采用"关系分句"这一术语,不用"定语从句"
采用"关系分句"这一术语,不用"定语从句"
采用"关系分句"这一术语,不用"定语从句"
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以把握这些关系分句在句中的确切含义。
我们之所以采用“关系分句’’这一名称,而不用“定语从句”这一传统名称,还因为
关系分句在有些情况下并不是从句,而是相当于并列独立分句。再观察下列诸句:
[7]I told John,who told his brother,and he told his wife.
[8]Immediately the Israeli armoured units opened fire , killing four Lebanese military
policemen and injuring the fifth,who la ter died of his wounds.
[9]He said he had lost his watch,which was not true.
[10] He asked me to explain to him the art of writing poetry,which cannot be taught.
在以上四句中,关系分句并不是“从句’’,而是相当于并列独立分句。比如: [7-]who
told his brother 相当于 and he told his brother;[8-]who later died of his wounds 相当于 and he
later died of his wounds;[9]which was not true 相当于 but it was not true;EIO]which can—not
be taught 相当于 but it(the art of writing poetry)cannot be taught。这类关系分句,叶斯珀森称为
“接续性分句"(Continuative Clause),从而不同于一般的附属分句。由此可见,如果不问青红
皂白把所有的关系分句统称为“定语从句”,那显然是不妥的。这就是为什么我们不用“定
语从句’’这一传统名称而改称“关系分句”。 然而关系分句的主要功能还是充当名词
的后置修饰语(即“定语’’)。例如:
She is the woman who lives next door to us.
The tiles which fell off the roof caused serious damage.
关系分句作以上用法时,当然可以叫做“定语从句’’,可是如果把这种分句的其他用
法也视为“定语’’,那就会引起理解上的问题。