八、英语语法 定语从句（二） 2）定语从句的种类在英文中，有两种定语从句：限定性定语从句与非限定性定语从句。这两种定语从句在其功能和形式方面都有明显的区别：限定性定语从句限定性定语从句与主句的关系很紧奏，对其先行词起限定、修饰的作用。如果将其去掉，会影响句子意思的完整性；有时甚至于引起费解、误解。例如：Rainforests are being cleared for valuable timber and other resources to speed up the economic growth of the nationsin which they are located .为了加速他们各自所在国家的经济发展，热带雨林作为有价值的原木和其他资源正为人们所砍伐。Ocean currents affect the climates of the lands near which they flow. 洋流影响其流经的附近地区的气候。They explained the reason to us why they had hated us before.他们向我们解释为什么他们不喜欢我们的原因。 非限定性定语从句非限定性定语从句在形式上就与主句很松散，它与主句之间有一个逗点"，"隔开；它对其先行词没有限定、修饰的作用，只起补充、说明的作用。有时也用它来对全句进行补充、说明。即使将其去掉，也不会影响句子意思。由于上述原因，非限定性定语从句在表达意思方面也有别于限定性定语从句。另外，非限定性定语从句在中文译文里，我们往往将其作为一个分句处理，而不把它作定语翻译。 例如：Earlier , the Babylonians had attempted to map the world , but they presented it in the form of a flattened disc rather than a sphere , which was the form adopted by Ptolemy .（此句中，非限定性定语从句是对先行词 a sphere 进行补充、说明。）更早之前，巴比伦人曾试图绘制世界地图，但是他们把它绘制成平盘状而不是托勒密所采用的球体状。The combination of satellites, which transmit information , computers , which store information , and television , which displays information , will change every home into an education and entertainment center .（此句中，三个非限定性定语从句分别对三个先行词：satellites ，computers 和 television 进行补充、说明。如果去掉这三个非限定性定语从句，那么句子可简化为：The combination of satellites , computers and television will chan...
