前面讲过,关系副词主要就是where,when和why这三个,分别在定语从句中充当地点状语、时间状语和原因状语,并且分别指代地点名词、时间名词和原因名词。请看下表:
首先,我们还是按照前面1.2小节所讲过的三步骤来演示由简单句如何合并成where引导的定语从句,从而使我们更加清楚地看到where定语从句的本质结构特点。
a. This is the house.
b. I grew up here.
1 指代:
here指代the house:
This is【the house】. I grew up【here】.
2 替换:
在上面b句中,here充当地点状语,修饰短语动词grew up。相应地,我们要用表示地点的关系副词where来替换here:
This is【the house】. I grew up【where】.
由此可见, where 在定语从句中充当地点状语。
3 移位:
关系词移位: 把where移到从句句首:
This is【the house】.【where】I grew up.
定语从句移位: 由于是修饰句末名词the house,所以,我们直接把定语从句where I grew up放在the house后边即可,而无须把定语从句移到句中。
This is【the house】【where】I grew up.
于是最终得到一个带有定语从句的主从复合句:
c. This is the house where I grew up.
在这个定语从句中,where充当地点状语,它替换了原来的副词here。因此,I grew up看似不缺少句子成分,但其实是缺少一个地点状语的,只不过由关系副词where补充完整了。
不过话说回来,一个句子缺少状语,并不像缺少主语或宾语那样容易分辨出来,这是因为主语及宾语是句子的基本成分,帮助构成五种基本句型,而状语只是修饰成分,不是构成五种基本句型的必选成分。换句话说, 如果在定语从句中不缺少主语或宾语,那么此时定语从句必然缺少状语,此时就需要用关系副词(而不是关系代词)来补充这个状语。
从上面的例子我们看到,where替换了副词here,在定语从句中充当地点状语。另一方面,我们也可以把b句中的here替换成介词短语in this house:
b1. I grew up in this house.
然后把this house替换成which:
I grew up in which
注意,this house是一个名词短语,就不能用关系副词where来替换说成:
I grew up in where. *
然后进行移位操作,可以写成: which I grew up in 或 in which I grew up 或 that I grew up in 。
因此,把a句与b1句合并成定语从句可以有三种结构:
c1. This is the house which I grew up in.
c2. This is the house in which I grew up.
c3. This is the house that I grew up in.
当然,我们可以省去关系代词,说成:
c4. This is the house @ I grew up in.
下面我们来作一些比较,会有重要的发现。先来比较c句和c2句:
c. This is the house where I grew up.
c2. This is the house in which I grew up.
这里我们看到,where可以替换成in which。当然,根据结构的不同,可以使用其他不同的介词。因此, where可以替换成“介词+which”。
比较c和c1句:
c. This is the house where I grew up.
c1. This is the house which I grew up in.
在c句中,定语从句I grew up不缺少主语或宾语,所以用关系副词where。在c1句中,定语从句I grew up in缺少宾语,所以用关系代词which。由此可见, 定语从句的结构决定了关系代词与关系副词的使用。 说得更明确些, where在定语从句中要充当地点状语,而不是主语或宾语。 关于这一点,详见2.7.1小节。
1.a. The city was beautiful.
b. We spent our vacation there (=in that city).
合并定语从句:
___________________
2.a. That is the restaurant.
b. I will meet you there (=at that restaurant).
合并定语从句:
___________________
3.a. The town is small.
b. I grew up there (=in that town).
合并定语从句:
___________________
4.a. This is the house.
b. They put their tools there (=in that house).
合并定语从句:
___________________
5.a. That is the drawer.
b. I keep my jewelry there (=in that drawer).
合并定语从句:
___________________
以上分析where用法的思路完全适用于分析when的用法,请看示例:
a. I'll never forget the day.
b. I met you then.
1 指代:
then指代the day:
I'll never forget 【the day】. I met you【then】.
2 替换:
在上面b句中,then充当时间状语,修饰动词met。相应地,我们要用表示时间的关系副词when来替换then:
I'll never forget 【the day】. I met you【when】.
由此可见,when在定语从句中充当时间状语。
3 移位:
关系词移位: 把when移到从句句首:
I'll never forget 【the day】.【when】I met you.
定语从句移位: 由于是修饰句末名词the day,所以,我们直接把定语从句when I met you放在the day的后边即可,而无须把定语从句移到句中。
I'll never forget 【the day】【when】I met you.
于是最终得到一个带有定语从句的主从复合句:
c. I'll never forget the day when I met you.
在这个定语从句中,when充当时间状语,它替换了原来的副词then。因此,I met you看似不缺少句子成分,但其实是缺少一个时间状语的,只不过由关系副词when补充完整了。
从上面的例子我们看到,when替换了副词then,在定语从句中充当时间状语。另一方面,我们也可以把b句中的then替换成介词短语on that day:
b1. I met you on that day.
然后把that day替换成which:
I met you on which
注意,the day是一个名词短语,就不能用关系副词when来替换,说成:
I grew up on when.*
然后进行移位操作,可以写成:
on which I met you
值得注意的是, 修饰时间名词的定语从句有些特殊:此时介词或在which之前,或省去。 所以,一般不说:
which I met you on* 或 that I met you on*
而是:
that I met you
因此,把a句与b1句合并成定语从句可以有两种结构:
c1. I'll never forget the day on which I met you.
c2. I'll never forget the day that I met you.
当然,我们可以省去关系代词,说成:
c3. I'll never forget the day @ I met you.
下面我们来作一些比较,会有重要的发现。先来比较c和c1句:
c. I'll never forget the day when I met you.
c1. I'll never forget the day on which I met you.
这里我们看到,when可以替换成on which。当然,根据结构的不同,可以使用其他不同的介词。因此, when可以替换成“介词+which”。
比较c和c2、c3句:
c. I'll never forget the day when I met you.
c2. I'll never forget the day that I met you.
c3. I'll never forget the day @ I met you.
可见,that也可以用作关系副词,引导修饰时间名词的定语从句。还可以省去时间关系副词。再比如:
The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. ( 你一生中最重要的两天:一是你来到这个世界上的那天,二是你终于想通了为什么来到这个世界上的那天。 )
这是马克·吐温(Mark Twain)的名言。其中有两个定语从句,都省去了关系副词,可以改写成:...the day ( when/that ) you are born and the day (when/that) you find out why.
Most education experts today stress the importance of “life-long learning”. They point out that education never ends. It is a continuous process. The day we stop learning is the day we die. ( 大多数的教育专家们现如今都强调“终生学习”的重要意义。他们指出教育是一个连续的过程,永远不应该停止,除非是我们离开了这个世界。 )
这个句子让我们知道,我们现在身处一个life-long learning(终生学习)的时代。大家不妨记住这个句子,也许在考试作文中能派上用场。其中的定语从句可以改写成:The day (when/that) we stop learning is the day ( when/that ) we die.
也许此刻你正在为高考奋战,期盼考入自己理想中的大学。大学四年是人生中非常重要的一段时光,为什么?下面这句话给出了回答:
You know, a lot of people say that college is the time when young men and women expand the way that they look at their world, when they open their minds to new ideas and experiences and when they begin that long journey from the innocence of youth to the responsibilities of adulthood. ( 你知道很多人都说,大学是青年男女们拓展视野,形成世界观的时期;是他们尝试新观念和新经历的时期;是他们漫长人生旅程的开始,从一个无知的少年成长为肩负责任的成年人。 )
先行词the time后边接了三个并列的定语从句,都是由when引导的。这段话摘自2006年上映的美国轻喜剧电影《录取通知书》(英文名: Accepted )。该影片描述了一群想要申请到心目中理想大学的高中应届毕业生,因为各种不同的个人因素均被他们所申请的学院与大学以委婉的回绝信拒绝。拿不到录取通知书的这群高中应届毕业生因为不敢向父母吐露自己没被录取,于是一起建立一所假的学院,来欺骗父母说自己被这所学院录取。该学院以一所废弃的精神病院为场地,取名为南方哈蒙工业学院(South Harmon Institute of Technology,简称S.h. I.T. )。这种奇葩的学院简称,很具有讽刺意味,电影中出现了60多次shit一词,既影射该学院,也批评了美国的教育体系。为了维持这所学校的正常运转,必须得有成年人成为学校的代表,于是,主人公巴特比(Bartleby)雇用了他的好友谢尔曼(Sherman)的舅舅本(Uncle Ben)作为这里的名誉校长。
上面这番话就是这位有点神经质的校长说的。面对Bartleby的家长,校长说完上面这番大道理之后,话锋一转,来了这句犀利的评价“Now isn't that a load of horseshit?( 上面这番道理难道不是狗屁不通嘛? )”。这让学生家长大惊失色,面面相觑。
1.a. Saturday is the day.
b. We will come then (=on that day).
合并定语从句:
___________________
2.a. We live in an age.
b. Unnecessary things are our only necessities in this age.
合并定语从句:
___________________
3.a. 2:30 pm is the time.
b. His plane arrives then (=at the time).
合并定语从句:
___________________
4.a. April Fool's Day is that special day of the year.
b. You should play a joke on someone then (=on that day).
合并定语从句:
___________________
5.a. July is the month.
b. The weather is usually the hottest then (=in that month).
合并定语从句:
___________________
6.a. He arrived in Shanghai that day.
b. On the same day I left.
合并定语从句:
___________________
7.a. 1937 is the year.
b. The revolution took place then (=in that year).
合并定语从句:
___________________
8.a. March 10, 1876 was the day.
b. On the day the first complete sentence was sent over a telephone.
合并定语从句:
___________________
9.I think there are moments in life when people decide not to love others and supreme moments when people decide to love no matter what. It seems many people either don't show love because they don't approve of certain people or they simply don't have the time to reach out to people. You can literally shut your heart away in a little box inside of you or you can open that box and let all that love flow out. It is really up to you.
10.The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours—it is an amazing journey—and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.
11.The ceremony of staying overnight to greet the New Year is observed only during the eve when people listen to the toll of the New Year bell, setting off fireworks, events that are imbued with the implication of “ringing out the old and ushering in the new”.
一
以上分析where和when用法的思路完全适用于分析why的用法,请看示例:
a. That's probably the major reason.
b. He left that place for that reason.
1 指代:
for that reason指代the major reason:
That's probably【the major reason】. He left that place【for that reason】.
2 替换:
在上面b句中,for that reason充当原因状语,修饰动词left。相应地,我们要用表示原因的关系副词why来替换for that reason:
That's probably【the major reason】. He left that place【why】.
由此可见,why在定语从句中充当原因状语。
3 移位:
关系词移位: 把why移到从句句首:
That's probably【the major reason】.【why】he left that place.
定语从句移位: 由于是修饰句末名词短语the major reason,所以,我们直接把定语从句why he left that place放在the major reason的后边即可,而无须把定语从句移到句中。
That's probably【the major reason】【why】he left that place.
于是最终得到一个带有定语从句的主从复合句:
c. That's probably the major reason why he left that place.
在这个定语从句中,why充当原因状语,它替换了原来的介词短语for that reason。因此,he left that place看似不缺少句子成分,但其实是缺少一个原因状语的,只不过由关系副词why补充完整了。
另外,由于b句含有for that reason,此时可以用which替换that reason,因而写成for which:
c1. That's probably the major reason for which he left that place.
这里我们看到,why可以替换成for which。
二
在上面这个例句中,for that reason替换的是名词短语the major reason。不过,有时for that reason是指代上文的整个句子,比如:
a. He left that place before I arrived.
b. For that reason I didn't see him.
这里for that reason指代的是整个句子he left that place when I arrived,解释“我没有看到他”的原因是
“我到的时候他已经走了”。此时合并后的定语从句是:
c. He left that place before I arrived, for which reason I didn't see him.
即在for which后边添加了reason来强调原因。关于这一点,我在6.4小节会进一步讨论。
三
需要提醒的是,因为表示原因的名词很少,所以我们一般很少见到why定语从句。另外,我们常常把表示原因的先行词省去,而只剩下why从句,请比较:
a. That's the reason why I didn't go there.
b. That's why I didn't go there.
我们看到,b句中的why从句why I didn't go there作表语,其实是一个表语从句。但同样结构的why从句在a句中后置修饰reason,因而是定语从句。
1.The reason ______ he died was lack of medical care.
a. which
b. for that
c. as
d. why
2.I had neither a raincoat nor an umbrella. ______ I got wet through. (1998上海卷)
a. It's the reason
b. That's why
c. There's why
d. It's how
3.The minute you think of giving up, think of the reason ______ you held on so long.
a. what
b. when
c. why
d. which
4.Online shopping is becoming more and more popular in China. It either takes the form of B2C (business to customer) or C2C (customer to customer). The two major reasons why growth is slow are first, concerns about security and reliability and second, Chinese customers are used to haggling over prices in stores, a process which does not transfer to the Internet.( 出自2000年左右的文章 )
5.Remember, the thoughts that you think and the statements you make regarding yourself determine your mental attitude. If you have a worthwhile objective, find the one reason why you can achieve it rather than hundreds of reasons why you can't.
6.Believe it or not, you are in control of your own life. You are the reason why you are sad. You are the reason why you are happy. So don't wait for happiness. Go out and find it. Right now!