1、英語六級經典長難句分析（ 15 句）1. This is a difficult and unpleasant business and few animals would survive if they had to start from the beginning and learn about the world wholly by trial and error, for there are the have possible decisions which would prove fatal. (1992. 閱讀 . 6. Text 2)【譯文】 這是個困難而又糟糕的事， 因為如果動

2、物出生后不得不從頭學習生存本領， 并且僅 僅依靠嘗試錯誤體驗世界， 那么只有極少數動物能夠存活， 因為它們做出的決定有可能是致 命的。【析句】復合句。主句由and連接兩個并列句子組成，This is a difficult and unpleasant business and few animals would survive, and 前的句子是簡單句， and 后的句子后又跟有 if 引導的條件 狀語從句和 for 引導的原因狀語從句 for there are decisions, decisions 又有 which 引導的定語 從句修飾。2. Vigorous criticism

3、is constructive in science more than in some other areas of human endeavor because in it there are adequate standards of validity which can be agreed upon by competentscientists the world over.(1992. 閱讀 . 6. Text 3)【譯文】 激烈的批評在科學界比在其他人類智慧領域更能起到建設性的作用， 這是因為在科 學世界里有足夠多的有效標準，這些標準被全世界的優秀科學家們共同認可?！疚鼍洹繌秃暇?。

4、 主句 Vigorous criticism is constructive in science more than in some other areas of human en deavor 句中主要包含了比較級，具體是介詞短語的比較級。主句后是原因狀語從句 because there are adequate standards of validity，定語從句 which can be agreed upon by.修飾 standards of validity 。He' sa historian of science at Massachusetts Institute

5、of Technology who has discovered something else these two men-and， indeed， most of the major pioneers in science over the last 400 years-have in common: they were， like Sulloway himself， preceded in birth by at least one other brother or sister. (1992. 閱讀. 6. Text 4)譯文】 他是麻省理工學院的一名科學歷史學家， 他發現了這兩位科學家

6、實際上也是過去 400 年里多數科學界領軍人物的共同點：那些人和 Sulloway 自己一樣都至少由一個哥哥 或姐姐?！疚鼍洹繌秃暇?。主句 He's a historian of science at MIT ，后面是定語從句 who has discovered something else,these two men-.-have in common 是省略了關系代詞 that 的定語從句修飾 somethi ng else破折號內的內容 and most of the major pio neers.作插入語。最后，引號后的句 子是 something else 的具體內容。3.

7、 There are several steps that can be taken, of which the chief one is to demand of all the organizations that exist with the declared objectives of safeguarding the interests of animals that they should declare clearly where they stand on violence towards people. (1993. 閱讀. 6. Text 1)【譯文】 可以采取若干措施，

8、其中最主要的是要求所有宣稱保護動物權益的組織明確表明他 們在暴力襲擊事件中所持的立場?！疚鼍洹勘纠渲邪鄠€層層相扣的從句。主句很簡單，There are several steps,steps后緊跟有定語從句 that can be taken, of which 相當于 of several steps, 引導非限制性定語從句修飾 several step& 而 of which the chief one is to dema nd of all the orga ni zati on s.that.中，包含短語 dema nd of sb that.,to dema nd o

9、f 為不定式作表語，all the organi zati ons 作 dema nd of 的間接賓語，并且后面有 that exist with the declared.animals 作定語從句修飾， demand 的直接賓語 是 that賓語從句 that they should declare where they stand on.,where 弓丨導 declare 的賓語從句。Thus, for those individuals who are interested in preserving both the quality and quantity of life,pe

10、rsonal health choices should reflect those behaviors that are associated with a statisticalprobability of increased vitality and longevity. (1993. 閱讀 . 6. Text 4)【譯文】 因此， 對于那些有心保持生活數量和質量的人來說， 個人的健康選擇應該能夠反映 那些從數據上顯示可能使人提高活力、延長壽命的行為?！疚鼍洹?復合句。句首，for those individuals 后有定語從句 who are interested in preser

11、ving.life 修飾 those individuals,句中是主句 personal health choices should reflect those behaviors,而 behaviors 后也有 that 引導的定語從句修飾。主句前后都有從句修飾，句子結構是對成的。4. A research paper, assigned in a course and perhaps checked at various stages by an instructor, leads you beyond classroom, beyond the texts for classes an

12、d into a process where the joy of discovery and learning can come to you many times. (1994. 閱讀 . 1. Text 3)【譯文】 導師在某門課程上布置研究論文， 并在不同階段進行檢查， 這能夠使你的學習超越 課堂，超越課本，進入到一個你能多次體會學習和發現的樂趣的過程。【析句】復合句。主句是 A research paper leads you beyond.,beyond.and into a process 。謂 語動詞leads后有多個并列的介詞短語。 而 assigned in a cours

13、e and checked at.instructor是過 去分詞作定語修飾 a research paper,同時也是插入語。最后，在 a process后有 where引導的 定語從句修飾。5. In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of “ mastery ”feeling important and worth-while- and the sources of what we call a sense “ pleasure-fin”ding life enjoyable-are not always identical

14、. (1994. 閱讀. 1. Text 4)【譯文】在我們的文化中， 我們常說的 “控制感 ”感覺自己很重要有價值， 與“快樂感 ” 發現生活的樂趣，它們的來源是不盡相同的?！疚鼍洹坷?1句子看起來很長， 但結構并不復雜。 句子主干是 the sources of. and the sources of.are not always identical,有兩個并列的主語 the sources of,而兩個of后各有一個 what引導的賓語從句 what we call a sense of. 。同時，主語后各有一個現在分詞伴隨狀語，位于破折號后。6. Ironically, those

15、things that keep us from knowing another person too well (e.g., secrets and deceptions) may be just as important to the development of satisfying relationship as those things that enable us to obtain accurate knowledge about a person (e.g., disclosure and truthful statements). (1995. 閱讀 1. 1. Text 1

16、)【譯文】讓人感到諷刺的是，那些阻礙我們了解別人的東西(比如秘密和欺騙 )對于培養令人滿意的友誼，或許與那些使我們準確了解別人的東西(比如坦白和真話 )同樣重要?！疚鼍洹?復合句。 主句是 those things may be just as important to.as those things ，包含了 as.to sb/sth as.比較級結構。主語 those things 后有定語從句 that keep us from knowing another person too well, 而介詞賓語 those things 后也有 that 引導的定語從句修飾， 這樣就使得整個句

17、 子的結構前后對稱，工整順口。7. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was attributed more to personal relationships and less to ability than was that of attractive overnight successes. (1995. 閱 讀. 6. Text 2)【譯文】但是， 有趣的是， 比起長相漂亮的人， 長相不美者的迅速成功更容易歸功于個人關系助力，而非能力卓越?！疚鼍洹窟@也是個比較句。比較結構是 t

18、he rise of the unattractive overnight successes was attributed more to.and less to.than was that of., 比較的對象是 the rise of the unattractiveovernight success 與 was that of attractive overnight success,其中 that 指代 the rise。而比較的形式是動詞詞組 attribute to 的比較級，且由 and 連接兩個并列的比較級。In terms of our capacity to sample

19、 the relevant universes, however, and the probability that our images of these universes are at least approximately correct, one suspects that a reverse order is more reasonable. (1995. 閱讀. 1. Text 3)譯文】 然而， 從我們在這幾個領域抽取樣本的能力來看，加上我們對這些領域的印象至少大體上是正確的，因此可以假設采用相反的順序更加合理?！疚鼍洹?主句是 one suspects+that賓語從句，in

20、 terms of 是介詞短語，our capacity to sample.and the probability. 是 in terms ofd 的并列的賓語。 capacity 后 to sample the relevant universes 為不 定式作賓語，而 the probability 后 that our images of these universes are.correct 是定語從句。 注意， universes 這里是 “領域 ”的意思。8. Even the folk knowledge in social systems on which ordinary

21、life is based in earning, spending, organizing, marrying, taking part in political activities, fighting and so on, is not very dissimilarfrom the more sophisticated images of the social system derived from the social sciences, even though it is built upon the very imperfect samples of personal exper

22、ience. (1995. 閱讀. 1. Text 3)【譯文】即使是社會體系中作為收入、消費、組織活動、結婚、參加政治活動、戰斗等日常 行為的基礎的民俗知識，也與從社會科學中產生的更加復雜精密的社會系統圖像非常相似， 即使這種社會系統的基礎是有缺陷的個人經歷?！疚鼍洹繌秃暇?，主句為 Even the folk knowledge in social systems is not very dissimilar from the more sophisticated images of the social system.,even 在主句中作副詞，主句主語 the folk knowledg

23、e in social systems 后有 which 引導定語從句，先行詞作 on 的賓語，因此定義出句 中把 on 放在 which 的前面。最后，主句后是 even though 引導的讓步狀語從句。9. Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all simplybecause we observesuch a fantastically small sample of it and its record-keeping is trivial as compared with the rich rec

24、ords of the social systems, or even the limited records of biological systems. (1995. 閱讀 . 1.Text 3)【譯文】 我們對于天文領域的印象是三種領域中最不穩定的， 這只是因為我們僅僅看到了很 少卻美妙的案例， 與社會體系豐富的記錄， 甚至和生活體系有限的記錄相比， 天文領域中保 持的記錄實在是微不足道。【析句】主句 Our image of the astronomical universe is the least secure of all,because 引導原因 狀語從句。 從句中包含兩個并列

25、的句子， 分別是 we observe such a fantastically small sample of it, 和 its record-keeping is trivial as compared with., 其中包含了詞組 as compared with, 意思是 “與.相比 ”。10. Conflict, defined as opposition among social entities directed against one another is distinguished from competition, defined as opposition among

26、social entities independently strivingfor something which is in inadequate supply. (1996. 閱讀 . 1. Text 2)【譯文】 沖突的定義是社會實體與另一實體間的對抗， 而競爭的定義是不同社會實體間獨立 爭奪供應不足的資源而發生的對抗。這兩者的性質是截然不同?！疚鼍洹?主句是 Conflict is distinguished from competition, 主語 conflict 后，defined as oppostion among social entities directed again

27、st one another 為過去分詞作定語，相當于 which is defined as.。同樣，介詞賓語 competition 后也有相同的結構， 使得句子前后對稱。 而后一句中， social entities 后又有 striving for some thing 現在分詞作定語修飾 social entities, 而 something 后是 which 引導的定語從句。11. While it is true that this competition may induce efforts to expand territory at the expense of others, and thus lead to conflict, it cannot be said that war-like conflict among nations is inevitabl