關於此句中關係子句的用法友疑問 請能者解惑之

Question

Your reports are due by midnight at which time I am going to bed.

此句可否改寫成

Your reports are due by midnight when I am going to bed.


另外還有哪幾種可能的寫法呢?

謝謝

Answer 1

我想您的重點是問
at which time = when ?
which 在這裡是關係形容詞, when 是關係副詞, 兩者都是引導一個形容詞子句來修飾 midnight. 理論上是可以相互取代, 但是似乎較少看到 at which time的用法.
原句是由兩個句子合併而來, 並以 your reports 為主體 :
Your reports are due by midnight.
I am going to bed at midnight.
如果以 I 為主體, 可以合併為 :
I am going to bed at midnight when your reports are due.
語意當然會不同.
*****
有個意見供您參考:
說這句話時, 指的 midnight 應該就是當天晚上的午夜12點, 而不應
該是一週或一個月內的某一個午夜. 原句的語意是這樣的:
Your reports are due by midnight at which time I am going to bed.
你必須在我將就寢時的那個午夜完成報告.
這是 "限定"用法, 但是這樣的語意不盡合理. 如果要表達:
"你必須在午夜(也就是我將就寢時)完成報告"
應該寫成:
Your reports are due by midnight, when I am going to bed.
when 前面有逗號, 這是所謂的 "非限定" 用法, 表示補充說明.
等於是:
Your reports are due by midnight, and I am going to bed then.
意思有點像以下的例子:
The man is my father who is a professor.
這個男人是我那個當教授的父親(表示不止一個父親)(???)
The man is my father, who is a professor.
這個男人是我父親, 他是教授.

Answer 2

如果有中文原文才知道妳到底要講什麼ㄚ. 妳寫的兩句是完全不一樣意思.

Your reports are due by midnight at which time I am going to bed.
你的報告是在凌晨12點之前要交, 那是我正要睡的時間.
也可以說成
Your reports are due by midnight, at the time I go to bed. 或
Your reports are due by midnight, which is the time I go to bed.
都是一樣的意思, 不過後面兩個我寫的比較容易懂. 如果妳不是在說當天或只定日子的話, 不要用進行式.

Your reports are due by midnight when I am going to bed.
妳的報告是在我"凌晨12點"睡前交.
重點是在"我正要睡覺"(一個動態的子句). 要是以經是midnight, 可是"I am going to bed"還沒有發生的話, 這個報告是還沒有到期. "when I am going to bed"變成型容midnight的子句. 再加上你用了進行式, 就不是在說"普通"的事情而是針對將要發生的事, 所以意思變的不一樣