含有when从句的复合句将主句翻译成“当……时”

问题描述

I was riding my bike very fast round that corner when I hit a stone and came to grief over there. 我骑着车快速地绕过那个拐角时，撞在一块石头上受了伤。

上面这个句子很有意思：从结构上看，它是一个主从复合句：

主句是：I was riding my bike very fast round that corner 

从句是：when I hit a stone and came to grief over there

但有趣的是：句子的翻译将主句翻译成了“当……时”，而且句子意思也很通顺。你说怪不怪？请专家老师分析一下，谢谢！

老师答疑

黎老师：

对于问题中 when 的用法，赵振才教授在《英语常见问题解答大词典》增订版第四版作了很详细的解答，现摘录其中的部分内容（原文）：

这里的 when 并不是引导一个时间状语从句来修饰另一个分句的谓语，恰恰相反，倒是前一个分句为when分句提供了一个时间背景。有的语法学家因此把这种类型的句子叫做并列句。在一般的主从复合句里，从句所包含的信息，与主句相比大都处于陪衬地位。而这里的when分句所包含的却是重要信息。...... 因此，英译汉时必须把这层意思表达出来。表达方法，一是将when译为“这时”（= at that time）、“突然”，二是把when分句译在句子的末尾这一突出重要信息的位置 ......（p.1647）

当位于句末的when分句具有此种用法时，它前面的分句大致有三种情况：

A. when分句前面的分句使用过去进行时：

He was still smiling when the door opened and his wife came in . 他正笑着的时候，门突然开了，他妻子走了进来。

......

B. when分句之前的分句用了was (were) about to, was (were) on the point of：

We were about to start when it began to rain. 我们刚要出发，就开始下雨了。

......

C. when分句之前的分句用了过去完成时或过去完成进行时：

I had nearly reached the town , when the young man suddenly said , very slowly , “Do you speak English? ” (New Concept English, Book 2, L. 14 ) 在快到达城镇时，那个年轻人突然慢慢地说：“你会说英语吗？”

......（p.1649）

刘老师：

I was riding my bike very fast round that corner when I hit a stone and came to grief over there.

when在这里的用法，不是从属连词，而是并列连词。表示“正在此时”(= and just then, and suddenly)。正是因为它是并列连词，引导的句子是个并列分句，所以when后面的句子不得提前。又如：

He was opening a bottle of acid when he spilt some on his hands.

I was wandering on the pavement when I found a wallet suddenly.

Tom was reading a newspaper in his study when his sister came in.

以上4句，可以转换为含有when的主从复合句：

When I was riding my bike very fast round that corner, I hit a stone and came to grief over there.

When he was opening a bottle of acid, he spilt some on his hands.

When I was wandering on the pavement, I found a wallet suddenly.

When Tom was reading a newspaper in his study, his sister came in.

以上4句，when是从属连词，引导时间状语从句，可以和主句交换位置。如：

I hit a stone and came to grief over there when I was riding my bike very fast round that corner.

l老师：

你这个可以翻译成“突然”，when 还是引导时间状语从句，主句是过去进行时态。