定语从句的理解与翻译

李也白

在中学英语的教学实践中，我们发现有些定语从句，特别是一些非限制性定语从句，虽然具有定语从句的形式，却兼有状语从句甚至还有并列句和强调句的功能。在用法上也不像其他定语从句一样，只起限定修饰先行词的作用；在意义上与主句有状语关系，说明原因、结果、目的、让步、条件、假设、时间等关系。现结合教材中的例句，谈谈对某些特殊定语从句的理解和翻译。

一、译成表示“原因”的状语从句

1. A better method is to take the waste far out to sea in ship where wind and waves break it down. 比较好的办法是把粪便用船运到很远的海上，因为那里的风浪会把它分解。

2. Mr King，whose legs were badly hurt was quickly taken to hospital. 金先生很快被送往医院，因为他的腿严重受伤。

二、译成表示“结果”的状语从句

1. With the pay that he received and saved，he went on with his studies at university，where he received a doctors degree in 1905. 用挣来的工资和积蓄的钱，他继续读大学。结果在1905年他获得了博士学位。

2. He began the research and studies which led to his new discoveries in physics. 他开始进行了研究工作，结果这项工作使他在物理学方面获得了新的发现。

三、译成表示“目的”的状语从句

1. But the Southern states wanted to set up a country of their own， where they would be free to keep black slaves. 但是南部各州却想建立他们自己独立的国家，为的是在那里可以把黑人当作奴隶。

2. Finally another material is painted onto the stones which will protect them from water forever. 最后，在石头上还要涂上一种涂料，以免这些石头受雨侵蚀。

四、译成表示“让步”的状语从句

1. In Britain，which has a population of only 58 million people，110，000 people die from smoking each year. 尽管英国人口只有5，800万，每年却有11万人因吸烟而死去。

2. Many parts of the world， which once had large populations and produced plenty of crops， have become deserts. 世界上许多地区如今却成了沙漠，虽然这些地区曾经人口众多，五谷丰登。

五、译成表示“条件”、“假设”的状语从句

1. It can be grown in places where it is too cold to grow rice. 如果有些地方气候太冷，不能种稻谷，我们可以把马铃薯种在那里。

2. People who smoke in bed often fall asleep while they are smoking. 假如在床上吸烟，人们常常是吸着烟就睡着了。

六、译成表示“时间”的状语从句

1. At San Francisco the Pacific plate which is moving towards the northwest meets the North American plate. 当太平洋板块朝西北方向移动时，它就会在旧金山同北美板块相遇。

2. Second，electricity can now be made from the water which rushes through the base of the dam. 第二，现在，当水从水坝底部急速流出时，可以被用来发电。

七、译成并列句

1. Charlie Chaplin， who died in 1977，is considered one of the greatest and funniest actors in the history of the cinema. 查理·卓别林被认为是电影史上最伟大、最滑稽的演员之一，他于1977年逝世了。

2. The French，after discovering the ruined temple， did a lot of repair work up till 1970，when the war forced the last of the French workforce to leave. 法国人在发现这座满目疮痍的寺庙后，做了大量的修复工作，一直到1970年为止，这时战争迫使最后一批法国劳务人员离开。

八、有些定语从句感情色彩较浓，具有强调意味，我们可以将其转译成强调句

1. His mother， who loved him very much，died in 1818. →It was his mother who loved him very much but she died in 1818.

2. Then he went to Defarges wine shop，where he learnt why they were eager to have Charles sentenced to death. →Then he went to Defarges wine shop and it was there that he learnt why they were eager to have Charles sentenced to death.

综上所述，对于某些特殊的定语从句，我们不宜机械地将其译成定语，而应善于从原文的字里行间发现这些逻辑上的关系，然后译成更加恰当的、更加符合逻辑的各种汉语句式。

编辑/梁宇清