实例分析：长难句常考的三大经典从句

一、从语法成分来看

　　1.定语从句

　　(1)The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large professional element and prevented the decline in efficiency that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders.

　　[参考译文]

　　通过雇用大量的职业人才，这一变化满足了新时代的技术要求，防止了效率下降——在过去，这种效率下降经常使家族公司在充满活力的创业者之后的第二代或第三代毁掉全部财产。

　　[结构分析]

　　本句是一个并列句，以and连接；第一个分句的主干是The change met the technical requirements...，后面的介词结构by engaging a large professional element作状语，说明met the technical requirements of the new age的方式；第二个分句的主干是(the change) prevented the decline in efficiency，后面的that引导的定语从句修饰decline in efficiency。注意：engage此处的意思是“雇，聘”。

　　(2)A survey of news stories in 1996 reveals that the anti-science tag has been attached to many other groups as well, from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research.

　　[参考译文]

　　1996年进行的一项新闻调查表明，反科学的标签还被贴在其他许多团体身上——从主张消灭最后剩下的各种天花病毒的机构，到主张减少基础研究经费的共和党人。

　　[结构分析]

　　本句的主干是A survey...reveals that...，主语是survey，谓语是reveals，后面的that引导一个宾语从句，其主干是：the anti-science tag has been attached to many other groups as well，后面的部分是from和to连接的两个名词：from authorities...to Republicans...，说明other groups的内容，而两个名词后面各自带一个定语从句，都由who引导。

　　The astonishing distrust of the news media isn’t rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers。

　　[参考译文]

　　读者对新闻媒体令人惊讶的不信任并非源于报道失实或报道技能较差，而是源于记者和读者之间世界观的日常冲突。

　　[结构分析]

　　本句的主干是distrust ... isn’t rooted in... but in... (不信任的根源不是…而是…)，其中be rooted in... 的意思是“根源在于…”。注意：这是一种特殊句式，重点在but之后的部分。

　　2.名词性从句

　　Online culture thinks highly of the notion that the information flowing onto the screen comes there by specific request.

　　[参考译文]

　　网络文化非常推崇这样一种理念：出现在用户屏幕上的信息应该是根据用户特定要求发送过来的。

　　[结构分析]

　　本句的主干是Online culture thinks highly of the notion that...，其中notion后面的that引导一个同位语从句，说明notion的具体内容；同位语从句的主干是the information...comes there...，其中flowing onto the screen作定语，修饰the information，句末的by specific request作状语，修饰come there。

　　3.状语从句

　　Consumers seem only concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy’s long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt tightening.

　　[参考译文]

　　消费者们看上去只是有点担心，而没有恐慌，很多消费者说尽管他们正在把开支紧缩一点，但是他们对经济的长期前景仍然保持乐观。

　　[结构分析]

　　本句是以and连接的并列句，其中第二个分句的主干是many say...，say后面的部分是宾语从句，其中还包含一个as引导的让步状语从句。

　　二、从句子间关系来看

　　1、主从复合句

　　When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at, for, however farfetched and unreasonable their principles may seem today, it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal.

　　[参考译文]

　　当艺术上的一项新运动达到一定流行程度时，最好先弄清该运动倡导者的目的，因为，无论他们的创作原则在今天看来多么牵强、多么荒谬，在未来这些理论有可能会被视为正常的东西。

　　[结构分析]

　　本句的主干是it is advisable to find out... for... it is possible that...，句首的When引导一个时间状语从句，句中的for... it is possible... (至句末)是一个并列分句，表示原因，其中for后面的however +形容词farfetched and unreasonable引导状语从句，表示让步。在主干it is advisable to find out... 中，it是形式主语，后面的不定式结构to find out what its advocates are aiming at是真正的主语。

　　2、并列句

　　While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you and your “wares” and abilities must be displayed in an orderly and reasonably connected manner.

　　[参考译文]

　　与你谈话时，可能成为你未来老板的人会考虑你所受的教育、你的经历和你的其他资历是否在雇佣你以后会给他带来好处。你的“资历”和能力必须有条不紊、合理连贯地展示出来。

　　[结构分析]

　　这也是一个并列句，包含两个分句。第一个分句的主干是your could-be employer is deciding whether...，其中whether引导一个宾语从句whether your education, your experience, and other qualifications will pay him to employ you;第二个分句的主干是your “wares” and abilities must be displayed...。注意：pay sb. to do sth。此处的意思是“做…对…有利”；“wares”的本义是“商品、货物”，但在本文中，作者认为找工作就是推销自己，所以结合本文的背景，wares的意思是“(求职者的)资历或能力”。