研英翻译演练(30)

　　Between 2 billion and 3 billion years ago, portions of the surface water, bathed by the energetic radiation from the sun, developed complicated compounds in organization sufficiently versatile to qualify as what we call life.

　　参考答案:

　　要点：本句的主要结构是portions of the surface water developed complicated compounds。bathed...是过去分词短语，作定语，句法作用相当于一个非限制性定语从句。in organization...是介词短语作定语，修饰compounds。sufficiently versatile...是形容词短语作后置定语，修饰organization。to qualify as what we call life是动词不定式短语作状语，表示结果。 what we call life是宾语从句，作介词as的宾语。

　　译文：在20亿到30亿年前，地球表面的一部分水在太阳的强辐射作用下，导致了结构复杂的化合物的出现，这些化合物结构灵活多样，足以被我们称为生命。