（仙游县榜头中学 福建 仙游 351256） Abstract： In English， an attributive clause often plays a role of an attribute. Sometimes the attributive clause has an adverbial relation with its main clause. And it can be converted into different kinds of adverbial clauses to be translated into Chinese. There is also a kind of complex attributive clause. In a complex attributive clause， there are some other clauses. Natural word—order or inverted word—order can be used to translate such a sentence. This thesis， from the point of classifying and making examples， will parallelize， illustrate and conclude the translation of attributive clauses.
Key words： attributive clauses；translation
【中图分类号】G623.31
the idiomatic expression in Chinese
In English complex sentences， attributive clauses play an attributive role. They are usually introduced by relative pronouns such as that， which， who， whom and whose， or by relative adverbs such as when， where and why. And they are used to narrate or explain some word or some phrase in a main clause or a whole sentence. Attributive clauses can be divided into restrictive attributive clauses and non—restrictive attributive clauses. A restrictive attributive clause is essential to the meaning of the main clause and a non—restrictive attributive clause plays the role of additional explanation to the main clause. Moreover， there is an adverbial relation between some attributive clauses and their main clauses. And there is a situation that there are some other clauses in an attributive clause in a sentence. It is called a complex attributive clause. In a word， the translation of English attributive clauses can be analyzed as follows：
Ⅰ： Translation of an attributive clause in a sentence
1. Preposition： Translate an attributive clause into a Chinese attributive phrase with “的” and put it before the modified word so as to change an English complex sentence into a Chinese simple sentence. For example：
（1） It is a consolation to know that they will surely carry on the cause for which Edgar Snow strove so faithfully all his life.
了解到他们一定会把斯诺终生为之奋斗不渝的事业继承下来，这是一件令人快慰的事情。
（2） There will come a day when people over the world will live a happy life under the sun of socialism.
全世界人民在社会主义阳光下过上幸福生活的一天是会到来的。
This is a kind of version close to the original content. The attributive clause can be put before the key word and added “的” to it， whether where the antecedent lies in the main clause or where the relative lies in the attributive clause. Especially in example （2）， If the translation of the attributive clause introduced by "when" is put behind the modified word， the definition will be obscure and the first clause will not exist independently in meaning. （3） He liked his sister， who was warm and pleasant， but he did not like his brother， who was aloof and arrogant.
他喜欢热情愉快的妹妹，而不喜欢冷漠高傲的哥哥。
（4） When deeply absorbed in work， which he often was， he will forget all about eating and sleeping.
他经常聚精会神地工作，往往会废寝忘食。
Some non—restrictive clauses are short and descriptive. Their translation can also be placed before the modified words such as Examples （3） and （4）.
2. Postposition： If the structure of an attributive clause is complicated， its Chinese meaning will be too long and not conform to the habit of Chinese expression. The translation of it can be put behind the modified word. There are two ways of translating such an attributive clause. For example：
2.1 Translate it into a Chinese coordinating clause. And repeat the meaning of English antecedent. For example：
（l） He unselfishly contributed his uncommon talents and indefatigable spirit to the struggle which today brings them （those aims） within the reach of a majority of the human race.
他把自己非凡的才智和不倦的精力无私地奉献给了这种斗争，这种斗争今天已使人类中大多数人可以达到这些目标。
（2） Christmas music is loved by who hear and sing it every year.
圣诞乐曲为大家所喜爱，人们每年都欣赏和演唱。
（3） Kissinger and his small group of aides toured the Forbidden City， where the Chinese emperors had once lived in lofty splendor.
基辛格和他的一小组随从参观了故宫，从前的中国皇帝曾在这故宫过着显赫的生活。
（4） One day Miss Elizabeth wrote a letter to Jane Austen， who was a famous English woman—author
有一天，伊丽莎白小组写了一封信给珍·奥斯汀，奥斯汀是一位著名的英国女作家。
In these examples， the translation of the relative pronoun or the relative adverb of the attributive clause can be substituted by a Chinese pronoun or a Chinese noun. But the mood of a Chinese noun is stronger. And using a Chinese noun can avoid obscurity of the meaning of the subject.
2.2 Translate it into a Chinese coordinating clause and leave out the meaning of English antecedent. For example：
（1） He managed to raise a crop of 200 miracle tomatoes that weighed up to two pounds each.
他居然种出了二百多个大的出奇的西红柿，每个达两磅。
（2） 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。
（3） There is in Pisa a high leaning tower which is suitable for experiment.
比萨城有一座高高的斜塔，用来做试验是很合适的。
（4） The Pope， who is bishop of Rome， is the religious leader of the Roman Catholics in the world.
教皇是罗马的大主教，也是全世界罗马天主教的领袖。
As is showed in the above examples， the attributive clause acts as the narrative part of the antecedent in Chinese meaning and is used to do additional explanation. At this time， the Chinese meaning o[ the antecedent can be omitted. 3. Fusion：
3.1 Fusion refers to a method by which the main clause and the attributive clause in a sentence are combined together and translated into a Chinese sentence. As the restrictive attributive clause has a close relation with the main clause in a sentence， fusion is fit for translating restrictive attributive clauses. In English， the sentence structure of "there be" is usually handled in this way. For example：
（1） There were men in the crowd who had stood there every day for a month.
在那人群中，有些人每天站在那里，站了一个月。
（2） There is a man downstairs who wants to see you.
楼下有人要见你。
（3） I have amassed the first—hand data which serve to prove my argument to be tenable.
我所收集的第一手资料，足以证明我的论点，是站得住脚的。
In the above examples， some word in the main clause is adopted by the attributive clause to make the attributive clause the main body of the whole sentence. By doing this， an English complex sentence can be changed into a Chinese simple sentence.
3.2 Sometimes a restrictive attributive clause is so simple that it can be condensed into a style of one word in Chinese meaning. And it can be put before the antecedent as an attributive to make the whole sentence a Chinese simple sentence. For example：
（1） Premier Zhou EnLai is a great statement whose name is known all over the world.
周恩来总理是举世闻名的伟大政治家。
（2） Chlorine is a gas which has nasty smell.
氯气是一种难闻的气味。
（3） The human body has some kind of action in itself with which it fights infections.
人体本身具有某种抗感染的机能。
As these examples suggest， a simple restrictive attributive clause can be rendered into only a Chinese attribute put before its antecedent.
3.3 Moreover， a restrictive attributive clause can also be converted into a Chinese predicate and the main clause can be converted into a Chinese subject. And this will make a Chinese simple sentence. For example：
（1） "We are a nation that must beg to stay alive"， said a foreign economist.
一位外国经济学家说道，“我们这个国家不讨饭就活不下去。”
（2） For example， there is a growing number of students who concentrate their studies in areas that across departmental lines.
例如，越来越多的学生专心攻读跨系领域的学科。
（3） She had a balance at her banker" s which would have made her beloved anywhere.
她在银行的存款，足以使她到处受到欢迎。
The version of these examples can gain the effect of conciseness and clearness.
4. In particular， non—restrictive attributive clauses can be translated into a Chinese independent clause or a Chinese clause combined with the meaning of the main clause. For example： （1） He had talked to Vice—President Nixon， who assured him that everything that could be done would be done.
他和副总统尼克松谈过话。副总统向他担保，凡是能够做到的都将竭尽全力去做。
（2） He arrived back in England， where a quarter of a million people were waiting to welcome him.
他回到了英国，那儿有25万人正等着欢迎他哩。
（3） His speech， which bored everyone， went on and on.
他的演讲人人厌烦，没完没了。
（4） Nansen， who lived from 1861 to 1930， was the first explorer to cross Greenland.
南森生于1861年，卒于1930年，是第一位横越格陵兰的探险家。
In Examples （1） and （2）， the attributive clauses are translated into Chinese independent clauses .In Examples （3） and （4）， the attributive clauses are translated into Chinese clauses combined with the meaning of their main clauses.
Ⅱ： Translation of attributive clauses with the function of adverbial clauses.
In English， some attributive clauses function as adverbial clauses. And they are used to explain cause， result， purpose， concession or hypothesis and so on. Attention must be paid to analyze the logical relation between a main clause and an attributive clause. Such attributive clauses can be converted into adverbial clauses to be translated into Chinese like below：
1. A clause of cause
（1） To make an atom bomb we have to use uranium 235 in which all the atoms are available for fission.
制造原子弹须用铀235，因为它的所有原子都可裂变。
（2） The ambassador was giving a dinner for a few people whom he wished especially to talk to or to hear from.
大使只宴请了几个人，因为他特地想和这些人谈谈，听听他们的意见。
（3） We know that a cat， whose eyes can take in many more rays of light than our eyes， can see clearly in the night.
我们知道由于猫的眼睛比我们人的眼睛能吸收更多的光线，所以猫在黑夜也能看得清楚。
2. A clause of result
（1） Copper， which is used so wide[y for carrying electricity， offers very little resistance.
铜的电阻很少，所以就如此广泛地用来输电。
（2） Then he was seen by the first policeman， who shouted at him and began to run toward him.
接着第一名警察看到了他，便向他喊叫，并开始向他奔来。
（3） There was something original， independent， and heroic about the plan that pleased all of them.
这个方案富于创造性，独出心裁，很有魅力，所以他们都很喜欢。
3. A clause of concession
（l） He insisted on buying another coat， which he had no use for it.
他坚持要买一件上衣，尽管他并无此需要。
（2） My assistant， who had carefully read through the instructions before doing his experiment， could not obtain satisfactory results because he followed them mechanically.
虽然我的助手在做实验前已从头到尾仔细阅读过说明书，但由于他死搬硬套，所以不能得到满意的结果。
（3） He （Roosevelt） wanted changes and those changes would benefit not the rich to whose school he gone and in whose circle he had moved， but the oppressed. 罗斯福要进行变革，尽管他本人出身贵族学校，侧身于上流社会，但他要求的变革却不打算帮有人钱人的忙，而要造福于受压迫者。
4. A clause of purpose
（l） He is collecting authentic material that proved his argument.
他正在收集确凿的材料以证明他的论点。
（2） The imperialist states maintain enormous armies and gigantic navies which are used for oppressing and exploiting the people in distant lands.
帝国主义国家维持了庞大的陆海军，用以压迫和剥削远地的人民。
（3） Chinese trade delegations have been sent to African countries， who will negotiate trade agreement with the respective governments.
中国派了贸易代表团前往非洲各国，以便与各国政府商谈贸易协定。
5. A clause of condition or hypothesis
（1） One will surely succeed who preserves to end.
只要坚持到底，就必获得成功。
（2） He would be a short—sighted commander who merely manned his fortress and did not look beyond.
谁如果只守城堡而不往远处看，那他就是一个目光短浅的指挥员。
（3） Men become desperate for 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，只要它能维持一家人的生活就行。
6. A clause of conversion
（1） She was very patient towards the children， which her husband seldom was.
她对孩子们很耐心，而她丈夫却很少这样。
（2） When I look back on these worries I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had a lot of trouble in his life， most of which had never happened.
当我回忆起这一切忧虑时，我想起了一个老人的故事，他临终时在床上说，他生平曾有过许多忧虑，但是，他所忧虑的事却大多没有发生。
（3） All the while， George Bush， who was ultimately to benefit from the try that failed， sat silently by， a nearly forgotten spectator.
在此期间，乔治·布什一言不发地坐在那里，几乎成了一个被忘了的旁观者，但他将在这一场失败的试探中获得好处。
7. A clause of time
（l） Congress， which had met to continue its protests to the Crown， found itself raising an army and selecting George Washington as its command in chief.
代表大会先前已集会决定继续向英皇抗议，而现在则发展到募集军队并推选乔治·华盛顿为总司令了。
（2） Secretary of States Dulles， whose doctrine of "massive retaliation" was challenged by the book， accepted the possibility of limited by nuclear war.
这本书评击了国务卿杜勒斯“大规模报复”政策，杜勒斯在读过这本书后接受了打有限核战争是可能的观点。
In addition， non—restrictive attributive clauses introduced by "as" are usually used to explain the main clause and translated into “正如……”，“如……”，“这一点……”etc. Sometimes "as" is omitted in translation. And many non—restrictive attributive clauses introduced by "as" have fixed translation and don" t need grammatical analysis. For example：
（1） To shut your eyes to facts， as many of you do，is foolish.
故意不去正视事实。如你们许多人那样作的，乃是愚蠢的行为。
（2） As is announced in these papers， our country has launched another man—made earth satellite. 报上宣布，我国又发射了一颗人造地球卫星。
（3） All living things are made of cells， as we have learnt before.
一切生物都由细胞组成，这一点我们以前就知道了。
（4） As is known to all， Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.
众所周知，台湾是中国不可分割的一部分。
Ⅲ： Translation of a complex attributive clause
A complex attributive refers to an attributive clause which has other clauses in itself. The other clauses can be a noun clause， an adverbial clause or another attributive clause. The complexity of a complex attributive clause lies in the other clauses， but not in the attributive clause. The position of the attributive clause is optional in the main clause in a complex sentence. It"s difficult to connect the attributive clause with the main clause and relate it to the other clauses in Chinese meaning. There are two basic ways of translating a complex attributive clause：
l. Natural word—order
In a sentence with a complex attributive clause， the main clause usually comes first. The object of the verb， of the preposition or of the non—predicate in the main clause often carries an attributive clause. The attributive clause takes other clauses with itself. When a sentence like this is translated into Chinese， its Chinese meaning can be arranged in the original order. For example：
（1） Not to mention the solemnity with which it [the Irish Party] talks old—fashion nonsense which it knows perfectly well to be a century behind the times.
不消说，爱尔兰党还有一个习惯，爱郑重其事地谈论一些陈腐荒谬的东西，尽管他们心理明明知道那些东西都是落后了100年的。
The main body of this sentence is the infinitive "to mention". The object is "solemnity" and it has an attributive clause "with which it talks..." . In this attributive clause， there is another attributive clause "which it knows…". In translation， the object "solemnity" is converted into the adverbial of the first attributive clause so that the first attributive clause may become the object of "mention". So the second attributive clause can also be converted into an adverbial clause. And “尽管” can be used to connect it with its front version.
（2）…. but I shall content myself with saying that in my opinion you should choose no representative who—no matter what his personal creed may be —is not an ardent supporter of freedom of conscience ，and is not prepared to prove it by contributions as lavish as his means will allow， to the great and benefit work which you ，Father Dempsey are doing for the people of Rosscullen.
不过现在我只说一点，依我的愚见，你们所选的议员——无论他个人的信仰如何——必须热烈地拥护宗教自由，而且为着证明他拥护宗教自由，必须尽他的能力，提出大量的捐助，来帮助敦卜赛神父替罗斯库伦人民所做的伟大的慈善事业。 In this sentence， there is one trunk and two branches. The trunk is "you should choose no representative". The two branches are "who…is not an ardent supporter…." and "and is not prepared…". First， translate the trunk into a Chinese phrase“你们所选的议员”. Secondly， translate the adverbial clause "no matter what…" in the first branch into Chinese directly. Thirdly， translate the second branch into“提出大量资金”. So the adverbial clause "as lavish as…" and the phrase "to the great and benefit work" can be translated smoothly. And the last attributive clause "which you…" can be easily translated into a Chinese attribute.
（3） If she did not speak with Rebeca on the tender subject， she compensated herself with long and intimate conversations with Mrs. Blenkinson， the housekeeper， who dropped some hints to the lady" s—maid， who may have cursorily mentioned the matter to the cook， who carried the news， I have no doubt， to all the tradesmen….
她不好和莉培加说起这个难出口的问题，只好和管家娘子白兰金索泊太太秘密地长谈了好几回。管家娘子露了些口风给上房女佣人。上房女佣人也许约略地对厨娘说了几句。厨娘一定又去告诉了所有做买卖的。
As the attributive clauses in these sentences are all continuative， they can be translated into Chinese independent clauses respectively.
2. Inverted word—order
In a complex English sentence， the main clause speaks out the main action or the adverbial of something at first. And then the plots in relation with the thing are stated in the attributive clause. Whereas in Chinese， the narration intends to narrate the minor part of the sentence first and then the main part .So inverted word—order can be used to translate a complex English sentence. And organization work needs to be done .For example：
（1） [as the young ladies of the family went to church with their father ，]they remarked how he took a different seat from that which he usually occupied when he chose to attend divine worship…….
他往常做礼拜的时候，总坐在固定的座位上，可是那天他的女儿发现他不坐老位置了。
Seen from the above sentence， there is an attributive clause "which he usually…" and an adverbial clause "when he chose…" . The attributive clause is short and seems that it can be translated into a Chinese attribute. But if it" s done in this way， the adverbial clause must be translated together with the attributive clause. And such Chinese version will be redundant， e. g. 他的女儿发现他不坐在往常做礼拜时常坐的位置。In order to avoid an unnatural version， inverted word—order is preferable. The adverbial clause can be translated first. Then the attributive clause may be changed into a Chinese main clause. And finally use “可是” to introduce the version of the English main clause. （2） The face she lifted to her dancers was the same which， when she saw him， always looked like a window that has caught the sunset.
她的脸当她看见他的时候，总是像映着晚霞的窗子，现在她把它抬起来向别人。
This sentence has on， trunk and two branches. The trunk is "was the same". One of the two branches is the attributive clause "（which） she lifted…" ， the other one is the attributive clause "the same which…" . But in the second branch， there is an adverbial clause "when she saw…" and an attributive clause "that has caught…" First， translate the second branch into “她的脸……总是像……” and add to it an adverbial clause “当她看见……”. Then put the attributive clause "that has caught…" before the object "window" and translate it into “像映着晚霞的窗子”. The first branch and the trunk can be united with each other and translated into Chinese.
In conclusion， the basic principle of translating English attributive clauses into Chinese is that the attributive clause in the sentence must be released from the attributive structure and translated into a Chinese clause （a main clause or a surbordinate clause） which can be narrated or a Chinese predicative. And this will enhance the carrying capacity of the position of the attributive clause. As to a complex attributive clause， the principle is also to change the attributive clause into a sentence or a structure that can be narrated， whether natural word—order or inverted word—order is employed to translate it.
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