2018年公共英语四级重点语法资料：定语从句

　　定语从句翻译

　　定语从句是用来修饰主句中的一个名词或代词，在句中用作定语。但有的定语从句(尤其是非限定性定语从句)，由于从句和主句的关系不十分密切，从句并不是作为定语修饰先行词，而是表示从句和主句的连带关系或修饰整个主句，不少学生在翻译这类句子时无所适从，翻译的句子不合逻辑。本文对定语从句的翻译谈点粗浅看法。

　　1. With the pay that he received and saved, he went on with his studies at university, where he received a doctor’s degree in 1905.

　　用挣来的工资和积攒的钱，他继续读大学，于1905年获得博士学位。

　　2. Mrs. King, whose legs were badly hurt, was quickly taken to hospital.

　　由于她的腿伤得很重，金女士被立即送往医院。

　　句1中含有两个定语从句，that引导的定语从句用来修饰先行词pay，关系极为密切，说明先行词的特征属性，确有限定之意。而Where引导的定语从句并不是说明university的属性和特征，而是说明情况的延续，相当于一个并列分句，可转换为“…，and he received a doctor’s degree there in 1905”。这种定语从句大多属于非限定性定语从句，通常由关系代词who, whom, which或关系副词where, when来引导。

　　句2种whose引导的是一个非限定性定语从句，然而所表达的内容相当于一个状语从句，用以表示原因，可转换为Mrs. King was quickly taken to hospital because her legs were badly hurt.或Mrs. King…to hospital, for her legs were badly hurt.这种定语从句有的语法家称之为“半状语”，它可以表示原因、目的、结果、条件、让步等。

　　综上所述，我们在翻译定语从句时，不能拘泥于形式，一律把它看作来修饰先行词的定语，而应弄清它与先行词之间的逻辑关系，然后具体灵活的处理。笔者认为定语从句一般有下面几种译法：

　　一、译成“的”字结构。如：

　　1. I was the only person in my office who was invited. 我是办公室唯一被邀请的人。

　　2. I’ll never forget the day when I joined the League. 我永远忘不了入团的那一天。

　　二、译成并列句。如：

　　1. Chaplin lived the last year of his life in Switzerland, where he was buried in 1977.

　　卓别林晚年定居瑞士，1977年逝世后安葬在那里。

　　2. He is good at math, as we all know. 他擅长数学，这是大家都知道的。

　　3. …, but twenty dollars a week—which was the total of their income—doesn’t leave much for saving.

　　…，可是每周二十美元——这是他们的全部收入——是攒不了什么钱的…

　　三、译成状语从句。如：

　　1. Chaplin, whose mother was ill for many years, had to dance in streets to earn money.

　　由于母亲病了好多年，卓别林不得不到街头表演以挣钱。(表示原因)

　　2. But the Southern States wanted to set up a country of their own, where they would be free to keep black slaves.

　　但是南方各州却想建立他们自己的国家，以便在那里他们可以随心所欲地继续把黑人当作奴隶。(表示目的)

　　3. He built a telescope through which he could study the skies.

　　他做了一架望远镜，使他能够研究天空。(表示结果)

　　4. Anyone who wants to can go for a walk. 谁想去散步都可以。(表示条件)

　　5. He insisted on buying another house, which he had no use for.

　　他坚持再买一幢房子，尽管他并无此需要。(表示让步)