例201　It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories.

【结构分析】It has long been known that...是一个固定句式，他的意思是“长久以来人们都知道……”其中it是形式主语，真正的主语是that从句；从句本身又是一个复合句，开始是主句a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars，其中分词结构called AAA cars是后置定语，修饰firm，后面的when引导一个时间状语从句。

【亮点回放】此句话的亮点在于很长的it无主句的使用，英语中为了避免头重脚轻，通常把较长的主语放在句子后面，而以放在句首的形式主语it代替它。

【核心词汇】

it has long been known that　人们早已知道

a taxi firm called AAAA cars　名叫AAAA的出租汽车公司

has a big advantage　有很大的优越性

thumb through their phone directories　翻阅电话簿

【参考译文】人们早已知道在客户翻阅电话簿时，名叫AAAA的出租汽车公司要比Zodiac出租汽车公司有很大的优越性。