定语从句的翻译
定语从句的翻译
英语的定语从句，有时起修饰、限制作用，有时起补充说明和分层叙述的作用，在逻辑上则可以表示原因、条件、目的、结果等意义。汉语的定语通常放在被修饰的名词之前，而且不宜过长。因此，与汉语相比，英语的定语从句结构相对复杂，其译法也多种多样，下面介绍几种常用的译法。
（一）前置法
把英语定语从句译成带"的"的定语词组，放在被修饰词之前。例如：
1) Pollution is a pressing problem which we must deal with.
污染是我们必须解决的一个迫切问题。
2) There are more than ten new buildings at the back of the school where I had worked.
在我工作过的学校后面有十多幢新的建筑。
（二）后置法
如果定语从句结构较长，译成前置定语不符合汉语表达习惯时，往往译成后置的分句。有时需要重复先行词，有时先行词则省略不译，有时关系代词可译成人称代词，而当关系代词指整个主句时，往往译成指示代词“这”。例如：
A.重复关系代词所代替的先行词
1) They are striving for the ideal which is close to the heart of every Chinese and for which, in the past, many Chinese have laid down their lives.
他们正在为实现一个理想而努力，这个理想是每个中国人所珍爱的，在过去，许多中国人曾为了这个理想而牺牲了自己的生命。
2) Each team plays ten or eleven games each season which begins in September and ends in November.
每个队每赛季参加十到十一场比赛，每个赛季九月份开始，十一月份结束。
B.省略关系代词，把定语从句译成并列谓语
3) It is he who received the letter that announced the death of your uncle.
是他接到那封信，说你的叔叔去世了。
4) Some of the energy is converted into heat, which helps to maintain our body temperature at about 37℃.
能量的一部分被转化为热，来帮助维持体温在37℃。
C. 把关系代词译成人称代词
5) The cowboys and cowgirls who compete are often professionals who travel from rodeo to rodeo throughout the year.
参加竞技的牛仔和牛妞通常是职业性的，他们一年四季到处巡回表演。
6) It was an old woman, tall and shapely still, though withered by time, on whom his eyes fell when he stopped and turned.
他站住，转过身来，定眼一看，是一个年迈的妇女，她身材很高，体形仍然不错，尽管岁月的磨难使其面容有些憔悴。
D.当关系代词指整个主句时，应把关系代词译成指示代词"这"
7) The activity was postponed, which was exactly what we wanted.
这项会议延期了，这正是我们所期望的。
8) But the world attention also is focusing on another step, which will make the smoker increasingly self-conscious and uncomfortable about his habit.
同时，人们也正把注意力集中在另一项措施上，这项措施将使吸烟者越来越意识到自己的不良习惯并为之感到不安。
（三）溶合法
溶合法是指把主句压缩成汉语词组做主语，把定语从句压缩成谓语。英语中的There be 结构和 It be 结构，汉译时常常这样处理。例如：
1) There is somebody waiting for you who I think might be one of your finds from your native town.
有个人在外面等你，我想这个人可能就是你家乡的一位朋友。
2) There were men in that crowd who had stood there every day for a month.
在那群人中，有些人每天站在那里，站了一个月。
（四）译成状语从句
英语有些定语从句兼有状语功能，在意义上与主句有状语关系，说明原因、结果、目的、条件等关系。在翻译这类定语从句时，要根据一定的语言结构所表示的实际含义，给予恰当处理。例如：
1) Third world countries export their mineral deposit and tropical agriculture products, which bring them desired foreign exchange.
第三世界国家出口矿物和热带农作物，以换取所需的外汇。（目的状语）
2) He did not remember his father who died when he was three years old.
他不记得他父亲了，因为他父亲死时他才三岁。（原因状语）
3) My assistant, who had carefully read through the instructions before doing his experiment, could not obtain satisfactory results, because he followed them mechanically.
我的助手虽然做实验前仔细通读过说明书，但由于生搬硬套，故未能得出满意的结果。（让步状语）
4) Men become desperate for work, any work, which will help them to keep alive their families.
人们极其迫切地要求工作，不管什么工作，只要他能维持一家人的生活就行。（条件状语）
