19. Even demographics are working against the middle-class family, as the odds of having a weak elderly parent—and all the attendant need for physical and financial assistance—have jumped eightfold in just one generation.
【分析】復合句。主句主干為 demographics are working against the middle-class family。as 引導原因狀語從句，其主干為 the odds have jumped eightfold；破折號之間的部分起補充說明的作用。
【譯文】甚至連人口統計數據都對中產階級家庭不利，因為這些家庭中出現一個年老體弱當父親或母親——以及隨之而來的體力和經濟援助上的需要——的機率在一代人的時間里增加了八倍。
【點撥】odds 意為“成敗的幾率或可能；幾率；差別”。

20. From the middle-class family perspective, much of this understandably, looks far less like an opportunity to exercise more financial responsibility, and a good deal more like a frightening acceleration of the wholesale shift of financial risk onto their already overburdened shoulders.
【分析】簡單句。本句雖是簡單句，但修飾成分較多，句子主干是 much of this looks far less like an opportunity and more like a frightening acceleration。不定式結構 to exercise...responsibility 作定語修飾 opportunity；介詞短語 of the wholesale...修飾 acceleration。
【譯文】可以理解，從中產階級家庭的角度來看，上述現象根本不像是一個行使更多經濟職責的機會；而更像是將經濟風險大規模轉移到他們已經不堪重負的肩膀上的加速進程。
【點撥】1) perspective 為名詞，意思較多，如“遠景，全景；觀點；前途”，本句中意為“觀點”。2)wholesale 可作名詞、形容詞、副詞和動詞，在本句中為形容詞，意為“大規模的”。3) far less 意為“遠不及”。4)a good deal (of) 意為“許多，大量”，多用來修飾不可數名詞。