从句

1．First it will pass through sharp metal bars which will tear open the plastic bags in which rubbish is usually packed.

结构： 全句有3个谓语动词：will pass，will tear和is。其中主句的是will pass。句子主干是it will pass through sharp metal bars。第一个which引导的定语从句修饰的是sharp metal bars。第二个which引导的定语从句修饰的是the plastic bags。这是大定语从句里面还有一个小定语从句。句子可以拆分为：

1. First it will pass through sharp metal bars.

2. The metal bars will tear open the plastic bags.

3. Rubbish is usually packed in the bags.

翻译：首先，垃圾要通过尖的金属棒，金属棒会把装垃圾的塑料袋弄破。

2．When we talk about someone’s personality, we mean the ways in which he or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels that make that individual different from others.

结构：全句有4组谓语动词：talk，mean，acts/speaks/thinks/feels和make。其中主句的是：mean。句首是When引导的时间状语从句。之后which引导的定语从句和that引导的定语从句都是修饰the ways的。句子可以拆分为：

1. We talk about someone’s personality.

2. We mean the ways.

3. He or she acts, speaks, thinks and feels in these ways.

4. These make that individual different from others.

翻译：当我们谈到某个人的个性时，我们指的是他/她在行为，言谈和思考以及感觉等方面的方式。这些方式使这个人区别于他人。

3．Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity and hard work are protected.

结构：全句有3个谓语动词：is, is和are protected。其中主句的是：is, is。全句由两个有递进关系的单句构成。其中，which引导的是定语从句，修饰the means。句子可被拆分为：

1. Competition is not only good in itself.

2. It is the means.

3. Other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity and hard work are protected by these means.

翻译：竞争不但本身就是好事，还是其他基本的美国价值观如个人自由，机会平等和勤奋工作等得到保护的手段。

4. The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, painfree life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness.

结构： 全句有3个谓语动词：hold，equals和reduce。其中主句的是reduces。句子主干为：The way actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness。The way 后面是省略了which/that的定语从句。在这个定语从句中，还有一个that引导的同位语从句，修饰the belief。句子可以拆分为：

1. This way actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness.

2. A fun-filled, painfree life equals happiness.

3. People hold to this belief.

翻译：人们信奉的充实又无忧无虑的生活就等于幸福的信念实际上降低了他们获得真正的幸福的可能性。

5. Those who oppose the building of flats base their case primarily on the assumption that everyone prefers an individual home and garden and on the high cost per unit of accommodation.

结构：全句有3个谓语动词：oppose，base和prefers。其中主句的是：base。句子主干为：Those base their case primarily on the assumption and on the high cost。其中who引导的是定语从句，修饰those。that引导的同位语从句修饰the assumption。

翻译：那些反对建设公寓的人的理由主要是基于大家都喜欢单独的住宅和花园的假设以及每个居住单位的高成本。

6. Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long periods of time, and the danger to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposure received throughout his lifetime.

结构：全句有3个谓语动词：have pointed，are和may depend。其中主句的是have pointed。句子主干为：Responsible public health officials have pointed out that。that引导的是pointed out的宾语从句。The danger…是省略了that 的pointed out的宾语从句，。

翻译：公共卫生部门的相关负责官员已经指出化学物质的生物作用是长期累积的，并且其对个人的危害要视其一生暴露于化学物质的总量而定。

7. My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable.

结构：全句有2个谓语动词：is和is。其中主句的是第一个is。句子主干为：My point is that。that引导的从句在句子中的成分为表语，因而这个从句是一个表语从句。句子可以拆分为：

1. My point is this.

2. The frequent complaint … is inevitable.

翻译：我的意思是一代人对其下一代人的时常的抱怨是不可避免的。

8. What we expect in life and what we are accustomed to would strongly influence our evaluation.

结构：全句有3个谓语动词：expect，are accustomed和would influence。What引导的两个名词性从句在句子中作的是并列主语，因而是两个并列的主语从句。句子可被拆分为：

1. What we expect something in life.

2. What we are accustomed to something.

3. These would strongly influence our evaluation.

翻译：我们在生活中所期待的东西以及我们已经习惯的事物会强烈的影响我们的评价。

9. Researchers have established that when people are mentally engaged, biochemical changes occur in the brain that allow it to act more effectively in cognitive areas such as attention and memory.

结构：全句有4个谓语动词：have established，are engaged，occur和allow。其中主句的是：have established。句子主干为Researchers have established that。其中，第一个that引导的是have established的宾语从句。在这个宾语从句中，when引导的是其时间状语从句。要注意的是，第二个that引导的定语从句修饰的是biochemical changes而并非brain。

翻译：研究人员已经确定当人们进行心理活动时，大脑中发生的生物化学变化时的大脑思维在认知区域（如注意力和记忆力等）能够更加敏捷。

10. Part of the reason we view ourselves so favorably is that we use criteria that work to our advantage.

结构：全句有4个谓语动词：view，is，use和work。其中主句的是：is。句子主干为：Part of the reason is that。其中，the reason后面是省略了that/why的定语从句。Is后面的that引导的是表语从句，在这个表语从句中的第二个 that引导的是定语从句，修饰criteria。

翻译：我们如此肯定地看待自己的一部分原因是因为我们使用了对自己有利的标准。

11. It is precisely this kind of conversation that is of importance when we are seeking to develop our reading to meet the new demands being placed upon us by studying at a higher level.

结构：全句有3个谓语动词：is，is和are seeking。其中主句的是：is。句子主干为：It is precisely this kind of conversation。that引导的定语从句修饰conversation。其中，在when引导的时间状语从句中，现在分词短语being placed…作为后置定语修饰demands。

翻译：在我们寻求提高阅读水平以满足更高层次的学习对我们的新要求时，重要的正是这种形式的对话。

12．It merely says that evolution has programmed us to perform those functions at a time when activity would be inefficient and possibly dangerous.

结构 全句有3个谓语动词：says，has programmed和would be。其中主句的是：says。句子主干为：It merely says that。that引导的是says的宾语从句。需要注意的是，在这个宾语从句中，when引导的是一个定语从句，修饰time，而非时间状语从句。

翻译：它仅仅认为进化安排了我们在活动效率低并可能有危险的时侯执行这些功能。

13．Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer.

结构：全句有4个谓语动词：owe，are determined，take和has。其中主句的是：owe。句子主干为：Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents。who引导的是定语从句，修饰parents。其中，that引导的是are determined的宾语从句，what引导的是介词of的宾语从句。

翻译：大多亚裔美国学生把成功归功于他们的父母。这些家长决心使自己的孩子充分利用美国的教育体系提供的条件。

14．Where previously it had concentrated on the big infrastructure projects such as dams, roads and bridges, it began to switch to projects which directly improved the basic services of a country.

结构：全句有3个谓语动词：had concentrated，began和improved。其中主句的是：began。句子主干为：it began to switch to projects。Where引导的是一个地点状语从句。which引导的是一个定语从句，修饰projects。

翻译：之前它曾将注意力集中在诸如大坝，道路以及桥梁等的大型基础设施建设工程上，而现在开始转向可以直接发展国家基础服务的工程上了。