Exercise

In whatever company, they may find persons and conversations more or less pleasing. At whatever table , they may find meat and drink of better or worse taste, dishes better or worse prepared.

Many workers stay at jobs they are too old for rather than face possible rejection.

But we remember with far greater pain that we did not see that beauty when it flowered, that we failed to respond with love when it was tendered.

要點分析和參考譯文:

要點：這兩句為對偶句，結(jié)構(gòu)工整。 In whatever company 意為"無論和什么人交往"不要誤以為"不論在什么公司"。 persons and conversations的定語后置。同樣道理meat and drink，dishes 也都帶有后置定語。

參考譯文：無論和什么人交往，他們會發(fā)現(xiàn)有些人、有些談話討人喜歡，而有些則不然。同樣，無論吃什么飯，酒和肉總有可口的和不可口的，菜肴的烹調(diào)亦總有優(yōu)劣之分。

要點：they are too old for是定語從句修飾jobs。Rather than 前后為相同的語法成分即stay 和 face。

參考譯文：許多工人寧愿守著因自己年老已不適合的工作，而不愿意去面對（再找工作時）可能會遇到的拒絕

要點：remember 后面有兩個并列的賓語從句，一個是that we did not see……，另一個是that we failed to……。 由于介詞短語with far greater pain 的分隔和兩個賓語從句又各帶了一個狀語從句，而使全句的結(jié)構(gòu)變得較為復(fù)雜。
參考譯文：可是，我們更痛苦的回憶是，我們沒有看見鮮花怒放時的美麗，沒有在別人對我們施以愛之時也以愛回報。