一、表示“……的人”,相当于“the person that...”。如:
1.He is not what he was a few years ago. 他不是几年前的他了。
2.Who is it that has made Fred what he is now?是谁把弗雷德培养成现在这样一个人的?
二、表示“……的地方”,相当于“the place that...”。如:
1.This is what they call Salt Lake City.这就是他们称作盐湖城的地方。
2.What is now the North Sahara Desert was once a civilized world.现在是北部撒哈拉沙漠的地方曾是一个文明世界。
三、表示“……的数目”,相当于“the amount / number that...”。如:
1.Our income is now double what it was ten years ago.我们现在的收入是十年前的两倍。
2.The number of the students in our school has reached as many as 20,000, ten times what it was before liberation.现在我校学生多达2万人,是解放前的十倍。
what的这种特殊含义可以根据句子的意思在翻译时灵活处理,不可千篇一律。再如:
1. Shenzhen is no longer what it was in the past.深圳不再是过去那样子了。(what=the city that)
2. The color of the flower is different from what it was in the morning.花朵的颜色与早晨的不同。(what=the color that)
很明显,文章开头那道高考题的答案what相当于“the time that”,表示“……的时间”。另外,what前面的after为介词,并非连词。
巩固练习:
1. She has changed a lot. She's no longer ________she used to be.
A. that B. what C. which D. 不填
2. The tobacco which is used to make cigarettes was first grown in________is now part of the United States.
A. which B. that C. all D. what
3. No longer______Tom the man______he used to be.
A. will; what B. was; what C. will; that D. is; that
4. What has made China________she is today?
A. that B. what C. as D. which
5. The number of the students of the college has reached 8,000,twice ______ it was when the college was opened ten years ago.
A. what B. as much C. which D. that
Key: 1—5 BDDBA
