英語中的定語從句起到了一個修飾的作用,作用相當于形容詞,那么定語從句我們也稱之為形容詞性從句。同時,我們把定語從句分為兩類,一是限制性定語從句,一類是非限定性定語從句。那么,什么是限定性定語從句,簡單來講就是對所修飾的先行詞的意思加以限制,表示"…的人或是物",例如:He is a man whom you should marry.在這個句子中,如果去掉定語從句whom you should marry.這個句子意思就不完整,甚至可以說是不成立了。
而非限定性定語從句,顧名思義,這類定語從句對于所修飾的事物沒有限制意義的作用,而起到一種補充說明和解釋的作用,與主句的關系并不密切,拿掉非限定性定語從句,主句意思照樣成立。例如:He is my father, who love me deeply.在這個句子中,如果去掉這個"who love me deeply."非限定性定語從句,He is my father,這個主句照樣成立,意思也不會受到太大影響。而定語從句種類的不同,我們在翻譯的時候采用的翻譯方法也不盡相同。
Furthermore, humans have the ability to modify the environment in which they live, thus subjecting all other life forms to their own peculiar ideas and fancies.(2003)
But even more important, it was the farthest that scientists had been able to look into the past, for what they were seeing were the patterns and structures that existed 15 billion years ago.(1998,71)
這個句子中That existed 15 billion years ago.是一個定語從句,其先行詞是the patterns and structures.這個定語從句比較簡單,我們可以直接將其翻譯他所修飾的先行詞的前面。
Tylor defined culture as "...that complex whole which includes belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society." (2003,64)
The Greeks assumed that the structure of language had some connection with the process of thought, which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse languages could be.(2004,61)
"which took root in Europe long before people realized how diverse languages could be."是非限定性定語從句,修飾前面整個句子;在定語從句中long before引導時間狀語從句修飾動詞短語Take Root,在狀語從句中又包含了一個由how引導的賓語從句,作realized的賓語。句中Take root in作"扎根"講。因此這個非限定性定語從句是較為復雜的,所以我們采用單獨成句的翻譯方法。