2. It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers.
【分析】复合句。句子主干为 It is difficult...to imagine a time。it 作形式主语,真正的主语是不定式短语 to imagine a time...。其中 when 引导定语从句修饰 time。 介词结构 for the average reader under the age of forty 作状语。
【译文】对于年龄在四十岁以下的普通读者来说,很难甚至不可能想象到,当时能够在大部分城市报纸上找到质量很高的文艺评论文章。
【点拨】1)to the point of “达到...的程度;切中要害”,本句中是“达到...程度”的意思。2) criticism“批评,批判;评论文章”,本句中意为“评论文章”。
【临摹】她说话的方式直率得近乎粗鲁。
3. We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War 2, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared.
【分析】多重复合句。句子主干为 We are even farther removed from...newspaper reviews。过去分词短语 published in England 是 newspaper reviews 的后置定语。between...World War 2 为时间状语,后面 at a time...是对前面时间的进一步说明,其中包括 when 引导的定语从句修饰 time。定语从句包含两个并列的分句,后一个分句中又包含 which 引导的定语从句修饰 publications。
【译文】我们离20世纪初期至“二战”前夕期间在英国发表的东拉西扯的报纸评论甚至更远,当时,新闻用纸非常便宜,而且新潮的文艺评论文章被认为是对其所在报纸的一种装饰。
【点拨】1)be removed from“被从...中除去;与...远离;与...疏远的,与...不一样”,本句中是“与...远离,与...相差远”的意思。2)dirt-cheap“毫无价值的,非常便宜的”。3) stylish 意为“有风度的,有气派的,有格调的”或“时髦的,新潮的,高雅的”,结合语境,本句中意为“新潮的,时髦的”。
【临摹】肇事者给了一个与事实相差甚远的解释。