The Amateur as Critic
Commentary 2007.11
2010考研英语（一）阅读Text 1
Of all the changes that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline in the scope and riousness of their arts coverage.
taken place发生Far-reaching影响深远的inexorable不可阻挡decline下降
解析1：句子主干（加粗）
Of all the changes ①that have taken place in English-language newspapers during the past quarter-century, perhaps the most far-reaching has been the inexorable decline②in the scope and riousness of their arts coverage.
在所有….变化中已不可阻挡的衰落。
①t hat…, perhaps the most far-reaching 是定语从句，修饰前面changes.
英文报纸在过去25 年间发生的，也许是影响最深远的英语六级听力真题
②in the scope and riousness of their arts coverage. 是句子状语，在艺术报道范围和严肃性
（出现了A and B of C的结构，因为scope范围和riousness严肃性都可以是arts coverage的内容，所以翻译成C的A和B）
段落翻译：
英文报纸过去25 年间发生的所有变化中，影响最为深远的或许就是其艺术报道范围和严肃性已呈不可遏止的衰落之势。
It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers. Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism published in the 20th century consisted in large part of newspaper reviews. To read such books today is to marvel at the fact that their learned contents were once deemed suitable for publication in general-circulation dailies.
criticism评论average普通的considerable相当大的marvel感到惊奇learned博学的
解析1：句子主干（加粗）
It is difficult①to the point of impossibility②for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time③when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers.
…很难想象一个…时代
（这里出现It is + adj + to do sth的句型，to do sth句子逻辑主语，It形式主语）
①to the point of impossibility 做状语修饰difficult，…很难，甚至不可能
（to the point of… 达到什么程度）
②for the average reader under the age of forty 不定式to imagine的逻辑主语，对于年龄在四十岁的普通读者来说去想象…很难（under the age of forty后置定语修饰reader）
③when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers 定语从句修饰time 高质量艺术评论能被在大多数大都市的报纸上找到的时代
对于40岁以下的普通读者而言，他们难以，甚至根本无法想象一个能在大多数大都市报纸上读到高质量艺术评论的时代。
解析2：句子主干（加粗）
①Yet a considerable number of the most significant collections of criticism②published in the 20th century consisted③in large part of newspaper reviews.
…评论文集由报纸评论组成
①Yet a considerable number of the most significant 定语修饰collections of criticism，然而大量的最具重要影响的（a considerable number of sth 大量的…；yet逻辑词，与上句话形成转折）②published in the 20th century 非谓语做后置定语修饰collections of criticism，20世纪出版的评论文集
③in large part 大部分，状语修饰consist of，大部分由…组成
然而20世纪出版的相当多的最具重要影响的评论文集大部分由报纸评论组成。
解析3：句子主干（加粗）
To read such books today is to marvel at the fact①that their learned contents were once deemed suitable②for publication in general-circulation dailies.
读这些书会惊叹这样一个事实
romary
helen mirren①that their learned contents were once deemed suitable 同位语从句在解释说明前面的fact，它们这些广博精深的内容曾经被认为是适合的（这里learned表示博学的）
②for publication in general-circulation dailies. 同位语从句的状语，在面向大众发行的日报上。general-circulation 大众发行
若今日再来阅读这些文集，会惊叹于这样一个事实里面这些广博精深的内容曾被认为适合刊登在面向大众发行的日报上。
段落翻译：
对于40岁以下的普通读者而言，他们难以，甚至根本无法想象一个能在大多数大都市报纸上读到高质量艺术评论的时代。然而20世纪出版的相当多的最具重要影响的评论文集大部分由报纸评论组成。若今日再来阅读这些文集，会惊叹于这样一个事实里面这些广博精深的内容曾被认为适合刊登在面向大众发行的日报上。
We are even farther removed from the unfocud newspaper reviews published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications in which it appeared. In tho
udiab
far-off days, it was taken for granted that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered. Theirs was a rious business, and even tho reviewers who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, could be trusted to know what they were about. The men believed in journalism as a calling, and were proud to be published in the daily press.“So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism, ” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are ’.”
removed遥远的dirt-cheap廉价入土的stylish文体家ornament装饰
far-off遥远的be taken for granted被视为理所当然的critics评论家reviewers评论家daily press每日新闻keep one’s end up尽自己的责任
解析1：句子主干
We are even farther removed from the unfocud newspaper reviews②published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II, ③at a time when newsprint was dirt-cheap and stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications④in which it appeared. 我们与报纸评论很遥远
①published in England between the turn of the 20th century and the eve of World War II 后置定语修饰newspaper reviews，20世纪初至二战前夕在英国出版的报纸评论
（the turn of the 20th century 固定用法，20世纪初；eve 前夕）
②at a time是the turn of 20th century…War II的同位语，对这段时间的补充说明；
when A and B…是定语从句修饰前面time；
A：newsprint was dirt-cheap 新闻用纸廉价如土
B：stylish arts criticism was considered an ornament to the publications 有格调的艺术评论被视为一种出版物的装饰
zizima③in which it appeared 定语从句修饰publication，刊登它的出版物
我们与20世纪初至二战前夕英国的杂感式报纸评论就更是无缘了，当时，新闻用纸价廉如土，风格独特的艺术评论被看作是对刊登它的出版物的一种装饰。
解析2：句子主干
①In tho far-off days,it was taken for granted②that the critics of major papers would write in detail and at length about the events they covered.
…被视为理所当然的
①In tho far-off days 时间状语，在那个遥远的年代买单英语
②that从句为主语从句（that…was taken for granted）
that the critics of major papers would write about the events
各大报纸的评论家们会对事件撰写评论
in detail and at length 修饰events，详尽入微（in detail和at length都有详细的意思）
they covered 定语从句修饰events，引导词that省略，他们所报道的
妮娜 杜波夫男友
在那个遥远的年代，各大报纸的评论家们会对所报道的事件撰写详尽入微的评论，这被视作理所当然。
解析3：句子主干
Theirs was a rious business, and even tho reviewers①who wore their learning lightly, like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman, ②could be trusted to know what they were about.
A and
B 两个句子的并列
他们从事的是严肃的工作，人们相信即便是那些评论家也都清楚自己在做什么。
①who wore their learning lightly 定语从句修饰reviewers 以轻松活泼的方式展现学问的评论家like George Bernard Shaw and Ernest Newman 插入语
ethical
②could be trusted 评论家能被相信，也就是人们相信评论家
To know 不定式做主语补足语，知道
what they were about 宾语从句，含义是他们在忙些什么
人们相信评论家知道他们在忙些什么
他们从事的是严肃的工作，人们信任，即便是那些以轻松活泼的方式展现自己学问的评论家，如萧伯
纳和欧内斯特·纽曼，也都清楚自己在做什么。
解析4：句子主干
“So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism, ” Newman wrote, “that I am tempted to define ‘journalism’ as ‘a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are ’.”
句子是由So A that B 的并列结构（Parallelism）构成，太…以至于…
A：So few authors have brains enough or literary gift enough to keep their own end up in journalism 能够拥有足够的智慧或文学天赋，尽职尽责做好新闻写作工作本分的作家是如此之少
B：that I am tempted to define ‘a’ as ‘b’我不禁想把'a' 定义成为'b'
a：journalism 新闻写作
b：a term of contempt applied by writers who are not read to writers who are
chris rene
a term of contempt 蔑视的措辞，也就是蔑称
applied by 非谓语做后置定语修饰term，被用来
by writers who are not read to writer who are（read）
没有读者的作家用来对有读者作家的蔑称
为了更好理解b这句话，我们将这句话调整一下语序：
writers who are not read apply a term of contempt to writers who are（read），没有读者的平庸作家将"新闻写作"一词用作蔑称来嘲讽有读者的优秀作家
"能够拥有足够的智慧或文学天赋能尽职尽责做好新闻写作工作本分的作家是如此之少"，纽曼写道，"以至于我不禁想把'新闻写作'定义成为'没读者的作家对有读者作家的蔑称'"。
段落翻译：
我们与20世纪初至二战前夕英国的杂感式报纸评论就更是无缘了，当时，新闻用纸价廉如土，风格独特的艺术评论被看作是对刊登它的出版物的一种装饰。在那个遥远的年代，各大报纸的评论家们会对所报道的事件撰写详尽入微的评论，这被视作理所当然。他们从事的是严肃的工作，人们信任，即便是那些以轻松活泼的方式展现自己学问的评论家，如萧伯纳和欧内斯特·纽曼，也都清楚自己在做什么。portion
这些人相信新闻写作是他们的天职，并为自己的文章能发表在日报上而感到自豪。"能够拥有足够的智慧或文学天赋能尽职尽责做好新闻写作工作本分的作家是如此之少"，纽曼写道，"以至于我不禁想把'新闻写作'定义成为'没读者的作家对有读者作家
