復雜的狀語從句的拆分和理解 例131

例131　While in America the trend started as a reaction to the economic decline-after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late 80s-and is still linked to the politics of thrift, in Britain, at least among the middle-class down shifters of my acquaintance, we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives.

【結構分析】這是個讓步狀語從句while引導的從句中的主語是the trend，第一個動詞是started，介詞短語是as a reaction to the economic decline做狀語，后面是插入語after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late ’80s，后面是第二個動詞短語is linked to，賓語是the politics of thrift，該句的主干是we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives。

【亮點回放】此句話的亮點在于讓步狀語從句的使用，其中while后面又兩個動詞并列，而且里面有插入語和介詞短語等各種短語，很復雜。

【核心詞匯】

as a reaction to the economic decline　以經(jīng)濟衰落的反應

mass redundancies　大量的失業(yè)

downsizing in the late 80s　80年代末期裁員

the politics of thrift　提倡節(jié)儉的政綱

the middle-class down shifters of my acquaintance　我所熟識的中產(chǎn)階級返樸歸隱者中

simplify our lives　追求簡約

【參考譯文】在美國，這一返樸歸隱趨勢是以經(jīng)濟衰落的反應為開始的——那是在80年代末期裁員而引起大量的失業(yè)之后——現(xiàn)在依然與提倡節(jié)儉的政綱相關；而在英國，最起碼在我所熟識的中產(chǎn)階級返樸歸隱者中，追求簡約；生活的原因就多種多樣了。