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(17)关系代词

关系代词不仅是用以代理其先行的名词,而且要拿来连接前后两个语句,所以它是“代词而兼连词”的。比方“This is a bird. ”和“I caught it(= the bird). ”两句,用连词 and 连接起来,便成为“This is a bird,and I caught it. ”再进一步可使这两句更密切地结合拢来,就是将句中的代词(it)及连词(and)换用一个关系代词的 that。即:“This is the bird that(= and it)I caught. ”。

(注)因为这时的 bird 已受到 that 以下字句的限制,所以要将冠词 a 改为 the。

1. 关系代词及其先行词(Antecedent)

上例中的 bird 一词便是关系代词 that 的先行词,因为那是它所代理的其先行的名词。关系代词在“人称”及“数”上,一定要和它的先行词一致,例如:

I,who am a poor man,cannot do such a thing.

You,who are a rich man,may do anything you like.

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

Heaven helps him who helps himself.

句中的 who 为关系代词,随其先行词而变换它的人称和数。

先行词不一定是一个单词,它有时也可能是一个短语,或一个分句,例如:

He tried to win the prize,which,however,was found impossible.(短语)

We missed the train,which prevented us from reaching there in time.(分句)

2. 关系代词的格(Case)

用途

主格

所有格

宾格

(人)

who

whose

whom

(物)

which

(whose)of which

which

That is the man who teaches me English.(主格)

That is the man whose son I teach.(所有格)

That is the man whom I teach.(宾格)

(注意)用于人的关系代词,主格、所有格、宾格各有一词,一见分明,不至弄错,但用于物的关系代词是 which(有时 that),词的本身无变化,初学者也许在句中就不容易看出它的格来了。须知决定它的格的,不在它前面的词,而在它后面的词,例如:“Success will come to him who is always honest and diligent. ”一句中的 who 的格,和它前面那宾格的 him 没有关系,而只是后面 is 的主格罢了。还有一点要注意的,就是关系代词若系主格时,后面便直接接上动词;如系宾格时,后面的动词前就得另外加上一个主语。

3. 关系代词的用法

(a)who 的先行词是人。

This is a man who will never tell a lie.(主格)

Those whom the gods love die young.(宾格)

A man whose husband is dead is called a widow.(所有格)

(b)which 的先行词是物。

That is the house which belongs to him.(主格)

That is the house which he brought last year.(宾格)

That is the house the roof of which we saw from beyond the river.(所有格)

(注意)先行词为短语或从句时,关系代词要用 which,例见前。

(c)that 的先行词是人或物,可代替 who、whom、which 用,但不能用于所有格。

He is the American that(= who)teaches us English.(主格)

The man that(= whom)I met just now is my uncle.(宾格)

The book that(= which)has a red cover is mine.(主格)

This is the knife that(= which)I lost yesterday.(宾格)

(注意)that 不可接用介词。

误:The house in that he lives is not his own.

正:The house that he lives in is not his own.

正:The house in which he lives is not his own.

(d)that 的特殊用法。

① 先行词的形容词为最高级的场合:

He is the best tennis player that I know.

② 在疑问词 who 之后:

Who is the man that is speaking there?

③ 先行词既是人又是物的场合:

He sketched a driver and his cows that were passing over the bridge.

④ 在 the only、the same、the very 等之后:

He is the only man that can be trusted.

This is the very man that I wanted to see.

This is the same watch that I lost yesterday.

⑤ 在 indefinite pronouns 之后:

All that glitters is not gold.

No thing that he does is badly done.

Energy will do anything that can be done in the world.

I have something that I wish to tell you.

There is little that remains to be said.

⑥ 在数字之后:

He is the third person that has found out the secret.

⑦ 在 emphatic use 的 it is...that 的场合:

It is not ease but effort that makes man.

(e)what 是包含有先行词在内的关系代词。

What(= that which)is beautiful is not always good.

They are what(= those which)you call blue stockings.

I did what(= all that)I could.

What money(= all the money which)he gets he spends on drink.

(f)but 是含有否定在内的。

There is no rule but(= which...not)has exceptions.

There was no one present but(= who...not)saw the deed.

(g)as 和 than 原来是连词,如其后的代词省略时,则成为关系代词了。

As many men as came were caught.

This is more money than is needed.

4. 关系代词的特殊用法

① 限定的用法(Restrictive use)

He is the man who gave me this English magazine.

The gentleman who is standing over there is our teacher.

I received the letter which you sent me yesterday.

将整个的分句看作一个形容词来修饰先行的名词,而限定它的意义的,就叫作限定的用法。在这种关系代词前不要逗号(Comma)。这种 who 和 which,都可以用 that 来代替,因为 that 有限定的意思。

② 继续的用法(Continuative Use)

I met a man,who(= and he)gave me this English magazine.

He slew all the prisoners,which(= and this)was a very barbarous act.

I received a letter this morning,which(= and it)I have forgotten to bring here.

这并无形容词的效果,而用逗号使之与其先行的名词或短语或分句切断,等于用并列连词(Coordinate Conjunction)结合起来的两个对等句子。这就是说,没有这个从句,单只留下那个主句也能成立。

③ 副词的用法(Adverb Use)

I will let off this man,who(= because he)has been sufficiently punished already.

A man was sent,who should(= that he might)deliver the message.

One who(= if one)wishes to be in good health should not neglect to take a moderate amount of exercise.

The man,who(= though he)was very poor,never complained of his lot.

凡关系代词不属于上举两种用法,而引导一个表示“理由、目的、条件、让步”等的副词从句的,就属于副词的用法。

(注意)以 that 代 who 或 which 只限于“限定的用法”,而在“继续的用法”时则不可以用 that 来代替。有时因意义上的关系,也不能用限制的 that,例如说“I have heard from my brother that is in America. ”一句是对的,因为限制写信的是在美国的那个兄弟,不是在其他地方的兄弟。但是如说“I have heard from my father that is in America. ”就是笑话,因为父亲只有一位,不能加以限制,而暗示除在美国的那位以外另外还有,这时的 that 应改为 who 才对。通常是以 which 表不限定的,而以 that 表限定的:

The boy that practices will win the race.

The river,which is tidal,is full of shipping.

5. 作为介词宾语的关系代词

The house of which you speak is sold.

The house in which he lives is sold.

The chair on which you are sitting is too small.

The man with whom I live is Mr. Chang.

6. 关系代词的省略

上面第5项中所举各例,如将其中的介词移置于动词之后,便可将关系代词省略,例如:

The house(which)you speak of is sold.

The house(which)he lives in is sold.

The chair(which)you are sitting on is too small.

The man(whom)I live with is Mr. Chang.

又,在其他没有介词的句中只要词不害意,也同样可将关系代词省略,例如:

Is this the book(which)you want to read?

There is no one(who)knows it.

It is not the fine coat(that)makes the fine gentleman.

7. 复合的关系代词

Whoever(= Any one who)wishes to succeed must persevere.

Bring whoever(= anyone who)wants to come.

He flatters whosever(= anyone whose)father is rich.

Bring whomever(= any one whom)you like.

He succeeds in whatever(= anything that)he undertakes.

Choose whichever(= either that)you like.

8. 关系副词(Relative Adverb)

这当然应该属于副词部分,不过因为它的用法完全和关系代词一样,为区别计,特附此说明一下。关系副词有 when、where、why、how、that 等。

① 引导一个 Adjective Clause 的。

This is the city where I was born.

This is the reason why he has done so.

(注)the city 为关系副词 where 的先行词,the reason 为关系副词 why 的先行词。where I was born 及 why he has done so 都是形容词从句。

② 省略先行词而引导一个 Noun Clause 的关系副词的用法,和关系代词中那兼先行词的 what 的用法相同。

Let me know(the time)when he will come.

Tell me(the place)where you found it.

This is(the reason)why he did it.

This is(the way)how he did it.