30天自学PTE | 【第十一章】如何理解长难句（上）,图南英语微信公众号文章

在PTE考试中，阅读和听力中常常有因为句子太长看不懂、听不明白而做不出题的。

怎么办呢？

问题的关键在于对于“长难句”的理解

长难句是英语学习中让人比较头疼的一个部分。英文中的句子不同于汉语——全是简单句，没有复杂句。英语的难句可以比喻成大树，主句相当于树干，从句相当于树枝，而短语相当于叶子。看似“枝繁叶茂的”树冠，拆解掉“叶片”，只剩树干就便于理解了。

英语的难句就等于：“主句+从句+短语”

在进入主题之前，如果对于简单语法不了解的同学请先看这个帖子→

30天自学PTE | 【第四章】语法，并不是一件困难的事情。

今天我们来了解一下长难句如何理解

如何“拆”句子

任何句子都必须有谓语动词，所以找到一个谓语动词就可以拆下来一个句子。因此，理解难句的基本步骤是：

1）识别出有哪几个谓语动词；

2）找出主句的谓语动词，先理解主句；

3）再去理解从句和短语。

符号说明

1．谓语动词用黑体的斜体字表示，例如：Everyone shouldknow …

2．从句的引导词用方框表示，例如：where the nearest firealarm box is located。

3．从句用横线表示，例如：where thenearest fire alarm box is located，表示where引导的从句。

4．插入语成分用括号表示，例如：Keeping your head,(instead of crowding and pushing to get to an exit), may make the differencebetween…

练习一：平行并列结构

1．Everyone should know where the nearestfire alarm box is located and where exits, fire escapes, and fire doors are.

2．The way space is used to enable the individualto achieve privacy, to build homes or to design cities is culturallyinfluenced.

3． I wanted her to know thatmy heart was with her, and that I thoughtEnglandowed her a great debt andwas going to miss her.

答案

1．Everyone should know where the nearest fire alarm box islocated and where exits, fireescapes, and fire doors are.

结构：本句有三个谓语动词，其中主句的谓语动词为should know，其余两个都是由where引导的并列宾语从句。本句可以拆分为：

1)Everyone should know.

2)Where the nearest fire alarm box is located.

3)Where exits, fire escapes, and fire doors are.

翻译：每个人都应该知道最近的火灾报警箱的位置，以及安全出口、安全梯及防火门位于何处。

2．The way space is used to enable the individualto achieve privacy, to build homes or to design cities is culturally influenced.

结构：本句有2个谓语动词，其中第二个is influenced是主句的谓语动词，主干是The way is culturallyinfluenced。第一个is used是定语从句的谓语动词，但是该定语从句省略了引导词。定语从句中三个并列的不定式短语动词to achieveprivacy, to build homes or to design cities共同作为is used的目的状语。本句可以拆分为：

1)The way is culturally influenced.

2)Space is used to enable the individual to achieve privacy, to buildhomes or to design cities.

翻译：怎样利用空间来获得个人隐私、建造家园以及设计城市都会受到文化的影响。

3． I wanted her to know that my heart was with her, and that I thought Englandowedher a great debt and was going to miss her.

结构：本句有5个谓语动词，其中主句的谓语动词为wanted。was和thought分别属于两个由that引导的并列宾语从句。而owed和was going为两个并列的谓语动词，共同主语为England。England这句话前面为了避免重复而省略了宾语从句的引导词that，实际上是thought的宾语从句。本句可以拆分为：

1)I wantedher to know.

2)That my heart was with her.

3)That I thought.

4)(That)Englandowedher a great debt and was going to miss her.

翻译：我想让她知道我的心陪伴着她，而且我认为英国欠了她一大笔债，很快就会想念她。

练习二插入结构

1． A child hears it spoken from morningtill night and, what is more important, always in its genuine form, with theright pronunciation, right intonation, right use of words and right structure.

2．Work, for most American and Chinesewomen aged 55 and under, involves responsibility for a household, a child orchildren, and a job outside the home as well.

3．Still, he could not help thinking thatif anything should happen, the nearest person he could contact by radio, unlessthere was a ship nearby, would be on an island 885 miles away.

答案

1． A child hears it spoken frommorning till night and, (what is more important), always in itsgenuine form, with the right pronunciation, right intonation, right use ofwords and right structure.

结构：共有2个谓语动词，其中主句的是hears。(what is more)是插入语，而插入语并不重要。所以要先理解插入语两端的内容，再理解插入语。因此，对于插入语，我们的处理方法是：“先读两端，再读中间”。with后面的right…right…and right…是并列结构。

翻译：儿童从早到晚都能听到别人在讲（母语），而且更重要的是，听到的总是一种正确的发音、语调、用词以及语法结构的纯正语言。

2．Work, (for most American and Chinesewomen aged 55 and under), involves responsibility for ahousehold, a child or children, and a job outside the home as well.

结构：只有一个谓语动词：involves。(for most American and Chinese womenaged 55 and under)是插入语。本句的主干为：Work involves responsibility。for后面的内容修饰responsibility，而a household, a child or children, and ajob outside the home as well为并列结构。

翻译：对于大多数美国和中国的55岁或者以下的妇女而言，工作的全部职责包括了负责家务、照顾孩子以及在家务之外还要上班。

3．Still, he could not help thinkingthat if anything shouldhappen, the nearest person he could contact by radio,(unless there was a ship nearby), wouldbe on an island 885 miles away.