英语六级阅读理解备考：真题长难句(1)

　　1.

　　For hundreds of millions of years, turtles have struggled out of the sea to lay their eggs on sandy beaches, long bfore there were nature documentaries to celebrate them, or GPS satellites and marine biologists to track them, or volunteers to handcarry the hatchlings down to the waters edge lest they become disoriented by headlights and crawl towards a motel parking lot instead.

　　【分析】本句为复合句，主架为 turtles have struggled。For hundreds of millions of years 为介词短语作时间状语。before 为时间状语从句，该从句采用的是there be结构，主语为or连接的三个名词(词组)：natural documentaries，GPS satellites and marine biologists和volunteers，主语后的不定式均为主语的后置定语。lest以免引导状语从句，采用虚拟语气。

　　【译文】数百万年以来，海龟们都挣扎着从海里爬出来，到沙滩上产卵，那时候还没有自然纪录片来记录它们的活动，没有GPS卫星和海洋生物学家跟踪它们，没有志愿者用手把小海龟放到水边以防它们被桅灯搞得迷失方向而爬向旅馆的停车场。

　　2.

　　The figures prompted Oceana to petition the government to upgrade the level of protection for the North Atlantic loggerheads from threatened to endangered meaning they are in danger of disappearing without additional help.

　　【分析】本句为复合句，主架为The figures prompted Oceana。to petition the government为不定式作prompted的状语，to upgrade the level of protection 为不定式作petition的状语。they are in danger help作meaning的宾语，相当于省略了引导词that的宾语从句。

　　【译文】这些数字迫使Oceana向政府请求将对北大西洋大海龟的保护程度由受到威胁提升到濒临灭绝，这意味着如果没有额外的保护，它们将面临消失的危险。

　　3.

　　But Nature is indifferent to human notions of fairness, and a report by the Fish and Wildlife Service showed a worrisome drop in the populations of several species of North Atlantic sea turtles, notably loggerheads, which can grow to as much as 400 pounds.

　　【分析】本句为并列复合句，主架为Nature is indifferent and a report showed a drop。But表转折。by the Fish and Wildlife Service为介词短语作report的后置定语。which can grow to as much as 400 pounds为非限制性定语从句，修饰loggerheads。be indifferent to意为对无动于衷。a drop in指在方面下降。

　　【译文】但是大自然对人们的平等观念却漠不关心，渔业和野生动物服务组织的一项报告显示，北大西洋好几种海龟的数量都在令人担忧地下降，尤其是一种能够长到400磅重的大海龟。

　　4.

　　The narrow strips of beach on which the turtles lay their eggs are being squeezed on one side by development and on the other by the threat of rising sea levels as the oceans warm.

　　【分析】本句为复合句，主架为 beach are being squeezed。on which eggs为定语从句，修饰beach。squeezed后接了两个由on one side and on the other结构连接的状语：by development和by the threat。of rising sea levels为介词短语作threat的后置定语。as the oceans warm为原因状语从句。

　　【译文】一方面是人类的开发，另一方面是海平面因海水变暖而上升，使得海龟们产卵的狭窄沙滩正在缩小。

　　5.

　　It turns out, according to Griffin, that while we have done a good job of protecting the turtles for the weeks they spend on land , we have neglected the years they spend in the ocean.

　　【分析】本句为复合句，主架为It turns out that。according to Griffin为插入语。that while in the ocean为宾语从句。while在这里为连词，表转折。they spend on land为省略了引导词的定语从句，修饰的是the weeks。括号内内容进一步解释they spend on land，as相当于作为。they spend in the ocean为省略了引导词的定语从句，修饰the years。

　　【译文】按照Griffin的说法，答案是这样：虽然我们对保护海龟们(产卵的母海龟，龟卵，小海龟)在岸上度过的几个星期做得很好，但是我们却忽略了它们在海里度过的岁月。