考研英语长难句讲解 第209期

 　　21. Mr. McWhorter's academic specialty¹ is language history and change, and he sees the gradual disappearance² of "whom"，for example, to be natural and no more regrettable than the loss of the case-ending of Old English.

　　【分析】并列句。And连接两个并列分句。前一分句为简单的主系表结构。后一分句主干为he sees the gradual disappearance of "whom"...to be...，其中for example为插入语。To be…Old English为宾语补足语。

　　【译文】麦荷特先生的学术专长在于语言史和语言转变。举例来说，他认为"whom"一词的逐渐消失是自然的，并不比古英语中词格尾缀的消失更令人惋惜。

　　【点拨】no more than为“仅仅，只有”或“并不如，同样不”，在本句中是想表达“并不如，同样不”的意思。

　　22. While even the modestly educated sought an elevated tone when they put pen to paper before the 1960s, even the most well regarded writing since then has sought to capture spoken English on the page.

　　【分析】并列复合句。while连接两个并列分句，两个分句间含对照关系。第一个分句的主干为the modestly educated sought an elevated tone,其中又包含一个when 引导的时间状语从句。第二个分句的主干为writing… has sought to capture spoken English, since then 为时间状语,then指代 the 1960s。

　　【译文】在20世纪60年代以前，即使是只受过一般教育的人在下笔时都会寻求一种髙的笔调；而在那之后，即使是最受好评的文章也在追求口语之风。

　　【点拨】regard作动词时,意为“注视”，“视为，认为”或“注意，留意”。

1 specialty   

n.(speciality)特性，特质；专业，专长

参考例句：

• Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
• His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。

2 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。