what作关系代词,用法很特殊,它可以看作是先行词和关系代词的结合体,因此,我们把它称为“缩合关系词”。大多数情况下,what在从句中不表示疑问意义“什么”,而应该被理解为the things that, all that或something that。what在从句中充当主语或宾语等名词性成分。
what相当于一个关系代词及其先行词。所以,what引导从句时,前面不应再出现先行词。换句话说,如果句中已有先行词,就一定不能用what引导。比如我们不能说You can have everything what you like.
32 All ____ is a continuous supply of the basic necessities of life.(1990-1 CET-4)
A. what is needed B. the things needed C. for our needs D. that is needed
正确答案 D
妙语点睛 这里all是先行词,所以不能选择A。若选B,则主语是复数things,与后面谓语is不搭配。选C不通。故D正确。
精品译文 所需要的就是日常生活必需品的持续供应。
33 For Williams, those activities became what he calls “electronic heroin”... It is worrisome that society is medicalizing more and more behavioral problems, often defining as addictions what earlier, sterner generations explained as weakness of will. Pushed by science, or what claims to be science, society is reclassifying what once were considered character flaws or moral failings as personality disorders akin to physical disabilities. (2006年阅读“七选五”)
妙语点睛 这段短文有四个what从句,我们现在一一剖析。
what从句1: Those activities became what he calls “electronic heroin”.
这里what在从句中作谓语calls的宾语(electronic heroin充当宾语补足语),这个what相当于 the activities that,即一个先行词和关系代词的结合体,从这个意义上来说,what引导的是一个定语从句。但从结构上来说,what从句是充当became的表语,即名词从句中的表语从句。换句话说,what所引导的从句既可以看作是特殊的定语从句,又可以当作是名词性从句。因此为了方便起见,我们以后把what引导的从句统称为“what从句”。
what从句2: Society is... often defining as addictions what earlier, sterner generations explained as weakness of will.
首先,我们来看what从句在主句中的结构关系。这里what引导的从句 what earlier, sterner generations explained as weakness of will在主句中充当谓语defining的宾语,是一个宾语从句。但由于其结构较长,所以后置,而将defining的补足语as additions提前。原本结构应该是:defining (what从句) as addictions。其次,我们再来看what从句本身的结构关系。这里what在从句中充当谓语explained的宾语,as weakness of will充当补足语(这完全类似于as addictions充当defining的补足语)。所以,原本的结构是:explained (what) as weakness of will。
what从句3: what claims to be science
这里的what从句由or连接,与其前面的science构成一个并列成分,作介词by的宾语。相当于:Pushed by science, or something that claims to be science,即这里something that用what来替换了。这个what在从句中作主语(后接谓语claims)。
what从句4: Society is reclassifying what once were considered character flaws or moral failings as personality disorders akin to physical disabilities.
与上面“what从句2”分析思路类似,首先,我们来看what从句在主句中的结构关系。同上述defining(what从句) as addictions结构一样,这里逻辑结构是:reclassifying (what从句) as personality disorders akin to physical disabilities (akin to physical disabilities是形容词短语作后置定语,修饰前面的名词短语personality disorders)。但与上面“what从句2”不同的是,上句的what从句是后置宾语(defining as addictions what earlier, sterner generations explained as weakness of will),这里的what从句没有后置,而是直接跟在谓语reclassifying的后面。若后置,则可改为:Society is reclassifying as personality disorders akin to physical disabilities what once were considered character flaws or moral failings.其次,我们再来看what从句本身的结构关系。这里的what在从句中充当主语(后接谓语were considered,character flaws or moral failings是主语补足语,补充说明what)。
综上所述,前两个what在从句中作宾语,后两个what在从句中作主语。四个what前面都没有被修饰的名词(即先行词)出现。尽管第二个what前边出现了addictions,但是正如上面分析的,这个what从句并非修饰additions,而是跟在defining后面的。
精品译文 对于Williams来说,这些活动成了他所谓的“电子海洛因”……令人担忧的是:社会正在将越来越多的行为问题医学化,常常把过去人们坚持认为的意志力薄弱的问题定义为上瘾。在科学(或所谓的科学)的推动下,人们过去认为的性格缺陷或道德缺失现在被重新定义为类似于生理缺陷的人格障碍。
在满足上述前提条件下,what的具体用法有以下两点:
比如我们上述的例句,what都是单独使用的,即其后没有接名词。此时,what作关系代词,可表示物,也可表示人。
34 She is not what she used to be.
妙语点睛 这里what前没有先行词,what用来指人,原句相当于She is not the girl that she used to be。
精品译文 她不再是以前的她了。
35 Show me what you have written.
妙语点睛 这里what前没有先行词,what用来指物,原句相当于show me the things that you have written。
精品译文 把你写的东西给我看看。
36 Today's vessels can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught.(2006年阅读第三篇)
妙语点睛 这里what前没有先行词,what用来指物。另外,还要注意断句,从句的主语不是[( a higher proportion of what ) is in the sea],而应该是[a higher proportion of( what is in the sea )],即充当介词of的宾语的不是what这个词,而是从句what is in the sea。所以,a higher proportion of what is in the sea这个短语不是表示“更大比例的鱼类在海洋里”,而是“海洋鱼类中的更大比例”。
精品译文 今天的船只可以利用50年前还没有的卫星和声呐发现猎物,这意味着 海洋里更大比例的鱼类 被捕捞。
37 One difficulty is that almost all of what is called behavioral science continues to trace behavior to states of mind, feelings, traits of character, human nature, and so on.
妙语点睛 这里what后面没有接名词。和上一题a higher proportion of what is in the sea类似的是,用在of结构后面作宾语的是what从句 what is called behavioral science ,不是what这个词。所以在翻译时应该这样断句:[almost all of ( what is called behavioral science )],即译成“所谓的行为科学中几乎所有的都”。不能这样断句:[( almost all of what )is called behavioral science],这样就会误译成“几乎所有的都被称为行为科学”。换句话说,我们要把what从句当作一个整体先译出来,然后再加上almost all of结构。其次,我们再来看整个主从句的逻辑结构关系。One difficulty is...是主句的主谓语,后面接一个that引导的表语从句。在这个表语从句中,almost all of what is called behavioral science 作主语,后面接谓语部分:continues to trace behavior to states of mind, feelings, traits of character, human nature, and so on。所以,这个句子的翻译难点就在于要正确理解主语almost all of what is called behavioral science的结构关系。
精品译文 难题之一在于 所谓的行为科学几乎全都 继续从心态、感情、性格特征、人性等方面去寻求行为的根源。
此时,what作关系形容词,结构是“what +名词”,意为“所有的……,尽可能多的……”,这时what一般表示物,不表示人。
38 What money I have has been given to you.
妙语点睛 这里what后面接名词money,原句相当于 All the money that I have has been given to you。
精品译文 我身上所有的钱都给你了。
39 Lend me what reference books you have on the subject.
妙语点睛 这里what后面接名词短语reference books,原句相当于Lend me all the reference books that you have on the subject。
精品译文 请把你所有有关这个研究专题的参考书都借给我。
40 The accident completely wiped out what little sight he had left.
妙语点睛 这里what后面接名词短语little sight,原句相当于说The accident completely wiped out all the little sight that he had left。
精品译文 这次事故使他仅有的一点视力也丧失了。
41 After sharing what little food they had, the old couple let the two angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest.
妙语点睛 这里what后边接名词短语little food,原句相当于说After sharing all the little food that they had。
精品译文 这对老夫妇把仅有的一点点食物拿出来款待这两个天使,然后又让出原本他们自己可以安睡的床,给这两个天使睡。
42 Wild Bill Donovan would have loved the Internet. The American spymaster who built the Office of Strategic Services in World War II and later laid the roots for the CIA was fascinated with information. Donovan believed in using whatever tools come to hand in the “great game”of espionage-spying as a “profession”.(2003年阅读第一篇)
妙语点睛 这里whatever是what的强调形式,后面接名词tools,所以同样属于第二种用法“what+名词”。Whatever tools在从句中作主语,而整个从句whatever tools come to hand则作using的宾语,是一个宾语从句。此外,would have loved是一个虚拟语气,这表明Donovan这个人现已不在人世,请参见第七章“虚拟语气”。
精品译文 Wild Bill Donovan若在世的话,他会爱上互联网的。这位美国间谍大王对情报着迷,他曾经在二战时建立了战略事务办公室,为中央情报局的成立奠定了基础。Donovan相信,在谍报工作这个“大游戏”中,可以使用任何手段。
43 He claims to be an expert in astronomy, but in actual fact he is quite ignorant on the subject. _____ he knows about it is out of date and inaccurate.
A. What little B. So much C. How much D. So little
正确答案 A
妙语点睛 这里what little相当于what little knowledge,这类似于上述例句中的what little sight或what little food,这属于“what+名词”的结构。整个从句是what little he knows about it(it指天文学),用作主语,所以what从句在这里是一个主语从句。而what little在从句中作谓语knows的宾语。
精品译文 他自诩为天文学专家,但实际上他对这一领域知之甚少。他所知道的那点知识也是过时和不准确的。
44 As for the winter, it is inconvenient to be cold, with most of ______ furnace fuel is allowed saved for the dawn.
A. what B. that C. which D. such
正确答案 A
妙语点睛 这个句子有一定的难度,with前的主句不难理解,关键是with后面成分的理解。首先,这里实际上是由with引导的一个独立分词结构(详细内容参见第九章),其一般结构是: with +名词或名词性短语+分词 。此句中的结构可看成:with +what引导的名词从句(相当于名词短语)+saved for the dawn(分词结构)。这个with独立分词结构在句中作状语,表示原因。其次,我们再来分析这个由what引导的名词从句:most of what furnace fuel is allowed。what前没有先行词,这里是 “what +名词(furnace fuel) ”的用法。引导的名词从句确切说应为:what furnace fuel is allowed(所有分配的锅炉燃料)。可改为定语从句: all the furnace fuel that is allowed,然后再加上 most of ,所以要理解成[most of (what furnace fuel is allowed)],表示“所分配的锅炉燃料中的 大部分 ”。注意断句,不要理解成:[(most of what furnace fuel) is allowed]。也就是说,这里what从句是一个整体,相当于一个名词短语,然后再有most of (what从句)。这样的结构完全类似于我们上面讨论过的P13页例句(37)的翻译。
精品译文 到了冬天,由于所分配的锅炉燃料中的大部分需要节省下来等到黎明时候再用,因此(夜里)冷得难受。
关于as引导定语从句,请大家首先记住:as引导 限制性定语从句 和 非限制性定语从句 有着根本的不同。as引导的限制性定语从句只是用在一些固定结构如such,the same,as修饰的先行词后面。而as引导非限制性定语从句则没有这种结构上的要求。在考研英语真题中,主要涉及as引导的非限制性定语从句。
as引导的非限制性定语从句在句中的位置很灵活,可以位于句首、句中或句末,例如:
45 As is so often pointed out , knowledge is a two-edged weapon which can be used equally for good or evil.
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句首,此时,as指代后边的完整主句。
精品译文 正如人们常常指出的,知识是一把双刃剑,可以用于造福,也同样可以用来为害。
46 As is true of any developed society , in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships.(1997年阅读第二篇)
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句首,此时,as指代后边的完整主句。
精品译文 与任何发达社会一样,在美国,一套复杂的文化信号、信念及习俗制约着所有的社会交往。
47 There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary , says , a “disjunction”between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.(1998年阅读第二篇)
妙语点睛 as定语从句用在句中,隔开了there is与a “disjunction”。
精品译文 正如财政部长Robert Rubin所说,显示生产力增长的大量商界轶闻与统计数字所反映的情况之间存在“脱节”。
48 There is, as has been suggested , a growing body of research literature in journalism and broadcasting, but very little significant attention has been devoted to the study of the interview itself.
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句中,隔开了there is与a growing body。
精品译文 正如前面已经提及的,对新闻与广播进行研究的文献越来越多,但是关注新闻采访本身的研究却很少。
49 I have discovered, as perhaps Kelsey will after her much-publicized resignation from the editorship of She after a build up of stress, that abandoning the doctrine of “juggling your life”, and making the alternative move into “downshifting”brings with it far greater rewards than financial success and social status.(2001年阅读第五篇)
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句中,隔开了discovered与其that宾语从句。
精品译文 我已经发现—— 也许 Kelsey 也会发现 ,她由于过于劳累而公开地辞去了在《她》的编辑职位——放弃“忙忙碌碌”的理论,而采取另一种“放慢生活节奏”的方式,会比经济上的成功和社会上的地位更有价值。
50 Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know , has only one industry—William Shakespeare—but there are two distinctly separate and increasingly hostile branches.(2006年阅读第二篇)
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句中,隔开了主语Stratford-on-Avon与其谓语has。
精品译文 众所周知,Stratford-on-Avon只有一个产业,即威廉•莎士比亚,但是存在着两个明显不同且日益敌对的分支。
51 This description even fits the majority eminent scholars. Being learned in some branch of human knowledge is one thing; living in “public and industrious thoughts”, as Emersion would say , is something else.(2006年英译汉)
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句中,隔开了主语public and industrious thoughts与其谓语is。
精品译文 这种描述甚至适合大多数著名学者。在人类知识领域的某个分支方面学识渊博是一回事;如同爱默生所指出的:生活在“可感知的和卓越的思想中”是另外一回事。
52 The world's three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. As are the world's five richest men (Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison and Albrecht).(2004年阅读第二篇)
妙语点睛 as引导的定语从句用在句末。
精品译文 世界三大中央银行家(Greenspan, Duisenberg 和Hayami)的姓氏首字母都位于字母表前列(尽管他们其中一人实际上用的是日文),而世界上五大首富(Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison和Albrecht)也是这样。
53 18 Edward Zlotkowski, director of community service at Bentley College in Massachusetts, puts it, “There has to be coordination of programs. What's needed is a package deal.”
A. So B. Since C. As D. Thus
正确答案 C
妙语点睛 本题考查as引导的定语从句。
精品译文 正如马萨诸塞州Bentley学院社区服务主任Edward Zlotkowski所指出的:“必须要有项目之间的协调,需要的是一揽子计划。”
54 ______ is generally accepted, economical growth is determined by the smooth development of production.
A. What B. That C. It D. As
正确答案 D
妙语点睛 本题考查as引导的定语从句。
精品译文 正如人们普遍认为的,经济的增长取决于生产的顺利发展。
55 ____ can be seen from the comparison of these figures, the principle involves the active participation of the patient in the modification of his condition.
A. As B. What C. That D. It
正确答案 A
妙语点睛 本题考查as引导的定语从句。
精品译文 对比这些数据,我们就可以看出,基本原则是要求病人积极参与到改善自己健康状况的活动中。
as引导的非限制性定语从句,在考研作文中会大派用场。
56 As is seen from the chart , the average hours a student spends on the computer per week have increased dramatically in the past decade.
57 As is vividly betrayed in the cartoon above , a hen is promising what it should conduct to the public.(1998年作文)
58 As is obviously betrayed by the pictures above , three facts which are associated with smoking can be clearly realized by the public all over the world.(1997年作文)
59 As can be seen from the table/graph/figure , there is a marked increase/decline/favorable change in ...
60 As we can see from the table/graph/figure , drastic/considerable/great changes have taken place in...over the period of time from...year to...year.
上文提到,as引导限制性定语从句,只能用在一些固定结构中,如such, the same, as修饰的先行词后面。请看例句:
61 He'll repeat such points as are discussed in the book.
62 Such a student as works hard will be sure to succeed.
63 He tried to make as few mistakes as he could avoid.
64 He is not the same playboy as we knew.
65 The instrument is not such an instrument as I saw on the exhibition.
66 He is not such a man as would leave his work half done.
67 He is not such a fool as we would assume him to be.
68 It is unlikely that you will have such an exciting experience as Janet had a few years ago.
69 They made the same mistake as others would have made on such an occasion.
70 The new map of the ocean floor shows the locations of twice as many undersea volcanoes as were previously thought to exist.