英语长难句解析

英语长难句解析

一、定语从句

【难句】1. Even China’s population will be declining by the early 2030s,

according to the UN, which projects that by 2050 populations will be lower than

they are today in 50 countries. (The Economist Jun.5, 2006)

【结构分析】 本句结构清晰，是一个复合句。主句为Even China’s population will

be declining by the early 2030s, according to the UN，其后的定语从句which

projects that by 2050 populations will be lower than they are today in 50 countries

修饰先行词UN，关系代词在从句中作主语，注意这里project作动词用，译为“指出”，

且从句里使用了比较级。

【参考译文】联合国有关报告指出，即便是中国，到2030年初期人口也将开始递减。

这份报告同时还指出，到2050年，将有50个国家的人口低于今天的水平。

【难句】2. That is surely how history will judge modern criticism of video games,

which are accused of turning young people into violent criminals. (The Economist

Jun.18, 2006)

【结构分析】 本句的主句That is surely how history will judge modern criticism

of video games是主系表结构，其中表语由how引导的名词性从句充当，定语从句which

are accused of turning young people into violent criminals修饰先行词video

games，关系代词which指代先行词video games在从句中作主语，这里使用了被动语

态be accused of，在翻译时我们译成主动。

【参考译文】 对于当今时代那些控诉电视游戏使年轻人变成暴力罪犯的批评者们，历

史最终也将对他们作出同样的批判。

【难句】3. An animal that can remember the significance of that large,

nasty-looking thing with the big teeth and sharp claws will survive longer and

produce more offspring. (Time Jan. 18, 2007)

【结构分析】本句是复合句，句子的主干为An animal will survive longer and

produce more offspring。主语animal后接关系代词that引导的定语从句，关系代词代

替animal在从句中作主语。在从句里，谓语动词 remember的宾语是the significance，

它的后置定语为that large, nasty-looking thing with the big teeth and sharp claws；

介词短语with the big teeth and sharp claws补充说明thing的特点。

【参考译文】一种动物只有记住了长相丑恶(具有巨大牙齿和锋利爪子)且身体庞大的

重要性，才能生存长久并繁殖更多的后代。

二、名词性从句

【难句】1. If I ever had any doubts about how demanding a teacher’s job is, it

would have disappeared for good when I spent some time recently in schools. (The

Guardian Sep. 12, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句的结构清晰，为主从复合句。it would have disappeared for good

when I spent some time recently in schools为主句部分，其中包含一个when引导的

时间状语从句when I spent some time recently in schools。If引导的条件状语从句中，

had any doubts about后的宾语由how引导的名词性从句how demanding a teacher’

s job is充当，how与形容词demanding相连作从句的表语。注意整个句子使用了与过

去相反的虚拟语气，从句为if+had done，主句为would/could/should/might+have

done的形式。

【参考译文】 如果说我以前还曾怀疑教师的工作有多吃力，那么当我最近在学校中待

了一段时间后，我永远改变了原来的想法。

【难句】2. The trouble with that approach is that consumers tend to prefer

devices that require simply plugging them in, without complicated setups of

wireless channels, security, and other features common to home networks.

(Business Week Jan. 29, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句主干很清晰，是主系表结构。其中表语部分由that引导的名词性

从句that consumers tend to prefer devices…充当。device后是that引导的定语从句

that require simply plugging them in…,关系代词that在从句中作主语。逗号后的介词

短语 without complicated setups of wireless channels, security, and other

features…作从句中的伴随状语(在翻译时我们可以转译为定语)，句末的形容词结构

common to home networks后置作features的定语。

【参考译文】 这一方式的问题在于，消费者更喜欢不需要创立复杂的无线电频道、安

全保护以及家庭网络所共有的其他特性，便可以简单插入的装置。

【难句】3. Davies says guidance must strike a balance between being flexible

enough to take account of the differences between disciplines and providing

enough detail to be of use. (The Guardian Oct. 3, 2007)

【结构分析】本句不难，主句谓语says后是省略了that的宾语从句guidance must

strike a balance between being flexible enough to take account of the differences

between disciplines and providing enough detail to be of use。注意两个between

的使用。第一个between与后面的and 相连，构成being flexible enough to…and

providing enough detail to…结构，第二个between后跟disciplines表示“各学科之

间”，并且前后都使用了be enough to do的形式。

【参考译文】戴维斯说，指导规范必须在足够灵活考虑各学科的不同点和提供充足的

可操作的细节之间寻求一种平衡。

三、非谓语动词

【难句】1. Some great manufacturers and great service companies may have

become too lean in their relentless drive to reduce costs, outsourcing not just their

non-core activities but essential ones too. (The Economist Jun. 15, 2006)

【结构分析】本句不难，逗号前为主句Some great manufacturers and great service

companies may have become too lean in their relentless drive to reduce costs,使用

了too…to…结构，句末的现在分词结构outsourcing not just their non-core activities

but essential ones too作伴随状语，进一步补充说明reduce costs的具体内容。

【参考译文】有些大的制造商和服务供应商热衷于降低成本，不仅把非核心业务外包，

而且连核心业务也不放过。

【难句】2. Having succeeded as a convenient vehicle for every conceivable

political and commercial slogan, the threads themselves are becoming the newest

message, logically enough. (Time Jan. 18, 2007)

【结构分析】本句为主从复合句。主句中的主语与从句中的主语一致，从句中省去主

谓，造成分词作伴随状语的形式，我们可以还原为since the threads have succeeded as…

主句部分是the threads themselves are becoming the newest message,句末的

logically enough是状语，在翻译时，我们可以转译为be becoming the newest

message的补充部分。

【参考译文】成功作为政治和商业口号的一种便捷媒介物，(T恤)衣服本身也成了最新

的信息，这种情况(的发生)合乎逻辑。

【难句】3. Some of the biggest venture capital firms are raising large funds,

targeting more established companies, and increasingly setting their sights abroad.

(Business Week Feb. 5, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句结构清晰，主句为Some of the biggest venture capital firms are

raising large funds,两个现在分词结构targeting more established companies和

increasingly setting their sights abroad由and并列，作全句的伴随状语。

【参考译文】 某些大的风险投资公司正在筹集大量的资金，他们的目标是已经稳定的

企业，并且日益将目光投向海外市场。

四、被动语态

【难句】1. Questions are increasingly being asked by the councils about how

they can be sure that misconduct is not taking place on the grants they

provide.(The Guardian Oct. 3, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句使用了被动语态的现在进行时结构，主干为Questions are

increasingly being asked about…，施动者by the councils构成了分隔结构。在翻译时，

我们可以化被动为主动，the councils are increasingly asking questions about…，介

词about后的宾语由how引导的从句how they can be sure…充当，这里又包含一个特

殊的结构“主语+adj.+从句”，that引导的名词性从句 misconduct is not taking place

on the grants they provide中，grants后是一个省略了关系代词that/which的定语从

句，关系代词在从句中作provide的宾语。

【参考译文】 各委员会越来越多地提出问题——关于他们如何能够确保在他们同意的

情况下避免发生处理不当的行为。

【难句】2. It’s much easier to say “Great idea!” when a terrific solution has

been put forward by someone on your team, than it is to take the time to explain

why an employee’s favorite brainchild isn’t going anywhere except the circular file.

(Business Week Feb. 5, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句成分复杂。以逗号为切入点，得到一个比较结构It’s much easier

to say “Great idea!”…than…。it是形式主语，前半部分的真正主语由不定式结构to say

“Great idea!”…充当，这里包含一个when引导的时间状语从句when a terrific solution

has been put forward by someone on your team，使用了被动语态的现在完成时。后

半部分真正主语为to take the time to explain…，explain后的宾语是why引导的宾语

从句 why an employee’s favorite brainchild isn’t going anywhere except the

circular file。在翻译时，我们将状语提前，且化被动为主动。

【参考译文】 当团队中的某个人提出了极好的解决方案时，说“好主意”要比花时间

解释为什么一个职员最喜欢的想法最终被抛弃要容易得多。

五、状语从句

【难句】1. If it decides in favour, the whole industry will feel the impact, for it

will affect not just European airlines but all those that fly into and out of the EU.

(The Economist Jun. 8, 2006)

【结构分析】 以连词for为切入点，得到两个并列结构，分别为If it decides in favour,

the whole industry will feel the impact和for it will affect not just European airlines

but all those that fly into and out of the EU。前一分句中，if引导从句If it decides in

favour作条件状语；后一分句中，谓语affect的宾语部分使用了not just…but…结构，句

末的定语从句that fly into and out of the EU修饰先行词those。

【参考译文】 如果意见是肯定的，那么整个民航业将受到影响，因为这个方案不仅影

响欧洲的航线，同样也对到达欧洲和飞离欧洲的航线产生作用。

【难句】2. Some jobs require specific qualifications but most top employers will

take any degree discipline provided you’ve got a first or an upper second from a

decent university. (Times Online Jan. 11, 2007)

【结构分析】 以but为切入点，定位本句为两个并列分句Some jobs require specific

qualifications but most top employers will take any degree discipline…句末部分的

provided引导条件状语从句provided you’ve got a first or an upper second from a

decent university，翻译为“假如……”。

【参考译文】 有些工作需要特别的资格，但大多数的一流雇主会采取某种程度的原则，

即你要在一个不错的大学获得一流或上流的成绩。

六、比较结构

【难句】1. Keep in mind, though, it’s much more important to be able to show

your manager how you contributed to the company’s results (such as incremental

revenue or reduced cost) than just a difference in pay between you and someone

else. (Business Week Feb. 5, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句使用了more…than…的比较结构。以副词though所充当的分词

结构切入，本句为祈使句，keep后的宾语由省略了that的名词性从句充当。在此从句中，

使用了it作形式主语，不定式结构to be able to show your manager…作真正主语的形

式，show后是双宾语结构，than并列了比较的两端，为(show your manager) how you

contributed to the company’s results和just a difference in pay between you and

someone else。

【参考译文】 尽管如此，要记住向你的上司展示你对公司业绩的贡献(比如，提高收

入降低成本)要比仅仅展示你和其他人的工资差别更为重要。

【难句】2. It’s much better for the manager to offer a pay increase, beaming

with pride over his or her good judgment in hiring you, than for you to get the

same pay increase by having to ask for it. (Business Week Feb. 5, 2007)

【结构分析】 本句的比较结构与例(40)同，主干为It’s much better for the manager

to…than for you to…注意两个逗号之间的分词结构beaming with pride over his or her

good judgment in hiring you作前文It’s much better for the manager to offer a pay

increase的目的状语。

【参考译文】 上司为你加薪——为他或她录用你的判断而自豪高兴，要比自己为获得

同样的加薪而要求更好。

七、倒装语序

【难句】1. Clever though this is, it is just a stepping stone towards the direct

incorporation of fuel cells into portable devices and, in particular, laptops—the

application that remains the industry’s Holy Grail. (The Economist Jun. 8, 2006)

【结构分析】 本句体现了典型的将表语部分提前构成的让步状语从句倒装，还原后应

为though this is clever。主句为it is just a stepping stone towards the direct

incorporation of fuel cells into portable devices and, in particular, laptops—the

application that remains the industry’s Holy Grail，其中包含incorporation…into…

的结构，portable devices和laptops作介词into的宾语。句末的名词短语the

application that remains the industry’s Holy Grail作上文的补充说明，其中包含that

引导的定语从句，修饰先行词appplication。

【参考译文】 虽然这很聪明，但它只能算是通往直接将燃料电池与便携设备整合的道

路上的垫脚石，特别是对笔记本电脑而言——这一设备现在仍是工业界的圣杯。