名词性从句：我知道……

A** nominal clause**, another kind of dependent clause, can fill noun positions in a sentence. Nominal clauses enable us to embed a clause within a larger sentence and use the sentence to make some observation or judgment about the nominal clause. 名词性从句（nominal clause）是另一种从属从句，它可以充当句中的名词位置。名词性从句使我们能够把一个从句嵌入一个更大的句子之中，并用该句子对名词性从句作出某种观察或判断。

Let’s begin with these sentences, each of which has a transitive verb and a direct object: 让我们从这些句子开始，每个句子都含有一个及物动词和一个直接宾语：

I know Bill. He knows Oshkosh. She will know the answer. 我认识比尔。他认识奥什科什。她将会知道答案。

Now, let’s take this sentence: 现在，让我们来看这个句子：

The plane will leave on time. 飞机将准点起飞。

We can make this sentence into a nominal clause to make a number of statements about the clause: 我们可以把这个句子变成一个名词性从句，从而对该从句作出若干表述：

He knows that the plane will leave on time. She will know if the plane will leave on time. Why the plane did not leave on time is beyond my comprehen- sion. 他知道飞机会准点起飞。她将会知道飞机是否会准点起飞。飞机为何没有准点起飞超出了我的理解范围。

There are two kinds of nominal clauses, and we distinguish them here by the word that begins the clause. 名词性从句有两类，我们在此根据引导从句的词来加以区分。

QUESTION-WORD NOMINALS

疑问词名词性从句

These nominal clauses begin with the question words *who, * what, when, where, why, how and which. They can also begin with compound pronouns, the ones that begin with question words and end with ever (whoever, whomever, and whatever). 这些名词性从句以疑问词 who、what、when、where、why、how 和 which 开头。它们也可以以复合代词（compound pronouns）开头，即那些以疑问词开头、以 ever 结尾的代词（whoever、whomever 和 whatever）。

Let’s begin with a question: Who did it? We can embed that question within a declarative sentence, as a direct object. Here the nominal clause is underlined: 让我们从一个问题开始：Who did it?（是谁做的？）我们可以把那个问题作为一个直接宾语，嵌入一个陈述句之中。这里的名词性从句已加下划线：

I know who did it. 我知道是谁做的。（I know who did it.）

We can also create direct objects with other clauses that begin with question words: 我们也可以用其他以疑问词开头的从句来构成直接宾语：

I learned what he did. I discovered when he did it. I saw where he did it. I will ask why he did it. I will show you how he did it. 我得知他做了什么。我发现他何时做的。我看见他在哪里做的。我将问他为什么做的。我将向你展示他是怎么做的。

Notice that most of these nominal clauses are not worded like questions by our usual standards: They don’t have the normal word order of questions. 请注意，按照我们通常的标准，这些名词性从句大多数并不以疑问句的措辞出现：它们并不具备疑问句正常的词序。

The compound pronouns—whoever, whomever, and whatever— can also begin nominal clauses: 复合代词——whoever、whomever 和 whatever——也可以引导名词性从句：

We will use whatever we find. We will hire whoever applies for this job. 我们将使用我们找到的任何东西（whatever we find）。我们将雇用任何申请这份工作的人（whoever applies for this job）。

FILLING NOUN POSITIONS

充当名词位置

As the examples above illustrate, nominal clauses appear where nouns can appear. They are often the direct objects of transitive verbs like know, see, and learn. 正如上面的例子所说明的，名词性从句出现在名词能够出现的位置。它们常常是 know（知道）、see（看见）和 learn（学习）等及物动词的直接宾语。

Nominal clauses can also be subjects: 名词性从句也可以作主语：

Where these people went is not yet known. Why they come here is a mystery. 这些人去了哪里尚不为人知。他们为何来这里是个谜。

Nominal clauses can be objects of a preposition: 名词性从句可以是介词的宾语：

The professor is writing a book about how people can improve their writing. 这位教授正在写一本关于人们如何提高写作水平的书。

Mr. Chayle has time for whoever needs help and for what- ever happens. 蔡尔先生有时间为任何需要帮助的人（whoever needs help）抽出时间，也为发生的任何事（whatever happens）留出时间。

They can be indirect objects: 它们可以是间接宾语：

You can give whoever applies the job. 你可以把这份工作给任何申请的人（whoever applies）。

And they can be predicate nominatives, following linking verbs: 它们也可以是表语（predicate nominatives），位于系动词之后：

My question is who took my lunch? 我的问题是：谁拿了我的午餐？

NOMINALS WITH THAT, IF, OR WHETHER

由 that、if 或 whether 引导的名词性从句

The three words that, if, and whether (sometimes called nom- inalizers) can also make independent clauses into nominal claus- es that fill noun positions. Here are nominal clauses functioning as direct objects: 这三个词 that、if 和 whether（有时被称为名词化标记，nominalizers）也可以把独立从句变成充当名词位置的名词性从句。以下是一些充当直接宾语的名词性从句：

I wonder if she arrives today. I learned that she arrives today. I don’t know whether [or not] she will arrive today. He demanded that they serve him immediately. We doubt if they will cooperate. 我不知道她今天是否会到。我得知她今天会到。我不清楚她今天是否会到[or not]。他要求他们立即为他服务。我们怀疑他们是否会合作。

In the third example above, whether or not could be treated as a single nominalizing phrase. The sentences above demonstrate that these nominal clauses can be direct objects of the verbs *know, * see, and learn. They could also be objects of the verbs *demand, * ask, inquire, imagine, doubt, and others. 在上面第三个例子中，whether or not 可以被视为一个单一的名词化短语。上面的句子表明，这些名词性从句可以是 know（知道）、see（看见）和 learn（学习）等动词的直接宾语。它们也可以是 demand（要求）、ask（问）、inquire（询问）、imagine（想象）、doubt（怀疑）等动词的宾语。

These verbs indicate an intellectual process that is being per- formed upon the idea in the nominal clause. More simply, we’re thinking about the idea of the nominal clause. 这些动词表示一种正作用于名词性从句所表达观念的智力活动。说得更简单些，我们是在思考名词性从句所表达的观念。

These clauses can perform almost every other function of a noun. They can be subjects: 这些从句几乎能充当名词的所有其他功能。它们可以作主语：

That the sun is at the center of our solar system is beyond all question. 太阳位于我们太阳系的中心这一点是毫无疑问的。

These clauses can also perform other nominal functions, in- cluding those of predicate nominatives or objects of prepositions: 这些从句也可以履行其他名词性功能，包括充当表语或介词的宾语：

The main complaint about the car was that it was too expensive. 对这辆车的主要抱怨是它太贵了。

We know nothing about him except that he arrived yesterday. 我们对他一无所知，只知道他昨天到了。

We often omit the that nominalizer: 我们经常省略 that 这个名词化标记：

The main complaint about the car was [that] it was too expensive. 对这辆车的主要抱怨是[that]它太贵了。

We know nothing about him except [that] he arrived yesterday. 我们对他一无所知，只知道[that]他昨天到了。

But we can’t omit if or whether: 但我们不能省略 if 或 whether：

We asked if they are ready. 我们问他们是否准备好了。

We wondered whether they were ready. 我们想知道他们是否准备好了。

In the exercises in this chapter, nominalized clauses will always make that explicit. 在本章的练习中，名词化从句将始终明确写出 that。

POINTS FOR WRITERS

写给写作者

1. That’s that.

1. 就是那个 that。

Compare these sentences: 比较这些句子：

I know that he will attend the ceremony. I know he will attend the ceremony. 我知道他会出席典礼。我知道他会出席典礼。

We showed them that they were wrong. We showed them they were wrong. 我们向他们表明他们错了。我们向他们表明他们错了。

In the first pair, the version without that is more conversational, more direct, and stronger. That’s how we read it, anyway. 在第一组中，不带 that 的版本更口语化、更直接，也更有力。无论如何，我们是这样理解的。

In the second pair, omitting that eliminates the clumsy series of three words beginning with *th-. *That’s an especially helpful change if the text is to be read aloud. 在第二组中，省略 that 去掉了那串以 th- 开头的笨拙的三个词。如果文本要大声朗读，这个改动尤其有帮助。

Eliminating that would also help this sentence: 去掉 that 对下面这个句子也有帮助：

We should tell them that that music is too loud. 我们应该告诉他们那音乐太吵了。

You can see that that that before that music is so repetitive that that *that *should be deleted. And that’s that. 你可以看出，that music 前面的那个 that 如此重复，以至于那个 that 应该被删去。就是这样了。

EXERCISES

练习

**12a. **In the following sentences, identify the functions of each underlined nominal clause. The clauses can be direct objects, subjects, indirect objects, object complements, predicate nomina- tives, or other functions. 12a. 在下面的句子中，指出每个加了下划线的名词性从句的功能。这些从句可以是直接宾语、主语、间接宾语、宾语补语、表语或其他功能。

  1. I know why you did that.

  2. 我知道你为什么那样做。

  3. I can’t imagine what they will do next or who will do it.

  4. 我无法想象他们接下来会做什么，或者谁会去做。

  5. When they arrive is unknown.

  6. 他们何时到达尚不清楚。

  7. You already know that they don’t know the area well.

  8. 你已经知道他们对这一带并不熟悉。

  9. Why they come here is a mystery.

  10. 他们为何来这里是个谜。

  11. The professor is writing a book about how people improve their writing.

  12. 这位教授正在写一本关于人们如何提高写作水平的书。

  13. Whether he will succeed is what we are all wondering.

  14. 他是否会成功是我们都在好奇的事。

  15. He discussed why climate change is happening.

  16. 他讨论了气候变化为何会发生。

  17. When he arrives, I will tell him when we are leaving.

  18. 当他到达时，我会告诉他我们何时离开。

12b. In these sentences, identify the nominal clauses and then identify their functions in each sentence. The clauses can be direct objects, subjects, indirect objects, object complements, predicate nominatives, or other functions. Watch out for other uses of that, including the relative pronoun. 12b. 在这些句子中，找出名词性从句，然后指出它们在每个句子中的功能。这些从句可以是直接宾语、主语、间接宾语、宾语补语、表语或其他功能。要提防 that 的其他用法，包括关系代词的用法。

  1. The statement summarizes what he is saying.

  2. 这份声明概括了他正在说的话。

  3. We will learn if tickets are still available.

  4. 我们将获悉门票是否还有售。

  5. When we will meet again is the next topic.

  6. 我们何时再见面是下一个话题。

  7. I have a question about who broke the equipment.

  8. 我有一个关于是谁弄坏了设备的问题。

  9. I will tell whoever is interested about the news.

  10. 我会把这条消息告诉任何感兴趣的人。

  11. I don’t know why he left.

  12. 我不知道他为何离开。

  13. His claim was that he was abducted by aliens.

  14. 他的说法是，他被外星人绑架了。

  15. His wife made him what he is today.

  16. 他的妻子把他塑造成了今天的他。

  17. I don’t think that we should blame that on his wife.

  18. 我认为我们不该把那件事归咎于他的妻子。

  19. We were taught that anything that is worth doing is worth doing well.

  20. 我们被教导：任何值得做的事都值得做好。