【问】 Spiders are not insects，as many people think，nor even nearly related to them. (New Con-cept English，Book 4，P. 8)
 [原译]蜘蛛不是昆虫，尽管许多人都这样认为，它甚至与昆虫几乎没有联系。(上外教版，P.1)
 关系代词as是代表spiders are not insects，还是代表spiders are insects?
 【答】 绝大部分英语语法著作都比较详尽地谈到了as用作关系代词引出非限制性定语从句的问题，在这种非限制性定语从句中，as一般不代表某个具体的名词或代词，而是代表整个主句或主句的一部分。这种从句可以放在主句之前，也可以放在主句之后，甚至可以放在主句的中间。例如：
 1. As has been said above，a magnet produces a magnetic field in the space around itself.
 如上所说，磁铁在其周围的空间会产生磁场。
 2. A careful observer will notice that a wire becomes thinner when it is stretched，as maybe seen by pulling on a piece of rubber hose.
 细心的观察者会注意到，当金属丝拉长时，会变细，就象拉伸一根橡皮管时所看到的那样。
 3. In electrical usage the term potential，as will be pointed out later，has a definite quantita-tive meaning.
 在电学上，正如以后将要指出的那样，电位这个术语具有确定的数量意义。
 但是，几乎所有的语法著作都只是谈到了主句为肯定句的情形，而很少涉及主句为否定句的情形。所以，许多学生乃至许多翻译工作者对主句为否定句时as定语从句的特点不甚了解。例如，在课堂上许多学生不能确切回答上句中as many people think里的as所代表的内容究竟是spiders are not insects，还是spiders are insects。
 下面让我们简略地讲一讲主句为否定句时as引导的定语从句的修饰范围问题。
 A.当as引导的定语从句位于具有否定意义的主句之前时，as从句所修饰的范围是整个主句的内容，也就是说，把否定意义也包括在内。例如：
 As has been said above，grammar is not a set of dead rules.
 正如前面所说的，语法不是一套死条文。
 B.当as引导的定语从句位于具有否定意义的主句之后时，as从句所修饰的范围不包括否定意义。Spiders are not insects，as many people think.=Spiders are not insects. But manypeople think they are.类例：
 1. Greenland was not a continent，as people thought.
 格陵兰并不像人们所想像的那样是一个大陆。
 2. With the present rate of growth of ideas and plans of both physicists and engineers，it isno longer possible to allow the development of the full potentialities of the new metals toevolve over a period of about fifty years，as was the case with aluminium in the period between 1890 and 1940.
 现在物理学家和工程技术人员的设想与计划产生得很快，因此使新金属的全部潜在性能发挥出来的过程不可能再象铝在1890—1940那段时间一样，用大约50年的时间。
 3. The deepest holes of all are made for oil，and they go down to as much as 25，000 feet.But we do not need to send men down to get the oil out，as we must with other mineraldeposits.
 在一切洞之中，最深的是为了寻找石油所钻的洞。这些洞深达二万五千英尺。但是，我们不必像开采其它矿藏那样派人下去去取石油。
 C.当as引导的定语从句位于具有否定意义的主句中间时，as从句所修饰的范围也不包括否定意义。例如：
 1. The facts of science are not，as some think，dry and lifeless. They are living things，fill-ing with sweetest poetry the ear that listens to them，and with fadeless harmony ofcolours the eye that looks upon them.
 科学事实并不象有些人所想的那样枯燥无味和没有生命力。科学事实是活生生的东西。倾听它们，耳中就会充满最美的诗篇，眺望它们，眼中就会充满永不消褪的和谐色彩。
 2. She did not，as her friend had feared，open the case.
 她没有打开盒子，而她的朋友就是怕她当面打开盒子。