复杂的非谓语动词的理解 例291

例291　We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War Ⅱ, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared.

【结构分析】这句话的主干是We are even farther removed from the unfocused newspaper reviews，后面是分词定语published in England，修饰前面的reviews，后面是介词短语between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War Ⅱ做状语修饰前面的分词定语，后面是个表示时间的同位语at a time，这段时间指的就是前面的the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War Ⅱ，该同位语后面是个定语从句，用when引导，里面有两个并列句子，第一个并列句是newsprint was dirt-cheap，第二个并列句是stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications，第二个并列句里面有定语从句in which it appeared。

【亮点回放】此句话的亮点在于句型特别复杂，有分词定语套上介词短语，再套上同位语，再套上定语从句，定语从句再套上并列句，多种句子和语法现象的层层相套，其中at a time这个同位语很难判断。

【核心词汇】

farther removed from　感到陌生的是

unfocused newspaper reviews　英国报纸评论内容不拘一格

newsprint　报纸

dirt-cheap　非常便宜

stylish arts criticism　时尚的人文批评

an ornament　增加色彩

【参考译文】我们甚至感到陌生的是：从20世纪初期到第二次世界大战之前，这一期间的英国报纸评论内容不拘一格。那时候报纸非常便宜，而且人们认为发表时尚的人文批评可以给刊登评论的出版物增加色彩。