考研英语是一门需要长时间积累的学科,对于备战2015考研的学子们来说,同学们应该主攻单词和语法,坚持每天1-2篇的英语阅读以此来培养语感。
Human history began when the inheritance of genetics and behavior which had until then provided the only way of dominating the environment was first broken through by conscious choice.
【词汇突破】:
1.Inheritancen. 继承;遗传;遗产
2.Genetics n.遗传,遗传学
例句:Smoking, rather than genetics,was the cause of his early demise.
导致他英年早逝的原因是吸烟而非遗传
3.dominating 支配
4.broken through 打破
5. conscious 有意识的
6. until then 直到那时;(在句子有时也可以处理为:一直)
主干识别:Human history began
其他成分:when the inheritance of genetics and behavior which had until then provided the only way of dominating the environment was first broken through by conscious choice.
状语从句
微观分析: 状语从句主干:
the inheritance of genetics and behavior was first broken through by consciouschoice
定语从句:
Which(=the inheritance of genetics andbehavior) had untilthen provided the only way of dominating the environment
翻译点拨: 刚才的分析就是我们在翻译的课堂上常讲的第一步:句子结构分析,保证句子理解的正确性。
到了第二步我们就不能按英语的结构来翻译了,就应该按照中文的表达习惯来翻译了。具体的讲就是:每个过长部分都可以单独成句;然后按中文语序排列;
刚才的句子可以翻译为三个句子:
1. Human history began
人类历史开始了
2. when the inheritance of genetics and behaviorwas first broken through by conscious choice
当遗传和行为的继承第一次被有意识的选择打破的时候
3. Which(=the inheritance of genetics andbehavior) had untilthen provided the only way of dominating the environment
遗传和行为的继承一直提供了唯一支配环境的方式
=遗传和行为的继承一直是支配环境的唯一方式。
大家会发现这个句子按照321的顺序会很通顺,因为符合中文时间顺序的表达习惯:
参考译文:遗传和行为的继承一直是支配环境的唯一方式,当这种继承第一次被有意识的选择打破时,人类的历史就开始了。
比较一下:当那种一直是支配环境的惟一发式的遗传和行为的继承第一次被有意识的选择打破时,人类历史便开始了。