刚才在网易的英语学习论坛上,看到有一个网友问:定语从句的先行词,比如which,在什么情况下,需要在它前面加上介词,比如变成by which?据我观察,不少英语初学者都有类似的问题,在他们的造句中,经常遗漏先行词前面的介词,因此下面我想从另外一个角度,谈谈为什么要在先行词前面加介词。我们首先看一个定语从句的例子,请看下面第一句。
①He grew up in the house [in where] he still lives with his wife.
②He grew up in the house [where] he still lives [in the house] with his wife.
③他在这所房子里长大,他和他妻子现在仍然住在这所房子里。
我们可以看到,在先行词where的前面,有一个介词in.假如我们不要这个in,那么这句话应当改写成上面第二句,而第二句有一个明显的毛病,那就是the house出现了两次,一次出现在主句中,一次出现在从句中,而这种同一成分在同一句子中的多次重复,正是英语的大忌,所以我们必须将in转移到where的前面,从而将第二次出现的the house省略掉,并用where代替这个被省略掉的the house,您明白了吗?下面我再举三个类似的例子,请您自己分析一下,原理都一样,我就不罗嗦了。
①This is the book [by which] Newton's calculus was introduced into China.
②This is the book [which] Newton's calculus was introduced [by the book] into China.
③正是通过这本书,使牛顿的微积分介绍到中国来。
①Please contact your webmaster [from whom] you can obtain a new password.
②Please contact your webmaster [whom] you can obtain a new password [from your webmaster].
③请联系您的网络管理员,您可以从他那里获得一个新口令。
①This is the ruler [with that] you can draw a straight line.
②This is the ruler [that] you can draw a straight line [with the ruler].
③这就是那把尺子,您可以用它划一条直线。
(责任编辑:doublejp)