名词性从句:第一,that引导的主语从句,它的位置很重要,虽然我们知道引导是主语从句,但位置却经常置于句末的,偶尔置于句首。比如It’s generally agreed that a person of high intelligence is one who can grasp ideas readily, make distinctions, reason logically, make use of verbal and mathematical symbols in solving problems. 这个时候就很明显,that引导的主从位于句末,因为它引导的这个句子较长,为了避免头重脚轻而采用it做形式主语。这种句型同学们一定要学会使用,因为在作文写作中,这种句型的写法是非常符合老师所要求的句型写作,就连著名的小说Pride and Prejudice的第一句都是采用这个句型:It’s a truth, universally acknowledged that a single young man in possession of good fortune must be in want of a wife.但是在真题中也不乏位于句首的,另一道阅读真题:That experiences influence subsequent behavior is evidence of an obvious activity called remembering.就是位于句首。当然这一点对于我们的学生来说并非是难点,翻译的时候直接翻即可。难点在于有些特殊的但是也在考试中出现过的句型比如:It is a pity that…;It is no wonder that…(难怪);It is common knowledge that…(。。。。。。是常识);It dawns upon/on sb. that…(某人突然想起。。。。。。);It doesn’t need to be bothered that…(不必担心。。。。。。)等等。但是除了这些以外还有because引导的主语从句,这种句式的结构一般为“because+陈述句”,置于主语位置,后面直接加谓语,而且这个谓语往往都是does not mean.而且在because前面往往会有just一词,起强调语气作用。例如:Just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.但是遇到这种情况也不必紧张,会翻译即可。
宾语从句:引导词与主语从句一样,不一一赘述。但是在宾从中大家普遍都知道宾从位于谓语动词之后或者非谓语动词之后,但是并不了解它也可以位于介词之后。举个例子:The complementary coastlines and certain geological features that seem to span the ocean are reminders of where the two continents were once joined.这句话中where引导的句子为宾语从句在of之后为介宾结构,因为be reminders of是固定搭配,表示提醒某人。另外一种情况:Whether the Government should increase the financing of pure science at the expense of technology or vice versa often depends on the issue of which is seen as the driving force.在这一句当中,很多同学会认为which引导的句子为定于从句而其先行词是issue,事实上如果这道翻译真题按照这种语序翻译的话,就会出现翻错的情形。这里的which需要翻译出来成哪一个,因为这里是which引导的宾从,是放在介词of之后,构成介宾结构。但需要注意介词后一般不能直接跟that引导的宾语从句,但besides, but, except 和in除外。其中,前三个介词与that连用,但这时候就不是宾从了,而是in that引导的原因状从,这些介词和后面的that已被当作固定搭配作复合连词使用。关于宾从的特殊之处还有宾语从句中的否定后移的情况。比如如果主句的谓语动词表示的是“认为、相信、猜测”等概念,如believe, consider, think, suppose, expect, fancy, guess, reckon等,其后的宾从若含有否定意义,一般要把否定词移到主句谓语上,从句谓语用肯定式。It’s doesn’t look like the weather will clear up.(天看起来不会放晴)。It’s doesn’t seem that they know where to go.(看来他们不知道往哪去。)另外,如果宾语从句中本身为否定结构时,只能用if引导而不能用whether引导宾语从句。例如:I don’t care if he does not show up.
表语从句。表语从句相对来说简单的多,一个句子位于系动词(经常是is)之后,做表语为表语从句。当然除了之前所说的that, whether,if, who等等之后可以引导表语从句之外,because, as ,as if, as though等等也可以引导表语从句,例如:But it’s not as if earlier times didn’t know perpetual war, disaster and the massacre of innocents.
同位语从句:一个完整的句子位于同位语的位置,那么这个句子就是同位语从句。它的作用是解释说明被修饰的名词。特点是,抽象名词在前,表达具体内容的从句在后。虽然我们知道引导同位语从句的引导词非常多,但是可以这么说在考研中基本上只有that引导的同位语从句。同位语从句的一个难点在于同位语从句的先行词和其引导词之间的距离。在英文写作中,英语为母语的人习惯为了避免句式显得头重脚轻而将同位语从句与被修饰的名词分隔,期间出现其他成分。例如2001年完形的一句:Concerns were raised that witnesses might be encouraged to exaggerate their stories in court to ensure guilty verdicts.这句话中that 引导的同位语从句与被修饰的名词concerns之间隔入了一个were raised这个谓语部分。有些甚至更加隐晦,比如08年的翻译题:On the other hand, he did not accept as well founded the charge made by some of his critics that, while he was a good observe, he had no power of reasoning.这里that后所引导的句子就是一个同位语从句用来解释说明charge的。之间被其他成分所隔开,很容易对读者产生误导。