在一定的上下文中，有些英语定语从句若从其含义或与主句之间的逻辑关系上分析，可以发现其功能并非是限定或修饰先行词，而是相当于状语,或是说明原因、条件、結果、 目的、让步等关系，或是与主句形成对比，还有可能是对主句中的内容加以评论。因此，在翻译时应透过表面形式弄淸其真正含义和逻辑关系，然后相应地译成各种汉语偏正复句或并列句，同时对原有语序以及连接从句的关系代词也作相应的调整。通过对比下列分类例句原文和译文中带下划线的部分，我们基本上可以了解进行定语从句转换的依据和方法。

1. 转换成原因状语

例1. You can mass-produce incredible quantities of facts and figures. You cannot mass-produce knowledge, which is created by individual minds, drawing on individual experience, separating the significant from the irrelevant.

你可以大批制造数量惊人的事实与数字，但不可能大批生产知识，因为知识是个人头脑凭借个人经验，经过去伪存真后创造出来的。

例2. The only two major developing countries to be spared a crisis were India and China，both of which had resisted capital market liberalization.

只有两个主要发展中国家幸免于危机，因为这两个国家都抵制了资本市场自由化。

2. 转换成条件状语

例3. They amounted to near twenty thousand pounds, which to pay would have ruined me.

其总数几乎达两万英镑，假如让我赔偿，我非倾家荡产不可。

3. 转换成目的状语

例4. Chinese trade delegations have been sent to African countries, who will negotiate trade agreements with the respective governments.

中国派出一些贸易代表团出访非洲各国，以便同有关政府洽谈贸易协议。

例5. Unfortunately，every country in the world has trade barriers which are designed to protect its economy against international market forces.

遗憾的是，世界各国都设置了贸易壁垒，以保护本国经济免受国际市场力量的冲击。