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Chapter 12

I Know That You Know What They Are: Nominal Clauses 我知道你知道它们是什么：名词性从句（nominal clause）

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，另一种依存从句，可以填充句子中的名词位置。名词性从句使我们能够将一个从句嵌入一个更大的句子中，并使用该句子对名词性从句做出某种观察或判断。

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，每个句子都有一个及物动词和一个直接宾语：

I know Bill. （我认识比尔。） He knows Oshkosh. （他知道奥什科什。） She will know the answer. （她将知道答案。）

Now, let's take this sentence:

现在，让我们取这个句子：

The plane will leave on time. 飞机将准时离开。

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名词性从句，以对该从句做出许多表述：

He knows that the plane will leave on time. 他知道飞机将准时离开。

She will know if the plane will leave on time. 她将知道飞机是否会准时离开。

Why the plane did not leave on time is beyond my comprehension. 为什么飞机没有准时离开，我无法理解。

There are two kinds of nominal clauses, and we distinguish them here by the word that begins the clause.

有两种名词性从句，我们在这里通过引领从句的词来区分它们。

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 pronoun）开头，即以疑问词开头并以 -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?（谁干的？）我们可以将这个问题嵌入一个陈述句中，作为直接宾语。这里名词性从句以下划线标出：

I know who did it. 我知道是谁干的。

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创建直接宾语：

I learned what he did. 我知道了他做了什么。

I discovered when he did it. 我发现了他什么时候做的。

I saw where he did it. 我看到了他在哪里做的。

I will ask why he did it. 我会问他为什么做这件事。

I will show you how he did it. 我会给你看他是怎么做到的。

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，这些名词性从句大多数按我们通常的标准不像问题那样措辞：它们不具有问句的正常词序。

The compound pronouns---whoever, whomever, and whatever---can also begin nominal clauses:

复合代词——whoever, whomever 和 whatever——也可以引领名词性从句：

We will use whatever we find. 我们将使用我们找到的任何东西。

We will hire whoever applies for this job. 我们将雇用任何申请这份工作的人。

FILLING NOUN POSITIONS 填充名词位置

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.

如上述示例所示，名词性从句出现在名词可以出现的位置。它们常常是像 know, see 和 learn 这样的及物动词的直接宾语。

Nominal clauses can also be subjects:

名词性从句也可以是主语：

Where these people went is not yet known. 这些人去了哪里尚不清楚。

Why they come here is a mystery. 他们为什么来这里是个谜。

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. 教授正在写一本关于人们如何提升写作的书。

Mr. Chayle has time for whoever needs help and for whatever happens. Chayle 先生有时间应对任何需要帮助的人和发生的任何事。

They can be indirect objects:

它们可以是间接宾语：

You can give whoever applies the job. 你可以给任何申请者这份工作。

And they can be predicate nominatives, following linking verbs:

它们还可以是表语名词（predicate nominative），跟在系动词后面：

My question is who took my lunch? 我的问题是谁拿走了我的午餐？

NOMINALS WITH THAT, IF, OR WHETHER 以 that、if 或 whether 引领的名词性从句

The three words that, if, and whether (sometimes called nominalizers) can also make independent clauses into nominal clauses that fill noun positions. Here are nominal clauses functioning as direct objects:

三个词 that、if 和 whether（有时称为名词化词，nominalizer）也可以将独立从句变成填充名词位置的名词性从句。以下是充当直接宾语的名词性从句：

I wonder if she arrives today. 我想知道她今天是否到达。

I learned that she arrives today. 我得知她今天到达。

I don't know whether [or not] she will arrive today. 我不知道她今天是否会到达。

He demanded that they serve him immediately. 他要求他们立即为他服务。

We doubt if they will cooperate. 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.

在上面第三个示例中，whether or not 可以被视为一个单一的名词化短语。上述句子表明这些名词性从句可以作为动词 know, see 和 learn 的直接宾语。它们也可以是动词 demand, ask, inquire, imagine, doubt 等动词的宾语。

These verbs indicate an intellectual process that is being performed upon the idea in the nominal clause. More simply, we're thinking about the idea of the nominal clause.

这些动词表示一个施加于名词性从句中理念之上的智力过程。更简单地说，我们正在思考名词性从句的理念。

These clauses can perform almost every other function of a noun. They can be subjects:

这些从句几乎可以履行名词的所有其他功能。它们可以是主语：

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毫无疑问。

These clauses can also perform other nominal functions, including those of predicate nominatives or objects of prepositions:

这些从句还可以履行其他名词功能，包括表语名词或介词宾语的功能：

The main complaint about the car was that it was too expensive. 对那辆车的主要投诉是它太贵了。

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 名词化词：

The main complaint about the car was [that] it was too expensive. We know nothing about him except [that] he arrived yesterday.

But we can't omit if or whether:

但我们不能省略 if 或 whether：

We asked if they are ready. We wondered whether they were ready.

In the exercises in this chapter, nominalized clauses will always make that explicit.

在本章的练习中，名词化从句将始终显式地写出 that。

POINTS FOR WRITERS 写作要点

1. That's 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.

We showed them that they were wrong. We showed them they were wrong.

In the first pair, the version without that is more conversational, more direct, and stronger. That's how we read it, anyway.

在第一对中，没有 that 的版本更加口语化、更直接、更有力。至少，我们是这样读的。

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.

在第二对中，省略 that 消除了以 th- 开头的三个词的笨拙系列。如果文本需要朗读，这是一个特别有帮助的改变。

Eliminating that would also help this sentence:

省略 that 也会帮助这个句子：

We should tell them that that music is too loud.

You can see that that that before that music is so repetitive that that that should be deleted. And that's that.

你可以看到，that music 前面的那个 that 太重复了，以至于那个 that 应该被删掉。就是这样（that's that）。

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 nominatives, or other functions.

在以下句子中，识别每个带有下划线的名词性从句的功能。从句可以是直接宾语、主语、间接宾语、宾语补足语（object complement）、表语名词或其他功能。

  1. I know why you did that.
  2. I can't imagine what they will do next or who will do it.
  3. When they arrive is unknown.
  4. You already know that they don't know the area well.
  5. Why they come here is a mystery.
  6. The professor is writing a book about how people improve their writing.
  7. Whether he will succeed is what we are all wondering.
  8. He discussed why climate change is happening.
  9. When he arrives, I will tell him when we are leaving.

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.

在这些句子中，识别名词性从句，然后识别它们在每个句子中的功能。从句可以是直接宾语、主语、间接宾语、宾语补足语、表语名词或其他功能。注意 that 的其他用法，包括关系代词的用法。

  1. The statement summarizes what he is saying.
  2. We will learn if tickets are still available.
  3. When we will meet again is the next topic.
  4. I have a question about who broke the equipment.
  5. I will tell whoever is interested about the news.
  6. I don't know why he left.
  7. His claim was that he was abducted by aliens.
  8. His wife made him what he is today.
  9. I don't think that we should blame that on his wife.
  10. We were taught that anything that is worth doing is worth doing well.