12.2.3 阅读真题第三篇

7 Though typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago, today’s people—especially those born to families who have lived in the U.S. for many generations—apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s.

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句的主干是：today’s people...apparently reached their limit in the early 1960s，表示“现代人们显然在20世纪60年代初期就到达了他们的生长极限”。剩下的部分是两个省略句。一个是让步状语省略：Though (they are) typically about two inches taller now than 140 years ago，另一个是especially those (who were) born to families who have lived in the U.S. for many generations。

精品译文 现代人尽管比140年前身高高出了约两英寸，但显然他们（尤其是那些出生于祖辈都在美国生活的家庭的人们）在20世纪60年代初期就到达了他们的生长极限。

8 Moreover, even though humans have been upright for millions of years, our feet and back continue to struggle with bipedal posture and cannot easily withstand repeated strain imposed by oversize limbs.

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句中even though引导让步状语从句。注意even though后边往往接的是事实，而even if往往接假设情形。另外注意这里的分词用法，如imposed by oversize limbs，该短语后置修饰strain。

精品译文 此外，尽管人类直立行走已经有数百万年了，但是我们的脚和背部继续在与我们两足行走的姿势进行抗争，二者并不能轻易地承受过大的四肢所造成的持续压力。

12.2.4 阅读真题第四篇

9 They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence made available in 1998, which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings.

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句主干是：They have been spurred in part by DNA evidence，即一个“主语+谓语+状语”的基本结构。难点在于evidence的后置修饰语；一个是made available in 1998这个后置过去分词短语，表示“1998年获得的证据”；另外一个是非限制性定语从句which almost certainly proved Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings，补充说明evidence。在这个定语从句中，谓语proved后边接了一个宾语从句Thomas Jefferson had fathered at least one child with his slave Sally Hemings。

精品译文 他们（历史学家们）部分是因为受到DNA证据的激发（而展开这项研究）。该证据是1998年获得的，几乎可以肯定地证明，托马斯·杰弗逊与他的女奴萨莉·赫明至少生有一个孩子。

10 Washington, who had begun to believe that all men were created equal after observing the bravery of the black soldiers during the Revolutionary War, overcame the strong opposition of his relatives to grant his slaves their freedom in his will.

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句的基本结构是Washington...overcame the strong opposition，即一个“主语+谓语+宾语”的基本句型。难点在于要搞清楚opposition后边的修饰成分。其中，介词短语of his relatives修饰opposition，表示“他的亲戚们反对”；不定式短语to grant his slaves their freedom in his will也修饰opposition，是对“反对”进行补充说明，表示反对什么，即“强烈反对在他的遗嘱中给予他的奴隶们自由”。另外，who引导的非限制性定语从句补充说明Washington，在语义上与谓语overcame有因果关系，翻译时要体现出来。

精品译文 华盛顿在看到黑人士兵在独立战争期间表现出的勇敢之后，开始相信了“人人生而平等”这一信条，因此，当他的亲戚们强烈反对他在遗嘱中给予他的奴隶们自由时，他进行了抵制。

12.2.5 翻译文章中的难句

11 He believes that this very difficulty may have had the compensating advantage of forcing him to think long and intently about every sentence and thus enabling him to detect errors in reasoning and in his own observations.（第46题）

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句主要是判断and并列结构关系，主要有三个层次。

最外一层并列是forcing him to think long and intently about every sentence与thus enabling him to detect errors in reasoning and in his own observations这两个动名词短语，作of的宾语。在这两个短语内部又各自含有并列结构。其一，long与intently并列修饰think，作状语；其二，in reasoning与in his own observations并列，共同后置修饰errors，作定语。

精品译文 他相信，不善于自我表达或许成为他的一个优势，即可以迫使他充分地、认真地思考自己说出的每句话，这样就可以使得他能够发觉自己在推理和观察中出现的错误。

12 He asserted, also, that his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought was very limited, for which reason he felt certain that he never could have succeeded with mathematics.（第47题）

图解难句



妙语点睛 这个句子主要分为两部分：主句He asserted, also, that his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought was very limited和定语从句for which reason he felt certain that he never could have succeeded with mathematics。

在主句中，that his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought was very limited是一个宾语从句，作主句谓语asserted的宾语。在这个宾语从句中，主语是his power to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought，其中的不定式to follow a long and purely abstract train of thought是后置定语，修饰power。

在定语从句中，for which reason源自于for this reason（读者可参见P40页1.11.5小节），表示“因为这个原因”，修饰定语从句的谓语felt，即作状语。所以，for which reason he felt certain表示“因而他确信……”。这里关系词which指代前面that引导的宾语从句，换句话说，这个宾语从句就是定语从句的先行词。此处的that从句that he never could have succeeded with mathematics是在certain后边作宾语，即是宾语从句。另外要提醒的是，这里从句谓语never could have succeeded是一个虚拟语气的形式，言外之意是，即使达尔文当初选择了数学，也不可能成功，但实际上他没有这么做，而是成为了生物学家。

精品译文 他同时还声称，由于自己在长时间进行一系列纯抽象思维方面的能力有限，因而他确信自己在数学方面不可能取得成就。

13 On the other hand, he did not accept as well founded the charge made by some of his critics that while he was a good observer, he had no power of reasoning.（第48题）

图解难句



妙语点睛 这个句子应该是整个考题中结构最难的。难在宾语后置型结构。从以上图解，我们看到，该句的结构如下：

主语是he；

谓语是did not accept；

介词短语as well founded是充当宾语补足语。注意，读者不要错误地断句为as well“也”，而应该断句成well-founded，这是一个复合形容词。这里as是与谓语accepted搭配：accepted...as...。所以，整个accepted...as well-founded，表示“认为……有根据或有说服力”。

这里的省略号就是代表被后置了的宾语the charge made by some of his critics that while he was a good observer, he had no power of reasoning。这个宾语实在有些复杂。具体来说，宾语中心词是the charge，表示“指责、指控”。而charge后边带有两个成分：一个是修饰charge的分词短语made by some of his critics；另一个是补充说明charge具体内容的同位语从句that while he was a good observer, he had no power of reasoning。

在这个同位语从句中，while he was a good observer是让步状语从句，he had no power of reasoning是主句。

至此，整个句子的内在结构就梳理清楚了。逻辑结构清楚了，接下来就是用地道的汉语组织语言了。

精品译文 另一方面，有人批评他尽管擅长观察但不善于推理，对于这样的指责，他认为没有多少根据。

14 He adds humbly that perhaps he was “superior to the common run of men in noticing things which easily escape attention, and in observing them carefully.”（第49题）

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句结构不难，主要是比较结构和并列结构。

首先，比较结构很特殊，是A be superior to B，表示“A优于B”。

其次，有两个介词短语并列：in noticing things which easily escape attention和in observing them carefully。另外，前者还含有一个定语从句which easily escape attention，修饰things。

最后注意，这里run是名词，意思是the average type, group, or category，表示“普通类型、群体或种类”。

精品译文 此外他还谦虚地补充，他“强于普通人的地方在于：能注意到那些易于被人们忽略的事物，并且能够仔细观察它们”。

15 Darwin was convinced that the loss of these tastes was not only a loss of happiness, but might possibly be injurious to the intellect and more probably to the moral character.（第50题）

图解难句



妙语点睛 这个句子结构较为简单，主要是在宾语从句that the loss of these tastes was not only a loss of happiness, but might possibly be injurious to the intellect and more probably to the moral character中有两层并列关系。

第一层并列结构是：the loss of these tastes was not only a loss of happiness与but （the loss of these tastes） might possibly be injurious to the intellect and more probably to the moral character，这是由not only...but...引导的并列结构。

第二层并列结构是：might possibly be injurious to the intellect与more probably (injurious) to the moral character，这是由and引导的并列结构。

精品译文 达尔文认为，失去了这些爱好，不仅是失去了快乐，而且可能不益于智力，更可能不益于道德品性的培养。

以上五句是翻译真题。我们再来看看值得讨论的其他难句。

16 So poor in one sense was it that he never could remember for more than a few days a single date or a line of poetry.

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句关键是认清so...that...倒装结构。正常语序是：It was in one sense so poor that he never could remember...。另外，remember的宾语是a single date or a line of poetry，被时间状语for more than a few days隔开。

精品译文 在某种意义上，他的记忆力如此之差，以至于他不可能记住某个日期或某句诗歌超过几天。

17 He was willing to assert that “I have a fair share of invention, and of common sense or judgment, such as every fairly successful lawyer or doctor must have, but not, I believe, in any higher degree.”

图解难句



妙语点睛 该句基本结构是：在谓语assert后边接了一个that引导的宾语从句that“I have a fair share of invention, and of common sense or judgment, such as every fairly successful lawyer or doctor must have, but not, I believe, in any higher degree”。而这个宾语从句可以分为两大部分：主句I have a fair share of invention, and of common sense or judgment和定语从句such as every fairly successful lawyer or doctor must have。这个句中含有两个并列结构：of invention与of common sense or judgment并列，相当于I have a fair share of invention, and （I have a fair share） of common sense or judgment。

另外介词短语in any higher degree修饰中心词invention和of common sense or judgment。

精品译文 他愿意声称，“我还是有一定的创造能力和常识判断能力的，就如同一个比较成功的律师或医生该具备这些能力一样，不过，我相信我的这些能力也并不高过他们。”

18 Up to the age of thirty or beyond it poetry of many kinds gave him great pleasure. Formerly, too, pictures had given him considerable, and music very great, delight.

妙语点睛 首先，本句难点在于省略。有考生看到pictures had given him considerable, and music very great, delight之后，可能不知道该如何分析这个句子结构。其实这是一个省略句，完整的内容应该是pictures had given him considerable （delight）, and music （had given him） very great, delight。由此可见，这里是一个并列句。在并列句中往往会伴随着省略，因为在并列句中通常会出现相同或相似的结构或成分，为了避免重复而被省去。该句就是一个典型的例证。

其次，还要看到这里的时态呼应关系。前一个句子用了一般过去时gave，后一个句子因为有了时间副词formerly而采用了过去完成时态had given。

最后，考生还要注意到这里修饰语程度在递增：great （pleasure）—considerable （delight）—very great （delight），因而在翻译时要注意措辞，体现出这一点。

精品译文 直到30岁以后，各种类型的诗歌给他带来了很大的快乐，而在这之前，绘画已经给过他相当大的乐趣，音乐也给过他非常大的乐趣。





12.3 2009年考研真题难句解析

There is a marked difference between the education which every one gets from living with others, and the deliberate educating of the young. In the former case the education is incidental; it is natural and important, but it is not the express reason of the association. (46) It may be said that the measure of the worth of any social institution is its effect in enlarging and improving experience; but this effect is not a part of its original motive. Religious associations began, for example, in the desire to secure the favor of overruling powers and to ward off evil influences; family life in the desire to gratify appetites and secure family perpetuity; systematic labor, for the most part, because of enslavement to others, etc. (47) Only gradually was the by-product of the institution noted, and only more gradually still was this effect considered as a directive factor in the conduct of the institution. Even today, in our industrial life, apart from certain values of industriousness and thrift, the intellectual and emotional reaction of the forms of human association under which the world’s work is carried on receives little attention as compared with physical output.

But in dealing with the young, the fact of association itself as an immediate human fact, gains in importance. (48) While it is easy to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition, it is not so easy as in dealing with adults. The need of training is too evident; the pressure to accomplish a change in their attitude and habits is too urgent to leave these consequences wholly out of account. (49) Since our chief business with them is to enable them to share in a common life we cannot help considering whether or not we are forming the powers which will secure this ability. If humanity has made some headway in realizing that the ultimate value of every institution is its distinctively human effect we may well believe that this lesson has been learned largely through dealings with the young.

(50) We are thus led to distinguish, within the broad educational process which we have been so far considering, a more formal kind of education—that of direct tuition or schooling. In undeveloped social groups, we find very little formal teaching and training. These groups mainly rely for instilling needed dispositions into the young upon the same sort of association which keeps the adults loyal to their group.

46 It may be said that the measure of the worth of any social institution is its effect in enlarging and improving experience; but this effect is not a part of its original motive.

妙语点睛 从句法角度来看，本句结构比较简单。但有一点要注意：这里but后面的分句this effect is not a part of its original motive不与前一句中的that从句that the measure of the worth of any social institution is its effect in enlarging and improving experience并列，而是与前面整个主句It may be said that...并列。这里may和but具有语义呼应关系，形成may...but...结构，表示“尽管……但是……”，有让步含义。比如：You may be older than me, but that doesn’t mean you’re cleverer.（尽管你比我年长，但这并不意味着你就更聪明。）这相当于说：Although you are older than me, that doesn’t mean you’re cleverer. 本句来自：While it may be said, without exaggeration, that the measure of the worth of any social institution, economic, domestic, political, legal, religious, is its effect in enlarging and improving experience; yet this effect is not a part of its original motive, which is limited and more immediately practical. 命题者把粗斜体部分去掉并把yet改为but。我们看到，本来在句首有一个while表示让步，但在改后的句子中，命题者通过may...but...这个结构来表达这个让步。

另外要注意代词指代：这里两个代词its （effect）和its （original motive）都是指上文的social institution，翻译时，前一个its可以译成“它”；后一个its可以通过增词译成“（设立）该机构”。

从词义角度来看，要注意的单词包括：measure、institution、experience。首先，对于名词measure，我们可以动词化翻译，译成“衡量”或“评价”。其次，这里institution就是上文提到的association，指的是一种社会“制度”，而不是“机构”。最大的难点在于experience一词的词义选择，这也是笔者的译文与其他版本译文的区别所在。这要根据上下文语境来选择。因为文章主题是在谈education（教育），所以experience不宜译成“经验”，更不是“经历”（experience作“经历”讲是可数名词，但这里experience是不可数名词），而是指由经验得来的“知识或技能”（the knowledge or skill so derived）。据此，我们再来考虑如何翻译enlarging and improving experience这个短语。虽然experience是动词enlarging和improving共同的宾语，但翻译时不能拘泥于英语原来的结构僵化地译成“扩大和改进经验”（有的版本的译文就是这么翻译的，因为汉语不说“扩大经验”或“改进经验”，所以这是典型的翻译腔）。我们可以先拆分成enlarging experience和improving experience，然后根据汉语动宾搭配的特点，将其分别译成“增长知识”和“提高技能”。

精品译文 尽管可以说，衡量任何社会制度的价值我们要看它是否有助于人们增长知识、提高技能，但是，这种作用本身并不是设立某种社会制度的最初动机。

47 Only gradually was the by-product of the institution noted, and only more gradually still was this effect considered as a directive factor in the conduct of the institution.

妙语点睛 从句法角度来分析，这里and连接的两个句子都是由only引导的倒装句。前一个分句的正常结构是：the by-product of the institution was only gradually noted；后一个分句的正常结构是：this effect was only still more gradually considered as a directive factor in the conduct of the institution。

从词义角度来看，需重点关注的名词有by-product和conduct。首先，这里的by-product就是指上文提到过的、同时也在本句中出现的（this） effect。该句的原文是：Only gradually was the by-product of the institution, its effect upon the quality and extent of conscious life, noted, and only more gradually still was this effect considered as a directive factor in the conduct of the institution.（命题人把粗斜体部分的内容省去了。）从这里我们也可以看到，句中its effect指的就是by-product，也就是本句中的this effect，所以翻译时不要将by-product死译成“副产品”，可以译成“额外影响”、“附加的影响”、“附带的作用”等。其次，要注意对conduct的理解。这里conduct作名词不是表示“行为举止”，而是表示“实施”或“管理”。在翻译时，需要将名词conduct动词化处理。

要注意不要把形容词directive与direct混为一谈，误译成“直接的”，而是要译成“指导性的”、“具有指导意义的”等。它与名词factor结合成directive factor，若直接译成“指导性因素”则不符合汉语表达习惯，应该把形容词directive动词化，然后将二者合译成“对……具有指导意义”，这才是地道的汉语表达。

此外，最好把这两句中的被动结构变为主动结构，并且添加主语“人们”，使译文更流畅。

精品译文 人们只是渐渐地才认识到一个制度所产生的额外影响，而认识到这种影响对该制度的实施具有指导意义则需要一个更加缓慢的过程。

48 While it is easy to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition, it is not so easy as in dealing with adults.

妙语点睛 从句法角度来分析，这里需要重点关注的动词就是不定式动词ignore，其后边的宾语是the effect of our acts upon their disposition，二者被插入的介词短语in our contact with them分隔，这即是我们前面讨论过的“动词+介词短语+宾语”这样的宾语后置结构。其次，这里需要重点关注的连词有while和as。在英文中，while至少可以表示三种逻辑语义关系：A. 时间关系，译成“当……时候”；B. 对比关系，译成“……，然而……”；C. 让步关系，译成“尽管……”。现在我们来看整个主句和从句的结构，其中关键内容是While it is easy..., it is not so easy...，即前半部分说“容易”，而后半部分说“不那么容易”。据此，我们可以断定while在这里是表示让步的关系，引导的是一个让步状语从句，相当于“尽管”although。