作者：张宝丰
1. In 1892 the age of mass arrivals began, during which 15 million new people passed through Ellis Island into the USA over a period of 62 years. 1892年开始了一个国外移民大量涌入的年代,在随后的62年中,有1,500万新来的人通过埃利斯岛进入美国。
during which 15 million new people...是 "介词+关系代词"引导的非限制性定语从句,"介词 + 关系代词"引导的定语从句是定语从句中的难点和重点,常见的有以下几种结构:
1) 介词 + 关系代词
[原题再现]
①American women usually identify their best friend as someone ________they can talk frequently.
A. who B. as
C. about which D. with whom
②The journey around the world took the old sailor nine months, ________the sailing time was 226 days
A. of which B. during which C. from which D. for which
答案:① D ② A
2) 名词 + 介词 + 关系代词
这种结构常可替换为"whose + 名词"结构
[原题再现]
Recently I bought an ancient Chinese vase, ________ was very reasonable.
A. which price
B. the price of which
C. its price
D. the price of whose
答案: B
3) 数字 + 介词 + 关系代词
[原题再现]
The factory produces half a million pairs of shoes every year, 80﹪________ are sold abroad.
A. of which B. which of
C. of them D. of that
答案: A
4) 代词 + 介词 + 关系代词
The old man has two daughters, both of whom are doctors.那位老人有两个女儿,她们都是大夫。
5) 形容词比较级或最高级 + 介词 + 关系代词
[原题再现]
There are two buildings, ________stands nearly a hundred feet high.
A. the larger
B. the larger of them
C. the larger one that
D. the larger of which
答案: D
2. Now that they could ride horses, it became easier to hunt the bison, a type of cattle which used to exist in huge numbers on the plains of America. 既然土著人会骑马了,猎取野牛也就容易了。这种野牛以前是成群结队地生活在美洲平原上的。
这是一个复合句。Now that是连词,引导的是原因状语从句,主句是由形式主语it引导的句子,真正的主语是不定式短语to hunt the bison,其后的a type of cattle是bison的同位语,cattle后面是which引导的定语从句。
now that是一个连词词组,意思是"既然",相当于since,引导原因状语从句,在口语中常可省去that,这时不要把now理解为"现在"。
[原题再现]
________ you've got a chance, you might as well make full use of it.
A. Now that B. After
C. Although D. As soon as
答案: A
3. Kunta had been seized in the forest and then hit on the head with a hard object. 孔塔在森林里被抓住以后,他的头部就被一个硬的东西打了一下。
本句中hit是过去分词,这是因为使用了并列连词and,其前后应是平行结构,hit前省略了had been。注意英语中"打人"及其类似的表达方式与汉语不同。英语中习惯用"及物动词 + 宾语(人) +介词+ the + 表身体部位的名词"。即:take / catch / hold / lead sb. by the +身体部位;strike / hit / pat / kiss sb. on / in the + 身体部位;(一般说来,打在身体坚硬结实的部位时用介词on;打在身体柔软的部位时用介词in)。例如:
He hit me in the eye. 他打了我的眼睛。
Don't let them lead you by the nose. 不要让他们牵着你的鼻子走。
I caught him by the arm. 我抓住了他的胳膊。
She kissed the pet on the forehead. 她吻了吻小宠物的前额。
The old granny took the little girl by the hand.老奶奶拉着那小女孩的手。