to作定语还是目的状语？

1 to作定语还是目的状语？

What can be done to harness this interest and give the public the scientific background it needs to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering?(选自 Public Attitudes Toward Science by Stephen Hawking )

参考译文：怎么样才能利用这种兴趣，向公众提供所需要的科学知识，以便其在酸雨，温室效应，核武器以及基因工程等问题上做出明达的决定呢？

提问：句中it 指的是the public。请问老师， 1)句中“it needs to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering”这个整体部分作定语修饰the scientific background，是吗?

2)还是只有“it needs”作定语修饰the scientific background？而剩余部分to的不定式“to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering”作目的状语，且to可以等价于 “so as to/in order to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering”或 “so that it can make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering ”。

到底1）和2）哪一个正确呢？为什么？谢谢老师。

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分类：句式分析

最佳答案 2017-07-16 15:53

give the public the scientific background it needs to make informed decisions on subjects like acid rain, the greenhouse effect, nuclear weapons, and genetic engineering

it needs前省略了关系代词which/that。定语从句从（which）it needs一直到句末。因此to make informed decision on...这个不定式短语是定语从句谓语needs的目的状语，而不是主句谓语give的目的状语。

你提问中的理解1是正确的，理解2是错误的。

因为从语法上，somebody needs something to do something. 例如，I need momey to buy a car.不定式是动词need要求的。

另外，在逻辑上，像控制酸雨、应对温室效应、核武器和基因工程之类的重大问题需要大量资金投入，政府在这些问题上需要公众的支持。至少在形式上，西方是民主国家，不是政府几个人说了算，而是需要国会批准预算，国会议员是民众选举的，代表的是民众的意愿。因此在逻辑上，是民众决定政府是否应该花钱采取措施应对这些重大问题。而民众需要科学背景知识来做出决定（通过选举议员、选举总统来实现他们的决定）。