6. But we are much less conscious of the extent to which work provides the more intangible, but more crucial, psychological well being that can make the difference between a full and an empty life.

　　分析：这是一个主从复合句。to which work provides the more intangible, but more crucial, psychological well-being 是 extent 的定语从句。that can make the difference between a full and an empty life 是 psychological well-being 的定语从句。intangible，crucial 和 psychological 这三个形容词很容易被误认为是平行结构，事实上，intangible，crucial是修饰 psychological well-being 的。翻译本句不能用直译，例如extent 就不能直接译出来。故采用意译为主。

译文：但我们很少认识到，工作在心理健康方面给予我们的决定生活是充实还是空虚的那种难以察觉、但至关重要的东西有多少。

　　7. The aims of our present-day culture are avowedly ease and material well being: shorter hours; a shorter week; more return for less accomplishment; more soft-soap excuses and fewer honest, realistic demands.

　　分析：本句虽然很长，却是简单句。句子的主干是 the aims are avowedly ease and material well being，除此之外，后面的全部与aims 是同位语关系，进一步说明aims 。比较结构用的是形容词的比较级 shorter hours, more return…。翻译时采用顺序法。形容词的比较级则译为汉语的偏正结构。

　　译文：我们当代文明承认的目标就是追求舒适和物质享受：每天的工作时间越来越短；每周的工作日越来越少；以少的成就换取多的报酬；姑息宽容的理由越多，正当而又实际的要求就越少。

　　8. Marriage has never been more popular and desirable than it is now——so appealing in fact, that even those who are in the process of divorce can scarcely wait for the law to allow them to marry again.

　　分析：本句是主从复合句，than 后面跟的是一个句子：it is (popular) now，appealing 的逻辑主语是marriage，其主干结构是 so…that…; that 引导的状语从句表示结果。在该状语从句中还有who 引导的定语从句，修饰those，wait for 与否定词连用，表示“急于做某事”。翻译时采用顺序法。但是who 从句需要译成定语。

　　译文：婚姻从未像现在这样受大众欢迎，为大众所渴望。事实上，婚姻是如此地吸引人，以至那些正在办理离婚手续的人，几乎等不到法律的判决，就想再度结婚了。

　　9. Much as she loved her cat, we may imagine that she was more horror than grief-stricken at her discovery.

　　分析：本句中的as 放在主语前面，并与副词连用，引导让步状语从句，意思是“尽管”。在该句中还有 that 引导的宾语从句，作 imagine 的宾语。比较级结构中，总是拿两个同类的事物或概念做比较。

　　译文：尽管她很爱那只猫，但是我们可以想象，当她发现那只猫的样子时，与其说是伤心至极，不如说是惊恐万分。

　　1(世博翻译公司)0. Such estimates are little better than guesses.

　　分析：本句的比较结构是little better than，意思相当于 almost the same as，意为“几乎与……一样”、“简直是”。

译文：这类估算近于猜测。  

倒装和分割结构 

 为了强调句子的某些部分，或是为了保持句子平衡，英语中常常使用倒装。大体说来，倒装可以分为主谓倒装和非主谓倒装。主谓倒装里又分为完全倒装和部分倒装。在翻译的时候，既可以按照主谓语的顺序翻译，也可以按照字面意思翻译。非主谓倒装只是将强调部分前置，以保持句子平衡或是起强调作用。翻译时可以采用顺序译法或是倒序译法。

　　1(世博翻译公司). For example, they do not compensate for social inequality, and thus do not tell how able an underprivileged youngster might have been had he grown up under more favorable circumstances.

　　分析：本句中had he grown up under more favorable circumstances 属于部分倒装。正常语序为：if he had grown up under more favorable circumstances。在正式文体中，可以将虚拟条件句中的if 省略，并将助动词提前。

　　译文：例如，它们（指测试）并不弥补社会的不公，因此不能说明一个贫困青年，要是在比较有利的境况下长大，会有多大才干。

　　2. Nonstop waves of immigrants played a role, too and so did bigger crops of babies as yesterday’s “baby boom” generation reached its child-bearing years.