考研英语(一)长难句解析系列——1998年阅读Text5

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　　文章主要讲述的是“热点”现象及其相关理论对于地球构造以及大陆板块研究起到的指导性意义。对于广大考生而言，题材较为陌生，难度较大。作为阅读的最后一篇文章，在长难句方面，文章难度也略高，重点是要对长难句进行断句，找到句子的主干，辨识出不同形式的定语、同位语和状语方法。下面就其中的5个句子进行详解：
　　【典型例句1】 Scattered around the globe are more than 100 small regions of isolated volcanic activity known to geologists as hot spots.
　　【例句分析】本句采用了完全倒装，正常语序是more than 100 small regions of isolated volcanic activity known to geologists as hot spots are scattered around the globe. 其中known to geologists as hot spots是后置定语，修饰regions。
　　【例句译文】地球上散布着一百多个孤立的、面积不大的火山活动区，地质学家称之为热点。
　　【典型例句2】 Africa and South America, for example, are moving away from each other as new material is injected into the sea floor between them.
　　【例句分析】本句是一个主从复合句，主干是Africa and South America are moving away from each other，as new material is injected into the sea floor between them是as引导的时间状语从句。
　　【例句译文】以非洲和南美洲为例，由于有新的物质注入二者之间的海底，两大洲正在远离彼此。
　　【典型例句3】 The complementary coastlines and certain geological features that seem to span the ocean are reminders of where the two continents were once joined.
　　【例句分析】本句的主干是The complementary coastlines and certain geological features are reminders of where the two continents were once joined，其中where引导宾语从句。that seem to span the ocean引导定语从句，修饰coastlines。
　　【例句译文】但是，相互吻合的海岸线和某些似乎跨越大洋的地质特征会提醒人们这两个大陆曾经是连在一起的。
　　【典型例句4】 The relative motion of the plates carrying these continents has been constructed in detail, but the motion of one plate with respect to another cannot readily be translated into motion with respect to the earth’s interior.
　　【例句分析】本句是由but连接的一个并列句。分句1中The relative motion of the plates has been constructed in detail是主干;分句2中the motion of one plate cannot be translated into motion。carrying these continents是定语修饰plates;with respect to another是定语，修饰motion of one plate;with respect to the earth’s interior是定语，修饰motion。
　　【例句译文】承载这些大陆的板块相对运动已经得到详尽阐释，但一个板块相对另一板块的运动还不能轻易解释为相对于地球内部的运动。
　　【典型例句5】 It now appears that they also have an important influence on the geophysical processes that propel the plates across the globe.
　　【例句分析】本句使用了It形式主语句型，that they also have an important influence on the geophysical processes是that引导的主语从句。that propel the plates across the globe是that引导的定语从句，修饰geophysical processes。
　　【例句译文】现在看来，热点似乎也对推动全球板块漂移的地球物理过程有着重要影响。
　　各位同学在今后的学习中，应该加大长难句练习，以句子为单位综合掌握词汇、语法和翻译方法。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》、《华盛顿邮报》和《时代周刊》等，积累英语国家新闻中的常用表达。
　　　　(本文作者为中公考研英语辅导名师——申虹)