分析: 该句是并列句,to be natural和no more regrettable than the loss of...是see的宾语补足语。
译文: 麦荷特先生研究的学术领域是语言的历史和演化,他将诸如whom这类词汇的逐步消失看做是正常的,认为它们与古
英语尾格消失一样不值得惋惜。
(九)not so...as 和 not so much...as
1. not so...as是一般比较级结构,表示劣等比较。
例句: While it is easy to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition, it is not so easy as in dealing with adults. (2009年第48题)
分析: 该句是复合句,主干部分是it is not so easy as in dealing with adults。该从句中的it是形式主语,真正的主语是不定式结构to ignore in our contact with them the effect of our acts upon their disposition,介词短语in our contact with them在句中作状语。
译文: 在和他们的交往中,我们很容易忽视自己的行为对他们的性格产生的影响,但在与成年人的交往过程中,这种情况就不那么容易发生。
2. not so much...as表示“与其说是……不如说是……”之意。
例句: The chief reason for the population growth isnt so much a rise in birth rates as a fall in death rates as a result of improvement in medical care.(1997年第6题)
分析: 该句是简单句,介词短语as a result of improvement in medical care作状语表示原因。
译文: 人口增长的主要原因与其说是出生率的上升,还不如说是由于医疗保健的改善而引起的死亡率的下降。
例句: It wasnt so much that I disliked her as that I just wasnt interested in the whole business. (2000年第9题)
分析: 该句是复合句,包含由not so much that...as that...引导的让步状语从句,that I disliked her与that I just wasnt interested in...为并列结构。
译文: 与其说我不喜欢她,不如说我只是对整个事件不感兴趣。
(十)不用than的比较级
1. the+比较级...,the+比较级...,表示“越……,越……”之意。
例句: The better informed they are about the way the state works, the better their reporting will be. (选自2007年Part C)
分析: 该句是并列句。
译文: 他们越是了解国家的运行方式,就越能作出好的报道。
例句: In fact, the more new things we try—the more we step outside our comfort zone—the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives. (选自2009年Text 1)
分析: 句中第一个破折号对前面内容作进一步解释,而第二个破折号后的内容表示前面那样实践的结果。
译文: 事实上,我们尝试的新事物越多就越能走出自己的舒适区,从而无论在职场上还是在个人生活中都具有更大的内在创造力。
2.(ever)+比较级+and+比较级,表示“日益”之意。
例句: The weather is turning ever colder and colder, and people have to make a fire in their homes in advance.
分析: 该句是并列句。
译文: 天气变得越来越冷,人们纷纷提前在家里生起了火。
3.prefer+动名词+to+动名词=prefer to+动词原形+rather than+动词原形。
例句: The old man himself prefers to write the letter rather than dictate others.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 老人宁愿自己亲自写信也不愿口授他人。
4.以ior结尾的形容词接to构成比较级,而不接than,但有些词可以用接than的比较级来替代,如: junior to(=younger than),senior to(=older than),inferior to(=worse than), superior to(=better than),prior(=before)以及preferable(比……更可取的)。
例句: Beethoven is my favorite musician and I consider him as superior to other musicians in the world.
分析: 该句是并列句。
译文: 贝多芬是我最喜欢的音乐家,我认为他比世界上其他音乐家都要优秀。
七、倍数表示法
(一)表倍数的词+as+形容词/副词原级+as...
例句: The oxygen atom is nearly 16 times as heavy as the hydrogen.
分析: 该句是简单句。
译文: 氧原子的重量几乎是氢原子的16倍。
例句: Engaged in the parttime job, he earned three times as much as his roommate.
分析: 该句是简单句,其中分词engaged in...在句中作状语表示原因。
译文: 由于从事了兼职工作,他所挣得的是他舍友所挣得的三倍。
(二)表倍数的词+ that/(the+名词)+of...
例句: The cotton output in Hami area is 3 times that of the grape.
译文: 哈密地区的棉花产量是葡萄产量的三倍。
(三)表倍数的词+比较级+than
例句: Smoking is so harmful to personal health that it kills seven times more people each year than automobile accidents. (1999年第2题)
分析: 该句是复合句,that it kills...是一个结果状语从句。
译文: 吸烟对个人健康危害严重,每年吸烟造成的死亡人数比机动车事故的死亡人数多七倍。
例句: When the United States entered just such a glowing period after the end of the Second World War, it had a market eight times larger than any competitor, giving its industries unparalleled economies of scale. (选自2000年Text 1)
分析: 该句是复合句,after the end of the Second World War在句中作状语,形容词短语eight times larger than any competitor修饰market,分词giving its industries...在句中作结果状语说明it had a market...any competitor的结果。