例64 The grand mediocrity of today—everyone being the same in survival and number of off-spring—means that natural selection has lost 80% of its power in upper-middle-class India compared to the tribe.
【结构分析】这句话是典型的宾语从句,也就是The grand mediocrity of today means that...,句子的主语和动词之间加入插入语,也就是everyone being the same in survival and number of off-spring,宾语从句的主语是natural selection,动词是has lost,宾语是80% of its power,后面是介词短语in upper-middle-class India做状语,后面是分词短语compared to the tribe做状语。
【亮点回放】此句话的亮点在于宾语从句难度较大,该宾语从句里面有介词短语,还有分词短语,很经典。
【核心词汇】
the grand mediocrity of today 当今人与人之间的这种普遍现象
number of off-spring 子嗣的数目
natural selection 自然淘汰法则
upper-middle-class India 印度中上层阶级
compared to the tribe 和在印度土著部落中的情况相比
【参考译文】当今人与人之间的这种普遍现象——即面对自然淘汰法则人人机会均等,并且连子嗣的数目都一样——意味着和在印度土著部落中的情况相比,印度中上层阶级中已丧失了80%的自然选择中的优势。