学员疑问: 老师,下面这个句子太长了,看不懂它的结构
Most of the citizens of earlier generations knew little or nothing about the complicated and delicate system that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others.
老师解答:句子主干结构为:Most knew about the system。介词短语of the citizens of earlier generations修饰most, little or nothing 修饰know,that runs all through nature, and which means that, as in a living body, an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the other为that和which引导的两个并列定语从句修饰system。而在which引导的定语从句中,as in a living body为状语,that an unhealthy condition of one part will sooner or later be harmful to all the others 为宾语从句作means的宾语。句意:前几代人的大多数对贯穿整个自然界的复杂而微妙的系统所知甚少或一无所知,这个复杂而微妙的系统也意味着,就像在一个有生命的身体中一样,某一部分的不健康状况迟早会对其他所有部分造成伤害。
点评分析: 这个句子的难点其实是and连接2个并列的定语从句,分别有that和which引导,修饰system。另外,还有1个that从句作动词means的宾语。