例294　After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates, Australia's Northern Territory became the first legal authority in the world to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients who wish to die.

【结构分析】句子开头是个介词短语做状语，也就是After six months of arguing and final 16 hours of hot parliamentary debates，主语是Australia's Northern Territory，动词是became，宾语是the first legal authority，后面加上介词短语in the world做定语，后面再加上不定式to allow doctors to take the lives of incurably ill patients做定语，修饰前面的first legal authority，后面再加上定语who wish to die，修饰前面的incurably ill patients。

【亮点回放】此句话的亮点在于宾语后面加上一系列的定语，层层修饰前面，包括介词短语，不定式，定语从句三种，很精彩。

【核心词汇】

hot parliamentary debates　激烈的议会辩论

Australia's Northern Territory　澳大利亚北部地区

legal authority　立法当局

take the lives of incurably ill patients　终止绝症病人生命

【参考译文】经过了六个月的争论以及最后16个小时激烈的议会辩论，澳大利亚北部地区成了世界上第一个允许医生终止希望死去的绝症病人生命的立法当局。