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這個in what 應如何理解
本站特約作者 陳根花
剛才打開信箱，收到《英語語法網》的編輯老師發來一封郵件，說是有位讀者朋友遇到一個含有in what 的句子，不好理解，要我幫助分析一下。問題是這樣的（見m.52ysedu.com/GuestBook/Guest_Reply.asp?TopicID=292）：
有句子如下：
…but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.
語法書上說 what 做關系代詞，這就不好理解了，這個 in what 引導的究竟是什么句啊？我記得 what 是不用于引導定語從句的吧。謝謝！
正如《英語語法網》的管理員在回答中所說，此句選自《新概念英語》第三冊第 58 課，其完整句為：
The old lady thought he was a fussy creature, but since the porter agreed with him, she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother.
句子大意為：老太太覺得他（指巡官）大驚小怪（或過于緊張），但既然看門人也同意他的意見，她就給女兒打了電話求援，說她碰到了一點兒小麻煩。
【分析】
(1) 句中的 what 不是關系代詞，引導的不是定語從句，而是連接代詞，在此用于引導賓語從句（用作介詞 in 的賓語）。
(2) 句中的介詞 in 可理解為“在……方面”，在本句中指“在……方面請女兒幫忙”。
(3) 連接代詞 what 在句中除“引導”賓語從句外，還在賓語從句中充當動詞 describe 的賓語（注意所涉及句型 describe…as…，其意為“把……說成是……”“稱……為……”）。
(4) 句中的 what 相當于 the thing that，就本句而言，what 可理解為 the situation that，也就是說：…she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in what she described as a little spot of bother = she rang up her daughter and asked for her help in the situation that she described as a little spot of bother.
下面再看幾個相關的句子。
(1) 下面一句摘自《牛津高階英漢雙解詞典》第7版 savage 詞條：
She had been badly hurt in what police described as “a savage attack”. 她遭受襲擊而身受重傷——警方稱這是一次“野蠻的襲擊”。
此句中的 in 可理解為“在……過程中”，what 可理解為 the attack that。此句可改寫為：She had been badly hurt in the attack that police described as “a savage one”. 直譯此句就是：她在一次警方稱之為“野蠻襲擊”的過程中受了重傷。
(2) 下面一句摘自《劍橋高級英語學習詞典》（Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary）的apparently詞條：
An eighty-year-old woman was badly hurt in what the police describe as an apparently motiveless attack. 一位80歲的老太太受了重傷，警方稱這是一次明顯沒有動機的襲擊。
此句中的 in 也可理解為“在……過程中”，what 仍可理解為 the attack that。此句可改寫為：An eighty-year-old woman was badly hurt in what the police describe as an apparently motiveless attack.. 直譯此句就是：一位80歲的老太太在一次警方稱之為沒有明顯動機的襲擊過程中受了重傷。
在類似這樣的句子中，我們可以簡單地將 in what sb describes as 視為一個固定搭配，將其理解為“某人稱這是……”“某人把它說成是……”“某人把它稱為……”。以下各例是筆者從有關資料上搜集來的例句，可供參考（譯文為筆者所加，不一定很妥，僅供參考）：
1. Street battles lasting several hours have gripped the German port city of Hamburg, in what police describe as the worst riots there for years. 持續了數小時的巷戰已經控制了德國港口城市漢堡，警方稱這是多年來最嚴重的暴亂。
2. Italian police have confirmed that the Lazio fan who was killed was shot by police in what they describe as a “tragic mistake”. 意大利警方已經證實，這名來自拉齊奧的球迷是被警方射殺致死的，警方說是這一個“悲劇性的錯誤”。
3. Twenty students in Ohio are accused of ransacking their high school in what police describe as an end-of-the-year prank that got out of hand. 俄亥俄有20名學生被指控搶劫了他們的中學，警方稱這是年底一場失控的惡作劇。
4. The Commission on Elections is set to proclaim on Saturday at least eight candidates for senator, in what officials describe as the “fastest” in the country’s election history. 選舉委員會可能最遲在星期六宣布八名參議員競選者，官員們說這是這個國家選舉歷史上算是“最快的”了。
5. Later this week, shares of China State Construction Engineering Corp. are expected to begin trading in Shanghai in what analysts describe as the world’s largest IPO this year. 本周晚些時候，中國建筑集團總公司的股票有望在上海開始交易，分析人士稱這將是今年全球最大的IPO（首次公開募股）。
當然，在實際運用中，由于作者所描述情況的千差萬別，in what sb describe as 這類結構也有可能與句中的其他成分構成有關搭配或有其他理解。如：
The next thing I saw, he was standing holding a gun with both hands in what I can only describe as a combat position. 接著我看到，他端著槍站著，那雙手握槍的樣子完全就像是一種在作戰的姿勢。
句中的 in… 其實是 with 復合結構（with both hands in…）的一部分，其中的 in what 可理解為 in the position that。全句可改寫為：The next thing I saw, he was standing holding a gun with both hands in the position that I can only describe as a combat one.
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