今天我们来看这样一个句子：

　　As Patrick Kirch, an American anthropologist, points out, rather than being brought by rafting South Americans, sweet potatoes might just have easily been brought back by returning Polynesian navigators who could have reached the west coast of South America. (39, TPO5)

　　anthropologist /ænθrə'pɒlədʒɪst/ n. 人类学家

　　rather than prep. 而不是

　　raft /rɑːft/ n. 筏 v. 用筏子载运(人或货物)

　　navigator /'nævɪgeɪtə/ n. 航行者，航海者;领航员，导航员;导航仪

　　我是分界线，大家先自己分析哦。

　　As Patrick Kirch, (an American anthropologist), points out, (rather than being brought by rafting South Americans), sweet potatoes might just have easily been brought back (by returning Polynesian navigators) (who could have reached the west coast of South America. )

　　分析：

　　修饰一：(an American anthropologist)，同位语，修饰Patrick Kirch

　　中文：美国人类学家

　　修饰二：(rather than being brought byrafting South Americans)，介词短语，rather than是托福阅读里一个高频短语啊，大家记住它是一个介词，表示“而不是”

　　中文：不是南美人用筏运来的

　　修饰三：(by returning Polynesiannavigators)，介词短语，修饰bringback

　　中文：玻利尼西亚返航者

　　修饰四：(who could have reached the westcoast of South America. ) ，从句，修饰navigators

　　中文：已经去过南美西海岸

　　主干：sweetpotatoes might just have easily been brought back

　　参考翻译：

　　正如美国人类学家Patrick Kirch所指出的，甘薯并不是南美人用筏运来的，而是通过已经去过南美西海岸的玻利尼西亚返航者很方便就带来了。

　　这个句子的主要修饰成分就是介词短语、同位语、非谓语动词以及从句，大家务必想清楚，每一个修饰成分修饰的是什么，才能看清楚这个句子的结构。