【难句】1. The energy used to separate oxygen from air before burning is almost as great as that needed to filter out nitrogen afterwards, leading to a similar loss of efficiency. (The Economist Nov. 30, 2006)
【结构分析】本句是一个简单句，为一个主系表结构The energy is almost as great as that needed to filter out nitrogen afterwards，使用了as…as…结构，其中被比较的对象that needed to filter out nitrogen afterwards中，that指代上文的energy，过去分词结构needed to…作后置定语体现被动。其中主语energy由过去分词结构used to separate oxygen from air before burning 作后置定语体现被动；句末的现在分词结构leading to a similar loss of efficiency作全句的结果状语。 【参考译文】 燃烧前将氧气从空气中分离所需的能源几乎不亚于上述将氮气过滤所需的耗费，这就使得两者在效率损失上不相上下。 【难句】2. Some great manufacturers and great service companies may have become too lean in their relentless drive to reduce costs, outsourcing not just their non-core activities but essential ones too. (The Economist Jun. 15, 2006) 【结构分析】本句不难，逗号前为主句Some great manufacturers and great service companies may have become too lean in their relentless drive to reduce costs,使用了too…to…结构，句末的现在分词结构outsourcing not just their noncore activities but essential ones too作伴随状语，进一步补充说明reduce costs的具体内容。 【参考译文】有些大的制造商和服务供应商热衷于降低成本，不仅把非核心业务外包，而且连核心业务也不放过。 【难句】3. The study shows that nearly half the organizations featured in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers plan to expand their graduate programs this year, increasing the total number of vacancies available for new graduates by more than 10 percent compared with 2006 recruitment levels. (The Sunday Times Jan. 11, 2007) 【结构分析】 本句是复合句。逗号前为主句，是主谓宾结构，其中谓语shows的宾语由that引导的名词性从句that nearly half the organizations featured in the Times Top 100 Graduate Employers plan to expand their graduate programs this year充当。现在分词结构increasing the total number of vacancies available for new graduates by more than 10 percent compared with 2006 recruitment levels作状语，我们可以理解其为结果状语，注意增加的幅度用介词by表示。句末的过去分词结构compared with 2006 recruitment levels作比较状语。 【参考译文】研究表明，《时代》排名前100名的毕业生雇主单位中有将近一半计划今年将扩大毕业生接收规模，为新的毕业生增加可利用的空缺职位数量，这个数量与2006年的新成员水平相比，会增加10%以上。