1.There was a time in the country when you' d be considered a jerk if you passed by somebody in need.

【參考譯文】在美國，人們一度認(rèn)為，那些遇到處于困境者的人是傻瓜。

【結(jié)構(gòu)解析】“There was a time”意思是“曾經(jīng)有一段時(shí)間、一度”，“passed”前省略了"are"。

2.One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying solely on the good will of his fellow Americans.

【參考譯文】要對(duì)此做出驗(yàn)證，辦法就是只身一人、身無分文地做一次橫穿美國的旅行，一路上只依靠著美國同胞的友善。

【結(jié)構(gòu)解析】“this”指上文的“Could anyone rely on the kindness of strangers these days”，“journey from coast to coast”是指travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean。