1、长句无论是多么复杂的长句，它都是由一些基本的成分组成。所以首先要弄清英语原文的句法结构，找出整个句子的中心内容及其各层意思，然后分析几层意思之间的相互逻辑关系。一般来说，造成长句的原因有三方面： (1)修饰语多；(2)并列成分多；(3)语言结构层次多。在分析长句时可以采用下面的方法：(1)找出全句的主语、谓语和宾语，从整体上把握句子的结构。 (2)找出句中所有的谓语结构、非谓语动词、介词短语和从句的引导词。(3)分析从句和短语的功能。例如，是否为主语从句、宾语从句、表语从句等；若是状语，它是表示时间、原因、结果、还是表示条件等。(4)分析词、短语和从句之间的相互关系。例如，定语从句所修饰的先行
2、词是哪一个。(5)注意插入语等其他成分。(6)注意分析句子中是否有固定词组或固定搭配。下面我们结合一些实例来进行分析：例1Behaviorists suggest that the child who is raised in an environment where there are many stimuli which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses will experience greater intellectual development.行为主义者认为，如果儿童的成长环境里有许多刺激因素，这些因素又有利
3、于其适当反应能力的发展，那么，儿童的智力就会发展到较高的水平。分析：(1)该句的主语为behaviorists，谓语为suggest，宾语为一个从句，因此整个句子为Behaviorist suggest thatclause结构。(2)该句共有五个谓语结构，它们的谓语动词分别为suggest，is raised，are，develop，experience。这五个谓语结构之间的关系为：Behaviorist suggest thatclause结构为主句；who is raised in an environment为定语从句，所修饰的先行词为child；where there are man
4、y stimuli为定语从句，所修饰的先行词为environment；which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses为定语从句，所修饰的先行词为stimuli；在suggest的宾语从句中，主语为child，谓语为experience，宾语为greater intellectual development。在作了如上的分析之后，我们就会对该句有了一个较为透彻的理解。 例2For a family of four，for example，it is more convenient as well as cheaper to
5、sit comfortably at home，with almost unlimited entertainment available，than to go out in search of amusement elsewhere.譬如，对于一个四口之家来说，舒舒服服地在家中看电视，就能看到几乎数不清的娱乐节目，这比到外面别的地方去消遣更便宜更方便。分析：(1)该句的主干结构为it is more. to do sth.than to do sth.else.是一个比较结构，而且是在两个不定式之间进行比较。(2)该句中共有三个谓语结构，它们之间的关系为：it is more conveni
6、ent as well as cheaper to.为主体结构，但it是形式主语，真正的主语为第二个谓语结构to sit comfortably at home，并与第三个谓语结构to go out in search of amusement elsewhere作比较。(3)句首的for a family of four作状语，表示条件。另外，还有两个介词短语作插入语：for example，with almost unlimited entertainment available，其中第二个介词短语作伴随状语，修饰to sit comfortably at home。分析下列长句，并试着翻
7、译1People feared that weakening a 21yearold ban on the sale of ivory would encourage illegal hunting and hurt elephant populations.【分析】that 引导宾语从句，从句中谓语动词是encourage和hurt，根据逻辑意义，可知encourage和hurt 的主语是动名词短语weakening a 21yearold ban on the sale of ivory。【句意】二十一年来，象牙交易一直被明令禁止，人们担心削弱这一禁令会助长非法捕猎，导致大象数量减少。2E
8、conomists from the University of Sussex analysed findings from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health，a 15year research project charting the fortunes of a group of thousands of teenagers who attended high schools in the US in the mid1990s.【分析】句子主干为Economists analysed findings，from the
9、University of Sussex作economists的定语；from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health作findings的定语；a 15year research project作the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health 的同位语；charting.作project 的定语；who引导定语从句，先行词为teenagers。【句意】来自萨塞克斯大学的经济学家们分析了国家青少年健康纵向研究的研究结果，这项研究是一个历时15年的课题，它记录了数千名20世纪
10、90年代中期在美国上中学的一组青少年的财产情况。3Whether you get along well with your professors or not has a huge effect on yourself growth as it is a measure of how well you can respect authority and obey requirements.【分析】此句为复合句，句中whether引导主语从句，as引导原因状语从句，how well引导从句作介词of的宾语。【句意】你与教授相处是否融洽对你的自身发展起着重要的作用，因为这是衡量你是否尊重权威和服从
11、要求的标准。4Some companies have made the manufacturing of clean and safe products，to some degree，their main selling points and emphasize it in their advertising.【分析】本句是一个“主语谓语宾语宾语补足语”句型。“make 宾语 宾补”，即“使成为”，只不过宾语和宾补被“to some degree”隔开而已。【句意】一些公司把生产的卫生的、安全的产品，从某种程度上说，当作他们的卖点，并在广告中强调这一点。5The fact that membe
12、rs of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions.【分析】本句的主干为The fact does not mean that.，其中that they do not experience emotions从句作mean的宾语。that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another为fact的同位语，其中as do members of another是状语从句，助动词do位于主语members of another 前形成倒装。【句意】一种文化背景下的人不像另一种文化背景下的人一样直率地表达他们的情感，这一事实并不意味着他们没有这些情感。