See to it that you include in the examination paper whatever questions they didn't know A B C the answer last time. (全国研考,00-16)
《硕士研究生入学考试历年英语真题解析》(南开大学出版社, p. 224) 对上题作了如下解答:
“答案 D。the answer 应改为 the answer to。本题测试关系代词前的介词使用问题。因此本句中的 questions 后面省略了一个作为 know the answer to 后面的介词宾语——关系代词,关系代词在作宾语时可以省略,但其前面的介词却不能省略,故应将 D 项中的 the answer 改为 the answer to。”
对该书所提供的答案我是没有疑义的。但是,对于它的省略关系代词之说却无法接受。
解决这个问题的关键是弄清 whatever 在这里的用法。what 和 whatever 在用作关系代词时,我们从来不说在它们的后面省略了关系代词,因为它们本身就内含有关系代词的意思,见 whatever/whichever:
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What he says is true. 他说的是真的。
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You can say whatever you like. 你可以想说什么就说什么。
我们能说上面的 what 和 whatever 之后省略了关系代词吗?须知,what 本身等于 that which,而 whatever 本身等于 any that which。同样,关系代词 what,whatever 和 whichever 用作定语(此时可称作关系形容词)时,也不能说其后省略了关系代词。因为省略就意味着可以还原的意思。请看在下面的句子里能加进关系代词吗?
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I took what books she gave me. (CGEL) 我把她给我的书都拿走了。
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Whatever books I have in the house are borrowed from the public library. (同上) 我家里所有的书都借自公共图书馆。
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You should wear whichever dress suits you best. 你应穿最合身的衣服。
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Nelson let the Bush White House know he could be willing to offer whatever help he could to defeat Bill. (Hillary, Living History) 尼尔森就放风声给布什政府,说愿尽全力帮助击败比尔。
请做下面的英语试题:
The team can handle whatever ____.
A. that needs handling B. which needs handling
C. it needs handling D. needs to be handled(全国英语专业四级,97-47)