真题中的长难句总结
英语考研试卷中，阅读理解和翻译共有50分，占到了全卷分数的半壁江山。毫不夸张地说，把这两部分做好，在英语考试中取得理想的成绩便不再是奢望。那么怎么样才能做好这一部分的试题呢？关键要通过大量的练习，增强阅读英文句子，尤其是其中长难句的能力。长难句一般是指结构复杂难以理解的句子，也有一些其实结构并不复杂，但因为句子很长也很容易让人困惑。长难句出现不多，但是常常大大增加我们理解的难度，成为我们获取高分的“拦路虎”。
下面就近八年来（2003年除外）考研试题中阅读理解和翻译中出现的长难句都列出来，分析它们的结构，指出其中的考查难点，并对如何恰当翻译它们给出建议，希望考生朋友能从中得到一些启发。2003年试卷中的长难句，这里就不分析了，留给大家模考时候自己分析，同时检验自己学习分析长难句的成果。
1. Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class , an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business.
[句子主干]Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased …shareholders as a class, (which was) an element…
[语法难点]本句是典型的非限定性定语从句，难点在其主语和宾语都有较长的短语和of结构限定，并且分句是由两个and相连的3个部分组成的。分句an element…landowners 又带有两个定语从句，一个是（which was）representing…，另一个是(which was)detached…。
可见，定语从句的难点在于经常省略“引导词+be”的结构，从而在理解上容易和分词结构相混淆。
[句子翻译] 对资本和企业的这种大规模的非个人操纵大大增加了股东作为一个阶级的数量和重要性。这个阶层作为国计民生的一部分，代表了非个人责任的财富与土地及土地所有者应尽义务的分离，而且也几乎与责任管理相分离。
[翻译技巧] 实际上定语从句并不符合汉语的使用习惯。所以翻译时遇上定语从句，一定不要机械地按照原来的顺序生搬硬套。像这样分句较长的情况，把主句和分句拆为两句是比较好的方法。所以这里从“这个阶层”开始另起一句。
2．Towns like Bournemouth and Eastboune sprang up to house large. " comfonable" classes who had retired on their incomes, and who had no relation to the rest of the community except that of drawing dividends and occasionally attending a shareholders' meeting to dictate their orders to the management.
[句子主干]Towns…sprang up…classes who…, and who…
[语法难点]1）有并列从句。分析句子主干很容易看到这也是一个典型的定语从句结构，分句由who…,and who…两个并列结构组成。注意like并不是谓语而是介词短语作定语，真正的主句谓语是sprang of。retire on 指“依靠什么而退休（多跟表收入的名词）”。
2）that of drawing dividends 结构中，draw是收取的意思，dividend指红利，that of sth结构是名词性的，that of sth相当于which is结构，目的都是修饰前面的名词。注意后面还有attending…是省略了which were的定语从句，把of sth结构和定语从句交替使用是英语中长难句的惯用手法，目的是避免行文的单调，考生朋友们要注意分辨。
[句子翻译] 像Bournemouth和Eastboune这样的城市兴起了，大批隐退的享乐阶层人士靠自己的收入，在这里过着悠闲的生活。他们与群体之外的人没有联系，只是分取红利，偶尔参加股东会议，对管理人员发号施令。
[翻译技巧]同样是为了避开定语从句，将主句和分句拆为两句。要注意几个短语的理解。
retire on依靠……退休/have…relation…to与……有关系/up to 达到……的规模
3．Robert Fulton once wrote, "The mechanic should sit down among levers, screws, wedges, wheels, etc. ,like a poet among the letters of the alphabet , considering them as an exhibition of his thoughts, in which a new arrangement transmits a new idea. "
[句子主干]Robert Fulton once wrote, “The mechanic should sit down…, like a …, considering them as…, in which a…”
[语法难点]有省略。1）like…分句是省略了who 的主语从句中的分句，considering…分句是现在分词引导的状语从句。这个状语从句可以拿到句首，也可以在句尾。一般来说较长的状语从句置于句尾，较短的置于句首，为的是使句子看上去显得简洁一些。
2）like分句中出现了比较多的省略，补全以后是who like a poet who is among the letters…。英语中的从句之所以是难点就是因为大量地省略引导词。
[句子翻译]罗博特·富尔顿曾经写道，机械工将坐在杠杆、螺丝、楔、轮子等周围，像诗人对待字母表中的每个字母一样，把它们作为自己的思路展示，每一个新组合都传送一个新概念。
[翻译技巧]如果严格地翻译，like分句应该译为“像对待字母表中字母的诗人一样”，原因是这个从句修饰的是机械工，应该用诗人来对应，但这样一来，就不符合汉语的表达习惯了。
4．Some of these causes are completely reasonable results of social needs. Others are reasonable consequences of particular advances in science being to some extent self-accelerating.
[句子主干]Some of these causes are reasonable results…, Others are consequences of advances…
[语法难点]主语是some of these causes，实际的主语就是some，不过谓语是单数还是复数则取决于of后面的成分是单数还是复数。being to…是定语从句的分句结构，意为“属于”。
[句子翻译]在这些原因中，有些完全是自然而然地来自社会需求，另一些则是由于科学在一定程度上自我加速而产生的某些特定发展的必然结果。
[翻译技巧]这个翻译比较简单，注意being to的翻译即可。
5．This trend began during the Second World War, when several governments came to the conclusion that the specific demands that a government wants to make of its scientific establishment cannot generally be foreseen in detail.
[句子主干]This trend began during …, when…,that…
[语法难点]1）有套和从句。这个句子实际上是This trend began.其余的成分都是在起修饰和限定作用。在分析长难句时一定要注意找出句子的主干，关键是确定句子的主语和谓语，只有这样才不会被众多的修饰成分所迷惑。
2）When引导的是时间状语从句。第一个that引导的是修饰conclusion的定语从句，第二个that引导的是修饰demands的定语从句，wants前省略了which，是引导的修饰a government的主语从句。
[句子翻译]这种趋势始于第二次世界大战期间，当时一些国家的政府下了结论，认为：政府向科研机构提出的具体要求通常是无法详尽预见的。
[翻译技巧]此句中短语较多。
come to the conclusion形成某种结论/make of提出/in detail详细地
6．This seems mostly effectively done by supporting a certain amount of research not related to immediate goals but of possible consequence in the future.
[句子主干]This seems …done by supporting a certain amount of research not…but…
[语法难点]注意not…but句型，意为“不是……而是……”
[句子翻译]给某些与当前目标无关但将来可能产生影响的科研提供支持，看来通常能有效地解决这一问题。[翻译技巧]严格说来，not…but结构应译为“不是……而是……”，但这样就显得罗嗦，所以译为“与……无关”，但（另一些有关）。a amount of指“数量达到……”。be related to指“与……有关”。
7．However, the world is so made that elegant systems are in principle unable to deal with some of the world's more fascination and delightful aspects.
[句子主干]However, the world is so made that…systems are …unable to deal with some of the …aspects
[语法难点]so made指“如此构成”，so和后面的that构成so…that结构，意为“如此……以至于……”。be…(un)able to指“可以（或不可以）……”。
[句子翻译]然而，世界就是如此。一般而言，完美的体系无法解决世界上某些更加引人入胜的课题。
[翻译技巧]be so made that意为“如…构成”，不符合汉语表达习惯，所以译为“就是如此”。
in principle 总的说来/deal with应付……
8．New forms of thought as well as new subjects for thought must arise in the future as they have in the past, giving rise to new standards of elegance.
[句子主干]New forms…as well as new subjects…must arise…as they have in the past, giving rise to…
[语法难点]有并列从句。1)主语较为复杂，为并列结构，分别是new forms和new subjects，中间用as well as 连接。
2）as在这里引导了一个介词结构（as they have in the past），have的宾语省略了，其内容与本句主语一致。
3)giving rise to…分句为非限定性定语从句的从句，省略了which are。
[句子翻译]同过去一样，将来必然会出现新的思维方式和新的思维对象，给完美以新的标准。
[翻译技巧]as well as 和，以及/give rise to给……以机会
9．For Lloyd Nickson, a 54 year old Darwin resident suffering from lung cancer, the NT Rights of Terminally III law means he can get on with living without the haunting fear of his suffering: a terrifying death from his breathing condition.
[句子主干]For Lolyd Nicks, the NT Rights…means he can get on with living without…
[语法难点]插入成分很多。此句实际上是个简单句，其核心结构为Rights means…，只不过添加了诸多限制结构使句子看起来很复杂。”For Lolyd Nicks”为主句的状语成分，“a 54－years old…cancer”为Lolyd Nicks 的同位语。
[句子翻译]对于现年54岁居住在达尔文的的肺癌患者尼克逊来说，这个法案意味着他可以平静地生活下去，而无须终日担心将要来临的折磨：因呼吸困难而在煎熬中死去。
[翻译技巧]同位语从句在汉语中很少出现，对同位语从句的处理就把它当作定语从句即可。如此句中就将同位语成分作为前置状语成分的主语的修饰成分即可。haunting fear指“向看到鬼一样恐惧”，表示非常恐惧。
10．Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the nearest cabin or settlement.
[句子主干]Someone…, if…, often had nowhere to turn except…
[语法难点]有省略现象。traveling不是现在分词，而是引导修饰someone的定语从句。if引导的从句中均省略了“主语＋be动词”的结构，这样显得句子简洁。
[句子翻译]独自旅行时，如果没有了食物，受伤了或者生病了，通常只能向最近的小屋或者村落求救。[翻译技巧]直译的话，应该说人们“没有其他地方，只有……”可得到帮助，但这样写的话显得冗长而且
费解，这里根据句意，译为“只能向……求助”就比较准确了。“turn”的用法比较灵活，意思很多，这里依据上下文，译为“向……求助”。
11．We live a society in which the medicinal and social use of substances (drugs) is pervasive: an aspirin to quiet a headache, some wine to be sociable, coffee to get going in the morning, a cigarette for the nerves.
[句子主干]We live in a society in which…substances is pervasive…
[语法难点]实际是简单句。此句句子虽长，但是结构并不复杂，可以从冒号开始分为两个部分。理解的时候要有意识地把两部分分开，个个击破。in which引导了一个定语从句。该从句的分句谓语动词是is而不是are，是因为在这个从句中主语是use，而不是substances，这一点要注意分辨。
[句子翻译] 在我们生活的社会里，物质（药品）被广泛地运用于社交和医疗：服用阿司匹林来缓解头疼，喝酒来应酬，早晨和咖啡来提神，吸烟镇定情绪等。
[翻译技巧]该句冒号以后的内容写得很轻巧，很有文学性，我们翻译的时候也不要强求字字照应，而应该也是比较灵活。如quiet不是“安静”的意思，而是“镇静”的意思。
12．Dependence is marked first by an increased tolerance, with more and more of the substance required to produce the desired effect, and then by the appearance of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the substance is discontinued.
[句子主干]Dependence is marked first by…, with…, and then by…
[语法难点]有并列从句和省略。with引导的是伴随结构作状语，修饰的是整个第一分句描述的状态。and引导的分句省略了谓语动词marked ，所以要注意其实该分句并不隶属于第一分句，而是与之并列的结构。[句子翻译] 依赖的最初表现为耐受力增强，用量越来越大才能达到预期效果，一旦停用就会产生不舒服的症状。
[翻译技巧]有些同学遇上伴随结构就不知道如何翻译了，其实只要按照原来的语序顺次翻译就是。
13．But he talked as well about the “balanced struggle”between creative freedom and social responsibility, and he announced that the company would launch a drive to develop standards for distribution and labeling of potentially objectionable music.
[句子主干]But he talked as well about …, and he announced that…
[语法难点]该句没有从句结构，而是由and连接的两个并列成分构成。用would是因为表达了某人的主观态度和意愿。
[句子翻译] 但他也谈到了创作自由与社会责任之间要“努力保持均衡”这一问题。他宣布公司将尽力对可能招致大众反对的音乐制定各种发行和标识的标准
[翻译技巧]虽然没有从句结构，但是由于句子太长，有众多的修饰成分，所以建议还是拆为两句较好。
14．Average inflation in the big seven industrial economies fell to a mere 2.3% last year, close to its lowest level in 30 years, before rising slightly to 2.5% this July.
[句子主干]Average inflation…fell to a mere…, close to its…, before
[语法难点]有省略。close to分句是非限定性定语从句，省略了which was。Before后面的成分是对全句的补充说明，是状语成分。状语成分可以置句首，也可以置句末，并无定规。之所以用rising，是因为这里需要一个名次性的结构the inflation which was，这样显得简洁得多。
[句子翻译]七大工业国家的通货膨胀率去年下降到了2.3%，接近30年来最低水平，今年7月才小幅上涨到2.5%，比许多国家70年代和80年代两位数低了很多。
[翻译技巧]the big seven industrial economies是指西方七大工业国。close to是靠近的意思。fall to是“跌落至……”的意思。
15．Economists have been particularly surprised by favorable inflation figures in Britain and the United States, since conventional measures suggest that both economies, and especially America's, have little productive slack. [句子主干]Economists have been…surprised by…and…, since…,and especially…, have …
[语法难点]主句用现在完成时have been…是因为经济学家长时间以来关注，现在也在关注，是一个从过去持续到现在的动作。Since引导的是表原因的状语从句。
[句子翻译] 特别让经济学家感到诧异的是，英美两国的通货膨胀带来的是良性的结果，因为传统的分析方法表明，两国尤其是美国的经济生产几乎没有出现滑坡。
[翻译技巧]favorable表示的是“非常好的”，不是“非常喜欢的”，与个人取向没有关系。productive slack
是“生产滑坡”的意思。
16．Actually, it isn't, because it assumes that there is an agreed account of human rights, which is
something the world does not have.
[句子主干]Actually it isn’t, because it assumes that…, which is…
[语法难点]有套合从句。本句为主从复合句。主句很简单，而because引导的原因状语从句中，又有一个that 引导的宾语从句。这个从句中，主语an agreed account of human rights由一个which引导的飞行定性定语从句修饰，而这个非限定性定语从句中又有一个限定性定语从句the world does not have来修饰something。
[句子翻译] 事实并非如此，因为这种问法是以人们对人的权利有共同的认识为基础的，而这种共同认识并不存在。
[翻译技巧]agree为“约定的”意思，agreed account直译为“约定的看法”，意译为“共同的认识”。可见翻译中一定要结合汉语的语言习惯灵活转换。an agreed account of human rights不可译为“有同意的人权记录”。此外，将不定代词具体化，也更符合汉语习惯。
17．Some philosophers argue that rights exist only within a social contract, as part of an exchange of duties and entitlements.
[句子主干]Some philosophers argue that…, as part of an exchange of…
[语法难点]该句仍为主从复合句。that引导的宾语从句中，as part of an exchange of duties and entitlements充当了补充语的角色。
[句子翻译] 有些哲学家论证说，权利只存在社会契约中，是责任与利益相交换的一部分。
[翻译技巧]要正确选择contract的词义，不要译成从此“收缩，缩小”。argue不要译成“争论”，而要灵活处理成“论证说”。
18．It leads the discussion to extremes at the outset: it invites you to think that animals should be treated either with the consideration humans extend to other humans, or with no consideration at all.
[句子主干]It leads the discussion…: it invites you to think that…, or with…
[语法难点]有并列从句和省略。冒号把句子分成两部分，后一部分对前面部分作进一步解释说明。前面部分是简单句。后面部分是复合句。that引导的宾语从句中，主语是animals，谓语是should be treated，either…or…引导两个介词短语作状语，either引导的介词短语中，humans extend to other humans是一个省略引导词that的定语从句。
[句子翻译] 这种说法从一开始就将讨论引向两个极端，它使人们认为应这样对待动物：要么像对人类自身一样关切体谅，要么完全冷漠无情。
[翻译技巧]it 的所指要明确。leads the discussion to extremes译成“将讨论引向两个极端”，at the outset译成
“从一开始”。注意把被动句译为主动句，更合乎汉语习惯。
19．Arguing from the view that humans are different from animals in every relevant respect, extremists of this kind think that animals lie outside the area of moral choice.
[句子主干]Arguing from the view that humans are…, extremists of this…
[语法难点]有套和从句。逗号前面是一个现在分词短语，作状语，里面又有一个that从句作the view的同位语，逗号后面的that从句是一个宾语从句。
[句子翻译] 这类人持极端看法，认为人与动物在各相关方面都不相同，对待动物无须考虑道德问题。
[翻译技巧]in every relevant respect译成“各相关方面”，不要把respect 译成“尊重”；extremists为极端主义者；let outside the area of moral choice译成“不在道德范围内，不关乎道德”。
20．When that happens, it is not a mistake: it is mankind's instinct for moral reasoning in action, an instinct that should be encouraged rather than laughed at.
[句子主干]When that happens, it is not a mistake: it is ….instinct…, an instinct that should be…
[语法难点]以冒号为界，将全句分成两个复合句。前面的复合句里，时间状语从句when that happens叙述的是前一句to see…的情形的出现。That修饰这种行为，主句表明这种行为并不错。冒号后面的复合句解释为什么。这里有一个that从句，作instinct的定语。
[句子翻译] 这种反应并不错，这是人类用道德观念进行推理的本能在起作用，这种本能应得到鼓励而不应遭到嘲弄。
[翻译技巧]将that，it等代词具体化，使译文表达明确；reasoning不能译成“原因”，而应译为“推理，推论”；in action不能译成“在行动中”，而译成“在起作用”，action在此是“作用，性能”的意思；翻译被动语态时，使用“得到”，“遭到”等，使译文流畅自然
21．The Aswan Dam, for example stopped the Nile flooding but deprived Egypt of the fertile silt that floods left - all in return for a giant reservoir of disease which is now so full of silt that it barely generates electricity.
[句子主干]The Aswan Dam, …stopped the Nile flooding…but…
[语法难点]有插入语。for example是个插入结构，不是句子的主要成分。but后面省略了the Aswan Dam。注意so…that…结构，是“如此……以至于”的意思。
[句子翻译] 以阿斯旺大坝为例，它挡住了尼罗河的洪水，但也使埃及失去了洪水冲积的肥沃土壤，换回来的却是一个病态的大水库。现在水库积满泥沙，几乎不能用于发电了。
[翻译技巧]the Nile是尼罗河。All in return意思是“换回来的全部则是”。
22．The trouble is that part of the recent acceleration is due to the usual rebound that occurs at this point in a business cycle, and so is not conclusive evidence of a revival in the underlying trend.
[句子主干]The trouble is that…is due to …, and so is not …
[语法难点]有套和从句。the trouble is that…是表语从句结构。后一个that引导的是修饰rebound的定语从句。[句子翻译] 问题在于，近期的增长一定程度上是因为商业运作周期涨落的结果，因此还不能得出经济已经呈现复苏态势这一结论。
[翻译技巧]part of the recent acceleration不可译为“一部分的最近的加速”，而是“最近加速部分是由于”。business cycle是指“商业周期”。
23．New ways of organizing the workplace all that reengineering and downsizing - are only one contribution to the overall productivity of an economy, which is driven by many other factors such as joint investment in equipment and machinery, new technology, and investment in education and training.
[句子主干]New ways of …workplace…are only one contribution to…, which is…, and…
[语法难点]有插入语。两个破折号中间的成分为插入结构，可以视为括号里面的内容。Such as后面的内容是对many other factors的列举。在阅读的时候基本可以跳过不看，除非后面有细节题考查这里的内容。[句子翻译] 组织工作场所的新方法——包括机构重组和缩小规模——只是促进某个经济实体的综合生产
率提高的一项措施，还有其他许多因素促进生产率的提高，比如对机械设备的联合投资、采用新技术、对教育培训投资等。
[翻译技巧]all that译为“这一切包括”。overall productivity译为“综合生产力水平”。Joint investment译为“联合投资”。Drive译为“驱动”。
24．His colleague, Michael Beer, says that far too many companies have applied re engineering in a mechanistic fashion, chopping out costs without giving sufficient thought to long term profitability.
[句子主干]His colleague,…, says that…,chopping out costs without giving…
[语法难点]有省略。chopping out costs without giving sufficient …分句是非限定性定语从句。修饰的是前一分句的整体意思。without后面要跟现在分词giving。
[句子翻译] 他的同时迈克尔·比尔说，为数众多的公司以简单机械的方式进行机构重组，降低了成本，但却未能充分考虑长期赢利。
[翻译技巧]far too many译为“太多的（比实际需要）”。re-engineering in a mechanistic fashion应译为“以简单机械的方式”。chop out译为“削减”。
怎样处理阅读时最令人头疼的长句
长句
1. 长句：长句是让我们感到很困难的句子，长句的明显特点就是句子比较长，一个句子往往有三、四行，甚至一个句子就是一段。许多应试者在阅读时经常会陷入一个很长的句子中，不知道它到底讲了些什么。长句之所以长，主要有下面几个原因：
I. 从句多又长：一个主句带多个从句，从句中又有从句。
应对方法：首先找到主句的主体部分（即主语、谓语和宾语），再确定从句的主体部分，如果从句中还有从句，在确定下面一层从句的主、谓、宾。注意阅读时一层一层进行，先把同一层次的内容看完，再看下一层次的内容。
例如：98年的第三篇阅读文章中有这样一句话：“A survey of new stories in 1996 reveals that the antiscience tag has been attached to many other groups as well, from authorities who advocated the elimination of the last remaining stocks of smallpox virus to Republicans who advocated decreased funding for basic research。”
这句话就是在that引导的宾语从句中，又套入了两个who引导的定语从句。这个句子主句的主体是a survey reveals that…。从句的结构比较复杂：主语是the antiscience tag（反科学的标签），谓语是has been attached to（被贴到），宾语是many other groups，后面用了一个from sb. who…to sb. who…的结构来举例解释这些groups包括什么人。这句话的意思是“1996年进行的一次对新书的调查显示，“反科学”的标签也被贴在了很多别的人群的身上，包括提倡根除残余的天花病毒的权威机构，以及提倡削减基础科学研究资金的民主党
人。”
II．长长的插入成分：考研阅读所选文章的一大特点就是喜欢用插入语，比如，用插入语交代某句话是谁说的，说话人是什么身份；或是用插入语来修饰、解释、补充前面的内容等等。插入语使作者能更灵活地表达自己的意思，但是插入语过长或是过多容易使读者找不到阅读的重点。从形式上看，插入语的出现有明显标志：用双破折号与主句隔开或者用双逗号与主句隔开。
应对方法：读句子时，先不要理会插入语，先把主句的意思看完。然后再看插入部分。
例如：99年第一篇阅读文章中有这样一句话：“Today, stepladders carry labels several inches long that warn, among other things, that you might — surprise! —fall off. ”
这句话的插入语比较多，首先我们要找出主句：stepladders carry labels（梯子上贴着标签），这个labels有两个修饰语several inches long和一个that 引导的从句。
从句的主语是that（也就是labels），谓语是warn，宾语又是另一个that引导的从句，在warn和宾语从句中插入among other things，表示宾语的内容只是在warn（被警告的）众多内容中列举的一个。这个被列举的内容是fall off （摔下来），但在fall off之前又插入了一个surprise!，插入这个词是因为作者认为梯子警告fall off是件令人吃惊的事，因为爬梯子本来就有摔下来的危险，但商家为了怕消费者控告，竟然将这么明显的事情也写进了警告语。
这个句子的阅读顺序应该是：第一层stepladders carry labels several inches long that，第二层是that warn that you might fall off，最后再看两个插入的部分among other things和surprise!
III．分词状语、独立主格结构的干扰：分词状语就是指用doing或done引导的伴随状语、原因状语等；独立主格结构有时由with引导，看似主谓结构，但实际上并没有真正的谓语部分。由于这些成分的干扰，不仅增加了句子的长度，而且使人很容易错把它们当成主句。在这里，我们不去仔细研究它们的语法构成，而主要研究一下在阅读时怎样分辨主句和这些从属部分。
应对方法：主句最重要的特征就是有完整的主谓结构，尤其是独立的谓语部分。什么样的词能构成独立的谓语部分？注意：do\does和is\am\are的各种时态变化都可以做谓语，但是单纯的to do\doing\done和to be\being的形式是不可以做谓语的。一个看似句子的结构，如果没有独立的谓语部分，那它就不是句子，而是分词短语或者独立主格结构。
例如：1994年考研阅读的第四篇文章中有这样一句话：“With as many as 120 varieties in existence, discovering how cancer works is not easy。”With引导的是一个独立主格结构，在这个句子中做原因状语，也就是说“因为现存癌症的种类有120种之多，所以…”。这句话的主语是由一个复杂的动名词短语充当的，即discovering how cancer works。由于这句话的状语较长，主语又是这样的一个复杂结构，所以大家往往感到找不到这个句子的主干。实际上，只要抓住谓语动词就很容易找到句子主干。由于单纯doing的形式是不可以做谓
语的，所以在这个句子里，discovering就绝不可能是谓语。它是一个动名词，相当于名词的用法，因此它是做主语的。Works虽然是谓语，但它是how cancer works这个从句中的谓语，而不是主句的谓语。所以，主句的谓语只有is。
在实际的阅读过程中，我们常常会碰到包含上面三种情况的超复杂句子，即：一个句子中既有从句又有插入成分，还有分词状语或者独立主格结构。阅读这种句子的正确方法是：从前向后，抓住独立的谓语部分从而区别出主句和分词状语，再根据从句的连接词（有时无连接词）区分主句和从句，层层理解，插入语插在哪个层次中就放在哪个层次中理解。
我们举一个例子来练习一下这种阅读方法。
Declaring that he was opposed to using this unusual animal husbandry technique to clone humans, he ordered that federal funds not be used for such an experiment — although no one had proposed to do so — and asked an independent panel of experts chaired by Princeton President Harold Shapiro to report back to the White House in 90 days with recommendations for a national policy on human cloning. (99年第四篇阅读)
这句话比较长。主句在哪里？首先我们应该在从前向后读的过程中，根据独立的谓语动词找到主句。第一个动词是declaring，由于单纯的doing形式不能做谓语，所以它引导的是一个伴随状语。主句的主语是第二行的he，谓语是ordered，后面的that引导的宾语从句做ordered的宾语，这个宾语从句中还出现了一个插入语（用破折号标明）。
宾语从句的全部内容属于下一个层次，可以暂时不看。再看破折好后面，又出现了一个独立的谓语动词asked，由于从句的主语federal funds不会发出asked 的动作，因此asked是主句的谓语动词。说明主句主语he发出了两个动作ordered和asked，用and连接，asked的后面也有一个比较长的宾语从句。
我们在理清了文章的第一层结构是：Declaring that…, he ordered that… and asked…之后，我们就可以分别分析这三个动词的宾语部分了。
a. Declaring后面是一个that引导的宾语从句，表示其宣布的内容是“反对利用这项非同寻常的畜牧技术来克隆人体”；
b. ordered之后也是一个宾语从句，但其中又插入了一个成分“他同时下令禁止政府资助这种试验----尽管目前还没有人提出要这样做”；
c. ask一词后面通常接ask sb. to do sth.的结构，这句话比较复杂，但其主要结构仍是ask an panel to report back，只不过每个主要成分又有限定和修饰语。
这句话的意思是“命令一个由普林斯顿大学校长Harold Shapiro带领的独立专家小组在三个月内向白宫汇报，对制定人体克隆方面的政策提供建议。”
（以上选自《新东方考研英语阅读》难点及应对策略部分）
俞敏洪从100套真题中提炼而出的100百个经典句子
俞敏洪从100套真题中提炼而出的100百个经典句子
1. Typical of the grassland dwellers of the continent is the American antelope, or pronghorn.
1.美洲羚羊，或称叉角羚，是该大陆典型的草原动物。
2. Of the millions who saw Haley’s comet in 1986, how many people will live long enough to see it return in the twenty-first century.
2. 1986年看见哈雷慧星的千百万人当中，有多少人能够长寿到足以目睹它在二十一世纪的回归呢？
3. Anthropologists have discovered that fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise are universally reflected in facial expressions.
3.人类学家们已经发现，恐惧，快乐，悲伤和惊奇都会行之于色，这在全人类是共通的。
4. Because of its irritating effect on humans, the use of phenol as a general antiseptic has been largely discontinued.
4.由于苯酚对人体带有刺激性作用，它基本上已不再被当作常用的防腐剂了。
5. In group to remain in existence, a profit-making organization must, in the long run, produce something consumers consider useful or desirable.
5.任何盈利组织若要生存，最终都必须生产出消费者可用或需要的产品。
6. The greater the population there is in a locality, the greater the need there is for water, transportation, and disposal of refuse.
6.一个地方的人口越多，其对水，交通和垃圾处理的需求就会越大。
7. It is more difficult to write simply, directly, and effectively than to employ flowery but vague expressions that only obscure one’s meaning.
7.简明，直接，有力的写作难于花哨，含混而意义模糊的表达。
8. With modern offices becoming more mechanized, designers are attempting to personalize them with warmer, less severe interiors.
8.随着现代办公室的日益自动化，设计师们正试图利用较为温暖而不太严肃的内部装饰来使其具有亲切感。
9. The difference between libel and slander is that libel is printed while slander is spoken.
9.诽谤和流言的区别在于前者是书面的，而后者是口头的。
10. The knee is the joints where the thigh bone meets the large bone of the lower leg.
10.膝盖是大腿骨和小腿胫的连接处。
11. Acids are chemical compounds that, in water solution, have a sharp taste, a corrosive action on metals, and the ability to turn certain blue vegetable dyes red.
11.酸是一种化合物，它在溶于水时具有强烈的气味和对金属的腐蚀性，并且能够使某些蓝色植物染料变红。
12. Billie Holiday’s reputation as a great jazz-blues singer rests on her ability to give emotional depth to her songs.
12. Billie Holiday’s作为一个爵士布鲁斯乐杰出歌手的名声建立在能够赋予歌曲感情深度的能力。
13. Essentially, a theory is an abstract, symbolic representation of what is conceived to be reality.
13.理论在本质上是对认识了的现实的一种抽象和符号化的表达。
14. Long before children are able to speak or understand a language, they communicate through facial expressions and by making noises.
14.儿童在能说或能听懂语言之前，很久就会通过面部表情和靠发出噪声来与人交流了。
15. Thanks to modern irrigation, crops now grow abundantly in areas where once nothing but cacti and sagebrush could live.
15.受当代灌溉(技术设施)之赐，农作物在原来只有仙人掌和荞属科植物才能生存的地方旺盛的生长。
16. The development of mechanical timepieces spurred the search for more accurate sundials with which to regulate them.
16.机械计时器的发展促使人们寻求更精确的日晷，以便校准机械计时器。
17. Anthropology is a science in that anthropologists use a rigorous set of methods and techniques to document observations that can be checked by others.
17.人类学是一门科学，因为人类学家采用一整套强有力的方法和技术来记录观测结果，而这样记录下来的观测结果是供他人核查的。
18. Fungi are important in the process of decay, which returns ingredients to the soil, enhances soil fertility, and decomposes animal debris.
18.真菌在腐化过程中十分重要，而腐化过程将化学物质回馈于土壤，提高其肥
力，并分解动物粪便。
19. When it is struck, a tuning fork produces an almost pure tone, retaining its pitch over a long period of time.
19.音叉被敲击时，产生几乎纯质的音调，其音量经久不衰。
20. Although pecans are most plentiful in the southeastern part of the United States, they are found as far north as Ohio and Illinois.
20.虽然美洲山河桃树最集中于美国的东南部但是在北至俄亥俄州及伊利诺州也能看见它们。
21. Eliminating problems by transferring the blame to others is often called scape-goating.
21.用怪罪别人的办法来解决问题通常被称为寻找替罪羊。
22. The chief foods eaten in any country depend largely on what grows best in its climate and soil.
22.一个国家的主要食物是什么，大体取决于什么作物在其天气和土壤条件下生长得最好。
23. Over a very large number of trials, the probability of an event’s occurring is equal to the probability that it will not occur.
23.在大量的实验中，某一事件发生的几率等于它不发生的几率。
24. Most substance contract when they freeze so that the density of
a substance’s solid is higher than the density of its liquid.
24.大多数物质遇冷收缩，所以他们的密度在固态时高于液态。
25. The mechanism by which brain cells store memories is not clearly understood.
25.大脑细胞储存记忆的机理并不为人明白。
26. By the middle of the twentieth century, painters and sculptors in the United States had begun to exert a great worldwide influence over art.
26.到了二十一世纪中叶，美国画家和雕塑家开始在世界范围内对艺术产生重大影响。
27. In the eastern part of New Jersey lies the city of Elizabeth, a major shipping and manufacturing center.
27.伊丽莎白市，一个重要的航运和制造业中心，坐落于新泽西州的东部。
28. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman medical doctor in the United States, founded the New York Infirmary, an institution that has always had a completely female medical staff.
28. Elizabeth Blackwell，美国第一个女医生，创建了员工一直为女性纽约诊所。
29. Alexander Graham Bell once told his family that he would rather be remembered as a teacher of the deaf than as the inventor of the telephone.
29. Alexander Graham Bell曾告诉家人，他更愿意让后人记住他是聋子的老师，而非电话的发明者。
30. Because its leaves remain green long after being picked, rosemary became associated with the idea of remembrance.
30.采摘下的迷迭香树叶常绿不衰，因此人们把迷迭香树与怀念联系在一起。
31. Although apparently rigid, bones exhibit a degree of elasticity that enables the skeleton to withstand considerable impact.
31.骨头看起来是脆硬的，但它也有一定的弹性，使得骨骼能够承受相当的打击。
32. That xenon could not FORM chemical compounds was once believed by scientists.
32.科学家曾相信：氙气是不能形成化合物的。
33. Research into the dynamics of storms is directed toward improving the ability to predict these events and thus to minimize damage and avoid loss of life.
33.对风暴动力学的研究是为了提高风暴预测从而减少损失，避免人员伤亡。
34. The elimination of inflation would ensure that the amount of money used in repaying a loan would have the same value as the amount of money borrowed.
34.消除通货膨胀应确保还贷的钱应与所贷款的价值相同。
35. Futurism, an early twentieth-century movement in art, rejected all traditions and attempted to glorify contemporary life by emphasizing the machine and motion.
35.未来主义，二十世纪早期的一个艺术思潮。拒绝一切传统，试图通过强调
机械和动态来美化生活。
36. One of the wildest and most inaccessible parts of the United States
is the Everglades where wildlife is abundant and largely protected.
36. Everglades是美国境内最为荒凉和人迹罕至的地区之一，此处有大量的野生动植物而且大多受(法律)保护。
37. Lucretia Mott’s influence was so significant that she has been credited by some authorities as the originator of feminism in the United States.
37. Lucretia Mott’s的影响巨大，所以一些权威部门认定她为美国女权运动的创始人。
38. The activities of the international marketing researcher are frequently much broader than those of the domestic marketer.
38.国际市场研究者的活动范围常常较国内市场研究者广阔。
39. The continental divide refers to an imaginary line in the North American Rockies that divides the waters flowing into the Atlantic Ocean from those flowing into the Pacific.
39.大陆分水岭是指北美洛矶山脉上的一道想象线，该线把大西洋流域和太平洋流域区分开来。
40. Studies of the gravity field of the Earth indicate that its crust and mantle yield when unusual weight is placed on them.
40.对地球引力的研究表明，在不寻常的负荷之下地壳和地幔会发生位移。
41. The annual worth of Utah’s manufacturing is greater than that of its mining and farming combined.
41.尤它州制造业的年产值大于其工业和农业的总和。
42. The wallflower is so called because its weak stems often grow on walls and along stony cliffs for support.
42.墙花之所以叫墙花，是因为其脆弱的枝干经常要靠墙壁或顺石崖生长，以便有所依附。
43. It is the interaction between people, rather than the events that occur in their lives, that is the main focus of social psychology. 43.社会心理学的主要焦点是人与人之间的交往，而不是他们各自生活中的事件。
44. No social crusade aroused Elizabeth Will iams’ enthusiasm more than the expansion of educational facilities for immigrants to the United States.
44.给美国的新移民增加教育设施比任何社会运动都更多的激发了Elizabeth Williams的热情。
45. Quails typically have short rounded wings that enable them to spring into full flight instantly when disturbed in their hiding places.
45.典型的鹌鹑都长有短而圆的翅膀，凭此他们可以在受惊时一跃而起，飞离它们的躲藏地。
46. According to anthropologists, the earliest ancestors of humans that stood upright resembled chimpanzees facially, with sloping foreheads and protruding brows.
46.根据人类学家的说法，直立行走的人的鼻祖面部轮廓与黑猩猩相似，额头后倾，眉毛突出。
47. Not until 1866 was the fully successful transatlantic cable finally laid.
47.直到1866年第一条横跨大西洋的电缆才完全成功的架通。
48. In his writing, John Crowe Ransom describes what he considers the spiritual barrenness of society brought about by science and technology.
48. John Crowe Ransom在他的著作中描述了他认为是由科学技术给社会带来的精神贫困。
49. Children with parents whose guidance is firm, consistent, and rational are inclined to possess high levels of self-confidence.
49.父母的教导如果坚定，始终如一和理性，孩子就有可能充满自信。
50. The ancient Hopewell people of North America probably cultivated corn and other crops, but hunting and gathering were still of critical importance in their economy.
50.北美远古的Hopewell人很可能种植了玉米和其他农作物，但打猎和采集对他们的经济贸易仍是至关重要的。
51. Using many symbols makes it possible to put a large amount of inFORMation on a single map.
51.使用多种多样的符号可以在一张地图里放进大量的信息。
52. Anarchism is a term describing a cluster of doctrines and attitudes whose principal uniting feature is the belief that government
is both harmful and unnecessary.
52.无政府主义这个词描述的是一堆理论和态度，它们的主要共同点在于相信政
府是有害的，没有必要的。
53. Probably no man had more effect on the daily lives of most people
in the Untied States than did Henry Ford a pioneer in automobile production.
53.恐怕没有谁对大多数美国人的日常生活影响能超过汽车生产的先驱亨利.福特。
54. The use of well-chosen nonsense words makes possible the testing of many basic hypotheses in the field of language learning.
54.使用精心挑选的无意义词汇，可以检验语言学科里许多基本的假定。
55. The history of painting is a fascinating chain of events that probably began with the very first pictures ever made.
55.优化历史是由一连串的迷人事件组成，其源头大概可以上溯到最早的图画。
56. Perfectly matched pearls, strung into a necklace, bring a far higher price than the same pearls told individually.
56.相互般配的珍珠，串成一条项链，就能卖到比单独售出好得多的价钱。
57. During the eighteenth century, Little Turtle was chief of the Miami tribe whose territory became what is now Indiana and Ohio.
57.十八世纪时，“小乌龟”是迈阿密部落的酋长，该部落的地盘就是今天的印
第安那州和俄亥俄州。
58. Among almost seven hundred species of bamboo, some are fully grown at less than a foot high, while others can grow three feet in twenty-four hours.
58.在竹子的近七百个品种中，有的全长成还不到一英尺，有的却能在二十四小
时内长出三英尺。
59. Before staring on a sea voyage, prudent navigators learn the sea charts, study the sailing directions, and memorize lighthouse locations to prepare themselves for any conditions they might encounter.
59.谨慎的航海员在出航前，会研究航向，记录的灯塔的位置，以便对各种可能
出现的情况做到有备无患。
60. Of all the economically important plants, palms have been the least studied.
60.在所有的经济作物中，棕榈树得到的研究最少。
61. Buyers and sellers should be aware of new developments in technology can and does affect marketing activities.
61.购买者和销售者都应该留意技术的新发展，原因很简单，因为技术能够并且已经影响着营销活动。
62. The application of electronic controls made possible by the microprocessor and computer storage have multiplied the uses of the modern typewriter.
62.电脑储存和由于电子微处理机得以实现的电控运用成倍的增加了现代打字机的功能。
63. The human skeleton consists of more than two hundred bones bound together by tough and relatively inelastic connective tissues called ligaments.
63.人类骨骼有二百多块骨头组成，住些骨头石油坚韧而相对缺乏弹性的，被称为韧带的结蒂组连在一起。
64. The pigmentation of a pearl is influenced by the type of oyster in which it develops and by the depth, temperature, and the salt content of the water in which the oyster lives.
64.珍珠的色泽受到作为其母体牡蛎种类及牡蛎生活水域的深度，温度和含盐度的制约。
65. Although mockingbirds superbly mimic the songs and calls of many birds, they can nonetheless be quickly identified as mockingbirds by certain aural clues.
65.尽管模仿鸟学很多种鸟的鸣叫声惟妙惟肖，但人类还是能够依其声音上的线索很快识别它们。
66. Not only can walking fish live out of water, but they can also travel short distances over land.
66.鲇鱼不仅可以离开水存活，还可以在岸上短距离移动。
67. Scientists do not know why dinosaurs became extinct, but some theories postulate that changers in geography, climate, and sea levels were responsible.
67.科学家不知道恐龙为何绝种了，但是一些理论推断是地理，气候和海平面的变化造成的。
68. The science of horticulture, in which the primary concerns are maximum yield and superior quality, utilizes inFORMation derived from other sciences.
68.主要目的在于丰富和优质的农艺学利用了其他科学的知识。
69. Snow aids farmers by keeping heart in the lower ground levels, thereby saving the seeds from freezing.
69.雪对农民是一种帮助，因为它保持地层土壤的温度，使种子不致冻死。
70. Even though the precise qualities of hero in literary words may vary over time, the basic exemplary function of the hero seems to remain constant.
70.历代文学作品中的英雄本色虽各有千秋，但其昭世功力却是恒古不变的。
71. People in prehistoric times created paints by grinding materials such as plants and clay into power and then adding water.
71.史前的人们制造颜料是将植物和泥土等原料磨成粉末，然后加水。
72. Often very annoying weeds, goldenrods crowd out less hardy plants and act as hosts to many insect pests.
72.黄菊花通常令人生厌，它挤走不那么顽强的植物，并找来很多害虫。
73. Starting around 7000 B.C., and for the next four thousand years, much of the Northern Hemisphere experienced temperatures warmer than at present.
73.大约从公元前七千年开始，在四千年当中，北半球的温度比现在高。
74. When Henry Ford first sought financial backing for making cars,
the very notion of farmers and clerks owning automobiles was considered ridiculous.
74.当亨利.福特最初制造汽车为寻求资金支持时，农民和一般职员也能拥有汽车的想法被认为是可笑的。
75. Though once quite large, the population of the bald eagle across North America has drastically declined in the past forty years.
75.北美秃头鹰的数量一度很多，但在近四十年中全北美的秃头鹰数量急剧下降。
76. The beaver chews down trees to get food and material with which to build its home.
76.水獭啃倒树木，以便取食物并获得造窝的材料。
77. Poodles were once used as retrievers in duck hunting, but the American Kennel Club does not consider them sporting dogs because they are now primarily kept as pets.
77.长卷毛狗曾被用作猎鸭时叼回猎物的猎犬，但是美国Kennel Club却不承认它们为猎犬，因为它们现在大多数作为宠物饲养。
78. As a result of what is now know in physics and chemistry, scientists have been able to make important discoveries in biology and medicine.
78.物理学和化学的一个成果是使得科学家们能在生物学和医学上获得重大发现。
79. The practice of making excellent films based on rather obscure novels has been going on so long in the United States as to constitute
a tradition.
79.根据默默无闻的小说制作优秀影片在美国由来已久，已经成为传统。
80. Since the consumer considers the best fruit to be that which is the most attractive, the grower must provide products that satisfy the discerning eye.
80.因为顾客认为最好的水果应该看起来也是最漂亮的，所以种植者必须提供能满足挑剔眼光的产品。
81. Television the most pervasive and persuasive of modern technologies, marked by rapid change and growth, is moving into a new era, an era of
extraordinary sophistication and versatility, which promises to reshape our lives and our world.
81.电视，这项从迅速变化和成长为标志的最普及和最有影响力的现代技术，正在步入一个新时代，一个极为成熟和多样化的时代，这将重塑我们的生活和世界。
82. Television is more than just an electronics; it is a means of expression, as well as a vehicle for communication, and as such becomes
a powerful tool for reaching other human beings.
82.电视不仅仅是一件电器；它是表达的手段和交流的载体并因此成为联系他人的有力工具。
83. Even more shocking is the fact that the number and rate of imprisonment have more than doubled over the past twenty years, and recidivism------that is the rate for re-arrest------is more than 60 percent.
83.更让人吃惊的事实是监禁的数目和比例在过去的二十年中翻了一番还有余，以及累犯率——即再次拘押的比例——为百分之六十强。
84. His teaching began at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but William Rainey Harper lured him to the new university of Chicago, where he remained officially for exactly a generation and where his students in advanced composition found him terrifyingly frigid in the classroom but sympathetic and understanding in their personal conferences. 84.他的教书生涯始于麻省理工学院，但是William Rainey Harper把他吸引到了新成立的芝加哥大学。他在那里正式任职长达整整一代人的时间。他的高级作文课上的学生觉得他在课上古板得可怕，但私下交流却富有同情和理解。
85. The sloth pays such little attention to its personal hygiene that green algae grow on its coarse hair and communities of a parasitic moth live in the depths of its coat producing caterpillars which graze on its mouldy hair. Its muscles are such that it is quits incapable of moving at a speed of over a kilometer an hour even over the shortest distances and the swiftest movement it can make is a sweep of its hooked arm.
85.树獭即不讲究卫生，以至于它粗糙的毛发上生出绿苔，成群的寄生蛾生长在它的皮毛深处，变成毛毛虫，并以它的脏毛为食。她的肌肉不能让他哪怕在很短的距离以内以每小时一公里的速度移动。它能做的最敏捷的动作就是挥一挥它弯曲的胳膊。