例88 "The test of any democratic society", he wrote in a Wall Street Journal column, "lies not in how well it can control expression but in whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude, however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be."
【結構分析】主語是the test of any democratic society,動詞是lies in,后面是固定搭配,not...but..., not后面是第一個賓語從句how well it can control expression, but in后面是第二個賓語從句whether it gives freedom of thought and expression the widest possible latitude,其中freedom of thought and expression是直接賓語,the widest possible latitude是間接賓語,however disputable or irritating the results may sometimes be是讓步狀語從句。
【亮點回放】此句話的亮點在于not...but...,“不是……而是……”,否定前面,肯定后面,是很大氣的轉折,起承轉合讓句子更加美妙,后面兩個賓語從句,很美妙,how well是很高級的賓語從句,whether是很長的賓語從句,這兩個賓語從句組合很好。
【核心詞匯】
democratic society 民主社會
lies in 取決于
freedom of thought and expression 思考和表達的自由
the widest possible latitude 盡可能廣泛的范圍
disputable 富有爭議
irritating 令人不快
【參考譯文】“對任何一個民主社會的考驗,”他在《華爾街雜志》的一個專欄文章中寫到,“不在于它能夠多有效地控制各種意見的表達,而在于這個社會是否能給予思考和表達的盡可能廣泛的自由,不管有時候這種結果是多么的富有爭議或令人不快……”