Translation of Relatives
3.0 Generalization
A relative is a word in English that is used to introduce an adjective clause to modify a noun or pronoun occurring earlier in the sentence. They may be divided into two groups: the relative pronoun and relative adverb. We have no relatives in Chinese. That is, the embedding in Chinese is not so complicated as that in English. When we put such a long modifier into Chinese, several moderations should be made. They will be discussed below.
3.1 Translation of Relative Pronouns
1) A restrictive clause introduced by a relative pronoun is generally turned into a short adjective phrase, called “的” phrase in Chinese, which is placed before the noun it modifies; while in the case of a non-restrictive clause, we simply substitute
the antecedent of the relative pronoun for it or use a personal or demonstrative pronoun instead, but do not change the position of the adjective clause.
Do you know the man who came this morning?
今天上午来的人，你知道吗？
At every difficult juncture the state makes a direct appeal to the masses, who always respond in their millions. 每逢困难关头，国家直接号召群众,，群众总以千万计来响应。
The long March of the Red Army, which began on October 16, 1934 and lasted over one year, was a most exciting expedition.
红军长征，从1934年10月16日开始，前后一年多，这真是一次非常惊险的行军。
2）In “Wenyan” or literary Chinese,
however, the character “者” seems to have been used for the same purpose as the relative pronoun in English, only it is put at the end of the adjective clause instead of at the beginning.
A clause that modifies a noun or pronoun is called an adjective clause.
凡从句之修饰名词或代词者，称为形容词从句。
3）Sometimes when a restrictive adjective clause is very long or if there is any other reason, it may not be placed in translation before the noun it modifies but after the antecedent; then the relatives pronoun may also be substituted by its antecedent or a corresponding personal or demonstrative pronoun, or omitted altogether.
An Englishman who could not speak Italian was once traveling in Italy.
一个英国人，不会讲意大利语，有一次
在意大利旅行。
4） Strictly speaking, restrictive adjective clauses are of two kinds: restrictive in form and restrictive in sense. The former are used to modify: a) mass words in the singular with the zero article; b) unit words in the singular with the indefinite article; c) unit words in the plural with the zero article.
Whereas the latter, to modify: d) mass words with the definite article; e) unit words in the singular with the definite article;
f) unit words in the plural with the definite article.
Only the restrictive adjective clauses in sense limit the nouns thus to some
particular persons or things meant by the speaker. And only these restrictive adjective clauses are to be shifted in translation to a position before the nouns they modify.
Water which is rare in some parts in North China is indeed valuable to the peasants.
华北有些地方缺水，水对农民真是宝贵。
On the left there is a cupboard with a shelf above it on which are a few dishes.
左边有个食柜，上有架子，架子上有些碟子。
In Yorkshire and Lancashire there are mines which supply the textile mills with coal.
约克郡和郎卡郡有许多煤矿，供给纺织厂用煤。
3.2 Translation of Relative Adverbs
Relative adverbs can also introduce two
kinds of adjective clauses, i.e. restrictive and non-restrictive. The translation rules are almost just the same as are followed in treating the clauses introduced by relative pronouns. 1) Literal translation
This is the college where I studied ten years ago.
这就是我十年前读过书的大学。
That happened on the day when I saw you.
那件事发生在我跟你见面的那天。
2）Omission
On the first day I arrived at the front, I immediately started my work at the hospital.
我到前线的第一天，立即在医院开始工作。
3） Repetition or other methods
I have seen a small manufactory of this
kind, where ten men only were employed.
我见过这种小厂，（那里）只有十个人。 On Monday, when I saw you, I was in a hurry.
星期一，那天我看见你的时候，我忙着有急事。
I taught at Shanghai until 1952, when I was shifted to Nanjing.
我在上海教书，一直教到1952年，那年
调往南京。
