英语句子最常用的方法是通过使用一些关联词,如 and、or等,或标点符号如:分号,逗号,破折号等,若干个在语义上有联系或相互照应的单词、词组或子句连在一起组成一种并列或平行结构的长句,以表达一个复杂得多层次含义。这种句式虽然难度不一定很高,但在复杂长句中还是占了相当大的比例的.
Exercise
Keeping your head, instead of crowding and pushing to get to an exit, may make the different between life and death when fire breaks out.
The way space is used to enable the individual to achieve privacy, to build homes or to design cities is culturally influenced.
And neither friends nor family can convince phobic people that most animals are harmless, that thousands of travelers fly safely every day, and millions of people ride safely in elevators several times each day.
要点分析和参考译文
要点:句中主语为动名词短语“Keeping……” “crowding”和“pushing”两个动名词是并列平行结构。
参考译文:当火灾发生时,保持冷静,不要向安全出口乱挤乱拥,这样就会使生与死的机会截然不同。
要点:主语the way 有一个很长的定语从句修饰,定语从句中有三个并列的不定式短语作动词“is used”的目的状语即to achieve privacy, to build homes,和to design cities。本句的主干部分为:The way is culturally influenced。
参考译文:
要点:neither…nor连接并列主语。“convince”后接“people”作宾语,另外三个“that……”从句并列作convince 的宾语,其中最后一个“that……”从句前省略了“that”补齐则为(that) millions of……。
参考译文: