例131　While in America the trend started as a reaction to the economic decline-after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late 80s-and is still linked to the politics of thrift, in Britain, at least among the middle-class down shifters of my acquaintance, we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives.

【结构分析】这是个让步状语从句while引导的从句中的主语是the trend，第一个动词是started，介词短语是as a reaction to the economic decline做状语，后面是插入语after the mass redundancies caused by downsizing in the late ’80s，后面是第二个动词短语is linked to，宾语是the politics of thrift，该句的主干是we have different reasons for seeking to simplify our lives。

【亮点回放】此句话的亮点在于让步状语从句的使用，其中while后面又两个动词并列，而且里面有插入语和介词短语等各种短语，很复杂。

【核心词汇】

as a reaction to the economic decline　以经济衰落的反应

mass redundancies　大量的失业

downsizing in the late 80s　80年代末期裁员

the politics of thrift　提倡节俭的政纲

the middle-class down shifters of my acquaintance　我所熟识的中产阶级返朴归隐者中

simplify our lives　追求简约

【参考译文】在美国，这一返朴归隐趋势是以经济衰落的反应为开始的——那是在80年代末期裁员而引起大量的失业之后——现在依然与提倡节俭的政纲相关；而在英国，最起码在我所熟识的中产阶级返朴归隐者中，追求简约；生活的原因就多种多样了。