考研英语经典句解析(17)

1. Nevertheless, researchers of the Pleistocene epoch have developed all sorts of more or less fanciful model schemes of how they would have arranged the Ice Age had they been in charge of events.

然而，研究P时代的研究者发展除了各种各样的或多或少有些奇怪思想的模型系统，用来显示如果由他们来决定地质事件的话他们将会如何安排冰川纪。

难句类型：复杂修饰、倒装、修辞

解释：句末的由how引导的名词性从句中包括了双重的倒装，正常的语序本来是：If they had been in charge of events, they would have arranged the Ice Age in certain model schemes。本句中由于arrange的方式被提前，就造成了arrange的动作执行者也要提前，前面的if they had been 则必须后置；这样一来又造成了if被省略，成为had they been的倒装结构。 另外，作者为了表达其对于这些研究者的模型的负态度，并炫耀其幽默感，在本句中使用了虚拟语气，并使用了fanciful这个词以表示这些研究的不负责任、异想天开的幼童心理。

意群训练：Nevertheless, researchers of the Pleistocene epoch have developed all sorts of more or less fanciful model schemes of how they would have arranged the Ice Age had they been in charge of events.

2. This succession was based primarily on a series of deposits　and events not directly related to　　glacial and interglacial periods，rather　than on the more usual modern method of studying biological remains found in interglacial beds themselves interstratified within glacial deposits.

这一序列演替（succession）所依据的，主要是一系列与冰川期和间冰期并不直接相关的地质沉积物和地质事件，而不是依据更为普遍的现代方法，去研究间冰层（interglacial bed）中所发现的生物残留物，而这些间冰层本身又在冰川沉积物发生间层化（interstatified）。

难句类型：复杂修饰、省略、易淆指代

解释：句子中的rather than 之后省略了与前面重复的being based,直接加上了介词on。Modern method后面的部分都是修饰method的。其中的remains既可以作动词也可以作名词，此处是名词的用法，biological remains指的是类似于动物化石之类的遗迹。读到这里我们看到了句子的难点，themselves既可以指前面离得很远的modern method(当然，在语法上来讲单复数不一致)，也可以指前面离得较远的biological remains，亦可以指紧挨着的interglacial beds，到底是指代哪一个，只有通过理解句意，才能确定在此处指biological remains。

意群训练：This succession was based primarily on a series of deposits　and events not directly related to　　glacial and interglacial periods，rather　than on the more usual modern method of studying biological remains found in interglacial beds themselves interstratified within glacial deposits.

3. There have been attempts to explain these taboos in terms of inappropriate social relationships either between those who are involved and those who are not simultaneously involved in the satisfaction of a bodily need，or　between those already satiated and　those who appear to be shamelessly gorging.

人们试图对这些禁忌作出解释，所依据的要么是那些正置身于某一身体需要满足的人与那些并置身于某一身体需要之满足的人之间的，要么是那些早已酒足饭饱的人与那些正在不知羞耻地狼吞虎咽失之间的不相称的社会关系。解释：前面的主架构There have been attempts to explain these taboos很简单，从in terms of inappropriate social relationships开始句子变难，ralationship后面跟着一个一直延续到句末的长长的修饰成分，其中有两个固定搭配，either…or…和between…and…，不但如此，原文把这两个搭配又套在一起，变成了either between…and…,or between…and…;再加上每一个between…and之后都是those who这样的结构，就愈发令人眼花缭乱了。

意群训练：There have been attempts to explain these taboos in terms of inappropriate social　　relationships either between those who are involved and those who are　not simultaneously involved in the satisfaction of a bodily need，or　between those already satiated and　those who appear to be shamelessly gorging.

4. Many critics of Family Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights see its second　part as a counterpoint that comments on，if it does not reverse，the first part，where a "romantic" reading receives more confirmation.

研究艾米丽。勃朗特（Emily Bronte）小说《呼啸山庄》（Wuthering Heights）的许多文学评论家，将小说的第二部分视作一种对比物，即使没有将第一部分予以逆转的话，也是在对第一部分作出一种诠释评判，而在小说第一部分中，一种“浪漫的”的读解能获得更为充分的确证。

难句类型：复杂修饰、插入语

解释：上面的翻译中为了符合中文习惯不得不把修饰the first part的where引导的定语从句翻译到中括号以外。本句主要难在两个地方，一个是插入语if it does not reverse如何理解，另一个是counterpoint的意思是什么。产生，插入语的位置比较讨厌，把comments on the first part这样一个连贯的说法割成两段，增加了阅读的难度。而且它的意思容易理解错；if既可以理解成如果的意思，也可以理解成即使的意思。如果理解成即使的意思，则上下文的意思则要理解成即使不反对第一部分，也要给予第一部分一个负面的评论。然而此处不能这样理解，因为that之前的counterpoint的意思不是相反、对立，而是指和谐的组成部分的意思。这个词来源于一个音乐术语，指音乐中的对位法、旋律配合，引伸为形容两个不同的东西彼此和谐一致，同义词是harmony。因此文中的if it does not reverse的意思是假如不反对第一部分，则是与第一部分和谐一致的评论的意思。这种情况下，插入语纯属废话。

意群训练：Many critics of Family Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights see its second　part as a counterpoint that comments on，if it does not reverse，the first part，where a "romantic" reading receives more confirmation.