揭开间隔式定语从句的面纱

山东 王振良

揭开间隔式定语从句的面纱

山东 王振良

通常情况下，定语从句紧跟在所修饰的先行词之后，但有时在定语从句和先行词之间插入谓语、状语或其他成分，将定语从句与先行词间隔开来，这种定语从句称为间隔式定语从句。英语句子中出现这种间隔现象的原因是主语或宾语带了过长的修饰成分，为了句意表达的需要或照顾主句结构紧凑，使句子结构保持平衡，就常常将主语或宾语与其修饰成分间隔开。识别间隔式定语从句不仅有助于分清句子类型，还有助于分析长句和理解句意，提高阅读能力。

间隔式定语从句在高考题中经常出现，如2016年新课标全国卷Ⅰ第65题：But my connection with pandas goes back to my days on a TV show in the mid-1980s，when I was the first Western TV reporter permitted to film a special unit caring for pandas rescued from starvation in the wild.其实该句子结构非常简单：My connection with pandas goes back to my days。when引导的不是时间状语从句，而是定语从句，修饰先行词days。在这个句子中，先行词 days和定语从句被“on a TV show in the mid-1980s”间隔开了，这样的句子理解起来有一定的难度。

按间隔部分所作的句子成分来划分，间隔形式可以分为以下几种：

1.谓语型：先行词与定语从句被主句谓语间隔开。如：

（1）The days will certainly come when China Dream will be realized in our country.我们国家实现中国梦的日子一定会到来。（先行词“the days”和定语从句被主句谓语“will certainly come”间隔开了）

（2）Many forms of apparatus have been devised by which a more accurate knowledge of blood pressure can be obtained.人们已经设计出许多医疗器械，通过这些医疗器械，可以对血压有一个更为精确的了解。（句中谓语“have been devised”间隔开了先行词“apparatus”和by which引导的定语从句）

以上两句中的先行词充当句子的主语，如果把修饰主语的定语从句置于其后，则主语太长，造成头重脚轻，因此谓语型间隔式定语从句主要是为了平衡句子结构。

2.表语型：先行词与定语从句被表语间隔开。表语型间隔式定语从句也是为了平衡句子结构的需要。如：

（1）Occasions are quite rare when I have the time to spend a day with the kids.我有时间和我的孩子们度过一天的机会是很少的。（该句的先行词为“occasions”，其与定语从句被表语“quite rare”间隔开，为了避免句子头重脚轻，所以把定语从句放在了后面）

（2）He is a wise man who speaks little.智者言少。（先行词“he”和定语从句被表语“a wise man”间隔开）

3.定语型：先行词与定语从句被用作定语的介词短语或副词短语间隔开。如：

（1）I was the only person in my office who was invited.我是办公室里唯一被邀请的人。（句中由who引导的定语从句修饰它的先行词“person”，中间被定语“in my office”间隔开）

（2）Do you remember one afternoon ten years ago when I came to your house and borrowed a necklace of yours? 10年前的一个下午，我到你家借过一条项链，你还记得吗？（句中由关系副词when引导的定语从句修饰先行词“one afternoon”。“ten years ago”是定语，也修饰“one afternoon”）

4.状语型：先行词与定语从句被用作状语的短语间隔开。如：

（1）Never say anything behind a person’s back that you wouldn’t say to his face.当面不愿意说的话，千万不要在背后说。（句中先行词“anything”和定语从句被用作状语的“behind a person’s back”间隔开）

（2）Henry Ford started the Ford Motor Company in 1903，which later became the largest car company in the world. Henry Ford在1903年创办了Ford汽车公司，后来成了世界上最大的汽车公司。（which引导的定语从句修饰它的先行词“Ford Motor Company”，中间被时间状语“in 1903”间隔开）

5.同位语型：先行词与定语从句被同位语间隔开。如：

One was a volent thunderstorm，the worst I had ever seen，which obscured my objective.有一次是暴风骤雨，我曾经历过的最猛烈的一次，这场暴风雨遮住了我的目标。（先行词“thunderstorm” 与which引导的定语从句被同位语“the worst I had ever seen”间隔开）

6.插入型：先行词与定语从句被插入语间隔开。如：

Is there anyone you can think of who may know which hospital he was sent to? 你能不能想到有谁可能知道他被送往哪家医院了？（该句的先行词为“anyone”，与who引导的定语从句被插入语“you can think of ”间隔开）

【跟踪练习】用合适的关系代词或关系副词填空。

1.This is the article written by him_______I spoke to you about.

2.The film brought the hours back to me_______I was taken good care of in that faraway village.

3.They still remember one afternoon in the first year _______the professor took the students to the chemistry lab.

4.There are thousands of stars in the sky_______are like our sun.

5.In 1898，a law was passed_______meant all people above a certain age were paid a weekly “old age pension”.

6.Cave paintings have been found_______are at least 20 000 years old and are perhaps the oldest form of art yet discovered on the earth.

7.A better method is to take the waste far out to sea in ships________the wind and waves break it down.

8.First，areas of land must be found_______this rubbish can be put.

9.Finally another material is painted on to the stones ________will protect them from water for ever.

10.The days are gone_______we suffered so much.

【参考答案】1.that 2.when 3.when 4.that 5.which 6.which 7.where 8.where 9.which 10.when

（作者单位：山东省滨州市沾化区第一中学）