【譯文】人落水時,救生衣能否在正確的位置支撐起落水者十分重要,同樣重要的是,即使是在人沒有力氣或是在陷入昏迷的情況下,救生衣也能使面朝下的落水者在水中站起來,或是身體稍微向后仰,使臉離開水面。
【析句】整句話的主干是The position is most important,as is its tendency to...即由主句和as引導的非限制性定語從句組成。具體看來,主句the position后是介詞+which引導的定語從句,position在定語從句中作in的賓語,因此把in提前到which前。in which定語從句中又有who引導的定語從句修飾a person。as引導的非限制性定語從句中,to turn the wearer from...to...是不定式短語作定語修飾its tendency,with his face clear of the water作伴隨狀語,最后是when引導的時間狀語從句。
2. A suitable life preserver should also be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water, not so heavy as to encourage to take it off on shipboard while the ship is in danger, nor so burdensome that it hinders a person in the water while trying to swim. (1991. 閱讀. Text 1)
【譯文】合身的救生衣任何時候,無論在不在水中,都應該讓穿著者感到舒服,既不會十分笨重,讓人在船只遇險時不得不脫下救生衣求生,也不應限制落水者游泳自救的靈活性。
【析句】復合句。主句A suitable life perserver should be comfortable to wear at all times, in and out of the water作地點狀語,not so heavy as to encourage...,nor so burdensome是形容詞作伴隨,包含句型not...,nor...;while the ship is in danger作時間狀語從句,而nor后包含短語so...that...。
3. This assumption rests on the fallacy of the inherent laziness in human nature; actually, aside from abnormally lazy people, there would be very few who would not want to earn more than the minimum, and who would prefer to do nothing rather than work. (1991. 閱讀. Text 2)
【譯文】這種假設是基于這樣一種謬論:人的天性中就存在遺傳惰性。而事實上,除了特別懶惰的人以外,幾乎沒有人愿意掙只相當于最低生活維持費的錢,也沒有人愿意飽食終日,無所用心。
【析句】句子主干是This assumption rests on……;aside from……,there would be very few who would……,and who would……。分號連接兩個并列分句。在第二個分句中,介問短語aside from abnormally(特別地)lazy people作狀語,主句是一個there be存在句,包含兩個并列的由關系代詞who引導的定語從句,修飾few.Rest on在此意為“依據(jù)”。aside from相當于“except”,譯為“除了”。