表示所属关系或部分与整体关系,比较常用的介词是of。我们先来看几个例句:
1 The company, of which Max Harrison was until recently the chairman , has made loss of three million pounds this year.
妙语点睛 这里的of which相当于of the company,于是整个定语从句相当于Max Harrison was until recently the chairman of the company ,所以这里的of表示所属关系,即the chairman是属于这个公司的。原定语从句可以改写为:the chairman of which was Max Harrison until recently。
精品译文 这家公司今年亏损达三百万英镑,直到前不久Max Harrison还是它的董事长。
2 They're all groaning about soaring health budgets, the fastest-growing component of which are pharmaceutical costs.
妙语点睛 这里表示整体的是health budgets,在定语从句中用which来指代。表示部分的是the fastest-growing component,即从句中的pharmaceutical costs,也就是说这个costs是health budgets的一部分。原从句可以改写为: of which pharmaceutical costs are the fastest-growing component 。由此看来,定语从句是一个倒装句,从句主语是costs。
精品译文 他们所有人都在抱怨高涨的医疗预算,其中增长最快的部分是药品费用。
3 The total cultivated area is 13, 000 acres, of which 10, 000 acres are irrigated fields.
妙语点睛 这里显然是说,在13, 000英亩中有10, 000英亩是可灌溉的田地,这表示部分与整体的关系。原定语从句可改写为:10, 000 acres of which are irrigated fields。
精品译文 可耕地的总面积为13, 000英亩,其中10, 000英亩为可灌溉良田。
通过以上例句,我们可以总结出该句型的结构特点如下:
1. 该句型的结构往往是“不定代词/数量词/形容词的比较级或最高级+of which/whom”,用来表示数量或某种特点。具体来讲,在介词of前面常出现的词包括:all, each, both, either, neither, none, little, few, many, much, some, most, any, the majority, half, several, a number, half, none以及数字和形容词的最高级等等。
2. 值得注意的是,这里of前面的成分都可以后移至定语从句中。比如上面的例句,我们既可以说10, 000 acres of which,也可以说of which 10, 000 acres。
再比如:
4 This kind of support, like all government support, requires decisions about the appropriate recipients of funds. Decisions based on utility as opposed to lack of utility are straightforward. But a decision among projects none of which has immediate utility is more difficult.
妙语点睛 这里的none of which相当于none of the projects,即which指projects。可以说成: of which none has immediate...
精品译文 这种支持,如同所有的政府支持一样,需要决定谁适合作为基金的受益人。这最终要由效益来决定,可是在那些都看不到近期效益的项目中来决定谁是受益人,这就更难了。
再来看下面的练习:
5 Living in the central Australian desert has its problems, ______ obtaining water is not the least.
A. of which
B. for what
C. as
D. whose
正确答案 A。
妙语点睛 这里的obtaining water是众多problems中的一种,注意这里problems用的是复数,表明有很多问题。所以,这里表示整体的是:problems,表示部分的是:obtaining water。原从句可以改写为:obtaining water of which is not the least。
精品译文 生活在澳大利亚中部沙漠地区会有很多问题,其中最大的麻烦就是取水问题。
6 The Social Security Retirement Program is made up of two trust funds, ______ could go penniless by next year.
A. the larger one
B. the larger of which
C. the largest one
D. the largest of which
正确答案 B。
妙语点睛 这里的of前面用了比较级the larger,表示the larger fund。原定语从句可以改写为: of which the larger could go penniless by next year。
精品译文 这个“社会安全退休项目”由两支基金组成,其中较大的那支基金到明年可能就会破产。