纵观大学英语四级考试历年试题,可以发现阅读文章中出现了许多结构复杂的句子。不难理解,命题者在句子难度上大做文章,无非是想通过增加句子长度和使用复杂结构来打断和干扰考生正常的阅读习惯和思维方式,从而达到考查考生综合阅读能力的目的。本文结合历年真题,将其归类并逐一加以分析。

一、复合从句

   这些句子往往较长,一个从句套着另一个从句,环环相扣,使得考生搞不清楚整个句子结构。其实,不管句子有多长多复杂,它只由两部分构成,即主干和修饰成分。主干是整个句子的骨架,主要指主谓宾结构(如:I want a ticket.)或主系表结构(如:The man is a teacher.)。而修饰成分在句中只起修饰或补充主干的作用,它既可以是单词,也可以是短语,更常见的则是从句,尤其是定语从句和状语从句。这些从句都很常见,考生比较熟悉,但很多时候不少考生分不清单词、短语和从句之间的相互关系, 这样会导致整个句子分析混乱。
   这时,考生应通过仔细分析,将每个修饰成分划出来,找出句子的主干,这样整个句子结构就清晰了

2001.1 CET-4 Passage 4
Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and trims the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material. 回收利用不但可以创造就业机会,来促进当地经济的发展,还可以控制污染,并通过为工业提供更好的原材料来降低制造再生产品的工业部门的能源成本。
在这个句子中,主句有两个并列的谓语动词stimulates和trims,而且,trims有两个并列的宾语pollution control和energy costs, that引导的定语从句修饰industries一词。

1995.6 CET-4 Passage 4
Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are cumulative over long period of time, and that the danger to the individual may depend on the sum of the exposures received throughout his life time. 负责公众健康的官员已经指出,化学药品的生理影响会经过较长的时间积累下来,而它对人体的危害性则取决于一生中与其接触量的多少。
这里,pointed out后面接两个that引导的宾语从句;received throughout his life time为过去分词结构作exposures的定语。

二、分隔结构

  为了调整语气和增加补充信息,更主要的是为了平衡句子结构,避免头重脚轻,使语义严密,结构紧凑,而将语法关系密切的两个句子成分用其他语法成分分隔开来,这就是所谓的分隔结构(discontinuous structure)。考试中出现较多的是插入语、用破折号插入的新话题或补充信息。此外,还有一些句子成分(一般是定语)过长而出现后置,也可以看作是插入现象,只不过它只是句子原有成分位置的调整,没有新增信息。

1991.6 CET-4 Passage 3
The sight of Barney Clark-alive and conscious after trading his diseased heart for a metal-and-plastic pump-convinced the press, the public and many doctors that the future had arrived. 发生在巴尼·克拉克身上的奇迹--在用金属与塑料制造的泵替换下他原来那颗不健康的心脏之后,他依然活着,而且神志清醒--令新闻界、公众和众多医生都深信不疑未来已经到来。
句中两个破折号中间的内容是个插入语,起补充说明的作用,用来解释the sight of Barney Clark。

2001.1 CET-4 Passage 2
The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don't mix as easily as I assured in high school. 在我成长为一个出类拔萃的学生的道路上,阻碍我的实际问题就是,工科和文科不能像我在中学时想象的那样简单地结合在一起。
注意主语the reality 与谓语部分is that...之间的分隔。第一个that引导的定语从句修饰reality,第二个that引导表语从句。

三、成分省略

在英语句子中,节约用词是一条重要的修辞原则。省略主要是为了避免重复,突出关键词并使上下文紧密连接。成分省略一般和从句相结合,一正一反,使句子富于变化,增强表现力。
例如在以than, as引导的比较状语从句中,一些成分往往被省略,会给理解带来一定的影响,而且这类句子出现频率较高,考生需要熟记。

"The world has less to fear from doomsday rocks than ( to fear ) from a great nuclear fleet set against them," said a New York Times article. ( 2000.1 CET-4) (省略不定式)

Careful surveys have indicated that as many as 50 percent of patients do not take drugs as ( they are ) directed. ( 1996.1 CET-4) (省略主语和系动词)

四、改变语序

改变语序主要指倒装句式。这种打破相对固定的常规语序的做法,或是为了强调句子的表达意义重心,或是强调一种表达语气,如虚拟语气、否定语气等。这些句子往往和一些副词、连词相关,有明显的标志。例如: Should you break the rule against staring at a stranger on an elevator, you will make the other person exceedingly uncomfortable, and you are likely to feel a bit strange yourself. (1996.6 CET-4)

表示与将来事实相反的虚拟语气,从句的谓语用should + 动词原形或were to + 动词原形,从句中的if 可以省略,需将were或should前移至句首。

Despite the good news, civil engineers aren't resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints for improved quake-resistant buildings. (1997.6 CET-4)

这是一个倒装句,正常语序为: Blueprints for improved quake-resistant buildings are pinned to their drawing boards.通过倒装,一方面句中的their指上句中的civil engineers, their的位置提前,与上一句的语气连接更符合逻辑;另一方面该句的主语偏长(blueprints for improved quake-resistant buildings),通过倒装可以避免句式头重脚轻。

当然,被动句、双重否定句等句式在CET-4阅读考试中也屡屡出现,限于篇幅本文未将其归入。希望考生能结合阅读实践来体会上述句法特征。