Question

一道托福试题

Inequalities of wealth and rank certainly exist,and have probably existed in most pastoralist societies,but except in periods of military conquest,they are normally too slight to generate the stable.

The inequalities is most marked during periods of military conquest.对吗?其实主要是后面那个they代表什么的问题.

Answer 1

首先可以确定这是个并列句。

 

第一分句：Inequalities of wealth and rank certainly exist, and have probably existed in most pastoralist societies, 

 

　　该分句的主语是复数名词Inequalities of wealth and rank（财富和等级的不平等），其中有两个并列谓语：

 

　　1、certainly exist

　　2、haveprobably existed in most pastoralist societies

 

第二分句：but except in periods of military conquest, they are normally too slight to generate the stable.

 

　　该分句是带有介词短语的简单句，they 指代上文的复数名词 Inequalities of wealth and rank

 

那么，整个句子改写为三个简单句：

 

• Inequalities of wealth and rank certainly exist. 财富和等级的不平等确实存在。

• Inequalities of wealth and rank have probably existed in most pastoralist societies. 财富和等级的不平等或许已经在多数理想社会中存在。

• Inequalities of wealth and rank are normally too slight to generate the stable except in periods of military conquest. 除了在军事战领期间，财富和等级的不平等一般说来过于微不足道而不足以形成这类稳定的局面。

 

The inequalities is most marked during periods of military conquest（这些不平等在军事战领期间极为显著）与 they are normally too slight to generate… 以及前面的一句在意思上大相径庭。

 

究竟正与否，需要看题目的要求。如选择不能表述上文意思的一项，它应该是正确的；反之，则是错误的。

追问

可是我把they理解成了在military conquest 的inequalities,那样理解是错的么?

追答

　　原句Inequalities of wealth and rank certainly exist, and have probably existed in most pastoralist societies, but except in periods of military conquest, they are normally too slight to generate the stable 中，they应该指代复数名词，它的前面有三个复数名词：unequalities of wealth and rank（某些财富和等级的不平等）、most pastoralist societies（多数理想社会）和 periods of military conquest（一些军事战领时期）。
　　很显然，根据行文，they 既不可能指代 most pastoralist societies(理想社会)，也不会指代periods of military conquest (军事战领时期)。
　　如果理解成inequalities of military conquest（军事战领的不平等），既缺乏上下文的依托，又在意思上讲不通。
　　

追问

如果是理解成periods of military conquest ,好象也很通顺

追答

except in periods of military conquest, they are normally too slight to generate the stable 共同构成后面的并列句，而介词短语 except in periods of military conquest 只不过是第二分句中的一个成分，主要句子中的主语 they 只能指代第一分句中的主语 inequalities，不能自产自销指代本句中的断章取义出来的 periods.
.

追问

喔!!如果写成they are too slight to....except in periods.....我就看懂了

追答

我已经在改写简单句时按 they are too slight to....except in periods 排列了，你可能没有注意到。

Answer 2

我认为 这句话对
but except in periods of military conquest,they are normally too slight to generate the stable.
这是 一个 独立的句子 they代表Inequalities of wealth and rank
except in periods of military conquest修饰的是 they are normally too slight to generate the stable
所以= The inequalities is most marked during periods of military conquest.

但本题 是让选择 错误答案的 所以 选 这个就错了

Answer 3

托福考试，可以去小马过河问问那里专业的英语老师的，谢谢！

Answer 4

不对，they就是the inequalities of wealth and rank