難句解析：
①The change met the technical requirements of the new age by engaging a large professional element and prevented the decline in efficiency that so commonly spoiled the fortunes of family firms in the second and third generation after the energetic founders.
▲句子的主干結構是The change met... requirements... and prevented the decline...。其中by engaging a large professional element是介詞詞組作狀語，說明met the technical requirements of the new age的方式。decline in efficiency后面的that引導定語從句修飾前面的decline in efficiency。
△此句的閱讀關鍵在于抓住句子的主干，即主要謂語動詞，這樣就能把握句子的基本結構，從而明白句子的主要意思。engage在這里的意思是“使卷入，涉及”。
②Such large, impersonal manipulation of capital and industry greatly increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class, an element in national life representing irresponsible wealth detached from the land and the duties of the landowners; and almost equally detached from the responsible management of business.
▲這個句子的主干結構是... manipulation... increased the numbers and importance of shareholders as a class...。其中an element是class的同位語，representing irresponsible wealth是現在分詞作定語修飾前面的element，detached from則是過去分詞作后置定語，相當于是省略了which is的定語從句。and連接兩個detached from，都修飾前面的wealth。
△理解an element是a class的同位語是理解此句的關鍵。只要分清句子的主語、謂語動詞的中心詞，就能夠抓住句子的主要意思。在速度的時候，也可以先抓住主句而略過an element后面的部分不看。另外句中一些短語的意思也會影響到對整句的理解，如：detach from與……相分離；irresponsible wealth不負責任的財富，在本句中指的是股東們雖然擁有大量財富，但并不參與公司的運作，不承擔任何經營管理的責任。
③Towns like Bournemouth and Eastbourne sprang up to house large "comfortable" classes who had retired on their incomes, and who had no relation to the rest of the community except that of drawing dividends and occasionally attending a shareholders' meeting to dictate their orders to the management.
▲這個句子的主干結構是Towns... sprang up to house... classes，后面兩個who引導兩個定語從句修飾前面的classes。except在這里是介詞，它后面的that指代relation。drawing和attending是并列關系，作介詞of的賓語。動詞不定式to dictate their orders to the management是表示目的的狀語。
△理解這句的關鍵是兩個who引導的定語從句都是修飾classes的，而且except后面的that指代的是relation。
④The "shareholders" as such had no knowledge of the lives, thoughts or needs of the workmen employed by the company in which he held shares, and his influence on the relations of capital and labour was not good.
▲這個句子是and連接的兩個并列句。第一個句子的主干結構是The "shareholders" had no knowledge...。在第一個句子中，employed作定語修飾前面的workmen，相當于省略了who were (employed by)...。which引導定語從句in which he held shares修飾前面的company。第二句的主干結構是his influence... was not good，是常見的主語+系動詞+表語結構。
△第一分句中要認清employed by和后面which引導的從句都是修飾什么成分的。另外，在閱讀本句中，指代關系也非常重要，要看清代詞he和his都是指代前面的shareholders。
⑤The paid manager acting for the company was in more direct relation with the men and their demands, but even he had seldom that familiar personal knowledge of the workmen which the employer had often had under the more patriarchal system of the old family business now passing away.
▲首先這個句子是but連接的兩個轉折關系的句子。第一個句子的主干結構是The... manager... was in more direct relation with...。第一個句子中acting for是現在分詞作定語，修飾manager。第二個句子的主干結構是he had seldom that... knowledge of the workmen...。第二個句子中which引導定語從句which the employer had often had...修飾前面的familiar personal knowledge，passing away是現在分詞作定語修飾前面的family business。under the more patriarchal system of the old family business是介詞詞組作狀語，修飾謂語had often had。
△理解本句的重點在于對第二個分句的理解。he指代前面的the paid manager，which引導的定語從句是修飾that familiar personal knowledge的，而不是修飾workmen的，因為在這個of詞組that familiar personal knowledge of the workmen當中中詞詞是knowledge，而且其中的that一詞是用來強調familiar personal knowledge，在朗讀的時候應該重讀。另外現在分詞詞組now passing away是修飾前面的the old family business的。把這些修飾關系弄清楚，就能夠把握句子的層次結構了。

來源:可可英語 http://www.ccdyzl.cn/kaoyan/201407/310053.shtml