2007年考研英语真题中阅读的text 3 摘自Harvard Magazine《哈佛杂志》2006年1~2月刊刊登的一篇文章,主要讲的是美国目前的经济形势对中产阶层家庭造成的负面影响。本篇文章中,有几个经典长难句需要大家进行深入剖析并牢固掌握。今天,的英语老师为大家就这篇文章中出现的经典长难句从词汇、断句及翻译三个方面进行解析,希望能够给大家带来助益,为大家理解本篇文章打下坚实基础。
【长难句1】During the past generation, the American middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure had been transformed by economic risk and new realities.
【词汇及词组】middle-class adj. 中产阶级的
count on 指望;依靠
fair play 按规则比赛;公平办事
transform vt. 使改观;使变化
【结构精析】本句的主干是the American middle-class family had been transformed by economic risk and new realities. 其中During the past generation是时间状语,that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure在句中作主语the American middle-class family的后置定语从句。注意:此处定语从句采取拆分独立成句的方法进行翻译。
【参考翻译】在过去的一代人中,美国中产阶级家庭已经被经济危机和新的现实所改变,过去他们曾经能够依靠努力工作和公平竞争就能保持稳定的经济状况。
【长难句2】 From the middle-class family perspective, much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders.
【词汇及词组】 From ...perspective 从···角度来看
Acceleration n. 加速;促进
Shift of A onto B 将A转移到B上去
【结构精析】句子主干:much of this, understandably, looks far less like an opportunity , and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration,其中From the middle-class family perspective为方式状语,动词不定式to exercise more financial responsibility为后置定语修饰限定opportunity,介词短语of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders为acceleration的后置定语。
【翻译难点】本句结构较为复杂,主干为比较结构looks far less like...and a good deal more like...(译为:与其说是····不如说是····)。另外,acceleration一词在翻译时需要处理成动词,确保汉语表达更加通顺、规范。
【参考翻译】从中产阶级家庭的角度出发,可以理解的是,这与其说是一个承担