考研英语（一）长难句解析系列——2002年Text 2

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　　本文主要讨论了人工智能(尤其是机器人学)的发展情况，首先介绍了已经取得的成就，后又指出其接下来的发展方向，同时指明其中存在的困难。全文中在长难句方面，难度并不是很大。作为2002年考研英语试卷的第二篇阅读，句子难度虽然较前面题型有所提升，但是仍处于中级难度。但是本文中单词多属科技类词汇，相对而言偏难。因此就整篇文章而言，难度不小。下面就其中的典型例句进行分析：
　　【典型例句1】：As a result, the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为the modern world is increasingly populated by intelligent gizmos，属被动语态。As a result作状语，修饰主干。whose presence we barely notice but whose universal existence has removed much human labor是由but连接的两个whose引导的定语从句，都修饰intelligent gizmos。
　　【难点点拨】：populate：聚居，占据;gizmo：小发明;
　　【例句释义】： 结果就是，智能小发明日益占领了现代世界。虽然我们几乎注意不到他们的出现，但是他们的普遍存在已经节省了大量的人力劳动。
　　【典型例句2】：And thanks to the continual miniaturization of electronics and micro-mechanics, there are already robot systems that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy -- far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为there are already robot systems。And thanks to the continual miniaturization of electronics and micro-mechanics是介词短语作原因状语，修饰主干。that can perform some kinds of brain and bone surgery with submillimeter accuracy是由that引导的定语从句，修饰robot systems。far greater precision than highly skilled physicians can achieve with their hands alone作同位语，解释submillimeter accuracy;其中又包含一个一个than引导的比较结构。
　　【难点点拨】：miniaturization：微型化;electronics：电子学;micro-mechanics：微观力学;submillimeter：亚毫米;physician：医生;
　　【例句释义】：由于电子学和微观力学的不断微型化，现在已有一些机器人系统能够进行脑部和骨科手术，准确性精确到亚毫米，远远超过技艺精湛的医生只用他们的双手所能达到的水平。
　　【典型例句3】：But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves -- goals that pose a real challenge.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves，其中and连接两个并列的谓语部分。if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility是由if引导的条件状语从句，修饰主干。goals that pose a real challenge是名词作同位语。解释前面的have to operate with less human supervision和be able to make at least a few decisions for themselves;其中又包含一个定语从句that pose a real challenge，修饰goals。
　　【难点点拨】：utility：功能，功用;
　　【例句释义】：但是如果机器人要进入节省劳力功能的下一个阶段，那么他们就必须能够在更少的人工监管下运行，并且至少能够独立地做一些决定。这些目标都提出了一个真正的挑战。
　　【典型例句4】：Despite a spell of initial optimism in the 1960s and 1970s when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to copy the action of the human brain by the year 2010, researchers lately have begun to extend that forecast by decades if not centuries.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为researchers lately have begun to extend that forecast。Despite a spell of initial optimism是介词短语作让步状语，修饰主干。in the 1960s and 1970s是后置定语，修饰a spell of initial optimism。when it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to copy the action of the human brain by the year 2010是when引导的定语从句，修饰1960s and 1970s;其中it appeared that transistor circuits and microprocessors might be able to copy the action of the human brain by the year 2010中，it作形式主语，that引导真正的主语从句。by decades if not centuries是介词短语作状语，修饰主干。
　　【难点点拨】：a spell of：一阵的;transistor circuit：晶体管电路;microprocessor：微处理器;
　　【例句释义】：虽然在20世纪60和70年代有过一阵最初的乐观，那时候似乎晶体管电路和微处理器的发展将使它们在2010年时能够模仿人类大脑的活动，但是最近研究人员已经开始将此预测延后了数十年(如果不是数百年的话)。
　　【典型例句5】：But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent。that is irrelevant是定语从句，修饰the 98 percent。instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd是现在分词短语结果状语，修饰主干。
　　【难点点拨】：glimpse：瞥见;disregard：忽略;instantaneously：即刻地;
　　【例句释义】：但是人脑能够扫描一个快速变化的场景，并且迅速排除98%不相干的信息，立即聚焦于蜿蜒的森林小路旁的一只猴子，或者一大群人中的一张可疑的面孔上。
　　总之，由于本文中对定语后置、定语从句、主语从句、状语等知识点考查较多，因此对此大家课下需要多多复习。此外，如果时间充足的话，可以多读一些外国核心期刊文章，如《经济学人》、《美国新闻与世界报道》等，积累英语国家新闻中常用到的表达。
　　(本文作者为中公考研英语指导老师—张玉环)