一．分割

    分割结构是一种修辞手段，在英语句子中，特别是在书面语中，比较常见。分割结构就是指把英语句子中原来属于一个整体的句子成分分割开，一部分留在句子的原来位置，另一部分远离原来位置。

　　如：The best books are treasuries of good words, the golden thoughts, which, remembered and cherished, become our constant companions and comforters. 不难看出which become our constant companions and comforters原本是一个整体，被用作状语的过去分词remembered and cherished分割开。常见的分割结构形式有同位语或同位语从句与先行词的分割，定语或and定语从句与先行词的分割，主语与谓语的分割，谓语与宾语的分割。使用分割结构的目的是使语句结构平衡，避免头重脚轻，或者为了使表达的主题思想更加突出醒目，读起来更通顺流畅。分割结构的存在说明了英语在结构形式和表达方法上的生动性和灵活性，但也造成了句子结构的错综复杂。对于分割结构，只有从结构上和语意上弄清它才能避免理解上的错误，英译汉时要把原来属于一个整体部分的意义译出。

    此外，还有定语（或定语从句）与其中心词被分隔，某些词语与其所要求的介词被分隔，动词与其宾语被分隔，介词与其宾语被分隔等。总之，英语的分隔应遵循尾重原则（应当把长而复杂的成分放在句末，从而使结构平衡匀称，以避免主语部分太长，谓语部分太短）和句尾信息焦点原则（把新信息，即语义重点放在句子末尾）。阅读时要注意把原来属于一个整体的各部分找出来。　　

例1. Such a viewpoint, particularly prominent in the developing countries, is reinforced by the widely-held belief that it is not the peaceful application of nuclear energy that is endangering the survival of mankind.
要点 本句主干为Such a viewpoint…… is reinforced by the widely-held belief；形容词短语particularly prominent in the developing countries，作为插入语修饰viewpoint，将主语和谓语分隔开来；介词短语by the widely-held belief是被动语态reinforced的行为主体；that it is……mankind是belief的同位语从句，这里还含有一个强调句式，即it is not the peaceful application……that is endangering……。

　　译文 这种在发展中国家显得尤为突出的观点被一种广泛持有的信念所加强，即并非和平利用核能正危害着人类的生存。

    例2. This trend began during the Second World War, when several governments came to the conclusion that the specific demands that a government wants to make of its scientific establishment cannot generally be foreseen in detail.
　　要点 该句的主干结构是This trend began during the Second World War, when……。when引导定语从句，修饰the Second World War. that the specific……detail是conclusion的同位语从句，在该从句中，主语是 the specific demands of its scientific establishment, that a government wants to make是 demands的定语从句。该定语从句放在其先行词 demands和of介词短语之间，造成句子的割裂。翻译时，可把被割裂的部分还原。

　　译文 这种趋势始于第二次世界大战期间，当时一些国家的政府得出这样的结论：政府要向科研机构提出的具体要求通常是无法详尽预见的。

    例3. I have been transformed from a passionate advocate of the philosophy of having it all, preached by Linda Kelsey for the past seven years in the page of She magazine, into a woman who is happy to settle for a bit of everything.
　　要点 该句的主干结构是I have been transformed from a passionate advocate of the philosophy of having it all……into a woman……preached by……magazine是过去分词短语，作the philosophy of having it all的定语，插在from……into之中，造成了句子的割裂。翻译时，可把分词短语译成一个分句，其他照原文顺序翻译。

　　译文 我从一个“全力以赴”的生活哲学——在过去七年里林达•凯尔西一直在《女性》杂志鼓吹这种生活方式——的积极倡导者，一改而成为随遇而安的女人

二．找准句子的主干

    总所周知，雅思阅读的三篇文章都比较长，而且单词也相对比较难。然后最让考生头痛的就是几乎一半以上的句子都是长句。而所谓的对长句的处理就是指能清楚地知道这个长句的主干在是什么呢，基本上指的就是这个长句的主谓宾或主谓表是什么。这样的话，就大大减轻了考生的负担和压力。因为主干的单词往往都相对而言比较简单，我们说英文的句子主干包含了句子本身60%的信息，特别是对于我们不要求精确理解句子，不求甚解的情况下，主干的把握就更加重要了。

1. 题目：Research completed in 1982 found that in the United States soil erosion……(C3T2P2)
A  reduced the productivity of farmland by20 per cent
B  was almost as severe as in India and China
C  was causing significant damage to 20 per cent of farmland
D  could be reduced by converting cultivated land to meadow or forest
原文：The United States, where the most careful measurements have been done, discovered in 1982 that about one-fifth of its farmland was losing topsoil at a rate likely to diminish the soil’s productivity.
    很明显，原文是一个长句，而对于长句的处理就是找出主干，我们可以看出来，这个句子的主干是The United States discovered in 1982 that about one-fifth of its farmland was losing topsoil。所以答案就非常明显应该选择C。所以你会发现很多考生都会选的A项经过对此长句的分析，它根本就不在此长句的主干，也就是说这是对作者要表达的意思的补充说明。从这里我们可以看出，出题者对干扰项的出题思路，干扰项所在的位置都是定位句子的非主干部分。

2.  题目：Paragraph B    Ottawa International Conference on Health Promotion
                        Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion    (C2T1P2)
原文：At the Ottawa Conference in 1986, a charter was developed which outlined new directions for health promotion based on the socio-ecological view of health. This charter, known as the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, remains as the backbone of health action today. In exploring the scope of health promotion it states that:
     同样的道理，我们可以看到，这里的句：At the Ottawa Conference in 1986, a charter was developed which outlined new directions for health promotion based on the socio-ecological view of health.这个句子的主干就是：a charter was developed。所以小标题中的Ottawa International Conference on Health Promotion 就是干扰项的常用的招数。

    从以上的例子，我们可以发现出题者的出题特点，基本上，正确答案一定是主干上的同意转化，而干扰项上的答案都出自定语上。所以这也就是为什么烤鸭若能完全掌握长句的处理，短期内会有一定的提高。