考研英语历年真题基础阅读90篇长难句精析之二
1. Instead, we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles, which now more than ever seem in ample supply: the critic of American materialism with a Southampton summer home; the publisher of radical books who takes his meals in three star restaurants; the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life, whose own children are enrolled in private schools.
【译文】 相反，我们目睹了比以前任何时候都多的虚伪景观：美国物欲主义批评家在南安普顿拥有一幢避暑别墅，激进图书的出版商在三星级餐馆就餐，倡导终生参与民主制的新闻记者把自己的子女送进私立学校。
【分析】 本句的主句是we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles。非限定性的定语从句 (which now more than ever seem in ample supply) 修饰spectacles。冒号后面的成分是三个并列的名词性短语，其核心词分别是critic，publisher和journalist。spectacles在文中意为“壮观景象”，有一定的反讽意味。
2. This does not mean that ambition is at an end, that people no longer feel its stirrings and promptings, but only that, no longer openly honored, it is less openly professed.
【译文】 这并不意味着抱负已经穷途末路，人们不再感觉到它对人们的激励了;而只是说明人们不再公开地以它为荣，更不愿公开地坦承了。
【分析】 这是一个简单句，主干是this does not mean，后面接了三个并列的that从句作mean的宾语。在第三个宾语从句中，it指代ambition，no longer openly honored是插入语，作该从句的状语。that people no longer feel its stirrings and promptings意思是that people are no longer stirred and prompted by ambition。
3. The attacks on ambition are many and come from various angles; its public defenders are few and unimpressive, where they are not extremely unattractive.
【译文】 对抱负的攻击非常之多，而且观点不尽相同;公开为之辩解的则少之又少，而且并不为人注意，尽管他们并非一点吸引力也没有。
【分析】 此句是用分号隔开的两个并列句，后面的一个分句中有一个where引导的定语从句，从整体上来修饰its public defenders，只不过先行词用了where。
4. The astonishing distrust of the news media isn't rooted in inaccuracy or poor reportorial skills but in the daily clash of world views between reporters and their readers.
【译文】 对新闻媒介这种令人震惊的不信任，其根源并非是报道失实或低下的报道技巧，而是记者与读者的世界观每天都发生着碰撞。
【分析】 本句的主干是一个not…but… 结构。注意这个结构引导的是两个方式状语。其核心词分别是inaccuracy和the daily
clash。本句的主干是The astonishing distrust of the news media isn't rooted。两个分词短语充当句子的状语。
5. Luckily, if the doormat or stove failed to warn of coming disaster, a successful lawsuit might compensate you for your troubles. Or so the thinking has gone since the early 1980s, when juries began holding more companies liable for their customers' misfortunes. 【译文】 幸好，如果门垫和炉子忘了提醒你可能的危险，一切成功的诉讼就会赔偿人的损失。大约从20世纪80年代初开始，陪审员开始越来越多的裁定公司必须为其顾客的不幸负责。
【分析】 句子本身并不复杂，两个句子表达了人们的想法。在第一个句子中，if the doormat or stove failed to warn of coming disaster是指门垫或炉灶没有警示语。在第二个句子中，or so the thinking has gone是一个倒装结构，正常的语序应该是or the thinking has gone so(或者说人们是这么想的)。