòu)上起著狀語分句、評說分句作用的關(guān)系分句進(jìn)行論述。

一、起狀語分句的作用

這類分句既可以是限制性關(guān)系分句也可以是非限制性關(guān)系分句。就語義上來作進(jìn)一步分析，這類關(guān)系分句可表示原因、結(jié)果、條件、讓步、目的、時(shí)間等意義。

1．表示“原因”的關(guān)系分句

這類分句從上下文內(nèi)容來分析，其意義與原因狀語分句不盡相同。關(guān)系分句在復(fù)合句中所表示的原因邏輯關(guān)系，均可以用表示原因的從屬連詞because，as，since等來改寫。限制性關(guān)系分句和非限制性關(guān)系分句都可以表示原因，而以非限制性關(guān)系分句為主，例如：

A moving aggregate of gas particles that(since it)doesn't finally settle must be in perpetual motion．

You've given Feldsyn，who dislikes me anyhow，the chance he was waiting for(As Feldsyn dislikes me anyhow，you've given him the chance he was waiting for．)

But he did not talk at length about the matter，which(because it)was not considered by the White House to be a particularly important question．

2．表示“結(jié)果”的關(guān)系分句

關(guān)系分句在復(fù)合句中表示結(jié)果意義的可以用表示結(jié)果關(guān)系從屬連詞so．．．that，such．．．that，so that等來改寫。

限制性關(guān)系分句表示結(jié)果，是由主句中部分內(nèi)容引起的，表示這部分內(nèi)容的通常是名詞詞組。引導(dǎo)限制性關(guān)系分句一般用關(guān)系代詞that或which，其先行詞通常是無生物名詞(或詞組)，分句總是緊跟在名詞詞組之后，并且總是置于復(fù)合句的后部，例如：

There was something original，independent，and heroic about the plan that(so that it)pleased all of them．

Thus even across battle lines，in the midst of war，Minister Peng has equipped the enemy soldiers and now he gives them orders which they will(that they have to)obey．

He told us interesting story which moved us deeply．(He told us such an interesting story that we were deeply moved．)

非限制性關(guān)系分句表示結(jié)果意義時(shí)，通常由關(guān)系代詞which引導(dǎo)，有時(shí)可用“介詞+which或which+名詞”引導(dǎo)，關(guān)系分句也總是放在復(fù)合句的后部。例如：

He is clever and quick at his work，for which is honored with the title of model worker．(He is clever and quick at his work so that he is．．．)

He spread a rumor that the president was going to resign，which led to(with the result that it caused)a great confusion in the country．

3．表示“條件”的關(guān)系分句

這類關(guān)系分句既可以表示真實(shí)條件，又可以表示非真實(shí)條件。表示真實(shí)條件含義時(shí)，這類分句通常表達(dá)一種先決條件，漢語可譯為“如果，只要”等。表示非真實(shí)條件含義的時(shí)候，關(guān)系分句往往用虛擬語氣來表達(dá)一種假設(shè)的狀況，漢語可譯為“如果，要是”等，例如：

Men become desperate for work，any work，which will help them to support their families．(Men become desperate for work，any work，as long as it will help them to support their families．)

He would be a rash man who should venture to forecast the result of this event．(．．．if he should venture to forecast the result of this event)

A country that stopped working would quickly be bankrupt．(If a country stopped working，it would quickly be．．．)

A deaf man who had read a book about music(if he had read a book about music)might be convinced，theoretically，that Mozart(莫扎特)was a great composer．

4．表示“讓步”的關(guān)系分句

關(guān)系分句在一定的上下文中，也可表示讓步意義，在意義上相當(dāng)于由though/although引導(dǎo)的讓步狀語從句，漢語可譯為“盡管，雖然”等。例如：

Many men who have had few advantages in their youth became great leaders of revolution．(Many men，though they have had few advantages in their youth，became great．．．)

He who all his day had looked on naked life had never seen so much of life's nakedness before．(A1though he all his days had looked on naked life，he had never．．．)

He who breaks pays．(No matter who breaks it，he will pay for it)

Strong man that he is，he has been severely put to test during the past few weeks(Though he is a strong man，he has．．．)

5．表示“目的”的關(guān)系分句

這類分句表示目的含義時(shí)，分句中可以用will，may，would，should等情態(tài)動詞，在意義上類似于so that，in order that引導(dǎo)的目的狀語從句。漢語可譯為“以便”等。例如：

We have to oil the parts of the machine，the friction of which may be greatly reduced(．．．the machine so that the friction may be greatly reduced．)

An engineer was sent to your factory，who would help you with your work．(．．．to your factory in order that he would help you with your work．)

Shortly after Abraham Lincoln took office，the southern states rebelled．They set up a state of their own，where they would be free to keep Negroes as slaves(so that they would be free to keep Negroes as slaves therein．)

6．表示“時(shí)間”的關(guān)系分句

這類分句往往有突出上句動作發(fā)生時(shí)間的特點(diǎn)。其語義功能與when/while引導(dǎo)的時(shí)間狀語從句不盡相同。例如：

I saw Wang Ling who was walking on the street(While Wang Ling was walking on the street，I saw her．)

In 1906，however，Pierre，who was crossing a road(when he was crossing a road)，was run over and killed．

二、起并列分句作用

關(guān)系分句在有些情況下并不是附屬從句，而是相當(dāng)于并列獨(dú)立分句。葉斯珀淼視這類關(guān)系分句為“接續(xù)性分句”(continuative clause)，從而不同于一般的附屬分句。關(guān)系分句所表示的這種并列分句通常用并列連詞and連接，但也可以用分號或并列連詞but，while，for連接，表示轉(zhuǎn)折、對比、因果關(guān)系等。例如：

I had two Japanese cooks，whom I used to teach．(I had two Japanese cooks；I used to teach them．)

He said he had lost his watch，which was not true．(．．．his watch，but it was not true．)

He is a scholar，which I am not．(He is a scholar，while I'm not．)

For further particulars you had better apply to my brother，who(for he)has paid particular attention to the subject．

充當(dāng)并列分句的關(guān)系分句在形式上主要屬于非限制性關(guān)系分句。這類非限制分句的前位詞(antecedent)不僅可以是一個名詞、名詞詞組，也可以是一個分句、句子，或是幾個句子。

1．前位詞是名詞或名詞詞組

這類非限制性關(guān)系分句的前位詞已經(jīng)具備限定意義，分句只不過是提供附加信息(extra information)作進(jìn)一步說明。因此可以用并列連詞與所修飾的前位詞隔開，這一現(xiàn)象恐怕也是某些T G學(xué)派人物(譬如S.A．Thompson)認(rèn)為非限制性關(guān)系分句的深層結(jié)構(gòu)是并列分句的重要根據(jù)之一。這類非限制性關(guān)系分句通常也總是出現(xiàn)在動詞賓語或介詞賓語之后，例如：

I told Peter，who said it wasn't his business．(I told Peter，but he said it wasn't his business．)

The next day John went with me to the station，where I bought a ticket for Beijing．(．．．to the station，and there I bought a ticket for Beijing．)

I threw the ball to Tom，who threw it to Mary．(I threw the ball to Tom and he threw it to Mary．)

2．前位詞是句子

R.Quirk等語法家稱這類關(guān)系分句為句子性關(guān)系分句(sentential relative clause)。他們說：“句子性關(guān)系分句是那種直接在句子之間起作用，而不是作為名詞的詞組一部分的關(guān)系分句。它是一種非限制性地修飾整個分句、句子或甚至一系列句子而不是修飾一個名詞詞組的分句；引導(dǎo)它的關(guān)系詞是指整個分句或句子，甚至可以代指一系列句子。句子性關(guān)系分句就是這樣一個在句子里和句子主要結(jié)果并列的分句?！备鶕?jù)句子性關(guān)系分句在句子中的功能或地位來看，我們認(rèn)為，引導(dǎo)它的關(guān)系詞只是句子主語的替代詞，所表達(dá)的是有關(guān)主語的新信息。分句本身和它前面那個句子或一系列句子是并列的，因此它所在的整個句子是并列句。請看下面兩例：

He was invited to the state banquet，which he considered a great honor．(He was invited to the state banquet，and this he considered a great honor．)

She sang beautifully，her enunciation was clear，which delighted the audience．(She sang beautifully；her enunciation was clear，and this delighted the audience．)

很清楚，上述兩例中的which可以代之以this，與其說which是關(guān)系代詞，不如說是指示代詞。R.Quirk等人說，事實(shí)上這種分句更常被看做含有and和經(jīng)常前置的強(qiáng)調(diào)指示詞的并列分句，這也是which分句必須位于先行句(sentential clause)之后的緣故。

At which point，in which case，by which time等含關(guān)系限定詞(relative determiner)which引導(dǎo)的句子性關(guān)系分句，同樣可以用含有and和強(qiáng)調(diào)指示詞的并列分句來釋義。例如：

The train may have been held up by repairs to the line，in which case，we may soon hear when it is expected to arrive．(．．．a(chǎn)nd in that case we may soon hear when it is expected to arrive．)

He lost his temper，at which point I decided to go home．(．．．a(chǎn)nd at that point I decided to go home．)

三、起評說分句作用

這類關(guān)系分句只能是句子性關(guān)系分句。句子性關(guān)系分句在語義上更接近于評說分句(comment clause)，這一點(diǎn)可從它和what is more那樣的評說分句在意義上相似看出來。例如：

After that things improved，which surprised me．

句中which surprised me和作評說分句的what surprised me在語義上不盡相同。

R.Quirk等人在《A Grammar of Contemporary English》中將評說分句歸入獨(dú)立于句子主體之外，句子結(jié)構(gòu)外圍的外加語和聯(lián)加語的范圍內(nèi)。他們在該書中還指出，盡管句子性關(guān)系分句的位置固定在它所述及的分句后面，但比較起來，它在句子中的地位更像一個外加語。它們的作用相當(dāng)于某些起態(tài)度外加語作用的介詞短語，比如介詞短語：to John's surprise，to my regret，to the delight of all present，to their disappointment等相當(dāng)于用句子性關(guān)系分句。Which surprised John，which I regret或用評說分句what delighted all present，what disappoints them。句子性關(guān)系分句可能還是所有這類用法最常見的一種。他們還指出，對于各類態(tài)度外加語來說，只要能以“It is+形容詞+that．．．”這樣的相應(yīng)分句來代替，就能用與其相應(yīng)的句子性關(guān)系分句來代替：

Certainly/Obviously/Understandably/Wisely，he didn't want to have anything to do with them．

He didn't want to have anything to do with them，which was，certain/obvious/understandable/wise．

但所有各類態(tài)度外加語也同樣都能和它相應(yīng)的評說分句來代替，雖然這個分句經(jīng)常需要一個像very或more這樣的修飾語。因此，可以說：

What was even more certain，he didn't speak at the meeting．

綜上所述，我們不難看出，我們不僅要重視語句形式的研究，更重要的還得從實(shí)際意義上著手來進(jìn)一步探討其語義的功能，重視關(guān)系分句的語義功能分析，必然能幫助我們正確地理解和掌握關(guān)系分句的用法，這對我們正確翻譯關(guān)系分句具有較大的實(shí)踐意義。