采用 “关系 分句” 这一术 语，不 用“定 语从句 ”

关系分句(Relative Clause)，在我国向来叫做“定语从句"(Attributive Clause)。传统的名称

是依据这种分句的主要句法功能而定，而“关系分句"这一名称则是依据其结构形式而定：
由关系词(Relative Word，包括关系代词、关系副词和关系限定词)引导的分句叫做关系分句。
本书之所以采用“关系分句”这一名称，首先因为本书语法术语绝大部分都是依据结构形式
命名，同一结构形式可以有不同的句法功能和意义。关系分句的主要功能是作名词 (词组)的
后置修饰语(即“定语”)，但除作名词修饰语外，关系分句还可起其他作用，比如起状语分
句和并列分句的作用。因此，对于这一种分句结构，如果仅以“定语从句"为名，则有时会名
不符实。试观察下列诸句：
In 1906，however，Pierre，who was crossing a road。was run over and killed．
But he would have to be careful not to offend Crass，the foreman，who could give him the
sack at any time．
Shortly after Abraham Lincoln took office，the Southern States rebelled．They set up a state
of their own．where they would be free to keep Negroes as slaves．
He spread a rumor that the president was going to resign，which led to a great confusion in
the country．
Nothing is hard in the world for anyone who dares to scale the heights．
These actions，which have aroused universal and unreserved disapproval，must nevertheless
give us pause．
在上述诸句中，关系分句都带有状语含义，比如： [1]who was crossing a road 相当于
when he was crossing a road，因此起时间状语的作用；[2-]who could give him the sack at any
time 相当于 because he could give him the sack at any time，起原因状语的作用；[3] where they
would be free to keep Negroes as slaves 相 当 于 so that they would be free to keep Negroes as
slaves，起目的状语的作用；[4]which led to a great confusion in the country 相当于 so that it
caused a great confusion in the country 或有 with the result that it caused a great confusion in the
country，起结果状语的作用；[5] who dares to scale the heights 相当于 if he dares to scale the
heights，起条件状语的作用；[6]which have aroused universal and unreserved disapproval 相当
于 although／though they have aroused…，起让步状语的作用，全句意思是，“这些行动，虽
已激起普遍的毫不掩饰的反对，却也会使我们举棋不定。”由上述译文可以看出，在以上诸
句中的关系分句如果都被视为“定语从句”，即认为它们是修饰有关的名词 (词组)，那就难

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以把握这些关系分句在句中的确切含义。
我们之所以采用“关系分句’’这一名称，而不用“定语从句”这一传统名称，还因为
关系分句在有些情况下并不是从句，而是相当于并列独立分句。再观察下列诸句：
[7]I told John，who told his brother，and he told his wife．
[8]Immediately the Israeli armoured units opened fire ， killing four Lebanese military
policemen and injuring the fifth，who la ter died of his wounds．
[9]He said he had lost his watch，which was not true．
[10] He asked me to explain to him the art of writing poetry，which cannot be taught．
在以上四句中，关系分句并不是“从句’’，而是相当于并列独立分句。比如： [7-]who
told his brother 相当于 and he told his brother；[8-]who later died of his wounds 相当于 and he
later died of his wounds；[9]which was not true 相当于 but it was not true；EIO]which can—not
be taught 相当于 but it(the art of writing poetry)cannot be taught。这类关系分句，叶斯珀森称为
“接续性分句"(Continuative Clause)，从而不同于一般的附属分句。由此可见，如果不问青红
皂白把所有的关系分句统称为“定语从句”，那显然是不妥的。这就是为什么我们不用“定
语从句’’这一传统名称而改称“关系分句”。 然而关系分句的主要功能还是充当名词
的后置修饰语(即“定语’’)。例如：
She is the woman who lives next door to us．
The tiles which fell off the roof caused serious damage．
关系分句作以上用法时，当然可以叫做“定语从句’’，可是如果把这种分句的其他用
法也视为“定语’’，那就会引起理解上的问题。