I'm a bit confuse while trying to read a few sentences.

  1. **離れて見る** と、彼は実際よりずっと若く見える。(離れる + 見る）(I understand the first phrase mean "from distance view")

  2. 相手の名前をなかなか思い出すことが **できなくて困った** (this is either "2 verbs link together "できる + 困る or the "て" here mean "when/because" and not a modifier for "困った")

So i translate the 2nd sentence into this:

=> It's troublesome **when** cannot remember your partner's name (i think this
one is correct) => It's cannot be trouble ... (this sound so wrong)

I only learned that "て" mean "when/because" when you use it with a **comma**
to separate 2 sentences.

eg: 事故が **あって** 、バスが遅れてしまいました。

I feel like I'm missing somethings during my Japanese's studying progress.. Is
this a grammar structure or is there a way to call this type of combination ?

Thank you, sorry for my noobness !
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question
verbs て-form
2 verbs link together ?
The て form should be seen as a way of concatenating sentences in one whole
sentence.

Instead of saying

> 事故がありました。そして、バスが遅れてしまいました。

You would connect those sentences in one, as in

> 事故があって、バスが遅れてしまいました。

It can be generally seen as an "and".

In this example, it would be literally translated as

> There was an accident and the bus was late.

In this case, it obviously shows a cause-to-effect connection, but this is not
always true.

In your example, I would say you could translate the sentence as

> It was troublesome I could not recall my partner's name.

Since you could literally translate it as

> I could not recall my partner's name. And it was troublesome.
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You can think of て as having 3 basic uses.

The first is to show **sequence**. A happens, then B, then C.
ご飯を食べて、シャワーを浴びて、寝ました。 _I ate my meal, then took a shower and then slept._

The second is to show **means, method**. A is used to do B. この机は、私が木を使って作りました。
_As for this table, I made it by using wood._

The third is to show **reason**. 地震があって、大勢の人が死にました。 _Because an earthquake
happened, lots of people died._

* * *

Perhaps you could now think about how each of your two examples fits in with
one of the three usages of て.

For me, I think of it this way:

離れて見る can be thought of as the second usage: _**Through/by** being at a
distance, I (or some other person) look(s) or see(s) something._ The method of
seeing or viewing - the "how" - is by being far away.

事故があって、バスが遅れてしまいました。can be thought of as the third usage: _The bus was late
**because** an accident happened._ (note the nuance of regret or
disappointment that I can't really incorporate in the translation. This is
because of てしまいました.) て in this case shows reason.

* * *

Note: the third usage of て, to show reason, is limited by at least two rules.
When you construct a sentence with "reason て result", what follows the て must
be non-volitional (cannot be controlled / happens naturally). Furthermore, the
reason must not happen after the result.

For example (edited with chocolate's suggested sentences):

> X お[腹]{なか}が[空]{す}いていて、ケーキを二つ食べましょう。(volitional)
>
> O お腹が空いて‌​いるので/から、ケーキを二つ食べましょう‌​。(ので and から can take volition)
>
> O お腹が空いていて、ケーキを二つ食‌​べ(てしまい)ました。/食べられました。‌(て with non-volition)
>
> X 友達があした来て、きょうはいそがしくなりました。 _Because my friend is coming tomorrow, today
> became busy (became a busy day)._ My friend coming tomorrow happens,
> chronologically speaking, after today became busy. Thus the sentence becomes
> ungrammatical.
>
> O 友達があした来ます **から** 、きょうはいそがしくなりました。 _Because my friend is coming tomorrow,
> today became busy (became a busy day)._ から is able to express a reason
> happening after a result, so this sentence is acceptable.
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> . . . できなくて困った
>
> 事故があって、バスが遅れてしまいました。

In each of these examples (above), a reason is given.

-- like (5) and (6) below.

See: [What is the role of
あるいて?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/38564/what-is-the-role-
of-%e3%81%82%e3%82%8b%e3%81%84%e3%81%a6/38582#38582)

```

    (5) a.  公園でポピーに会って, ヒューはとても喜んだ｡ 
        b.  [Bumping into] Poppy in the park, [Hugh] was very pleased.
              Having bumped into ... , 
    
    (6) a.  今日は土曜日で, ヒューは学校がある｡ 
        b.  Today being Saturday, [Hugh] has school.
    
    (7) a.  正直に言って, クーは太りすぎだ｡ 
        b.  Honestly speaking, Koo is overweight.
    
```
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