Skill-related Reading
Reading Skill（IX）：Analyzing Long and Complicated Sentences
In the process of reading，we may often encounter some long and complicated sentences，which can constitute a barrier to reading comprehension．Therefore it is essential to know the most frequently used types of long and complicated sentences，and the basic steps to analyze them in reading practice．
1．Types of Long and Complicated Sentences
（1）Simple main clause with complicated modifiers（复杂简单句）
When a simple sentence is added by many phrasal attributives or phrasal adverbials，it will be very difficult for us to analyze its structure and even hard to understand it．For example：
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．
结构分析：本句是“主+谓”结构的句型。主语dependence，谓语是动词mark的被动语态，两个并列的“by短语”作状语。with介词短语是状语，修饰第一个by短语，而when引导的时间状语从句修饰第二个by短语。
参考译文：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。
（2）Complicated main plus subordinate clauses（复杂主从句）
Some English sentences are long and complicated in that they contain several subordinate clauses．Actually they are composed of the main clause and modifying elements．Serving as the bone of the whole sentence，the main clause is composed of“subject+predicate+other constituents”．For example：
It is true that a high proportion of the newly farmed land was suitable only for grazing and dry farming，but agricultural practices had become sufficiently advanced to make it possible to increase the profitability of farming by utilizing even these relatively barren lands．
结构分析：看到连词but，我们就知道此句为并列句，but连接两个句子。前一句是个主语从句，it是形式主语，真正的主语是that引导的主语从句；后一句是一个较复杂的简单句，为主+系+表结构，主语是agricultural practices，系动词是过去完成时的become，表语是advanced，动词不定式to make it possible to．．．用来作状语，表示结果。
参考译文：确实，很大一部分新开垦的土地只能够用于放牧和旱作，但是，农业手段已经非常先进，完全可以增加农业的收入，即使利用这些相对贫瘠的土地。
（3）Separately structured sentences（分隔结构句）
In English sentences，as a means of adjusting tones or balancing the sentence structure，two closely related sentence components are separated by other grammatical elements，hence the so-called separately structured sentence．Some frequently used elements are independent structures，new topics or information added after hyphens or long attributives．For example：
The emphasis given by both scholars and statesmen to the presumed disappearance of the American frontier helped to obscure the great importance of changes in the conditions and consequences of international trade that occurred during the second half of the nineteenth century．
结构分析：主语the emphasis后面是一个较长的定语，由过去分词短语充当，将主语和谓语隔开；谓语动词是help，动词不定式to obscure．．．作宾语。That引导的定语从句修饰international trade．
参考译文：学者和政治家强调美国边疆消失的假设，这种强调模糊了在19世纪后半期国际贸易的情况和后果方面发生重大变化的巨大作用。
（4）Sentences with omission（省略结构句）
Omission is inevitable in English sentences as a way to make sentences briefer．It occurred more in subordinate clauses so as to make the sentence more varied and forceful in expression．A case in point is comparative adverbial clause，in which some components are always omitted，which may cause the difficulty in understanding the whole sentence．For example：
While still a young man，he was appointed to a committee to find out whether the South Branch of the James River was deep enough to be used by large boats．
结构分析：本句整体上是一个主从句。前面是while引导的时间状语从句，主句是“主+谓”型结构。特殊的是while后面省略了主语he和系动词was，这类句式要求当从句由while，when，although，as if等引导时，从句的主语和主句的主语一致，并且从句是“主语+be”，此时从句中的“主语+be”可以被省略。(https://www.daowen.com)
参考译文：在他还年轻的时候，他就被任命为一个委员会的成员，去调查詹姆斯河南部支流的水深是否足以通行大型船只。
（5）Sentences with Inversion（倒装结构句）
Some sentences may be different from normal sentences in that the word order in them has been changed．Inversion is one of the ways to adapt word order．The purpose is to emphasize the focal meaning of a sentence or adopt the subjunctive mood to convey negative meaning．These sentences are usually related to some adverbials or conjunctives，which are remarkable symbols for inversion．For instance：
Only when total production expands faster than the rate of labor force growth plus the rate of productivity increase and minus the rate at which average annual hours fall does the unemployment rate fall．
结构分析：当Only．．．作状语放在句首时，句子要进行部分倒装，即将助动词提到主语的前面。本句中，助动词does放在了主语the unemployment rate的前面。
参考译文：只有当总产量增长快于劳工数量加产量的增长，并减去平均工作时间，失业率才会下降。
2．Steps for Analyzing Complicated Sentences
Step 1：Break down the long and complicated sentences into several simple sentences．Find out the main structure of the sentence according to its components．Any sentence can be simplified into one of the five basic sentence patterns．
Step 2：Find out the conjunctives and relatives and analyze the relationship between sentences and phrases，thus deciding on which is the main clause or subordinate one．
Step 3：Analyze the constituents of the main clause and subordinate one srespectively．Both of them can be broken down into the five basic sentence patterns．Having recognized which basic sentence pattern is contained in them，we can focus on the predicate and try to perceive its tense，voice，mood，and then observe whether there are inversion，omission，separation，insertion，independent elements or appositive structure，etc．
Step 4：Analyze the relationship between the main clause and subordinate ones as well as within subordinate clauses．Meanwhile，with reference to context and cultural background，we should try to grasp the literal meaning of the whole sentence and the deep meaning between the lines．
＼Reading Practice＼
I．Directions：Decide on the types of the following sentences and analyze the structure of them．
（1）One encyclopedia tells us that intelligence is related to the ability to learn，to the speed with which things are learned，to how well and how long ideas are remembered，to the ability to understand those ideas and use them in problem-solving，and to creativity．
（2）At the early attempts，the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths，a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea．
（3）Among the advantages that future bio-chips，or“living computers”，would have over conventional semiconductor chips are that they are smaller，they do not generate as much heat，and they allow for the parallel processing of information，making them faster than today’s semiconductor devices．
Ⅱ．Directions：Translate the underlined sentences into English．
Engineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality，but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool．I chose to study engineering at a small liberal arts university that doesn’t even offer a major in electrical engineering．Obviously，this was not a practical choice；I came here for more noble reasons，I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my career．I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by interacting with people who weren’t studying science or engineering．My parents，teachers and other adults praised me for such a sensible choice．They told me I was wise and mature beyond my 18 years，and I believed them．
（1）I headed off to college with the firm belief that I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering“factories”where they didn’t care if you have values or were flexible．I was going to be a complete engineer：technical genius and sensitive humanist（人文学者）all in one．
Now I’m not so sure．Somewhere along the way my noble ideals crashed into reality，as all noble ideals eventually do．（2）After three years of struggling to balance math，physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses，I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile（协调）engineering with liberal-arts courses in college．
（3）The reality that has blocked my path to become a typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’t mix as easily as I assumed in high school．Individually they shape a person in very different ways；together they threaten to confuse．The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult．