长难句的分析理解

         在托福、雅思等考试中，英语中长难句往往在阅读中所起的作用就是干扰作用。考生如果具备分析理解长难句的能力，在阅读中就会节省时间、把更多的注意力集中在其他方面，这样就具备得高分的优势。

      英语长难句子的构成最常用的方法是通过使用一些关联词，如 and、or，which等，或标点符号如：分号，逗号，破折号、对等结构等，若干个在语义上有联系或相互照应的单词、词组或从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，但在复杂长难句中占居相当大的比例，所以要掌握分析理解长难句的方法就显得非常重要了。

1. A body at rest will remain at rest, whether it is round, square or curved, and a body in motion will remain in motion, no matter it is light, heavy, or any other size, at a constant speed in a straight line, unless ____( act )acted upon by an external force.

　　要点：这是一个并列复合句。And 连接两个句子，构成并列句。Unless 是连词，连接下一个子句，做前面两个主句的状语从句。Unless 后面省略了it is. At rest和in motion 是两个介词短语，分别作body的定语，意思为“处于静止状态”和“处于运动状态中”
　　

参考译文：

        除非受到外力作用，静止的物体将继续保持静止，运动的物体将继续作匀速直线运动。

2. And neither friends nor family can convince those people that most animals are harmless, that thousands of travelers fly safely every day,  that millions of people ride safely in elevators several times each day, so they still prefer to choose to keep away from nature, that's to say, they give up going with us to stand to the  adventures in the forest.

　　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”补齐则为（that） millions of……。
　　

参考译文：

朋友们及家庭成员都无法说服那些，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的飞行，数百万的人每天都安全地乘好几次电梯.....。

    答案：and

3. But we remember with far greater pain that we did not see that beauty when it flowered, that we failed to respond with love when it was tendered.
　　要点：remember 后面有两个并列的宾语从句，一个是that we did not see……，另一个是that we failed to……。 由于介词短语with far greater pain 的分隔和两个宾语从句又各带了一个状语从句，而使全句的结构变得较为复杂。
　　参考译文：可是，我们更痛苦的回忆是，我们没有看见鲜花怒放时的美丽，没有在别人对我们施以爱之时也以爱回报。

It has a very long neck to reach the tender leaves up high on a tree.

   它有着非常非常长的脖子，这样它就能够够到高高的树上那柔软的叶片。

5. We know that this is so, but too often we all recognize this truth only in our backward glance when we remember what it was and then suddenly realize that it is no more.
　　要点：此句又两个并列结构存在，一个是全局的主干结构，即由but连接的两个分句"we know……，but all too often we recognize……"；另一个是glance 后面跟着由and连接的两个并列的状语从句。这两个状语从句存在着先后顺序，在结构上是一个对偶句，而且第二个状语从句的主语省略了，即when we remember what it was and then suddenly （we） realize that it is no more.
参考译文：我们大家都知道实际情况就是这样，可我们却常常只是在回首往事想起它当时的情景时才认识到，并且此时我们会突然发现它已不复存在了。
6．Clearly , science may involve not only careful observation but also a willingness to be creative; this may entail looking beyond existing paradigms governing research in a given area of study.
　　要点：此句是由;号链接在一起的两个独立的句子，是一个并列的结构。第二个分句的主语this 指的应该是前面的整个句子的含义，否则会出现理解上的偏差。Existing paradigms 是介词beyond 的宾语，而governing research 是paradigms的定语。
　　参考译文：可见，科学包括的不仅是仔细观察，而且还包括乐于去创新，这就必须要超越那些支配着某一特定学科的现有的研究规范。
7．The intentional termination of life of one human being by another - mercy killing （安乐死） - is contrary to that for which the medical profession stands and is contrary to the policy of the American Medical Association.
要点：句子主干有两个并列的谓语部分，即" is contrary to……and is contrary to……。" 词组mercy killing 是对前面内容的概括。for which the medical profession stands 是"that"的定语从句。
　　参考译文：有意识的结束一个人的生命——安乐死——既违反了医学界的职业立场，也违反了美国医学会协会的宗旨。
8．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"form"的宾语
　　参考译文：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——这些郊区由原来分散的村庄构成，逐步形成如今被称为的外伦敦。
9．Human beings have distinguished themselves from other animals, and in doing so ensured their survival, by the ability to observe and understand their environment and then either to adapt to that environment or to control and adapt it to their own needs.
要点：此句为一个多层次的并列结构，“by” 以前的部分为句子的主体部分，由“and”连接的两个并列的分句组成。第二个分句的主语和一部分谓语省略了以避免重复。In doing so可以理解为in the process of distinguished themselves from other animals.第二个分局的完整句子应为and in doing so （they have） ensured their survival. By 所引导的短语里ability带了多个动词不定式做修饰，这些不定式又存在着一个并列的结构，to observe and （to） understand与either……or引导的to adapt to……，to control and （to） adapt it……得并列，and连接。
　　参考译文：人类已把自己和其他动物区别开了。人类具有观察和了解周围环境的能力，能适应环境，控制环境和根据自己的需要改造环境。
10. It is important that they be looking at the speaker at the precise moment when the speaker reestablishes eye contact: if they are not looking, the speaker assumes that they are disinterested and either will pause until eye contact is resumed or will terminate the conversation.
要点：基本句型 “ It is important that……” ，that 主语从句的谓语为虚拟语气（be）。 Either…or… 连接语法上相同的两部分：will pause…和 will terminate…。
　　参考译文：重要的是当说话者的目光重新停留在听众脸上的一瞬间，听众一定得看着他（她），如果没看，说话者就会认为听众不感兴趣，那么就会停下来等听众的目光重新回到他（她）的脸上或者终止谈话。
11．And the limited investments that are made in training workers are also much more narrowly focused on the specific skills necessary to do the next job rather than on the basic background skills that make it possible to absorb new technologies.
要点：rather than意为“而不”。其前后在语法上为相同的成分。此处为两个结构相同的介词短语on the specific skills……和on the basic background skills……。
　　参考译文：培训工人的有限投资应重点地集中使用于完成下一个工作所必需的特殊技能的培训上，而不是用在能让他们吸收新技术的基本技能的培训上。
12. Western manners do not require one to say anything that is untrue, but it is best to avoid being too frank about things which would make people feel uneasy—unless by doing so you feel some good might come of it.
要点：全句为并列复合句。连词“but”连接两个并列句。在第二个分句中“ it is best to avoid being too frank……” 中的“it”是形式主语，实际主语是不定式“ to avoid being too frank……”。动词“avoid”后面应接动名词作宾语。“ which would make people feel uneasy”作“thing”的定语。在破折号后面“ unless by doing so you feel some good might come of it”作让步状语从句。“good”是名词，作“feel”的宾语从句“some good might come of it”中的主语。“it”指“by doing so”所包含的前面提到的为避免重复而未具体说出的内容。
　　参考译文：西方的行为方式并不要求人们去讲假话，但是最好要避免过于直率地谈论那些使人尴尬的事情——除非你认为这么做可能会有益处。
13. Workers themselves may not even be aware of changes in the final commodities to which their work contributes, and the level of wages for any grade of factory labor is very little affected by the fortunes of particular market.
要点：本句由两个大分句并列而成，分句之间用“and” 连接；to which their work contributes是由“to which” 引导的定语从句，修饰“final commodities”；动词“ contribute”后须用介词“to”
　　参考译文：工人本身甚至觉察不到自己亲手生产的最终产品有了什么变化。工厂中任何级别的工人的工资水平很少受到市场情况好坏的影响。
13. It was mostly he who talked and he seemed afraid to stop for fear she'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.It仅位先行代词，没有意义。Mostly 用作副词，意为“多半”。 For fear（that）= in order that……should not happen意为“生怕……，以免……”。例如：I daren't tell you what he did, for fear that he should be angry with me.（我不敢将他的事告诉你，怕他因此对我发脾气）。To leave her by herself相当于to leave her alone.
　　参考译文：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。
14. An example of a verbal subtest would be vocabulary, whereas an example of a performance subtest would be picture arrangement, the latter requiring an examinee to arrange a set of pictures into a sequence so that they tell a comprehensible story.
　　要点：本句由whereas 连接在一起的两个分句并列而成。“the latter requiring an examinee to arrange a set of pictures into a sequence so that they tell a comprehensible story.”是现在分词独立主格结构；“the latter”是现在分词“ requiring”的逻辑主语：“the latter”指的是“ an example of a performance subtest” .“ so that they tell a comprehensible story” 是“so that” 引导的目的状语从句；其中主语“they”指的是：“a set of pictures”
参考译文：口头语言测试的一个实例是测验词汇能力，而行为表现测试的实例是测验排列图画能力。后者要求受测试者把一组图画排序，这个次序应该能够表达一个可以理解的故事。
15. Keeping your head, instead of crowding and pushing to get to an exit, may make the different between life and death when fire breaks out.
　要点：句中主语为动名词短语“Keeping……” “crowding”和“pushing”两个动名词是并列平行结构。
　参考译文：当火灾发生时，保持冷静，不要向安全出口乱挤乱拥，这样就会使生与死的机会截然不同。