作名词后置定语的短语与定语从句之间的关系
2013-12-29熊大斌
摘 要： 英语中有多种多样的短语可以放在名词后面作定语，这样可以增加被修饰的名词的信息量，限制该名词的语义范畴，使该名词的所指更具体化。但是，很多人对作名词后置定语的短语与定语从句易混淆。本文详细解读了二者的句式、意义的不同及相互转化关系。
关键词： 名词后置定语 定语从句 关系
英语中有多种多样的短语可以放在名词后面作定语，这样可以增加被修饰的名词的信息量，限制该名词的语义范畴，使该名词的所指更具体化。
例如：
（1）The books on the shelf are mine.书架上的书是我的。（介词短语）
（2）She is the woman responsible for the improvement.她是那位负责改进工作的女士。（形容词短语）
（3）The last man to leave the sinking ship was the captain.最后一位离开沉船的人是船长。（动词不定式短语）
（4）I come from a city located in the soutern part of the country.我来自我们国家南方的一个城市。（过去分词短语）
（5）We have an apartment overlooking the park.我们拥有一套俯瞰公园的公寓。（现在分词短语）
从表层结构上看，作名词后置定语修饰的短语与定语从句不同，一个是短语，另一个是从句。事实上，从深层次结构来看，任何作后置定语修饰的短语都可以看成是一个省略的定语从句。因此，上面的五个作名词后置修饰的短语的例句都可以用定语从句表示为：
（1）The books that are on the shelf are mine.
（2）She is the woman who is responsible for the improvement.
（3）The last man who left the sinking ship was the captain.
（4）I come from a city which is located in the southern part of the country.
（5）We have an apartment which overlooks the park.
把作名词后置定语的短语看成是省略的定语从句，是因为所有关系代词作主语的定语从句都可以省略用短语来表示，其省略过程按照以下要求：
1.定语从句中，关系代词作主语，谓语动词为“be”或含有“be”时，可以省略关系代词“be”动词，用短语表示：
a）The boy who is talking to John is from Korea.
a）The boy talking to John is from Korea.
正在同约翰讲话的男孩是朝鲜人。
b）The ideas which are presented in that book are interesting.
b）The ideas presented in that book are interesting.
那本书中提出的看法很有趣。
c）People who are present at the meeting are university students.
c）People present at the meeting are university students.
出席会议的是大学生。
2.当定语从句中关系代词作主语，谓语动词没有“be”动词时，可以省略关系代词，并把从句谓语动词改成现在分词或动词不定式：
a）English has an alphabet which consists of 26 letters.
a）English has an alphabet consisting of 26 letters.
英文字母表中有26个字母。
b）Anyone who wants to pass the test should study hard.
b）Anyone wanting to pass the test should study hard.
想考试及格的人必须努力学习。
c）Amelia Earhart was the first womam who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
c）Amelia Earhart was the first womam to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
阿米莉亚·厄赫特是第一个独飞大西洋的女性。
3.在非限定性定语从句中，省略要求与限定性定语从句一样。
d）Geoge Washing
