when的基本意义为"当……的时候"。一般来说，它引导的从句多为时间状语从句和定语从句，翻译时也相应地译为状语和定语。例如：

　　1. When I was walking down the street, I noticed a police car in front of NO. 6 door.当我沿着街往前走的时候，我发现6号门前停着一辆警车。(when引导时间状语从句)

　　2. He came at a time when we were badly in need of help.他在我们急需人帮忙的时候来了。(when引导定语从句)

　　但有时when引导的从句从表面上看是时间状语或定语，然而不论是按时间状语从句还是按定语从句来理解和翻译，都既不符合逻辑，也不符合句意。这时就需要把从句的职能进行转化。下面简要谈谈这方面的一些翻译方法。

　　一、when引导的从句译为主句

　　有时从形式上看when引导的是时间状语从句，但在意义上这个状语从句是全句的重心所在，这种现象在语法上称为"主从颠倒"(inverse subordination)。这种句型一般用来表示意外的、突发性的事情，翻译时应把主句译成从句，从句译成主句。例如：

　　1. I was walking in the street when I met an old friend of mine.我正在街上走时，碰到一位老朋友。

　　2. I was just about to go out when the telephone rang.我正要出去时，电话响了。

　　二、when引导的从句译为原因状语从句

　　1. Why doesn't he come when he knows the meeting is very important?他既然知道会议很重要，为什么不来呢?

　　2. When the train approached racing, leaving no time for the criminal to cross the rails, he had to stop, only to be caught by the policemen.因为火车急驰而来，罪犯没时间过铁路，他只好停下来，结果被警察抓住。

　　三、when引导的从句译为条件状语从句

　　1. When a weight lifter fails three trials, he will be excluded from the next round.如果一名举重选手试举三次失败，他就不能参加下一轮比赛。

　　2. All will be finished before noon when everyone rushes his work.如果大家都赶点儿紧，所有的工作中午之前将会完成。

　　四、when引导的从句译为让步状语从句

　　1. When I say theory is important, I don't mean practice is unimportant.虽然我说理论重要，但我并不是说实践就不重要。

　　2. Even when the houses are exactly alike, as they are in many housing developments, cluster planning adds interests and variety to the scene of the city.尽管这些房子完全一样，就像在住宅区见到的情形一样，群体规划依然给城市容貌增添了情趣和变化。

　　五、when引导的从句译为对比句

　　1. You said you had posted the letter, when it is still on the table.你说你已把信寄走了，可是信还在桌上放着。

　　2. It is claimed the theory is very complicated, when all understand it well.据说这个理论很复杂，没想到大家都理解得很好。

　　六、when引导的从句译为"届时……"、"到那时……"

　　1. A meeting is to be held next Monday, when the problem will be discussed in detail.定于下周一举行会议，届时将详细讨论这个问题。

　　2. Join us next week, when we shall be talking about solar energy.下星期加入我们的行列吧，那时我们将讨论太阳能问题。

　　七、when引导的从句译为"……之后"

　　1. He served in a government department until 1995, when he retired.他在一个政府部门工作到1995年，之后退休了。

　　2. When the break was over, they resumed their experiment.课间休息之后，他们重新做实验。

　　八、when引导的从句在"hardly...when"和"scarcely...when"的句型中，这两种句型都译作"刚……就……"

　　1. We had hardly arrived when it began to rain.我们刚到就开始下雨了。

　　2. Scarcely had I closed the door when someone started knocking on it.我刚关上门就有人敲起门来。

　　(文/钱建成;英语辅导报大学一年级版03~04学年第25期;版权归英语辅导报社所有，独家网络合作伙伴新浪教育，未经许可，不得以任何形式进行转载。)