推荐阅读：
【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。
【难句】4. The trouble is, as soon as you’ve been given a clean bill of health you’re back at your desk, facing the same situation that led to depression and compulsive behavior problems in the first place. (Times Online Jan. 11, 2007)
【结构分析】 本句主干是一个主系表结构The trouble is…，其中表语部分由从句充当。在表语从句中，包含as soon as引导的时间状语从句as soon as you’ve been given a clean bill of health，翻译为“一……就……”。现在分词短语facing the same situation…作you’re back at your desk的伴随状语，关系代词that引导的定语从句 that led to depression and compulsive behavior problems in the first place修饰先行词the same situation，that在从句中作主语。
【参考译文】 问题是，一旦你得到清楚的健康证明，你就得立刻回到你的办公桌，并且首先就要面对与原来曾导致沮丧和强迫性行为问题的同样的情形。
【难句】5. Drivers can instruct their car stereos to “play similar”， prompting the system to call up songs in the same musical genre. (Business Week Feb. 5, 2007)
【结构分析】 本句结构清晰，主干是一个主谓宾结构：Drivers can instruct their car stereos to “play similar”，其中不定式结构to “play similar”构成了instruct their cars的复合宾语。现在分词结构prompting the system to call up songs in the same musical genre作instruct their car stereos to “play similar”的状语，我们可以理解为结果状语，在这里，prompt后也采用了不定式结构to call up songs in the same musical genre与the system一起构成复合宾语的形式。
【参考译文】 驾驶者可以指令车内立体声设备“播放相似音乐”，提示系统集合相同风格的音乐。
【难句】6. Having succeeded as a convenient vehicle for every conceivable political and commercial slogan, the threads themselves are becoming the newest message, logically enough. (Time Jan. 18, 2007)
【结构分析】本句为主从复合句。主句中的主语与从句中的主语一致，从句中省去主谓，造成分词作伴随状语的形式，我们可以还原为since the threads have succeeded as…主句部分是the threads themselves are becoming the newest message,句末的 logically enough是状语，在翻译时，我们可以转译为be becoming the newest message的补充部分。
【参考译文】成功作为政治和商业口号的一种便捷媒介物，(T恤)衣服本身也成了最新的信息，这种情况(的发生)合乎逻辑。
【难句】7. Some of the biggest venture capital firms are raising large funds, targeting more established companies, and increasingly setting their sights abroad. (Business Week Feb. 5, 2007)
【结构分析】 本句结构清晰，主句为Some of the biggest venture capital firms are raising large funds,两个现在分词结构targeting more established companies和increasingly setting their sights abroad由and并列，作全句的伴随状语。
【参考译文】 某些大的风险投资公司正在筹集大量的资金，他们的目标是已经稳定的企业，并且日益将目光投向海外市场。
