复杂长难句分析

长难句分析和练习

并列平行结构（一）英语句子最常用的方法是通过使用一些关联词，如and、or等，或标点符号如：分号，逗号，破折号等，若干个在语义上有联系或相互照应的单词、词组或子句连在一起组成一种并列或平行结构的长句，以表达一个复杂得多层次含义。这种句式虽然难度不一定很高，但在复杂长句中还是占了相当大的比例的.

1.I wanted her to know that my heart was with her,and that I thought England owed her a great debt and was going to miss her.

要点:that my heart……and that I thought为两个并列宾语从句；owed her ……and was going…… 为两个并列的谓语结构。

译：我想让她知道我的心和她在一起，而且我认为英国欠了她一大笔债，很快就会怀念她。

2.And neither friends nor family can convince phobic people that most animals are harmless,that thousands of travelers fly safely every day,and millions of people ride safely in elevators several times each day.

要点:neither……nor连接并列主语。”convince”后接”people”作宾语，另外三个”that……”从句并列作”convince”的宾语，其中最后一个”that……”从句前省略了”that”，若补齐即为”(that)millions of people……each day”。

译：朋友们及家庭成员都无法说服恐惧症患者，使他们相信多数动物对人无害，数以千计的旅行者每日都安全飞行，数百万的人每天都安全地乘好几次电梯。

3.Review important points mentioned in class as well as points you remain confused about.

要点：as well as为连接词组，意为“不但……而且……；既……又……”，在句中连接并列成分。还要注意as well as的用法与not only…but also…相同，但重点通常在as well as前面的部分。

译：不仅要复习你仍然混淆不清的地方，而且要重温课堂上提到的要点。

Exercise : 1. We need to be taught the duty of planting trees as well as of cutting them.

2. We know that this is so,but all too often we recogenize this truth only in our backward glance when we remember what it was and then suddenly realize that it is no more.

3. This is not an easy lesson to learn,especially when we are young and think that the world is ours to command,that whatever we desire with the full force of our passionate being can,nay,will,be ours.

并列平行结构（二） 1. More than three million people live in inner London,and nearly five million people live in the surrounding suburban area,which is made up of formerly separate villages that have merged to form what is now called outer London.

要点:全句为并列复合句。“and”连接并列句。第二个句子是主从复合句。“which”引出非限制性定语从句，修饰“area”。“that”引出限制性定语从句，修饰“villages”。“what”引出名词从句，作“from”的宾语。

译：三百多万人口居住在伦敦市区,将近五百多万人口居住在周围的郊区—该地区由原来分散的村庄构成，逐步形成如今被称为的外伦敦。

2. Then I remembered how often I,too,had been indifferent to the grander of each day,too preoccupied with petty and sometimes even mean concerns to respond to the splendor of it all.

要点：此句存在着一个“too…to…”结构，即“too preoccupied with petty and sometimes even mean concerns to respond to the splendor of it all”。注意：“I,too,had been indifferent to the grander of each day”中“too”的含义为“也”，请不要混淆。

译：然后我回想起自己过去也经常对每天的壮观景象不感兴趣，也经常一头埋在细小的、有时甚至是卑鄙自私的事物中而对这整个奇观麻木不仁。

Exercise : One can only guess that if he heard many of them he was only strengthened in his resolve not to allow himself or his bride to be made a spectacle---not their live selves or their bodies.

并列平行结构（三） 1. Now,Shaw is exaggerating,but there is something in what he says,and the question is worth following up,for the sake of the light it throws on modern knowledge。

要点：本句是由并列连词but，and引导的并列复合句。在第三个分句中it throws on modern knowledge是定语从句，修饰名词light，定语从句的引导词that被省略。“throw light on sth.”的意思是“make sth. clear”。

译：当然萧伯纳是言过其实了，但他所说的也确实有些道理，这一问题值得进一步探讨，因为它会帮助人们看清现代知识的真实情况。

2.It was mostly he who talked and he seemed afraid to stop for fear sh e’d ask him to leave her by herself.

要点：这是一个由and连接的并列复合句。And前面的句子是强调句，强调的成分是he。for fear(that)=in order that…should not happen 意为“生怕，以免”，to leave her by herself=to leave her alone。

译：大部分时间都是他在讲话。他似乎害怕停下来，生怕话一停，她就会请他离开。

Exercise : If you are a man,you can point out that most poets and men of science are male;if you are a woman,you can retort that so are most criminals.

插入结构（一）插入结构是在一个句子中某两个句子成分之间，如主谓，谓宾，定语和受定语等之间插入一个从句，短语或单词以对原来句子所表达的内容进行补充、添加、限定和说明。有时一个句子会有多个从句，分词短语等存在，再加上插入成分，就会使得句子结构显得很复杂，不易分清各部分得成分，而造成阅读上得障碍。插入成分最明显得标志是用逗号与主句隔开。但有时由于多种句子成分的存在，句子中会使用多个逗号，分号，从而导致插入得成分不易一眼看出，以至出现理解错误。

1. During the rest of this century,as never before,history will be the study of population.

要点：as never before为插入语，插于状语和谓语之间，意为“前所未有”。

译：在本世纪末，对人口的研究将前所未有地成为历史。

2. Bec ause the potential hazards pollen grains are subject to as they are transported over long distances are enormous,…

要点：此句的助于和表语之间插入了由as引导的时间状语从句；pollen grains are subject to为定语从句，修饰the potential hazards。译：因为花粉在长距离输送中存在的潜在危险是巨大的……

Exercise : Yet,Walzer’s ar gument,however deficient,does point to one of the most serious weaknesses of capitalism---namely,that it brings to predominant positions in a society people who,no matter how legitimately they have earned their material rewards,often lack those other qualities that evoke affection or admiration.

插入结构（二） 1. Quite a different problem,but one that is causing growing concern,is that computers may violate people’s privacy.

要点：but one that is causing growing concern作插入语。在意以上是对Quite a different problem的补充说明。one代替上文提到的people。译：一个截然不同但却越来越引起人们关注的问题是：计算机可能会侵犯人们的隐私。

2. Do the constantly changing fashions of women’s clothes,one wonders,reflect basic qlities of inconstancy and instability?

要点：one wonders为插入语，本句主干结构为“Do the fashions reflect basic qlities？”，“fashions”和“qlities”有两个定语。

译：我们不知道女性服装不断变化的时尚是否反映出不可靠和不稳定的基本特点。

Exercise : 翻译下列句子：The manufacturer who increases the unit price of his product by changing his package size to lower the quantity delivered can,without under hardship,put his product into boxes,bags,and tins that will contain even 4-ounce,8-ounce,one pound,two-pound quantities of breakfast foods,cake mixes,etc.

分隔结构（一）含有分隔结构得复杂句通常是指那些句子结构主谓、谓宾、宾补之间存在着其他成分。而有时这些介入成分又较长，从而使本来应该紧联在一起得句子成分被分隔开了。另外还有一种分隔结构是同位语和定语同它们所修饰得成分分隔，由于作同位语和作定语得句子太长，而后面得部分又太短，为了保证全句意思表达得完整性常常把同位语或定语放到句子最后，形成分隔结构。一般来说分隔结构本身不难辨认，但当句子较长，成分较多，被分隔得部分又相距较远时就容易造成理解障碍，而且常常被分隔得成分又恰恰是句子得主干。因此准确判断分隔结构，理顺句子主干就成了理解这类句子得关键。

1.We live in a time when,more than ever before in history ,people are moving about.

要点：定语从句“people are moving about”被比较状语“more than ever before in history”分隔。此现象为“分隔定语”。

译：我们生活在一个四处奔波甚至历史上任何时期的时代。

2.While I was waiting to enter university, I saw advertised in a local newspaper a teaching post at a school in a suburb of London about ten miles from where I lived.

要点：宾语”a teaching post” 之所以放在” in a local newspaper” 之后是因为它带有较长的后置定语，其目的是为了避免句子“头重脚轻”。译：在我等待进入大学期间，我在一份地方报纸上看到一则广告，说是在离我住处大约10英里的伦敦某郊区有所学校要招聘一名教师。Exercise : 1.The willingness to recognize the value of these newer “unscientific” ways of doing science may be ano ther instance of the human ability to adapt and survive,of which we spoke earlier.

2.It’s an activity you turn to for pleasure, not something that you have to do,like helping with the dishes.

分隔结构（二） 1.The tour races of France and Italy,held each year,cover more than 2,000 miles.

要点：过去分词短语“held each year”及介词短语“of France and Italy”都修饰“races”作后置定语。一个名词、代词同时有两个以上的定语，或定语被其他成分（状语，插入语，同位语等）隔开时称为“分隔定语”。

译：每年举行的法国及意大利巡回赛其行程长达2，000多英里。

2.I plan to see her soon in England,though not,she reminded me,again at 10 Downing Street.

要点：让步状语though not again at 10 Downing Street被插入语she reminded me所分割。而且该让步状语是一个省略的结构，全句应为though (it will) not (be) again at 10 Downing Street。还应看出让步状语所转达的意思正是插入语的宾语所要转达的意思。she reminded me （it will not be again at 10 Downing Street）。省略和插入的使用使全句的意思得以很好地衔接连贯、结构紧凑，无多余的成分。

译：我打算不久和她在英国见面，不过她提醒我地点不再是唐宁街十号。

Exercise : I launched into a variation of the speech I had made for years,about how excessive tax rates can take away the incentive to produce, and how cutting taxes can generate growth.

分隔结构（三） 1.The cessation of the employment of extraordinary means to prolong the life of the body when there is irrefutable evidence that biological death is imminent is the decision of the patient and/or her immediate family.

要点：此句话的主谓被很长一段定语成分所分隔，句子主干应是“The cessation...is the decision of the patient and/or her immediate family”，由于主干中的is前没有逗号分开，而且前面又出现了一个is imminent，还由于同主语The cessation拉开的距离太远，所以不容易很快找到。When前面的部分如果不注意很容易错误地理解为一个句子，即“The cessation...means to prolong the life of body.”实际上means是个名词，意为“方法，手段”，不是动词“意味着”。而且means前面有个形容词extraordinary作定语，不可能是动词，尽管意思上说得通。when引导的状语从句里带了一个定语从句that biological death is imminent，它们一起插入了主语和谓语之间。把means错当动词和状语带定语的插入使得整句的结构复杂化了，致使主干句的主谓不容易看出来。

译：在有不可反驳的证据表明病人即将进入生理死亡时，停止采取非常措施来延长其生命应该由病人和（或）其直系亲属来作出决定。

2.Although her characters were portrayed in many settings and situations, they all reflected, by the often tragic outcome of their lives, her profound conviction that no human could be happy if that happiness was rooted in the wretchedness of another.

要点：这是一个主从复合句。reflected的宾语是her profound conviction.that no human could be ... of another是conviction的同位语从句。该从句也是一个主从复合句。by the often tragic outcome of their lives是状语，说明reflected。by在此处的意思是by means of。often 是副词，修饰形容词tragic。由于reflected的宾语过场，所以把by短语插在reflected和它的宾语之间，结果使reflected和它的宾语被分隔。

译：如果幸福是建立在另一个人的痛苦之上，那就没有人会有幸福，她的这种深切信念全都反映在一些人生结局通常都很悲惨的人物身上，虽然她笔下的人物出现在多种多样的背景和情节当中。

Exercise : 1. The described dichotomy is clearly part of a much wider one:civilization fall apart yet their component societies live on; societies disintegrate but their citizens survive; individuals die while their cells, perversely, still metabolize; finally, cells can be disrupted yet the enzymes they release may, for a while, remain active.

2.With rock,illusion of shared feelings, bodily contact and grunted formulas, which are supposed to contain so much meaning beyond the speech, are the basis of association.

同位语结构 1.This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the U.S with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English.

要点：“the fact”后面有一个that引导的同位语从句，其中主语Asian-American students后面有一个who引导的定语从句who began their educations abroad，该同位语从句的谓语为arrived，被定语从句隔开。

译：亚裔美国学生对数学和自然科学的偏爱一部分原因是这些学生是在外国开始接受教育的，来到美国时他们的数学基础很好，但很少或根本不懂英语。

2.Both explanations for academic success worry Asian-Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image.

要点：fears后有一个that引导的同位语从句“that they feed a typical racial image”，用以说明“fears”的内容，不要误认为是一个定语从句。同位语从句所修饰的名词多为fact,news,idea,thought,reply,report,remark等抽象名词，一般由that引导。

译：对于学术成功的这两种解释都使亚裔美国人感到忧虑，因为他们担心这样就树立了一种典型的种族形象。

Exercise : 1. we hold these truths to be self-evident,that all men are created equal.

2.Clothes can be bought ready made,washing can go to the laundry,food can be bought cooked,canned or preserved,bread is baked and delivered by the baker,milk arrives on the doorstep,meals can be had at the restaurant,the works’ canteen,and the school dinning-room.

倒装结构英语中有时为了强调突出某一句子成分，或当否定词出现在句首时，或是由于同上文衔接等的缘故，常常采用倒装的结构，即：把正常的主+谓+宾（表）+补+状的语序打乱，把应该在后面出现的成分提到前面去，如：谓语出现在主语前面，谓语、宾语出现在主语前面，或状语放在句首等。简单句中的倒装较容易辨认，但在长句中当同其他的句子结构混在一起时，倒装结构的辨认就有一定的困难，有时会误认为是其他的句子成分，如：分句独立结构，定语等，导致错判全句的主干，形成理解障碍。

1. Worse perhaps was the idea of Saturday afternoon cricket; most of my friends would be enjoying leisure at that time.

要点：此句为倒装句。作表语的形容词"worse" 和系动词都被提到句首，把句子较复杂的部分放在句尾，目的是达到“尾重”的句子效果。

译：更糟糕的也许是星期六下午打板球的安排，因为这时候我的朋友大都会在悠闲地尽享其乐。

3.A chart or a graph can often give us an idea in a glance that is communicated verbally only with great difficulty.

要点：本句中，关系代词引导的定语从句" that is communicated ..."修饰名词an idea,因其较长所以放在作状语的介词短语in a glance之后。

译：看一眼描绘的图表或图解常能使人对只用言词很难表达的东西获得一目了然的效果。

Exercise : 1.Only in recent years have women begun to catch up with men in this area.

2.Electronics has made possible a new kind of higher education and

research, including what counts to a global scale electronic lecture hall.

倒装结构（二） 1. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government,I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

要点：此句为虚拟倒装句，因谓语中有were，若是省略掉if的话，部分谓语就要提前。

译：倘若让我决定，我们是应该有一个政府而不要报纸呢还是应该有报纸而不要政府，我会毫不犹豫地选择后者。

2. In reality,though,the BBC dictionary will be purchased by a far wider range of language learners,as will the other two dictionaries.

要点：as承接前面从句之语，意为“如……一样”，并且要求主谓倒装。

译：尽管如此，实际上购买美国BBC广播公司的字典的语言学习者的范围将会更大一些，其他两本字典也是这样。

Exercise : Among the most promising and most thoroughly researched probiotics is the GG strain of Lactobacillus,discovered by Dr. Sherwood Gorbach and biochemist Barry Goldin,both at Tufts University School of Medicine.

分词和从句（一）分词(包括现在分词和过去分词)和分词短语在英语中使用非常普遍，在句子中可以充当补语,定语,状语等成分。在成分复杂的句子中，有时分词的出现易同谓语动词的被动式或者进行时搞混，造成句子主干的判断错误。带有自己主语的分词独立结构由于同非限制性定语从句和插入语一样需要逗号同句子的其他成分分开，因此常会误认为是非限制性定语或插入语。有些从句，尤其是定语从句，其形式变化很多，在句子中也易同其他句子成分混淆。

1.The camera, loaded with film and ready to use,sold for $25. 译：已装好胶卷，随时可用的相机以25美金的价格出售。

要点：分词短语“load…”和形容词短语“ready…”并列作“camera”的定语。

2.A homeowner can get hurt trying to use the wrong kind of extinguisher on an eletrical fire.

要点：分词短语“trying to use…”在句中作条件状语。

译：在电气火灾中如果户主试图使用不适合的灭火器就可能受伤。

3.He sat in front of them,dressed in a plain,ill-fitting suit,never moving,his dusty face masking his age.

要点：“dressed in…, never moving,his dusty face…”是三个伴随状语。第一个状语为过去分词，第二个为现在分词，第三个为独立主格结构。

译：他坐在他们前面一动不动，穿这一套不合身的便服，风尘满面，让人看不出他的年纪。

Exercise : 1. Rich bodies were carefully wrapped in yards of cloth,leaving diamond-shaped spaces which were decorated with precious stones and pieces of gold.

2.The problem is how museums can continue to serve as storehouses for treasures while encouraging the general public to enjoy visiting them.

分词和从句（二） 1. He had never been to school or university but had studied privately and by the time he was twenty he was a skillful chemist and excellent linguist,speaking Swedish,Russian,German,France and English.

要点：分词短语“speaking Swedish,Russian,Geman,France and English”在句中作补充状语，对excellent linguist作解释。

译：他从未上过中学或大学，但自学成才。到20岁时，他已是一个熟练的化学家及优秀的语言学家，能讲瑞典语、俄语、德语、法语和英语。

2. When building space on the ground becomes scarce use must be made of the space in the air.

要点：谓语use must be made of the space in the air是被动语态。在英语中“动词+名词+介词”类的短语将主动语态改为被动语态有两种改法。一种是将词组中的名词上升为主语；另一种将介词后面的宾语升为主语。全句的主动语态应为：We must make use of the space in the air

译：当地面的建筑空间变得紧张时，我们必须在空中扩展空间。

Exercise :

1.When the “energy crisis” f irst came in 1973-1974,I was living with my family in a cabin on the edge of an area where deer spend their winter in northern Minnesota,observing the deer as their behavior changed from more activity in summer and fall to less as winter progressed,folowed by an increase again in the spring as the snow melted.

2. He was puzzled that I did not want what was obviously a “step up” toward what all Americans are taught to want when they g row up:money and power.

省略句型 1.He collected paintings by such masters as Tintoreto,Vandyke,and Rembrandt.

要点：“such…as…”引出定语从句，修饰“masters”，定语从句中省略了谓语“were”。

译：它搜集了像丁托列托、范戴克、伦勃朗这样一些著名大师的画。

2.It was one of the things that I respected her for at our first meeting,back in 1975.

要点：句末的短语back in 1975是一个省略结构，实际上即为（being，tracing）back in 1975(属于分词独立结构状语)，或者为（which was）back in 1975(属于非限定定语从句)，修饰meeting。

译：这是早在1975年我们初次相会时，令我对他产生敬意的事情之一。

3.Then,too,as people spread out,so will stores,restaurants,and other conveniences.

要点：此句为倒装句。连词“so,either,neither,nor,etc.”位于句首时，通常采用主谓倒装结构。另外，句中“…conveniences”后省略了谓语为：Then,as people spread out,stores,restaurants and other conveniences will spread out,too。

译：然后，随着人群的分散，商场、餐馆及其他便利设施也随之铺开了。

Exercise : 1. For years I have puzzled over the inappropriate comunication ofsimple directions,especially those given me when touring.

2.If you think as much of others as of yourself,you will not make any of these mistakes.

3. But black poets were not battling over old or new rather,one accomplished Black poet was ready to welcome another,whatever his or her style,for what mattered was racial pride.

it作形式主语或形式宾语在英语中以it做主语的句子很常见。除了指代、强调外，在多数情况下，it没有具体的意义，而只是把真正的主语移到句子后面去，使句子显得平稳些。能借助it移到句子后面的主语有：不定式短语，动名词短语，从句。

1.In the United States,it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the moring. 译：在美国，人们不习惯在大清早打电话找人。要点：句子“it”是形式主语，真正主语是“to telephone someone”，为了保持句子平衡，避免头重脚轻，所以用it代替较长的不定式短语。

2.It is a wonder that at least a few children survive their schooling and emerge as people who can think,people who are open-minded and knowledgeable.

要点：it为形式主语，that引导的从句为真正主语。emerge as有两个分别带有宾语从句的并列宾语people。

译：堪称奇迹的是，至少有少数儿童竟然没有被这种学校教育所糟蹋，而是脱颖而出，成为善于思考的、思路开阔和博学多闻的人。Exercise :1. For example,when two people meet for the first time it is normal for them to call each other by their given names immediadtely.

2.However,it may be helpful to have a more detailed understanding of the customs usually followed in the United States,especially of some of them which are different from Chinese customs.

否定句结构 1.His friend and doctors did not think he could do it,as he had lung cancer.译：由于他患有肺癌，朋友和医生们都认为他是不能这样做的。

要点：此句的否定为转移否定，实际上否定的是think后的宾语从句。

2.No untrained person should try to put out a fire larger than one in a wastebasket.译：受过训练的人应尽力扑灭比废纸篓着火势。

要点：句中No untrained=every trained，双重否定结构相当于肯定含义。

Exercise : Nor everyone can interact with such persistence and over long hours,but those who do pride themselves on a distinctive ability that contributes highly to the running of the organization.

否定句结构(二) 1. No film character has ever been more widely enjoyed. 译：从没有任何电影角色受到过更为广泛的喜爱。

要点：此举结构为：“否定词+adj./adv.比较级结构”，意义相当于最高级含义。

2. Nor is English without its enemies. 译：英语也并非没有“敌人”。

要点：句中“Nor”与“without”构成双重否定意义，相当于肯定的含义。此句为倒装结构。

Exercise : The external circumstances of our daily lives are almost wholly dependent upon science and there is scarcely anything in the modern home that has not been made by processes whose principles involve the scientific advances of recent years.