the problem of whom to serve 分析

We must first solve the problem of whom to serve.

请问 the problem of whom to serve 作 solve 的宾语，为什么看到有人说 whom 是关系代词？

the problem of whom to serve：总体是一个“名词性词组”。

the problem 是中心词；of whom to serve 是介词词组作定语，修饰the problem。但，the problem 和 whom to serve 二者存在同位关系：whom to serve 是the problem 的具体内容。

关于 wh-word to do，它可以作及物动词或介词的宾语，相当于一个wh-word 引导的名词性从句：

of whom to serve = of whom we should serve

我再举一个类似的例句，仔细体会：

I know nothing about what to do. = I know nothing about what I should do.

对照一下：

nothing - the problem

about - of

what to do - whom to serve

刘永科 - 教育出版集团英语总顾问 & 英语系列图书主编

擅长：语法理论,语言学,文化背景 | 采纳率 86% | 回答于 1秒前

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陈才 - 英语教师 1秒前

擅长：中考英语,词法问题

We must first solve the problem of whom to serve

参考译文：我必须首先要解决为谁服务的问题。

解析如下：

介词短语of whom to serve修饰前面的名词the problem,the problem作谓语动词的must solve的宾语。

of +whom to serve为介词+不定式短语构成介词短语。疑问代词whom作不定式逻辑宾语。

whom+to serve 属于疑问词+不定式构成不定式短语用法，也可以理解为介词of后面接whom引导宾语从句简化

We must first solve the problem of whom to serve。(whom为疑问词）

=We must first solve the problem of whom we should serve.（whom为连接代词引导介词宾语从句）