It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under
the age of forty
形式主语 系动词 表语 程度状语 逻辑主语 后置定语
to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most
big-city newspapers.
真正主语 定语从句
译文:有一个时代是40岁以下的普通读者难以想象的,在那个时代,大多数城市的报纸都有高质量的艺术评论。
分析:该句的主干为It is difficult…to imagine a time…。其中,it为形式主语,而真正的主语是不定式结构to
imagine a time。介词短语to the point of
impossibility是理解的难点,它是一个程度状语,说明了difficult的程度。for the average
reader说明了imagine这个动作的逻辑主语,其后的后置定语修饰的是reader。句尾有一个when引导的定语从句,修饰名词time。