難句解析:
①When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at, for, however farfetched and unreasonable their principles may seem today, it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal.
▲該句是一個因果關系的并列句,表示結果的部分是When a new movement in art attains a certain fashion, it is advisable to find out what its advocates are aiming at,表示原因的部分是for it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal。而for與it is possible that in years to come they may be regarded as normal之間是一個插入語,也是由however+形容詞引導的狀語從句,意為“不管他們(這群前衛藝術家們)的時尚原則在今天看來多么牽強無理”。
△句中attain原意為“達到”,此處應理解為“發展成”;advocates指倡導的人;however不是“然而”,而是“不論多么”。
②With regard to Futurist poetry, however, the case is rather difficult, for whatever Futurist poetry may be — even admitting that the theory on which it is based may be right — it can hardly be classed as Literature.
▲該句也是一個因果關系的并列句。結果為With regard to Futurist poetry, however, the case is rather difficult,其中however是插入語,表示此句與上一句之間是轉折關系;原因為for之后的部分whatever Futurist poetry may be — even admitting that the theory on which it is based may be right — it can hardly be classed as Literature,其中破折號之間的部分even admitting that the theory on which it is based may be right是插入語,on which it is based是the theory的定語從句,it指代Futurist poetry。
△注意however一詞是對上一句內容的轉折信號,了解這一點,the case is rather difficult的意思就不難領會了。同時要抓住作者的態度,他對未來主義詩歌是持完全否定的態度的。
③We must pour out a large stream of essential words, unhampered by stops, or qualifying adjectives, or finite verbs.
▲該句中主句為We must pour out a large stream of essential words,而unhampered by stops, or qualifying adjectives, or finite verbs是過去分詞引導的伴隨狀語。
△注意or連接的qualifying adjectives和finite verbs與stops并列,而不與a large stream of essential words并列。
④But it is a little upsetting to read in the explanatory notes that a certain line describes a fight between a Turkish and a Bulgarian officer on a bridge off which they both fall into the river — and then to find that the line consists of the noise of their falling and the weights of the officers: "Pluff! Pluff! A hundred and eighty-five kilograms."
▲句中開始的it是形式主語,它指代的是to read及后面的定語從句和to find及其后面的賓語從句。that a certain line describes a fight between a Turkish and a Bulgarian officer on a bridge off which they both fall into the river是read的賓語從句,其中off which they both fall into the river是bridge的定語從句;that the line consists of the noise of their falling and the weights of the officers: "Pluff! Pluff! A hundred and eighty-five kilograms."是find的賓語從句。
△該句相對較復雜,一定要注意upsetting的意思,它是指當我們先是從注釋中得知某詩行講述了一個場景,便懷著新奇感去讀原文,結果卻發現原文如此枯燥拙劣,心中不免感到不舒服。
⑤All the same, no thinking man can refuse to accept their first proposition: that a great change in our emotional life calls for a change of expression.
▲此處的that從句是proposition的同位語,說明了其內容。
△注意句中的雙重否定:no thinking man can refuse to accept their first proposition沒有一個有思想的人能否決他們自己最初的主張,也就是“幾乎人人都會堅持自己最初的主張”。
v. 減輕,救濟,解除