①There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment.
▲第一个句子使用了there be句型,其中of course是插入语。第二句是主语+系动词+表语结构。第三句话中使用了so... that结构:其中made so frequently是过去分词作定语,修饰前面的observation。
△第一句中的of course作插入语,用逗号与句子的其它部分分开,在开始阅读的时候可以不看。注意第二句话中使用了双重否定表示肯定:hardly unknown等于pretty well-known。另外注意so... that结构的用法:太……以至于。另外observation这里的意思是“因观察而得出的意见”。另外it deserves comment中的it指代前面的observation。
②Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world.
▲句子的主干结构是Strangers and travelers were... and brought...。
△注意diversion在这里的含义是“解闷,取乐的事情,消遣,娱乐”,而不是“转移,转向”的意思。
③Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement.
▲这是一个简单句。traveling alone是现在分词作定语修饰前面的someone,if hungry, injured, or ill...实际上是简略的if引导的状语从句,相当于if (he is) hungry, injured, or ill,这里作插入成分。另外have sth.+动词不定式,这一结构中的动词不定式通常是相当于定语部分,修饰前面的sth.,这里就是:没有可以投靠(to turn to/动词不定式)的地方(nowhere/sth.)。
△注意turn to这里的引申含义是“投靠,求助于,求教于”的意思。
④It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the part of the settlers.
▲句子的主干结构是It was not a matter of choice... or merely a charitable impulse...,是主语+系动词+表语的结构。表语由并列的两部分组成,由or来连接。
△on the part of相当于前面的for,意思是“在……方面,对……而言”。
⑤The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition.
▲这个句子的主干结构是The casual friendliness should be interpreted neither as A nor B, but as C,使用了被动语态。其中neither... nor...结构后用的是同样词性的成分:形容词superficial和artificial。
△注意neither... nor... but结构的使用:既不是……也不是……而是……,重点在but之后。as the/a result of:作为……的结果,由于……而……。
⑥As is true of any developed society, in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships.
▲句子的主干结构是... cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies... interrelationships。
△注意as在这里是一个代词,表示“这一情况,这一事实”。可以参考以下的例句来理解as的用法:The night had turned cold, as is usual around here.夜晚变得很冷,在这一带经常如此。
adj. 未知的,不出名的