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这个关系从句不恰当吗?
作者:李  翔  文章来源:本站原创  点击数  更新时间:2010-06-10  文章录入:李翔  责任编辑:admin

 

这个关系从句不恰当吗?

 

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英语语法网之《这个定语从句不恰当》(www.yygrammar.com/Article/200812/1002.html)的作者目佳先生认为《张道真英语语法》(商务印书馆国际有限公司 20025月北京第1次印刷20025月第1) 230 (p.363) 上的例句 My sister who is a nurse came home for a few days. 我当护士的姐姐回来了几天。”中的定语从句不恰当,即应该用非限制性关系从句,不能用限制性关系从句,原因是“英语语言学家 Michael Swan 在《牛津英语用法指南》(Practical English Usage) (翻译本)(外语教学与研究出版社) (笔者注:指198212月第1)的第 527 节指出的:一个名词如已由其他词语作了完整的表述,就不再用限制性关系从句了。”

笔者认为目佳先生没有正确理解限制性关系从句与非限制性关系从句之间的区别,况且Michael Swan 在《牛津英语用法指南》(Practical English Usage) (第二版 翻译本)(外语教学与研究出版社20009月第1版)删除了上述说法及所谓的“错句”,再者说,仅仅一个my 就能对“名词sister”作出完整的表述,因而就不能再用限制性关系从句,只能用非限制性关系从句吗?

实际上,无论在英国英语中,还是在美国英语中都存在所谓“错句”这样的真实例证:

1. BNC(英国国家语料库http://www.natcorp.ox.ac.uk):BUY-BNC BRTISH NATIONAL CORPUS (UK,1980s-1993) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) http://corpus.byu.edu/bnc/

Her brother who had been a soldier was killed in Flanders during the Second World War and was buried there.

My brother who I was very close to went to the doctor and, instantly he, pres, er prescribed Tamazapam tablets for me, knowing that I myself am a single parent so I have a responsibility.

2. BYU: THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY(http://corpus.byu/oed/):

1949 I was anxious for a materialization of my sister who had died in Duluth, Minn., in 1922.

3. TIME CORPUS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH (1923-2006) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University ) (http://corpus.byu.edu/time):

1934/11/12 Critics were amused by his able portrait of his sister who looked like ZaSu Pitts.

4. BUY CORPUS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH (1990-2008) (Mark Davies, Brigham Young University) http://www.americancorpus.org/

2006 Patel moved to the United States with help from the immigration petition by his sister who lived in Medford, Ore., where she operated a hotel.

下面请看英语语法专家对何时选用限制性关系从句和非限制性关系从句作出的解释:

1. 王益民 曹绯编著《英语关系分句》(国防科技大学出版社 19985月第1)p13

My sister, who is a singer, will go abroad for further study.

My sister who is a singer will go abroad for further study.

第一句表示只有一个姐姐,无需限制,句子的意思是:我姐姐是个歌唱家,她将要出国深造。第二句表示不止一个姐姐,而其中一个是歌唱家,关系分句把先行词意思加以限制,句子的意思是:我那唱歌的个姐姐将要出国深造。(笔者注:从信息理论分析,限制性关系从句是一种已知信息(given information);而非限制性关系从句是一种附加信息(additional information)。按照此理论分析:第一句中的my sister 已有信息will go abroad for further study,分句who is a singer只是一种附加信息,以引起读者或听话人外加的兴趣;第二句中的关系分句who is a singer是一个已知信息,它和my sister构成的作整个句子主语的名词短语都是已知信息。)

2. 张鑫友编著《英语语法难题探微词典》(华中师范大学出版社 20045 月第1)p563:限制性定语从句在意义上具有“涉他性”,而非限制性定语从句在意义上具有“唯一性”。试比较:

The Samual Johnson who was a president of Columbia University was not the Samual Johnson who was a famous English writer. 当过美国哥伦比亚大学校长的约翰逊不是那个著名的英国作家约翰逊。(笔者注:可以看出,此处只能用限制性关系从句来限制此约翰逊非彼约翰逊。)

最后,让我们来看看目佳先生列举的只能用非限制性关系从句的例句,改为用限制性关系从句会产生什么后果:

He confessed to his wife, who said she had thought as much. 他向妻子坦白了,妻子说她事先已料到会如此。摘自《英语语法系列——限定词及数量词》(外文出版社&商务印书馆)第8.6

改为:He confessed to his wife who said she had thought as much. (笔者注:本句意思是“他向那个说她事先已料到会如此的妻子坦白了。言外之意,他还有别的妻子。)

 下一句,感兴趣的读者可以自己去改,看看有什么体会:“He is eclipsed by his wife, who is much cleverer and more amusing than he is. (他妻子比他聪明而有风趣,显得他黯然失色。摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(第四版,商务印书馆) eclipse 词条)

最后一句“He slapped his sister, who retaliated by kicking him. (他打了妹妹一巴掌,他妹妹回敬他一脚。摘自《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》(第四版,商务印书馆) retaliate 词条)”可改为:He slapped his sister who retaliated by kicking him. (笔者注:本句意思为“他打了回敬他一脚的妹妹一巴掌”。究竟谁那个动作在前,那个动作在后?)

最后,笔者引用陈敦金编著《新编英语语法综合教程》(复旦大学出版社 20047月第1)p386上的两个句子来说明区分限制性关系从句和非限制性关系从句得重要性和必要性:

一个牧师,他平常不喜欢穿牧师制服,说了下面这句话:

I will wear no clothes which will distinguish me from my fellow men. 我不愿意穿使我显得与众不同的衣服。

但是,当他的话被刊登在报纸上时,却变成了:

I will wear no clothes, which will distinguish me from my fellow men. 我不愿意穿衣服,这样使我显得与众不同。

 

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