文档介绍：历年考研英语疑难长句解析(三)
methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time.
「译文」他们的方法并不是要评估特定海域鱼种的实际生物量,而是评估在这一段时间内生物量的变化。
「解析」这是一个简单句,但是宾语是两个,一是the actual biomass(the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean,一是changes in that biomass over time.
rather意为“宁愿;有点,相当”。I'd rather stay at home.(我宁愿呆在家里。)He's rather lazy.(他有些懒。)有时rather在句中表示转折,或者对前文进行纠正(经常与or连用)。There are five, rather six, persons killed in the traffic accident.(在这场车祸中,共有5人,应该是6人死亡。)
to their latest paper published in Nature,the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) in a new fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long fished areas, it has halved again since then.
「译文」根据他们在《自然》上发表的最新论文,在新渔场开始捕鱼的15年之内,大型捕食动物的生物量平均减少80%.在一些长期捕鱼的海域,生物量在此之后又减少了一半。
「解析」句子的结构比较简单,但要注意数字的表述,而这正是考试的内容。在新渔场开始捕鱼的15年之内,大型捕食动物的生物量平均减少80%,而在此之后又减少了一半,即剩下的20%又减少了一半,因而应该只剩下10%了。
halve意为“平分,分享,减半”。pany's profits halved after the demand in the market became low.(市场的需求减少之后,公司的赢利减少了一半。)
means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in