精选英语长难句解析

一、定语从句

【难句】1. He is referring to the upsurge of interest in mobile television, a nascent industry at the intersection of telecoms and media which offers new opportunities to device-makers, content producers and mobile-network operators.

【结构分析】本句结构清晰，是一个复合句。句首部分He is referring to the upsurge of interest in mobile television是主句，其后的a nascent industry at the intersection of telecoms and media…作mobile television的同位语，句末的关系代词which引导定语从句which offers new opportunities to device-makers, content producers and mobile-network operators来修饰先行词a nascent industry，关系代词which在从句中作主语。

【参考译文】他谈到了众人对移动电视的巨大兴趣，这是一个在电信和媒体领域有交叉的新兴产业，它给设备制造商、电视内容制作者以及移动网络运营商提供了新的机遇。

【难句】2. Meanwhile, Apple Computer, which launched a video-capable version of its iPod portable music-player in October, is striking deals with television networks to expand the range of shows that can be purchased for viewing on the device, including “Lost”， “Desperate Housewives” and “Law &Order”.

【结构分析】本句使用了分隔结构，体现了非限制性定语从句分隔，从句which launched a video-capable version of its iPod portable music-player in October修饰主语Apple Computer(关系代词which在从句中作主语)分隔了主语和系动词。连接后得到Meanwhile, Apple Computer is striking deals with television networks to expand the range of shows…其中that又引导定语从句that can be purchased for viewing on the device…修饰先行词shows(关系代词that在从句作主语，从句中使用了被动语态)，句末的分词结构including “Lost”， “Desperate Housewives” and “Law &Order”作伴随状语，表明range of shows的具体内容。

【参考译文】与此同时，苹果电脑公司在10月发售了一款可以观看电视的便携式音乐播放器iPod，这个播放器大大帮助了电视网络扩大其可以供用户购买的、用于在移动终端的节目范围，包括《迷失》、《绝望的主妇》以及《法律与秩序》

【难句】3. Some technologies do indeed improve at such a predictable pace that they obey simple formulae such as Moore’s law, which acts as a battle plan for the semiconductor industry.

【结构分析】本句结构清晰，主句为Some technologies do indeed improve at such a predictable pace that they obey simple formulae such as Moore’s law，使用了such…that…结构；关系代词which引导定语从句which acts as a battle plan for the semiconductor industry，修饰先行词formulae such as Moore’s law，which在从句中作主语。

【参考译文】的确，有些技术的进步是以一种可预测的节奏进行着，它们遵循摩尔定律般简单的公式，好比是半导体工业的设计图纸。

【难句】4. Visit many online sites to research a car, and they will sell your name immediately to local dealerships which will then harass you in the old-fashioned way.

【结构分析】以and为切入点，本句包含两个并列分句。注意前一分句省略了和后一分句相同的主语they(指代网络销售商)。后一分句中，they will sell your name immediately to local dealerships是主句，关系代词which引导定语从句which will then harass you in the old-fashioned way，which指代上文的一整句话。

【参考译文】网络销售商通过访问大量的网站去寻找一部车，然后就会把你的名字提供给当地的经销商，这又会让你重回到以前那种购车模式所带来的困扰中。

【难句】5. Even China’s population will be declining by the early 2030s, according to the UN, which projects that by 2050 populations will be lower than they are today in 50 countries. (The Economist Jun.5, 2006)

【结构分析】本句结构清晰，是一个复合句。主句为Even China’s population will be declining by the early 2030s, according to the UN，其后的定语从句which projects that by 2050 populations will be lower than they are today in 50 countries修饰先行词UN，关系代词在从句中作主语，注意这里project作动词用，译为“指出”，且从句里使用了比较级。【参考译文】联合国有关报告指出，即便是中国，到2030年初期人口也将开始递减。这份报告同时还指出，到2050年，将有50个国家的人口低于今天的水平。

【难句】6. That is surely how history will judge modern criticism of video games, which are accused of turning young people into violent criminals.

【结构分析】本句的主句That is surely how history will judge modern criticism of video games是主系表结构，其中表语由how引导的名词性从句充当，定语从句which are accused of turning young people into violent criminals修饰先行词video games，关系代词which指代先行词video games在从句中作主语，这里使用了被动语态be accused of，在翻译时我们译成主动。

【参考译文】对于当今时代那些控诉电视游戏使年轻人变成暴力罪犯的批评者们，历史最终也将对他们作出同样的批判。

【难句】7. Management and HR groups spend a lot of time talking about “engagement”， which comes down to getting employees excited about the work they’re doing and its contribution to the company

【结构分析】本句的主干一目了然：Management and HR groups spend a lot of time talking about “engagement”，which引导的定语从句which comes down to getting employees excited about…。修饰先行词engagement，关系代词which在从句中作主语。介词about后有两个宾语the work and its contribution，其中work的修饰语由一个省略了关系代词that/which的定语从句they’re doing充当，关系代词在从句中作宾语，contribution则由后置的介词短语修饰。

【参考译文】管理和人力资源群体花费大量的时间来谈论“参与”，激发雇员对他们的工作和为公司做贡献的兴趣。

【难句】8. To make the technology as simple as possible, Sony, HP, and other vendors are finally creating software that can be used across all their devices—be it PCs, TVs, or set—top boxes.

【结构分析】本句结构比较清晰，是一个复合句。句首的不定式短语To make the technology as simple as possible作全句的目的状语。主句为Sony, HP, and other vendors are finally creating software…。关系代词that引导的定语从句that can be used across all their devices修饰先行词software，that在从句中作主语，并且使用了被动语态。第一个破折号后面是对across all their devices的具体说明，注意这里采用了whether…or…引导的让步状语从句省略whether的特殊形式be it PCs, TVs, or set。第二个破折号后top boxes是对software的最终阐释，我们去掉中间让步状语作的分隔成分，可以连接全句为Sony, HP, and other vendors are finally creating software that can be used across all their devices—top boxes。

【参考译文】为了让科技尽可能的简单，索尼、惠普和其他销售者最终开发了可以在所有装置上使用的软件——不论是个人电脑、电视机或是数字解码器——这种软件就是机顶盒。

【难句】9. On the face of it, that doesn’t seem especially surprising: we feel strong emotion at important events, which are obviously more memorable than ordinary moments. (Time Jan. 18, 2007)

【结构分析】这是典型的冒号前为主句，冒号后作解释说明的实例。句首部分On the face of it为全句的状语，主句部分为that doesn’t seem especially surprising，这里seem采用了系动词的用法。注意形容词surprising指物的-ing使用。冒号后we feel strong emotion at important events是对主句的解释说明，非限制性定语从句which are obviously more memorable than ordinary moments使用了比较结构，关系代词which在从句中作主语。注意which后的be动词使用了复数形式are，联系上文，我们不难判断出它指代 important events。

【参考译文】乍看起来，那似乎不会使我们特别吃惊：在重大事件上我们会感到强烈的感情冲击——重大事件显然比平常日子让人记忆深刻。

【难句】10. An animal that can remember the significance of that large, nasty-looking thing with the big teeth and sharp claws will survive longer and produce more offspring.

【结构分析】本句是复合句，句子的主干为An animal will survive longer and produce more offspring。主语animal后接关系代词that引导的定语从句，关系代词代替animal在从句中作主语。在从句里，谓语动词 remember的宾语是the significance，它的后置定语为that large, nasty-looking thing with the big teeth and sharp claws；介词短语with the big teeth and sharp claws补充说明thing的特点。

【参考译文】一种动物只有记住了长相丑恶(具有巨大牙齿和锋利爪子)且身体庞大的重要性，才能生存长久并繁殖更多的后代。

【难句】11. Women who live in areas of high air pollution, exposed to invisible particles from traffic fumes, coal-fired power stations and wood fires, are at increased risk of heart disease and death, according to a study.

【结构分析】本句是主系表结构。主语Women后是定语从句 who live in areas of high air pollution，关系代词who在从句中代替women作主语，系表部分are at increased risk of heart disease and death被分词结构(表被动)作的后置定语exposed to invisible particles from traffic fumes, coal-fired power stations and wood fires分隔，由于定语部分较长，在翻译时我们可以译为并列结构；句子末尾的according to a study作全句的状语。

【参考译文】一项研究表明，生活在严重空气污染地区的女性，暴露在车辆尾气、燃煤发电厂、森林火灾所产生和排放的无形的微小颗粒中，越来越容易患心脏病，甚至会因此直接导致死亡。