小编前言：阅读是四级英语中重要的得分点和难点，对长难句的分析则决定了对阅读的彻底理解，也是学习语法，积累高级词汇、句型不可或缺的来源。而四级英语真题阅读部分均选自Times、Telegraph等著名外文报纸及杂志，其行文和词汇原汁原味，值得考生细细品味和灵活借鉴。准备2013年12月英语四级的同学们，还等什么？赶快学起来吧！同时，欢迎各位考生针对例句的翻译及分析给出自己的理解哦！

1. Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn't generally experience the atmospheric sound and lightning that can accompany those rains, it's still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning. (1994. 阅读. Text 4)
【译文】尽管四月份没有带来我们期盼已久的雨水，尽管中央山谷下雨时很少伴有雷声和闪电，但对于父母来说，能够回答孩子们关于打雷和闪电的问题仍然十分重要。
【析句】多重复合句，主句it's still important for parents to be able to..., it作形式主语，真正的主语是后面的不定式，再看从句，and连接两个although引导让步状语从句，第二个让步状语从句中又包含从句，that can accompany those rains作定语从句修饰the atmospheric sound and ligntning.

2. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? (1994. 阅读. Text 4)
【译文】例如，你是否知道我们看到闪电从天上落到地面，实际过程却是从地面闪进云里。
【析句】整句话只有一个长句，但包含了几个从句。主句为did you know that..., that引导宾语从句，宾语从句的主句为the lighting is flashing up...,其中又包含从句we see flashing down...cloud作定语从句修饰the lightning。

3. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval between the flash and the crash to learn how close they were to the actual spark. (1994. 阅读. Text 4)
【译文】当孩子们明白闪电发出的光几乎同时到达他们的眼睛，而雷声约五秒钟才传播一英里，那他们就可以开始给闪电和雷声之间的间隔计时，以了解自己离实际火花的远近。
【析句】多重复合句，主句they can begin to time the interval...to learn how close they were..., 主句中包含从句，how close they were作learn的宾语从句，注意time此处作动词，意为“给...计时”。when children understand that为时间状语从句，that引导understand的宾语从句，宾语从句中，主句为the light of the lightning reaches their eyes, but the sound of the thunder takes about ..., but连接构成转折关系的同级简单句。

本文句子翻译及解析为沪江英语原创，转载请注明出处。