我们再来看更多的例句：

2　He is the best grammar teacher who I have ever seen. 他是我见过的最好的语法老师。

3　It's hard to have a friend who you can trust completely. 很难有一个你能完全信任的朋友。

4　He is the student who the teacher likes to praise for his hard work. 他就是那位因为学习用功而老师喜欢表扬的学生。

3.2.3　关系词用作从句中介词的宾语

（relative pronoun as object of preposition）

关系词除了3.2.2小节中讨论的那样可以作从句动词的宾语外，还可以充当从句介词的宾语。例如：

1

妙语点睛

这里的who即是充当介词with的宾语。

精品译文

我这里说的朋友，是指那些你几乎可以把一切与之分享的人。

我们再来看更多的例句：

2　I hope I never have a boss who I can't talk to about my problems.

妙语点睛

这里的who即是充当介词to的宾语。

精品译文

我不希望有一个我无法与之沟通的老板。

3　I like the people who I work with.

妙语点睛

这里的who即是充当介词with的宾语。

精品译文

我喜欢那些和我一同工作的同事。

4　I'd prefer someone who I have something in common with — who I can talk to easily.

妙语点睛

这里的关系词who分别充当介词with和to的宾语。

精品译文

我喜欢那些与我有共同点的人，这样易交流。

3.2.4　作宾语的关系词可以省去

综合3.2.1、3.2.2和3.2.3小节讨论的内容，我们看到，关系词在定语从句中主要可以充当两种成分：主语或宾语（动词的宾语或介词的宾语）。至此，将讨论关系词的省略问题。英语里有这样的习惯：作宾语的关系词可以省去，不论关系词是作动词的宾语还是作介词的宾语都可以省去。比如以上各节中讨论过的相关例句，可以分别改写成：

1　I'd really like to find a friend (　　) I can trust completely.

2　I'm talking about friends (　　) you can share almost everything with.

3　I hope I never have a boss (　　) I can't talk to about my problems.

顺便提一句，在从句中作主语的关系词无法省去。比如不能说：

4　I like guys (　　) have a good sense of humor.*



思维总结

本节主要讨论了两个问题：一是关系词在从句中充当两种成分，即主语和宾语；二是作宾语的关系词可以被省去。因此，判断关系词能否被省略，关键是看它充当何种成分，对此读者应该掌握。



思维训练

Exercise 3.2

请将左边的主句与右边的定语从句配对，答案可能不是唯一的。

1．It would be fun to go out with a person_________. a. who doesn't mind doing housework.

2．For me, the ideal spouse is someone________. b．I have nothing in common with.

3．I'd really like to find a friend________. c．that I can trust completely.

4．I hope I never have a boss_______. d．that doesn't criticize me all the time.

5．I don't want to be friends with anyone_________. e. I can't talk to about my problems.

6．The perfect English teacher is someone________. f. who is a really good conversationalist.

请判断下列句子是否正确，错误的请改正。

7．He is the man who he is teaching us English.

8．I'd really like to find a friend that I can trust him completely.

9．I'd really like to find a friend I can share almost everything with him.

请给下列各主句配上定语从句。为每个主句分别写出三个定语从句，一个是关系词作从句的主语，一个是关系词作从句的动词宾语，一个是关系词作从句的介词宾语。

Example:

I don't like people______________________________.

I don't like people who say one thing but do something else.（who作主语）

I don't like people who I can't trust.（who作动词trust的宾语）

I don't like people who I have nothing in common with.（who作介词with的宾语）

10．I like people__________________________________.

11．I don't like teachers_________________________.

12．A good friend is a person_____________________.

13．I have a good friend__________________________.





3.3　关系代词与先行词的搭配关系

在3.2节中，我们详细讨论了关系词在定语从句中所充当的成分，研究重心是放在定语从句本身。现在，我们把研究目光转向关系词与主句中的先行词之间的关系。细心的读者也许注意到了，在3.2节中所讨论的定语从句的关系词都是who。但是在英语里，还有其他的关系词，比如whom，which，that，whose，when，where和why等等。这些关系词可以分为两大类：关系代词和关系副词。关系代词主要包括who，whom，which，that和whose，这些词主要起着代词的作用，在定语从句里充当主语或宾语（但whose作定语）。关于它们的具体用法将在本节中详细讨论。关系副词则包括when，where和why，这些词主要起着副词的作用，在定语从句里充当状语（不作主语或宾语）。关于它们的用法将在3.4节中讨论。因此，本节内容安排如下：

3.3.1　先行词指“人”，用关系代词who或whom

3.3.2　表示人或物的所有关系，用whose

3.3.3　先行词指“物”，用关系代词which

3.3.4　that可以指代人，也可以指代物

提到的这些关系代词，他们与先行词有着严格的对应关系，据此可以分为三类。见下表：



3.3.1　先行词指“人”，用关系代词who或whom

一、先行词指“人”才能用who或whom

比如在3.1和3.2节中讨论的各个例句。再比如3.1节的练习中出现的这段话：

1　Friendship is a very difficult thing. It is hard to handle. It creates many different problems. In fact I would say that friendship is as hard to handle as love is, or even marriage. Of course I am not talking about easy-come-easy-go friendship. I'm talking about friends who care deeply about each other, who support each other, who make life worth living. I'm talking about friends who you can share almost everything with.

妙语点睛

这里有两组定语从句。第一组I'm talking about friends who care deeply about each other, who support each other, who make life worth living. 其中的先行词friends表示“人”，所以用了who来引导定语从句，这里有三个定语从句并列使用。第二组I'm talking about friends who you can share almost everything with. 同样因为先行词是表示“人”，所以用who来引导定语从句。

精品译文

友谊是很难处理的，有时还会带来许多各种各样的麻烦。事实上，我想说的是，友谊与爱情甚至婚姻一样难以应付。当然了，我这里所说的友谊不是那种“来得快去得也快”的泛泛之交，而是那种彼此之间能真正互相关心的朋友，能够互相支持的朋友，能够让你的人生更有意义的朋友，是那种你和他们几乎可以分享一切的朋友。

那么，可以指“人”的关系代词who和whom有何不同呢？我们下面来讨论。

二、who和whom的区别

1．who的前面不能与介词搭配使用

因为who是主格形式，所以在介词的后面不能用who，比如不说with who*，而说with whom。请看例句：

2　I'm talking about friends who you can share almost everything with.

不能说：I'm talking about friends with who you can share almost everything.*

而应该说：I'm talking about friends with whom you can share almost everything.

主格形式的who除了作定语从句的主语外，还可以充当定语从句的宾语或表语。

2．whom在定语从句中不能作主语，但可作宾语或表语

3　A rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least.

妙语点睛

这里的who作从句的主语，所以不能用whom，不说whom has...

精品译文

一个富有的人，不是因为他拥有的最多，而是因为他需要的最少。

4　Only the people who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the skill to do difficult things easily.

妙语点睛

这里的who作从句的主语，所以不能用whom，不说whom have...

精品译文

只有有耐心圆满完成简单工作的人，才能够轻而易举地完成困难的事。

总之，who可以作主语，也可以代替whom作宾语或表语，但不能用在介词后面。而因为whom是宾格形式，所以不能作主语。

3.3.2　表示人或物的所有关系，用whose

whose表示所有关系，其作用就如同物主代词my，your，her，his，their和our一样，whose的后面要接名词。whose可指人也可指物。“whose＋名词”在从句中可作主语、动词的宾语或介词的宾语。请看例句：

1

妙语点睛

例句2）里的whose代替了例句1）里的his，指friend，即表示人。

精品译文

我认识一个朋友，他哥哥是一名流行歌手。

2

妙语点睛

例句2）里whose代替了例句1）里的its，指schoolroom，即表示物。

精品译文

这些孩子就坐在窗玻璃都打破了的教室里上课。

请再看其他例句：

3　When I looked through the window, I saw a girl whose beauty took my breath away.

妙语点睛

这里的whose beauty作从句的主语，whose指人即a girl。

精品译文

当我朝窗外看去，猛然看见一个美女，其美貌让我惊讶不已。

4　It was a meeting whose importance I did not realize at the time.

妙语点睛

这里的whose importance作从句动词realize的宾语，whose指事物a meeting。

精品译文

这个会议的重要性当时我并没有意识到。

5　Atlas (in Greek mythology) was a kneeling man on whose shoulder the world rested.

妙语点睛

这里的whose shoulder作从句中的动词短语rested on的宾语，这里on被提前。whose指人即man。

精品译文

阿特拉斯是（希腊神话中的）一个大力神，他跪在地上，肩上背负着地球。

3.3.3　先行词指“物”，用关系代词which

关系词which的造句结构完全类似于前面讨论过的who，比如which可以作从句的主语或宾语，只不过which的先行词是“物”。请看下面的例句：

1

妙语点睛

这里的先行词是sentences，表示“物”，因此不能用who。这里要用which代替they，来指代sentences，告诉对方“我们正在学习什么类型的句子”。

精品译文

我们正在学习带有定语从句的句子。

值得注意的是，关系词which所指代的先行词比较复杂，它除了可以指单个的名词外，还可以指代短语甚至是从句。下面将一一举例说明。

一、先行词是单个的名词

2　Anger is a wind which blows out the lamp of the mind.

妙语点睛

先行词是wind，即which指单个的名词。

精品译文

愤怒是吹灭心灵之灯的风。

3　Perhaps it is human to appreciate little that which we have and to long for that which we have not.

妙语点睛

先行词是that，即which指单个的名词。

精品译文

或许，“不惜已获，贪求不得”是人类共同的弱点吧。

二、先行词是一个短语

which可以指代一个短语。请看例句：

4　He likes climbing mountains, which is a good exercise.

妙语点睛

先行词是主句中的一个动名词短语climbing mountains。

精品译文

他很喜欢爬山，这可是一项好的运动。

三、先行词是一个句子

which可以指代前面的整个句子。请看例句：

5

妙语点睛

例句2）中的which替换了例句1）中的that，显然是指前面的整个句子Tom was late。

精品译文

汤姆迟到了，这让我很吃惊。

6　He tore up my photo, which upset me.

妙语点睛

全句he tore up my photo作which的先行词。

精品译文

他把我的照片给撕毁了，这让我很生气。

再比如，一位单亲妈妈这样调侃道：

7　I became a single mother overnight, which is nothing like becoming famous overnight.

妙语点睛

全句I became a single mother overnight作which的先行词。

精品译文

我在一夜之间成了单亲妈妈，这跟一夜成名可完全不同。

3.3.4　that可以指代“人”，也可以指代“物”

关系代词that的意义和用法主要有以下三点：一是that既可指“人”也可指“物”，即它指“物”时可以替换which，指“人”时可以替换who来使用；二是that不用在非限制性定语从句中（关于限制性和非限制性定语从句，详见3.5节）；三是that不能用于介词的后面（同who一样）。

一、that既可指“人”也可指“物”

因为that的先行词既可以是表示“人”也可以是表示“物”，所以that可以用来替换which或who。比如下面这个句子：

1　Too many people spend money which they haven't earned, to buy things which they don't want, to impress people who they don't like.

妙语点睛

可以用that替换其中的which和who而将这句话改写成：Too many people spend money that they haven't earned, to buy things that they don't want, to impress people that they don't like.这是影星威尔·史密斯（Will Smith）批评时下一些年轻人的生活方式时说的话。这里that的先行词有“物（money和things）”，也有“人（people）”。

顺便提一句，在前面3.2.4小节讨论过，作宾语的关系词可以省去，因此这句话也可说成：Too many people spend money (　　) they haven't earned, to buy things (　　) they don't want, to impress people (　　) they don't like.

精品译文

许多人花没挣到的钱，买自己不想要的东西，向自己不喜欢的人炫耀。

既然that可以指“物”也可以指“人”，那么就会涉及与which和who在用法上的区别的问题。为了便于记忆和使用，现列举出下面这些最好用that的情况，供参考：

1．当先行词中同时出现“人”和“物”时，用that

2　The writer and his novels that the article deals with are quite familiar to us.

妙语点睛

这里的先行词是the writer and his novels，即同时有“人（writer）”和“物（his novels）”，所以要选用that引导定语从句。

精品译文

这篇文章里所说的这个作家以及他的小说，我们都比较熟悉。

2．先行词为指“物”的all，little，few，much，none和the first时，用that

3　All that glitters is not gold.

妙语点睛

这里的先行词是all，所以用that来引导定语从句。另外要注意的是，这里有一个半否定的问题：all... not要译成“并非都是”，不能译成全否定的“所有都不”。

精品译文

闪光的并非都是金子。

这句话是莎士比亚（Shakespeare）的剧作《威尼斯商人》（The Merchant of Venice）中的名句，它的意思是说凡事不能只看外表，外表显得贵重华丽的东西不一定真正有价值（Something which seems valuable at first may turn out to be worthless. Just because something appears valuable does not mean that it really is valuable.)。

请再看下面的例句：

4　This book contains little that is useful.

妙语点睛

这里的先行词是表示否定意义的代词little（几乎没有什么），所以用that来引导定语从句。

精品译文

这本书里有用的东西几乎没有。

5　There is not much that can be done.

妙语点睛

这里的先行词是代词much，所以用that来引导定语从句。

精品译文

这没有什么办法了。

6　As long as you stand up to the difficulties, there are none that cannot be overcome.

妙语点睛

这里的先行词是代词none，所以用that来引导定语从句。

精品译文

只要你勇敢地去面对困难，就没有什么克服不了的。

3．先行词是不定代词something，anything，nothing和everything时，一般用that

7　Greater expense does not always equal better gift. I would much rather receive a gift that was unique or that I knew my friend had put some thought into than something that cost a lot of money but that I didn't need or want. I would much rather receive something that made me laugh, made me reminisce, or fit my personality than something that cost a lot but that I will just throw in my closet and forget about.

妙语点睛

首先，对于这段话里先行词是something的定语从句，作者都是采用了that来引导。其次，这里还有其他先行词不是something的定语从句，比如a gift that was unique or that I knew my friend had put some thought into。第三，从结构上来看，这段话里的句子稍微有些复杂，因为里面含有多个并列的定语从句，比如由or连接的that was unique和that I knew my friend had put thought into并列（注意这里的I knew是插入语，从句的主谓结构是my friend had put...）；由but连接的that cost a lot of money和that I didn't need or want并列；由but连接的that cost a lot和that I will just throw in my closet and forget about并列，最后还有定语从句(something) that made me laugh, made me reminisce, or fit my personality。所以这篇短文里定语从句较多。最后，这里有一个重要句型：I would rather... than，表示“我宁愿……而不愿”。

精品译文

价格昂贵的礼物并不意味着贵重，我倒希望收到的礼物是很别致的，或是我知道是朋友精心为我准备的，而不是花了很多钱却不是我所想要或需要的。我希望收到的是能够让我开心，让我回味过去的时光，或是适合我口味的礼物，而不是价格不菲，但看完之后随手就扔进储藏室，抛在脑后的礼物。

4．先行词被any，only，all，every，no，some，much，few，little，序数词，形容词的最高级，the only，the one，the very，the right和the last等成分修饰时，用that

8　Tell us all things that you know. 把你知道的都告诉我们。

9　There is no difficulty that they can't overcome. 没有什么困难是他们不能战胜的。

10　The only thing that we should do is find our way home. 我们应该做的只有找到回家的路。

11　The very problem that I want to solve is like this. 我想解决的问题就像这个一样。

12　He is the only man that can speak four foreign languages in our company. 他是我们公司中唯一一个会说四种外语的人。

5．that不用在非限制性定语从句中

不用that引导非限制性定语从句。比如要说：

13　I became a single mother overnight, which is nothing like becoming famous overnight.

而不能说：I became a single mother overnight, that is nothing like becoming famous overnight.*

精品译文

我在一夜之间成了单亲妈妈，这跟一夜成名可完全不同。

6．that不能用于介词后面

不能在that前面使用介词。比如要说：

14　The world in which we live is made up of matter.

或：The world which we live in is made up of matter.

或：The world that we live in is made up of matter.

但不能说：The world in that we live is made up of matter.*

精品译文

我们所生活的世界由物质组成。



思维总结

本节是定语从句的重点内容，主要讨论了不同关系代词的用法特点，这与先行词有关。所以，换个角度来看，就是关系词与先行词之间的对应关系的问题。



思维训练

Exercise 3.3

请将下列每一组中的两个简单句合并为一个定语从句，用第二个句子作定语。

1．The girl is happy. She won the race.

2．The student is from America. He sits next to me.

3．The boy was not badly hurt. The boy fell from a tree.

4．The taxi driver was friendly. He took me to the airport.

5．I can't remember the name of the person. I gave the money to him.

6．The employees had to retire. They had reached the age of sixty-five.

7．The teacher spoke to the boys. Their work was below standard.

8．The people were friendly. I rented their houses.

9．He is the professor. I am taking his grammar course.

10．That is the man. His son died in that air crash.