Exercise
But the invalid(病弱的人) who, forgetful of self, takes a strenuous(热烈的) and indestructible(顽强的) interest in everything and everybody, as she did, and to whom a dull moment is an unknown thing, is a formidable(难对付的) adversary(敌手) for disease.
Although her characters were portrayed in many settings and situations, they all reflected, by the often tragic outcome of their lives, her profound conviction that no human could be happy if that happiness was rooted in the wretchedness of another.
The described dichotomy is clearly part of a much wider one:civilization fall apart yet their component societies live on; societies disintegrate but their citizens survive; individuals die while their cells, perversely, still metabolize; finally, cells can be disrupted yet the enzymes they release may, for a while, remain active.(看上去很长,其实结构要比前面两句简单些哦)
要点:此句由于表达的意思层次多,含义覆盖面大,因此结构比较复杂,但仍能找出主干结构。句子的主干结构是:the invalid...is a formidable adversary for disease,其余的部分都是修饰成分。 forgetful of self 是一个插入成分,把定语从句who takes a strenuous and indestructible interest in everything and everybody 的主语和谓语部分分隔开来。as she did也是一个插入成分,其作用同forgetful of self一样,对整个定语从句做修饰。"and to whom a dull moment is an unknown thing"是一个定语从句,它同who takes...everything and everybody是平行结构,其作用也是限定the invalid,因此the invalid一共带了两个定语从句,两个插入语,形成较为复杂的句子结构。
译文:但是一个身体有病的体弱的人,只要忘掉自己,像她那样对一切事物和所有的人都有热烈而顽强的兴趣,并且一生不知愁怨为何物,那么对于病魔他就是劲敌。
要点:这是一个主从复合句。reflected的宾语是her profound conviction.that no human could be ... of another是 conviction的同位语从句。该从句也是一个主从复合句。by the often tragic outcome of their lives是状语,说明reflected。by在此处的意思是by means of。 often是副词,修饰形容词tragic。由于reflected的宾语过场,所以把by短语插在reflected和它的宾语之间,结果使reflected和它的宾语被分隔。
译文:如果幸福是建立在另一个人的痛苦之上,那就没有人会有幸福,她的这种深切信念全都反映在一些人生结局通常都很悲惨的人物身上,虽然她笔下的人物出现在多种多样的背景和情节当中。
要点:在本句中,冒号后面的四个分句是并列的分句,用来说明冒号前面的主句的意思。
译文:上面所描述的对死亡的二分法显然不过是一个范围更大的二分法的一部分而已:整个文明社会崩溃了,而其组成部分还继续存在;社会崩溃了,而其中的公民还生存;人死了,而身上的细胞依然倔强地进行新陈代谢;最后,细胞死了,而细胞释放出的酶还能暂时保持活性。