考研英语(一)长难句解析系列——1999年阅读Text 5

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　　本文主要以牛顿通过苹果掉落而发现万有引力的例子，讨论了科学研究中不可预测性的重要性，并进一步指出现在研究人员以科学方法代替创造性思维的趋势及其危害。全文中在长难句方面，难度还是较大的。作为改革前1999年考研英语试卷的第五篇文章，句子难度较前面题型有所提升，长难句较多。下面就其中的典型例句进行分析：
　　【典型例句1】：Science, in practice, depends far less on the experiments it prepares than on the preparedness of the minds of the men who watch the experiments.
　　【例句解析】：本句主句为Science, in practice, depends far less on the experiments。it prepares是省略引导词的定语从句，修饰experiments。than on the preparedness of the minds of the men是than引导的比较状语，修饰主句。who watch the experiments是who引导的定语从句，修饰men。
　　【难点点拨】：preparedness：做好准备;
　　【例句释义】：实际上，科学与其说依赖于它所准备的实验，不如说依赖于观察实验的人的头脑是否做好了准备。
　　【典型例句2】：The fact that the apple fell down toward the earth and not up into the tree answered the question he had been asking himself about those larger fruits of the heavens, the moon and the planets.
　　【例句解析】：本句主句为 The fact answered the question。that the apple fell down toward the earth and not up into the tree是that引导的同位语从句，解释fact。he had been asking himself about those larger fruits of the heavens, the moon and the planets是省略引导词的定语从句，修饰question。
　　【难点点拨】：heaven：天空;
　　【例句释义】：苹果朝着地面落下，而非向上飞到树上。这一事实回答了他一直对天空中更大的果实——月球和行星——所存在的疑问。
　　【典型例句3】：If experiments are planned and carried out according to plan as faithfully as the reports in the science journals indicate, then it is perfectly logical for management to expect research to produce results measurable in dollars and cents.
　　【例句解析】： 本句主干为then it is perfectly logical for management to expect research to produce results。measurable in dollars and cents是形容词短语作后置定语，修饰results。If experiments are planned and carried out according to plan as faithfully as the reports in the science journals indicate是if引导的条件状语从句，修饰主干;according to plan是状语，修饰are planned and carried out;as faithfully as the reports in the science journals indicate是as…..as…..引导的比较结构，作状语，修饰are planned and carried out;其中，in the science journals是介词短语作后置定语，修饰reports。
　　【难点点拨】：faithfully：忠实地;perfectly：完全地;management：管理人员;
　　【例句释义】：如果实验像科学杂志中的报告所表明的那样，完全按照计划来安排和开展，那么对于管理人员而言，期待研究产生可用美元和美分来测量的结果是完全合理的。
　　【典型例句4】：It is entirely reasonable for auditors to believe that scientists who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there should not be distracted by the necessity of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on the microscope.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为It is entirely reasonable for auditors to believe that scientists should not be distracted by the necessity，包含一个由that引导的宾语从句。who know exactly where they are going and how they will get there是由who引导的定语从句，修饰scientists;其中包含两个由and连接的两个宾语从句：where they are going和how they will get there。of keeping one eye on the cash register while the other eye is on the microscope是of介词短语作同位语，解释necessity;其中while引导时间状语从句，修饰keeping one eye on the cash register。
　　【难点点拨】：auditor：审计员;distract：打扰，分心;cash register：收银机;microscope：显微镜;
　　【例句释义】：审计员完全有理由认为，明确知道自己将往何方以及如何到达的科学家，不应因某个必要性而分心：观察显微镜时，还须担忧科研资金。
　　【典型例句5】：Nor, if regularity and conformity to a standard pattern are as desirable to the scientist as the writing of his papers would appear to reflect, is management to be blamed for discriminating against the “odd balls” among researchers in favor of more conventional thinkers who “work well with the team”.
　　【例句解析】：本句主干为Nor is management to be blamed，属倒装结构。if regularity and conformity to a standard pattern are as desirable to the scientist as the writing of his papers would appear to reflect是if引导的条件状语从句，修饰主干;其中as desirable as he writing of his papers would appear to reflect是as…as….引导的比较结构，修饰regularity and conformity to a standard pattern are desirable to the scientist。for discriminating against the “odd balls” among researchers in favor of more conventional thinkers who “work well with the team”是for介词短语作原因状语，修饰主干;其中， in favor of more conventional thinkers who “work well with the team”是介词短语作状语，修饰discriminating against the “odd balls” among researchers;who “work well with the team”是who引导的定语从句，修饰thinkers。
　　【难点点拨】：regularity：规则性;conformity：一致;odd balls：怪人;
　　【例句释义】：如果正像科学家的论文所反映的那般，他渴望规律性以及与标准模式的一致性，那么管理人员也不应因歧视科研人员中的“怪胎”而支持“善于团队协作”的传统思考者而受到责备。
　　总之，由于本文中对于后置定语、状语、定语从句等知识点的考查较多，因此大家课下需要多多复习，尤其是要弄懂其中的难点。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辅导名师——张玉环)