攻克英语长难句,确保阅读得高分
Learning objectives
To grasp the strategies of analyzing long and complex sentences
To apply the strategies into practice by analyzing sentences
To apply the sentences to reading comprehension
一、长难句类型
多重复合从句
这类句子一般较长,往往由一个主句和几个从句构成,一个从句套着另一个从句,环环相扣,没有一定的语言功底,很难弄清楚整个句子结构。长难句中常见的是定语从句和状语从句。
①Cilantro, a green herb, which is frequently used in Chinese cuisine including soups, hotpot and cold dishes, has gained more appeals and sales for years in China, even as its unique taste has become a hot topic in itself on Chinese social media platforms.
译文:香菜是一种绿色草本植物,经常用于中国菜肴,包括汤、火锅和凉菜,多年来在中国获得了更多的吸引力和销量,尽管其独特的味道本身已成为中国社交媒体平台上的热门话题。
【分析】which is frequently used in Chinese cuisine including soups, hotpot and cold dishes 是定语从句,even as its unique taste has become a hot topic in itself on Chinese social media platforms 是原因状语从句。
实际上,不管一个句子有多长,有多复杂,它只由主干和枝叶两部分组成。主干是整个句子的骨架,它一般是主谓宾结构、主谓结构或主系表结构,而枝叶是指在句中起修饰或补充作用的成分,可以是单词或短语。这时,我们只要仔细分析句子结构,找出主干与修饰成分的枝叶,这样整个句子的结构就清晰了。
②Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what may be implied is that the persons wants to the listeners to consider what has been said before continuing.
译文:因此,当一个来自这些文化的人正在讲话时突然停下来,可能暗示的是这个人想让听者在继续之前考虑一下他说了什么。
【分析】when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops是时间状语从句,what may be implied是主语从句,what 在主语从句中做主语,that the persons wants to the listeners to consider what has been said before continuing是表语从句,表语从句中含有宾语从句what has been said before continuing,what在宾语从句中做主语
③The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV.
译文; 拍电影和四年后出演The Sting的经历所建立起来的友谊源于一个事实:尽管我们存在年龄差距,但我们都承袭了戏剧和直播电视的传统。
【分析】 本句的主干是 “The friendship had its root in the fact.”。其中,grew out of...later为that引导的定语从句,修饰先行词friendship;后面的although there was...live TV为that引导的同位语从句,解释说明fact的内容。此外,同位语从句中还包含了一个although引导的让步状语从句。
分隔结构
为了避免主语或宾语等成分过长,英语中一般将主语、宾语等成分与其他修饰语分隔开来。
分隔的目的之一是,为了强调或平衡句子,其二是为了是行文精炼,句子结构紧凑。
分隔的成分可以是单词、短语或是句子,用来补充含义或作出一些解释。
分隔结构有主谓分隔、动宾分隔、系表分隔、定语和先行词分隔等等。
①Some companies have made the manufacturing of clean and safe products, to some degree, their main selling points and emphasize it in their advertising.
译文:从某种程度上来说,一些公司把卫生的、安全的产品的生产,当作他们的卖点,并在广告中强调这一点。
【分析】 其实本句是一个“主语+谓语+宾语+宾语补足语”句型,“make+宾语+宾语补足语”,即“使……成为……”,只不过宾语和宾语补足语被to some degree隔开了而已。
②Those given night milk, which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin, were less active and less anxious than those fed with the milk collected during daytime, according to the study published in The Journal of Medical Food.
译文:根据发表在《医学食品杂志》上的一项研究,那些晚上喝褪黑激素含量为10倍的牛奶的人比白天喝牛奶的人更不活跃,也更不焦虑。
【分析】这个句子的 主干是Those were less active and less anxious…主语Those被given night milk(过去分词做后置定语)和which contained 10 times the amount of melatonin(非限制性定语从句修饰先行词milk)与谓语所分隔开来,显然是用来补充含义或作出一些解释。
成分省略
英语中,省略是一条重要的语法现象,主要是为了避免重复,突出关键词并使上下文紧密连接或者是为了语法的需要。省略主要可以分为词法上的省略、句法上的省略或替代省略。
例如:I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me.
译文:我试图说服自己,问题出在问题本身,而不是我。
【分析】not with me为The problem was not with me 的省略。
语序改变
语序的改变主要指倒装语序。在文段中,有时为了达到语法或某种修饰的目的,如为了强调某个成分,有时为了平衡句子,有时为了承上启下,要把谓语动词放在主语前面,这样倒装就出现了。
①In this box are some stem cells that are urgently needed for a patient----please, please, you’ve got to get me back to the United Kingdom.
译文:这个盒子里有一些病人急需的干细胞----求你了,求你了,你得把我送回英国。
【分析】本句的主语是some stem cells,本句是典型的全部倒装结构。主语太长,平衡句子结构。
②Most of their musical instruments are really just sticks found on the ground, among which there is an amazing instrument called the didgeridoo.
译文:他们绝大多数的乐器其实就是地上找到的树枝,其中就有一种令人惊叹的、叫作迪吉里杜管的乐器。
【分析】此句为复合句。主干部分是most of their musical instruments are really just sticks found on the ground,为主系表结构;found on the ground为过去分词短语作定语,修饰sticks;among which there is...为“介词+关系代词”引导的非限制性定语从句,which代指前面的musical instruments;定语从句里面又含有一个there be句型,其中的called the didgeridoo为过去分词短语作定语,修饰instrument。
二.攻克策略
(一) 结构分析法。
通过语法分析,迅速弄清句子的结构,把握住句子的基本框架。
基本步骤是:
首先,判断该句是简单句还是复合句; 然后,找出句子的核心成分,再分清句子的附属成分。
1. 复杂单句的处理策略——找主干
较复杂的单句在高考试卷中经常出现,所以应引起考生的足够重视。对于复杂的单句,考生只要抓住主干就行了。
①You can then spend three days exploring the rainforest with a local guide and enjoying the plants and animals unique to the rainforest. (book 1 unit2)
在接下来的三天里,您可以在当地导游的陪同下,深入雨林进行探索,观赏雨林特有的动植物。
【分析】本句主体结构you can spend …doing…
exploring the rainforest和enjoying the plants and animals 是并列结构。with a local guide是方式状语。unique to the rainforest为形容词短语作定语修饰the plants and animals
②Students interested in working for the Athletic Department should contact the Athletic Coordinator at their respective campuses.
译文:对在体育部工作感兴趣的学生应该联系各自校园的体育协调员。
【分析】此句的主语为students,谓语为should contact, 宾语为the Athletic Coordinator at their respective campuses ,interested in working for the Athletic Department为过去分词短语做后置定语。
③In all, from the time the stem cells are harvested from a donor to the time they can be implanted in the patient, we've got 72 hours at most.
译文:总的来说,从从捐赠者身上获取干细胞到将其植入病人体内,我们最多只有72小时。
【分析】此句的主语为we,谓语为have got,宾语为72 hours。句中的In all和at most均为状语,from the time the stem cells are harvested from a donor to the time they can be implanted in the patient为时间状语。
2. 并列句的处理策略——找并列连词
对于并列句分析,考生要学会找出并列连词。
①Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world‘s lakes and oceans.
译文:她1962年的受欢迎的书籍《寂静的春天》提高了人们对于污染的危险的意识以及化学物质对人类和世界上的湖泊和海洋的有害影响的意识。
【分析】此句中的第一个and连接并列的名词短语the dangers of pollution和the harmful effects of chemicals,都作awareness后介词of的宾语,第二个and前后的humans和the world's lakes and oceans都是介词on的宾语。
②She arranged for a flight on a small plane to be held for me,re-routed me through Newark and got me back to the UK even earlier than originally scheduled.
译文:她为我安排了一次乘坐小型飞机改道经纽瓦克市的航程,使我回到英国的时间甚至比原定的时间还要早。
【分析】此句中的and连接3个并列谓语arranged for, re-routed through和got back to。
3.主从复合句的处理策略——找从属连词
对于主从复合句的长难句的分析,考生要学会找从属连词。
①I know that Chinese is a very difficult language,but I hope to be fluent when I graduate. (book 1 unit1)
译文:我知道汉语是一门难学的语言,但我希望当毕业的时候我能说得流利一些。
【分析】本句主干是由 but连接构成并列句。在前一个分句中含一个由 that引导的宾语从句;在第二个分句中含一个由when引导的时间状语从句。
②Growing up, I had people telling me I was too slow, though, with an IQ of 150+ at 17, I’m anything but stupid.
译文:在我成长的和过程中,总有人告诉我说,我反应太迟钝,尽管我17岁时智商就超过了150,一点也不笨。
【分析】growing up 做时间状语,主句为I had people, telling me I was too slow为分词做后置定语,though引导让步状语从句。
③We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them, especially when you're raising children.
译文:我们现在意识到了家庭是多么重要以及居住的地方离他们近是多么重要,尤其是当我们在抚养孩子的时候。
【分析】此句中when引导时间状语从句,而We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them为主句,主句中含有两个宾语从句,即how important family is和 how important it is to be near them。
④Claire didn't want the robot in her house, especially as her husband would be away on a business trip for three weeks, but Larry persuaded her that the robot wouldn't harm her or allow her to be harmed.
译文:克莱尔不想让机器人待在家里,特别是当她的丈夫将要出差三周的时候,但是拉里说服了她,他说,机器人不会伤害她,也不允许她受到伤害。
【分析】此句为并列复合句,由but连接前后两个并列分句。as her husband would be away on a business trip for three weeks是时间状语从句;that引导的是宾语从句。
(二)意群阅读法
意群阅读法,即把意义和语法结构上有关联的几个词连接成较完整的信息。此方法不仅有利于提高阅读速度,而且有利于对句子的整体理解。
例如:Last year,①I spent all my time looking for a job,② where , ③without dealing with the public , ②I could work alone, ④but still have a team to talk to.
译文:去年,我用所有的时间来工作,一份不需要与公众打交道,我能独立工作,但同时又有一个可以交流的团队的工作。
【分析】①I spent all my time looking for a job为主句,② where ,②I could work alone为定语从句修饰job,③without dealing with the public 为介词短语做状语修饰②I could work alone,④but still have a team to talk to为转折关系的并列句。这样,把整个句子划为4个意群,既可以迅速提高阅读速度,又可以理解文段的意思。
又如:①The freezing Northeast hasn't been a terribly fun place to spend time this winter, ②so ③when the chance came for a weekend to Sarasota, Florida,④my bags were packed before you could say "sunshine".
译文:寒冷的东北部不是度过这个冬季的非常有趣的地方,所以,当有机会去佛罗里达州的萨拉索塔市度过周末时,我的包在你还没来得及说是晴天的时候就已经打包好了。
【分析】①主句,②是so引导的结果状语从句,该状语从句中又含有由when引导的时间状语从句③和时间状语从句的主句④。这样,把整个句子划为4个意群,可以迅速提高阅读速度。
Practice 1:
But by any criteria this work is worth it to us as well, because it shows that we are global citizens interested in world stability, and that we feel responsible for others and are ready to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
译文:但以任何标准来看,这项工作对我们来说都是值得的,因为它表明,我们是关注世界稳定的全球公民,我们对他人负有责任,我们为建立人类命运共同体做好了准备。
【分析】 第一层,从because分开,前面的主句为“主系表”结构,because后面直到句尾是一个“主谓宾”结构的原因状语从句,用来说明“这项工作很有意义”的理由。第二层,原因状语从句内部包含两个由that引导的宾语从句,作shows的宾语。第三层,两个that引导的宾语从句是并列关系,也都是“主系表”结构。
Practice 2:
Economists from the University of Sussex analysed findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a 15 year research project charting the fortunes of a group of thousands of teenagers who attended high schools in the US in the mid 1990s.
译文:来自萨塞克斯大学的经济学家们分析了国家青少年健康纵向研究的研究结果,这项研究是一个历时15年的课题,它记录了数千名在20世纪90年代中期在美国上高中的一组青少年的财产情况。
【分析】 句子主干为Economists analysed findings。from the University of Sussex 作economists的定语;from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health 作findings的定语;a 15 year research project作the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health 的同位语;charting...作project 的定语;who引导定语从句,修饰teenagers。
Practice 3:
Artist Michael Craig-Martin said: “Andria’s brilliant project to bring artists from all fields into direct contact with children is particularly welcome at a time when the arts are being downgraded in schools.”
It was a mistake to see the arts as unnecessary, he added.
What does Craig-Martin think of the teaching of the arts in UK schools
A. It is particularly difficult. B. It increases artists’ income.
C. It opens children’s mind. D. It deserves greater attention.
(keys: D)
Practice 4:
The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues, or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.
What does the follow-up test aim to find out about the cockatoos
A. How far they are able to see.
B. How they track moving objects.
C. Whether they are smarter than monkeys.
D. Whether they use a sense of touch in the test
(keys: C)