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在 3. 2 节中，我们详细讨论了关系词在定语从句中所充当的成分，研究重心是放在定语从句本身。现在，我们把研究目光转向关系词与主句中的先行词之间的关系。细心的读者也许注意到了，在 3. 2 节中所讨论的定语从句的关系词都是 who 。但是在英语里，还有其他的关系词，比如 whom, which, that, whose, when, where 和 why 等等。这些关系词可以分为两大类： 关系代词和关系副词 。关系代词主要包括 who, whom, which, that 和 whose ，这些词主要起着代词的作用，在定语从句里充当主语或宾语（但 whose 作定语）。关于它们的具体用法将在本节中详细讨论。关系副词则包括 when, where 和 why ，这些词主要起着副词的作用，在定语从句里充当状语（不作主语或宾语）。关于它们的用法将在 3. 4 节中讨论。因此，本节内容安排如下：
3. 3.1 先行词指“人”，用关系代词 who 或 whom
3. 3.2 表示人或物的所有关系，用 whose
3. 3.3 先行词指“物”，用关系代词 which
3. 3. 4 that 可以指代人，也可以指代物
提到的这些关系代词，他们与先行词有着严格的对应关系，据此可以分为三类。见下表：
比如在 3. 1 和 3. 2 节中讨论的各个例句。再比如 3. 1 节的练习中出现的这段话：
1 Friendship is a very difficult thing. It is hard to handle. It creates many different problems. In fact I would say that friendship is as hard to handle as love is, or even marriage. Of course I am not talking about easy-come-easy-go friendship. I'm talking about friends who care deeply about each other, who support each other, who make life worth living. I'm talking about friends who you can share almost everything with.
妙语点睛 这里有两组定语从句。第一组 I'm talking about friends who care deeply about each other, who support each other, who make life worth living. 其中的先行词 friends 表示“人”，所以用了 who 来引导定语从句，这里有三个定语从句并列使用。第二组 I'm talking about friends who you can share almost everything with. 同样因为先行词是表示“人”，所以用 who 来引导定语从句。
精品译文 友谊是很难处理的，有时还会带来许多各种各样的麻烦。事实上，我想说的是，友谊与爱情甚至婚姻一样难以应付。当然了，我这里所说的友谊不是那种“来得快去得也快”的泛泛之交，而是那种彼此之间能真正互相关心的朋友，能够互相支持的朋友，能够让你的人生更有意义的朋友，是那种你和他们几乎可以分享一切的朋友。
那么，可以指“人”的关系代词 who 和 whom 有何不同呢？我们下面来讨论。
1. who 的前面不能与介词搭配使用
因为 who 是主格形式，所以在介词的后面不能用 who ，比如不说 with who* ，而说 with whom 。请看例句：
2 I'm talking about friends who you can share almost everything with.
不能说： I'm talking about friends with who you can share almost everything.*
而应该说： I'm talking about friends with whom you can share almost everything.
主格形式的 who 除了作定语从句的主语外，还可以充当定语从句的宾语或表语。
2. whom 在定语从句中不能作主语，但可作宾语或表语
3 A rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.
妙语点睛 这里的 who 作从句的主语，所以不能用 whom ，不说 whom has...
精品译文 一个富有的人，不是因为他拥有的最多，而是因为他需要的最少。
4 Only the people who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.
妙语点睛 这里的 who 作从句的主语，所以不能用 whom ，不说 whom have...
精品译文 只有有耐心圆满完成简单工作的人，才能够轻而易举地完成困难的事。
总之， who 可以作主语，也可以代替 whom 作宾语或表语，但不能用在介词后面。而因为 whom 是宾格形式，所以不能作主语。
whose 表示所有关系，其作用就如同物主代词 my, your, her, his, their 和 our 一样， whose 的后面要接名词。 whose 可指人也可指物。“ whose+ 名词”在从句中可作主语、动词的宾语或介词的宾语。请看例句：
1 1 ） I know a friend. His brother is a pop singer.
2 ） I know a friend whose brother is a pop singer.
妙语点睛 例句 2 ）里的 whose 代替了例句 1 ）里的 his ，指 friend ，即表示人。
精品译文 我认识一个朋友，他哥哥是一名流行歌手。
2 1 ） These children sit in a schoolroom. Its windows are all broken.
2 ） These children sit in a schoolroom whose windows are all broken.
妙语点睛 例句 2 ）里 whose 代替了例句 1 ）里的 its ，指 schoolroom ，即表示物。
精品译文 这些孩子就坐在窗玻璃都打破了的教室里上课。
请再看其他例句：
3 When I looked through the window, I saw a girl whose beauty took my breath away.
妙语点睛 这里的 whose beauty 作从句的主语， whose 指人即 a girl 。
精品译文 当我朝窗外看去，猛然看见一个美女，其美貌让我惊讶不已。
4 It was a meeting whose importance I did not realize at the time.
妙语点睛 这里的 whose importance 作从句动词 realize 的宾语， whose 指事物 a meeting 。
精品译文 这个会议的重要性当时我并没有意识到。
5 Atlas （ in Greek mythology ） was a kneeling man on whose shoulder the world rested.
妙语点睛 这里的 whoseshoulder 作从句中的动词短语 restedon 的宾语，这里 on 被提前。 whose 指人即 man 。
精品译文 阿特拉斯是（希腊神话中的）一个大力神，他跪在地上，肩上背负着地球。
关系词 which 的造句结构完全类似于前面讨论过的 who ，比如 which 可以作从句的主语或宾语，只不过 which 的先行词是“物”。请看下面的例句：
1 1 ） We are studying sentences. They contain adjective clauses.
2 ） We are studying sentences which contain adjective clauses.
妙语点睛 这里的先行词是 sentences ，表示“物”，因此不能用 who 。这里要用 which 代替 they ，来指代 sentences ，告诉对方“我们正在学习什么类型的句子”。
精品译文 我们正在学习带有定语从句的句子。
值得注意的是，关系词 which 所指代的先行词比较复杂，它除了可以指单个的名词外，还可以指代短语甚至是从句。下面将一一举例说明。
2 Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind.
妙语点睛 先行词是 wind ，即 which 指单个的名词。
精品译文 愤怒是吹灭心灵之灯的风。
3 Perhaps it is human to appreciate little that which we have and to long for that which we have not.
妙语点睛 先行词是 that ，即 which 指单个的名词。
精品译文 或许，“不惜已获，贪求不得”是人类共同的弱点吧。
which 可以指代一个短语。请看例句：
4 He likes climbing mountains , which is a good exercise.
妙语点睛 先行词是主句中的一个动名词短语 climbing mountains 。
精品译文 他很喜欢爬山，这可是一项好的运动。
which 可以指代前面的整个句子。请看例句：
5 1 ） Tom was late. That surprised me.
2 ） Tom was late, which surprised me.
妙语点睛 例句 2 ）中的 which 替换了例句 1 ）中的 that ，显然是指前面的整个句子 Tom was late 。
精品译文 汤姆迟到了，这让我很吃惊。
6 He tore up my photo, which upset me.
妙语点睛 全句 he tore up my photo 作 which 的先行词。
精品译文 他把我的照片给撕毁了，这让我很生气。
再比如，一位单亲妈妈这样调侃道：
7 I became a single mother overnight, which is nothing like becoming famous overnight.
妙语点睛 全句 I became a single mother overnight 作 which 的先行词。
精品译文 我在一夜之间成了单亲妈妈，这跟一夜成名可完全不同。
关系代词 that 的意义和用法主要有以下三点：一是 that 既可指“人”也可指“物”，即它指“物”时可以替换 which ，指“人”时可以替换 who 来使用；二是 that 不用在非限制性定语从句中（关于限制性和非限制性定语从句，详见 3. 5 节）；三是 that 不能用于介词的后面（同 who 一样）。
因为 that 的先行词既可以是表示“人”也可以是表示“物”，所以 that 可以用来替换 which 或 who 。比如下面这个句子：
1 Too many people spend money which they haven't earned, to buy things which they don't want, to impress people who they don't like.
妙语点睛
可以用
that
替换其中的
which
和
who
而将这句话改写成：
Too many people spend money
that
they haven't earned, to buy things
that
they don't want, to impress people
that
they don't like.
这是影星威尔·史密斯（
Will Smith
）批评时下一些年轻人的生活方式时说的话。这里
that
的先行词有“物（
money
和
things
）”，也有“人（
people
）”。
顺便提一句，在前面
3.2.4
小节讨论过，作宾语的关系词可以省去，因此这句话也可说成：
Too many people spend money
（ ）
they haven't earned, to buy things
（ ）
they don't want, to impress people
（ ）
they don't like.
精品译文 许多人花没挣到的钱，买自己不想要的东西，向自己不喜欢的人炫耀。
既然 that 可以指“物”也可以指“人”，那么就会涉及与 which 和 who 在用法上的区别的问题。为了便于记忆和使用，现列举出下面这些最好用 that 的情况，供参考：
1. 当先行词中同时出现“人”和“物”时，用 that
2 The writer and his novels that the article deals with are quite familiar to us.
妙语点睛 这里的先行词是 the writer and his novels ，即同时有“人（ writer ）”和“物（ his novels ）”，所以要选用 that 引导定语从句。
精品译文 这篇文章里所说的这个作家以及他的小说，我们都比较熟悉。
2. 先行词为指“物”的 all, little, few, much, none 和 the first 时，用 that
3 All that glitters is not gold.
妙语点睛 这里的先行词是 all ，所以用 that 来引导定语从句。另外要注意的是，这里有一个半否定的问题： all...not 要译成“并非都是”，不能译成全否定的“所有都不”。
精品译文 闪光的并非都是金子。
这句话是莎士比亚（ Shakespeare ）的剧作《威尼斯商人》（ The Merchant of Venice ）中的名句，它的意思是说凡事不能只看外表，外表显得贵重华丽的东西不一定真正有价值（ Something which seems valuable at first may turn out to be worthless. Just because something appears valuable does not mean that it really is valuable. ）。
请再看下面的例句：
4 This book contains little that is useful.
妙语点睛 这里的先行词是表示否定意义的代词 little （几乎没有什么），所以用 that 来引导定语从句。
精品译文 这本书里有用的东西几乎没有。
5 There is not much that can be done.
妙语点睛 这里的先行词是代词 much ，所以用 that 来引导定语从句。
精品译文 这没有什么办法了。
6 As long as you stand up to the difficulties, there are none that cannot be overcome.
妙语点睛 这里的先行词是代词 none ，所以用 that 来引导定语从句。
精品译文 只要你勇敢地去面对困难，就没有什么克服不了的。
3. 先行词是不定代词 something, anything, nothing 和 everything 时，一般用 that
7 Greater expense does not always equal better gift. I would much rather receive a gift that was unique or that I knew my friend had put some thought into than something that cost a lot of money but that I didn't need or want. I would much rather receive something that made me laugh, made me reminisce, or fit my personality than something that cost a lot but that I will just throw in my closet and forget about.
妙语点睛 首先，对于这段话里先行词是 something 的定语从句，作者都是采用了 that 来引导。其次，这里还有其他先行词不是 something 的定语从句，比如 a gift that was unique or that I knew my friend had put some thought into 。第三，从结构上来看，这段话里的句子稍微有些复杂，因为里面含有多个并列的定语从句，比如由 or 连接的 that was unique 和 that I knew my friend had put thought into 并列（注意这里的 I knew 是插入语，从句的主谓结构是 my friend had put... ）；由 but 连接的 that cost a lot of money 和 that I didn't need or want 并列；由 but 连接的 that cost a lot 和 that I will just throw in my closet and forget about 并列，最后还有定语从句（ something ） that made me laugh, made me reminisce, or fit my personality 。所以这篇短文里定语从句较多。最后，这里有一个重要句型： I would rather...than ，表示“我宁愿……而不愿”。
精品译文 价格昂贵的礼物并不意味着贵重，我倒希望收到的礼物是很别致的，或是我知道是朋友精心为我准备的，而不是花了很多钱却不是我所想要或需要的。我希望收到的是能够让我开心，让我回味过去的时光，或是适合我口味的礼物，而不是价格不菲，但看完之后随手就扔进储藏室，抛在脑后的礼物。
4. 先行词被 any, only, all, every, no, some, much, few, little ，序数词，形容词的最高级， the only, the one, the very, the right 和 the last 等成分修饰时，用 that
8 Tell us all things that you know. 把你知道的都告诉我们。
9 There is no difficulty that they can't overcome. 没有什么困难是他们不能战胜的。
10 The only thing that we should do is find our way home. 我们应该做的只有找到回家的路。
11 The very problem that I want to solve is like this. 我想解决的问题就像这个一样。
12 He is the only man that can speak four foreign languages in our company. 他是我们公司中唯一一个会说四种外语的人。
5. that 不用在非限制性定语从句中
不用 that 引导非限制性定语从句。比如要说：
13
I became a single mother overnight,
which
is nothing like becoming famous overnight.
而不能说：
I became a single mother overnight,
that
is nothing like becoming famous overnight.*
精品译文 我在一夜之间成了单亲妈妈，这跟一夜成名可完全不同。
6. that 不能用于介词后面
不能在 that 前面使用介词。比如要说：
14 The world in which we live is made up of matter.
或： The world which we live in is made up of matter.
或： The world that we live in is made up of matter.
但不能说： The world in that we live is made up of matter.*
精品译文 我们所生活的世界由物质组成。
本节是定语从句的重点内容，主要讨论了不同关系代词的用法特点，这与先行词有关。所以，换个角度来看，就是关系词与先行词之间的对应关系的问题。
Exercise 3.3
请将下列每一组中的两个简单句合并为一个定语从句，用第二个句子作定语。
1. The girl is happy. She won the race.
2. The student is from America. He sits next to me.
3. The boy was not badly hurt. The boy fell from a tree.
4. The taxi driver was friendly. He took me to the airport.
5. I can't remember the name of the person. I gave the money to him.
6. The employees had to retire. They had reached the age of sixty-five.
7. The teacher spoke to the boys. Their work was below standard.
8. The people were friendly. I rented their houses.
9. He is the professor. I am taking his grammar course.
10. That is the man. His son died in that air crash.
11. The man called the police. His car was stolen.
12. The man is famous. His picture is in the newspaper.
13. I have a neighbor. His dog barks all day long.
14. The girl is a good friend of mine. I borrowed her camera.
15. The church was built in 1400. We were married in the church.
16. She told me her address. I wrote it down on a piece of paper.
17. We are studying sentences. They contain adjective clauses.
18. The exhibition was not very interesting. My friend took me to see it.
19. John isn't home yet. That worried me.
20. Jack was fired from his job. That surprised all of his co-workers.
21. My roommate always plays music at the dorm. That really gets on my nerves.
请判断下列句子是否正确，错误的请改正。
22. I enjoy the music that we are listening to it.
23. The people which live next to me are friendly.
24. He is the man who he taught me English.
25. I gave the book to him that he needed it.
26. The airline has a booklet who will tell you most of the important things about a trip to Europe.
27. The man which told me the news refused to give me his name.
28. The book which I bought it at the bookstore was very useful.
29. The woman was nice that I met yesterday.
30. I met a woman who her husband is a famous lawyer.
31. Let ABC be a triangle which sides are of unequal length.
32. Do you know the people who lives in that house?
33. The people who I met them at the party last night were interesting.
34. He dropped in on an old friend that day where he visited his club.
35. The day, when began brightly, ended with a violent storm.
请将下列定语从句中的 that 改为 who 或 which ，并判断哪些关系词可以省去。
36. The girl that answered the phone was polite.
37. I didn't know any of the people that Bill invited to his party.
38. The woman that I saw in the park was feeding the pigeons.
39. I like the barber that usually cuts my hair.
40. The person that I admire most is my father.
41. The people that I met at the party last night were very nice.
42. The people that live next to me have three cars.
43. The soup that I had for lunch was too salty.
44. The pill that I took made me sleepy.
45. My daughter asked me a question that I couldn't answer.
46. The man that my sister goes out with is tall, dark and handsome.
47. I couldn't understand the woman that I talked to on the phone.