附录：考研英语长难句综述 近几年来，考研英语出现了很多难句并且这些难句主要是长难句英语长难句不限于并列句和复合句，简单句有时也很长它的一个重要特点便是修饰语较长，而这些较长的修饰语一般都是短语和从句，它们或是位于名词后面的定语短语或从句，或是位于动词后面的状语短语或从句这类修饰语在句子中还可以一个套一个连用，甚至一连套上好几个也很普通于是，英语文章中出现的长句少则四、五行，多则十余行，甚至整个一段就是一个长句 对于考研英语的考生来说，英语长句的理解，关键在于语法分析具体地说，理解长句大体可以分两个步骤进行：(1)判断出句子是简单句，并列句，还是复合句；(2)先找出句中的主要成分，即主语和谓语动词；然后再分清句中的宾语、状语、表语、宾语补足语、定语等一般说来考研英语的句式往往具有以下特点：1) 句子偏长，多为复杂句2) 句子修饰语多，层次复杂3) 使用插入语和分隔结构4) 成分省略5) 多枝共干6) 改变语序7) 否定结构8) 比较结构这八种方式往往可以相互结合．从而形成更长的难句形成长难句的目的却只有一个就是打断和打乱考生正常的阅读习惯和思维习惯从而达到考察考生阅读能力和翻译能力的目标。
下面分别对这八种方式一—解析第一节：句子偏长，多为复杂句具体表现在以下几点：I. 主语为长句，且放在前面如果句子的主语比谓语长许多，可用各种修饰手段变成主谓语两头基本平衡阅读理解短文中大多数也是这种句子但是，也有相当一部分长句不是这样，而是头顶一个长长的主语，其后的谓语却非常短例如：【例1】Much of the language used to describe monetary policy, such as "steering the economy to a soft landing" or "a touch on the brakes", makes it sound like a precise science.【简析】本句的主语部分是: Much of the language used to describe monetary policy, such as "steering the economy to a soft landing" or "a touch on the brakes", 长达24个单词，而谓语只是一个词make.对中国学生来说，这样长的主语往往会打乱我们的思维习惯，使我们摸不清句子结构关系，导致理解错误。
译文】很多用来描述货币政策的语言，如“引导经济软着陆”，“踩刹车”，使经济学听起来像是一门精确的科学此外，名词性从句作主语时，也会使主语变长例如： 【例2】How well the predictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability and appropriateness of the information used and on the skills and wisdom with which it is interpreted. 【简析】本句中主语How well the predictions will be validated by later performance,这是名词性从句作主语，而谓语却只是一个并列的词组depends upon和（depends）on… 【译文】这些预测在多大程度上为后来的表现证实，这取决于被采用信息的数量、可靠性和适宜性以及解释这些信息的技能和才智第二节：修饰成分复杂英语句子有时主体结构简单，附加修饰成分结构却非常复杂，虽然这些修饰成分丰富句子内容，但是，修饰语的增多，会破坏了主于句子的连贯性，这就给快速阅读、充分理解原文，造成了很大的困难。
而且，这些修饰成分往往是考研英语的考点所在命题人员常常利用这些考点设计问题或选项因此很多考生常感到“文章生词并不多，可就是读不懂”其中从句套从句常在考研英语阅读理解短文中出现不管句子结构多么复杂多变、盘根错节，我们只要把握住句子结构的主脉络，就可理出头绪，找到思路例如：【例5】This trend began during the Second World War, when several governments came to the conclusion that the specific demands that a government wants to make of its scientific establishment cannot generally be foreseen in detail.【简析】本句中从when开始是一个时间状语从句，在这个时间状语从句中，还包含一个that引导的同位语从句，修饰conclusion；还包含一个的定语从句由that引导，修饰the specific demands 【译文】这种趋势始于第二次世界大战期间，当时一些国家的政府下了结论，认为：政府向科研机构提出的具体要求通常是无法详尽预见的。
例6】Studies of the Weddell seal in the laboratory have described the physiological mechanisms that allow the seals to cope with the extreme oxygen deprivation that occurs during its longest dives, which can extend 500 meters below the ocean’s surface and last for over 70 minutes.【简析】本句三个不同层次的定语从句第一层次定语从句由that引导修饰前面的mechanisms;第二层定语从句也是由that引导，修饰deprivation; 第三层次的定语从句由which引导，修饰前面的its longest dives现图解如下：Studies of the Weddell seal in the laboratory have described the physiological mechanismsthat allow the seals to cope with the extreme oxygen deprivation that occurs during its longest dives, which can extend 500 meters below the ocean’s surface and last for over 70 minutes.【译文】关于威德尔海豹特殊的生理机制，在实验室里对其进行的研究已作过详细的描述。
该生理机制使海豹可以适应长时间潜水时出现的极度缺氧海豹长时间潜水时最深可达水面以下500米，时间可持续70多分钟例7】Tom, the book’s protagonist, took issue with a man who doted on his household pet yet, as a slave merchant, thought “nothing of separating the husband from the wife, the parents from the children”.【简析】本句主干部分很简单：Tom … took issue with a man，但是后面的关系介词who引导的定语从句却非常复杂，它包含了一个由yet连接的并列的谓语doted on, thought nothing of …，而且在介词of第二个宾语中还省略了separating现图解如下：Tom, the book’s protagonist, took issue with a man who doted on his household pet yet, 并列谓语as a slave merchant, thought “nothing of separating the husband from the wife, 介词of的并列宾语(separating) the parents from the children”.【译文】书中的主人公汤姆与一个人发生了争执。
这人虽然爱家中的宠物但作为一个奴隶贩子，却认为“拆散夫妻，让骨肉分离算不了什么”第八节：比较结构比较结构是英语中一个比较复杂的语法现象，用来表达人或事物的属性或特征的不同程度常见的比较结构有：相等比较结构(如the same... as...; as... as...等)、不等比较结构(如not so...as...)、劣等比较结构(less than...; worse than...; ...inferior to...等)、优等比较结构(如more than... ，better than...; superior to...)值得注意的是一些较为特殊的表达形式，如no/not any... more than，no more than，all / only / much + the+比较级，not so much as，A is to B what X is to Y与what A is to B(that) X is to Y等这些结构理解起来不是太容易，如不掌握这些形式，很可能造成语义上的误解例1】Coupled with the growing quantity of information is the development of technologies which enable the storage and delivery of more information with greater speed to more locations than has ever been possible before.【简析】本句是一个倒装句，主语受到一个定语从句的修饰，在定语从句中，含有一个比较结构: more information with greater speed to more locations than has ever been possible before相当于 more information with greater speed to more locations than what has ever been possible before. 这个比较结构翻译时可以处理成否定意义。
译文】伴随着信息量不断增长的是技术的发展，这些技术使得人们能够比过去以更快的速度往更多的地方储存和发送更多的信息，这在以前是不可能的例2】Science, in practice, depends far less on the experiments it prepares than on the preparedness of the minds of the men who watch the experiments.【简析】本句中的比较结构是less… than…意思是：“不……更……”译文】在实践中，科学的进步依赖于做实验，但更依赖于实验的观察者（即做实验的人）是否有做好准备的头脑例3】The individual now has more information available than any generation, and the task of finding that one piece of information relevant to his or her specific problem is complicated, timeconsuming and sometimes even overwhelming.【简析】本句中的比较结构是 more … than… 意思是：“比……更多”。
译文】今天，个人可获得的信息比任何时代的人都多，而要找到一条与自己问题相关的信息既复杂又耗时，有时甚至相当困难例4】There is no more difference, but there is just the same kind of difference, between the mental operation of a man of science and those of an ordinary person, as there is difference between the operations and methods of a baker or of a butcher weighing out his goods in common scales, and the operations of a chemist in performing a difficult and complex analysis by means of his balance and finely graded weights.【简析】本句是个并列复杂句，后半句包含一个the same … as…的比较结构。
本句难点是两个由介词between的短语，做定语分别修饰difference译文】科学家的大脑活动与普通人的大脑活动之间的差异，就像面包师烤面包或屠夫用普通秤称货，与化学家用天平进行复杂分析的操作之间的差异一样，没有什么别的不同例5】.The studies show that the driver who has consumed an amount of alcohol within the limit is no more likely to have an automobile accident than the driver who does not take any alcohol.【简析】这是一个复合句主句是：the studies show, that引导的是宾语从句该从句包含两个who引导的定语从句和一个no more…than…比较结构该结构的意思是“和…一样都不…”本句图示如下：The studies show 宾语从句who has consumed an amount of alcohol within the limit定语从句that the driver … is no more likely to have an automobile accident than the driver定语从句who does not take any alcohol.【译文】研究表明，喝酒但不过量的司机不比一点儿酒不喝的司机发生车祸的可能性大。
一点儿酒不喝的司机与喝酒但不过量的司机同样有可能出车祸）。