語法關(guān)系密切的兩個句子成分被其他句子成分分隔的現(xiàn)象稱為分割結(jié)構(gòu)。英語中，分割結(jié)構(gòu)的類型是多種多樣的。例如，英語句子的主語和謂語一般都緊密相聯(lián)，它們之間很少插入介詞等比較長的結(jié)構(gòu)。但是，在有些情況下，或是為了保持句子的平衡，避免頭重腳輕，或是為了語義嚴(yán)密，結(jié)構(gòu)緊湊，在主語和謂語之間有時也會插入其他成分。此外，還有定語(或定語從句)與其中心詞被分隔;某些詞語與其所要求的介詞被分隔;動詞與其賓語被分隔;介詞與其賓語被分隔等等。總之，英語的分割應(yīng)遵循尾重原則(應(yīng)把長而復(fù)雜的成分放在句末，使結(jié)構(gòu)勻稱)和句尾信息焦點(diǎn)原則(把新信息，即語意重點(diǎn)放在句末)。同時，在閱讀時要注意找出原來屬于一個整體部分的意義。
1.Most novelists and historians writing in the early to mid-twentieth century who considered women in the West,when they considered women at all,fell under Turner’s spell.
分析：本句的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是：Most novelists and historians…fell under Turner’s spell.Turner是美國歷史學(xué)家。under a spell：被迷住，著迷。writing in the early to mid-twentieth century who considered women in the West,when they considered women at all修飾主語，起分割主謂的作用。而其中的狀語從句when they considered women at all是定語從句who considered women in the West中的狀語成分。
譯文：從本世紀(jì)初到本世紀(jì)中葉從事寫作的小說家和歷史學(xué)家只要描寫婦女，就會描述西部婦女，而且都被特納迷住。
2.In the last eight years there were difficult,almost non-stop negotiations and reported threats of failure,ultimately overcome by a combination of creative compromise and stubborn determination—indeed,some call it unprecedented determination—to succeed.
分析：本句的主干結(jié)構(gòu)是：…there were negotiations and…threats of failure。“overcome by…”是過去分詞短語，修飾threats of failure。stubborn determination和其定語動詞不定式“to succeed”被“indeed,some call it unprecedented determination”分割。
譯文：在最后的八年里，進(jìn)行了艱苦卓絕的、幾乎是不間斷的談判，其間屢經(jīng)失敗之虞，但最終通過創(chuàng)造性的協(xié)調(diào)和要取得成功的頑強(qiáng)決心——確實(shí)有人稱之為前所未有的決心——而渡過難關(guān)，取得了勝利。
3.Abraham Lincoln is the most famous instance of the claim that Americans often made that in their country a man may rise from the lowest to the highest position.
分析：the claim和其同位語that in their country a man may rise from the lowest to the highest position被the claim的定語從句that Americans often made分割。同位語從句在翻譯時可按照順序翻譯，將其翻譯為分句。
4.The discovery of surplus value suddenly threw light on the problem,in trying to solve which all previous investigations,of both bourgeois economists and social critics,had been groping in the dark.
分析：in trying to solve插在the problem和定語從句which…之間，起到承上啟下的作用。of both bourgeois economists and social critics為investigations的后置定語，起到分割作用。
譯文：由于剩余價值的發(fā)現(xiàn)，使問題明朗化了。而先前，無論資產(chǎn)階級經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家還是社會批評家所從事的一切研究都只是在黑暗中摸索。
5.A better knowledge of China’s civilization would lay open to us an empire of learning,hitherto fabulously described.
分析：lay open和an empire of learning被介詞短語to us分割。本句選自英國前首相撒切爾夫人1982年在中國歡迎宴會上的講話。翻譯時要注意轉(zhuǎn)譯的應(yīng)用。如把“better”譯為副詞“更好地”。
譯文：更好地了解中國的文明，將為我們打開一個知識的王國，對這個王國迄今只有神話般的描述。
6.It is the insistence,as a first consideration,upon the interdependence of the various elements in,and parts of,the United States—a recognition of the old and permanently important manifestation of the American spirit of the pioneer.
分析：insistence后接upon the interdependence of the various elements in,and parts of,the United States,中間被插入語as a first consideration分割，做進(jìn)一步說明。該句選自美國前總統(tǒng)羅斯福在1933年的就職演說。漢語中動詞用得較多，翻譯時可把名詞轉(zhuǎn)譯為動詞。
7.As they grow old,people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons:lack of physical and mental energy—both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away—and sentiment.
分析：該句包含了并列結(jié)構(gòu)被分割的情況。lack of physical and mental energy和sentiment是并列結(jié)構(gòu)，作two other reasons的同位語。但是被非限定性定語從句both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away分割。
譯文：人們隨著日趨年邁，積存物品還有其他兩個原因：一是缺乏體力和精神，兩者在清理和扔掉無用之物時不可或缺，二是感情上的原因。
8.Those who believe in capital punishment may have arguments for its retention,but surely no reasonable argument can be found for retention of the sickening mumbo-jumbo that accompanies it from the moment that the judge dons the black cap with what looks like a pen-wiper balanced on the top of his wig,to the reading of the burial service over the condemned man before he is dead.
分析：這是一個由but引導(dǎo)的并列句。前一分句較簡單，who引導(dǎo)的從句作those的定語，but后的從句較復(fù)雜，從句套從句，for retention…dead是argument的定語。因?yàn)樗容^長，所以把謂語動詞can be found放在它和argument之間，形成分割結(jié)構(gòu)。該句較長，可以分為三層：第一層是those…retention，第二層是but…mumbo-jumbo，第三層是that accompanies…dead?；旧峡刹捎庙樞蚍ǚg。
譯文：那些相信死刑的人可能有保留死刑的理由，但是肯定找不到合理的論據(jù)來保留那令人厭惡的繁文縟節(jié)。這一套繁文縟節(jié)從法官戴上頂在假發(fā)上的擦筆布似的黑帽子宣判死刑之時開始，一直伴隨到為被判處死刑的人在其斃命之前誦讀葬禮禱文為止。
9.The second aspect is the application by all members of society,from the government official to the ordinary citizen,of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in the work.
分析：這是一個很典型的分割結(jié)構(gòu)。主干結(jié)構(gòu)是：The second aspect is the application…of the special methods of thought and action，application和修飾它的介詞短語被一個長長的by短語分割。
譯文：第二個方面是，社會上的一切成員，從政府部門中任工職的官員到普通公民，都應(yīng)運(yùn)用科學(xué)家們在研究工作中所采用的專門的思維方法和工作方法。
10.Old Henry and his wife Phoebe were as fond of each other as it is possible for two old people to be who have nothing else in this life to be fond of.
分析：連詞as引導(dǎo)的比較狀語從句中，it代替for two old people to be。to be后省略了fond of each other。to be做分割成分。
11.As they grow old,people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons:lack of physical and mental energy—both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away—and sentiment.
分析：該句包含了并列結(jié)構(gòu)被分割的情況。lack of physical and mental energy和sentiment是并列結(jié)構(gòu)，作two other reasons的同位語。但是被非限定性定語從句both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away分割。
譯文：人們隨著日趨年邁，積存物品還有其他兩個原因：一是缺乏體力和精神，兩者在清理和扔掉無用之物時不可或缺，二是感情上的原因。
12.Those who believe in capital punishment may have arguments for its retention,but surely no reasonable argument can be found for retention of the sickening mumbo-jumbo that accompanies it from the moment that the judge dons the black cap with what looks like a pen-wiper balanced on the top of his wig,to the reading of the burial service over the condemned man before he is dead.
分析：這是一個由but引導(dǎo)的并列句。前一分句較簡單，who引導(dǎo)的從句作those的定語，but后的從句較復(fù)雜，從句套從句，for retention…dead是argument的定語。因?yàn)樗容^長，所以把謂語動詞can be found放在它和argument之間，形成分割結(jié)構(gòu)。該句較長，可以分為三層：第一層是those…retention，第二層是but…mumbo-jumbo，第三層是that accompanies…dead。基本上可采用順序法翻譯。
譯文：那些相信死刑的人可能有保留死刑的理由，但是肯定找不到合理的論據(jù)來保留那令人厭惡的繁文縟節(jié)。這一套繁文縟節(jié)從法官戴上頂在假發(fā)上的擦筆布似的黑帽子宣判死刑之時開始，一直伴隨到為被判處死刑的人在其斃命之前誦讀葬禮禱文為止。
13.The second aspect is the application by all members of society,from the government official to the ordinary citizen,of the special methods of thought and action that scientists use in the work.
分析：這是一個很典型的分割結(jié)構(gòu)。主干結(jié)構(gòu)是：The second aspect is the application…of the special methods of thought and action，application和修飾它的介詞短語被一個長長的by短語分割。
