考研英语长难句讲解 第116期

 　　19. Even demographics are working against the middle-class family, as the odds¹ of having a weak elderly parent—and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance—have jumped eightfold in just one generation.

　　【分析】复合句。主句主干为 demographics are working against the middle-class family。as 引导原因状语从句，其主干为 the odds have jumped eightfold；破折号之间的部分起补充说明的作用。

　　【译文】甚至连人口统计数据都对中产阶级家庭不利，因为这些家庭中出现一个年老体弱当父亲或母亲——以及随之而来的体力和经济援助上的需要——的机率在一代人的时间里增加了八倍。

　　【点拨】odds 意为“成败的几率或可能；几率；差别”。

　　20. From the middle-class family perspective, much of this understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration² of the wholesale³ shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders.

　　【分析】简单句。本句虽是简单句，但修饰成分较多，句子主干是 much of this looks far less like an opportunity and more like a frightening acceleration。不定式结构 to exercise...responsibility 作定语修饰 opportunity；介词短语 of the wholesale...修饰 acceleration。

　　【译文】可以理解，从中产阶级家庭的角度来看，上述现象根本不像是一个行使更多经济职责的机会；而更像是将经济风险大规模转移到他们已经不堪重负的肩膀上的加速进程。

　　【点拨】1) perspective 为名词，意思较多，如“远景，全景；观点；前途”，本句中意为“观点”。2)wholesale 可作名词、形容词、副词和动词，在本句中为形容词，意为“大规模的”。3) far less 意为“远不及”。4)a good deal (of) 意为“许多，大量”，多用来修饰不可数名词。

1 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

2 acceleration   

n.加速，加速度

参考例句：

• All spacemen must be able to bear acceleration.所有太空人都应能承受加速度。
• He has also called for an acceleration of political reforms.他同时呼吁加快政治改革的步伐。

3 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。