2018年12月英语六级第1套真题句子解析： We believe that at least part of the problem lies in places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media, and exists because for one thing we underestimate how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences, and for another most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication.

lie in (短语动词)

lies in

"lie in" 是常见短语动词,表示"在于、存在于"(to exist in or be caused by),用于解释问题、原因或答案的所在。此处 "the problem lies in places other than..." 说明问题存在于某处。该短语常用于学术写作和正式场合,表达因果或本质关系。注意 "lie" 本身有多个含义(躺/说谎/位于),但与 "in" 搭配时专指"存在于"这一抽象含义。常见搭配还有 "lie in the fact that..."(在于...这一事实)。

• ✓ The problem lies in poor communication. ✗ The problem lies on poor communication. "lie in" 是固定搭配,不能用 "lie on"。"lie on" 表示物理上的"躺在...上面"。

other than (固定结构)

other than

"other than" 是固定结构,意为"除了...之外"(except, apart from),用于排除某一选项。此处 "places other than the interaction..." 指"除了科学家与媒体成员之间的互动之外的地方"。该结构在学术写作中高频出现,用于限定范围、做对比或排除。需注意它既可用于肯定句(表示排除),也可用于否定句(此时等同于 "except"),如 "no one other than him"(除了他没有别人)。与 "rather than"(而不是)的区别在于,"other than" 强调排除,"rather than" 强调选择。

• ✓ We had no choice other than to wait. ✗ We had no choice other to wait. "other than" 是完整固定结构,不能省略 "than"。

for one thing... and for another (连接短语)

for one thing and for another

"for one thing... and for another" 是成对使用的连接短语,用于列举两个并列的原因或论据,意为"一方面...另一方面"或"首先...其次"。此结构在论证型文章中极为常见,帮助组织多重论据。此处列举了问题存在的两个原因:"for one thing we underestimate..." 和 "for another most scientists do not receive..."。注意 "another" 前可以省略 "thing",写作 "for another" 即可,这是该结构的标准用法。该结构强调并列关系,两个理由权重相当,不分主次。

• ✓ I don't want to go. For one thing, I'm tired, and for another, it's too expensive. ✗ I don't want to go. For one thing, I'm tired, and another, it's too expensive. 第二部分必须保留 "for",不能只写 "another"。

communicate with (动词搭配)

communicate effectively with

"communicate with" 是标准动词搭配,表示"与...交流、沟通"。"with" 引出交流对象。此处 "communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences" 中,"effectively" 作方式状语修饰 "communicate","a diversity of audiences" 是交流对象。该搭配在学术和商务场合高频使用。需注意 "communicate" 后可接不同介词表达不同含义:"communicate with"(与...交流)、"communicate to"(向...传达信息,强调单向)、"communicate about"(就...进行交流)。此处用 "with" 强调双向互动的交流过程。

• ✓ Scientists need to communicate with the public. ✗ Scientists need to communicate to the public. 表达双向交流时用 "with","to" 更强调单向传达。虽然 "communicate to" 在某些语境下可接受,但 "communicate with" 更符合互动交流的语义。

underestimate (动词)

underestimate

"underestimate" 意为"低估"(to estimate something to be smaller or less important than it really is),由前缀 "under-"(不足、低于)和词根 "estimate"(估计)构成。此处 "we underestimate how difficult it is" 表示我们低估了某事的难度。该词在学术写作和批评性分析中常用,表达对某事物重要性、难度或影响的错误判断。反义词为 "overestimate"(高估)。该词强调主观判断的偏差,而非客观数据的错误,常用于反思性或批判性论述。

• ✓ We underestimated the difficulty of the task. ✗ We underestimated the task is difficult. "underestimate" 后接名词或名词性结构(如 "how difficult it is"),不能直接接句子。

diversity of (名词搭配)

a diversity of audiences

"a diversity of" 意为"多样的、各种各样的"(a variety of, a range of),"diversity" 本身指多样性。此处 "a diversity of audiences" 表示"多样化的受众群体"。该搭配在学术写作中常用于强调多元性、复杂性,比简单的 "different" 或 "various" 更正式、更具学术色彩。"diversity" 强调差异的广度和质量,不仅是数量上的多,更是性质上的异。在当代语境中,该词还常与包容性、多元化议题相关。此处用于说明科学家需要面对的受众群体具有多样化特征(背景、知识水平、兴趣等各不相同)。

formal training (名词搭配)

formal training

"formal training" 指"正规培训、正式训练"(official, structured, and systematic training),"formal" 强调系统性、规范性和官方认可。此处 "most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication" 说明大多数科学家没有接受过科学传播方面的正规培训。该搭配常用于教育、职业发展语境,与 "informal training"(非正式培训,如自学、观察学习)相对。"formal" 暗示有课程设置、认证体系或制度化安排,而非零散的、偶然的学习。该表达在讨论专业能力缺口、教育改革时高频出现。

• ✓ He received formal training in engineering. ✗ He received formal training of engineering. "training in" 是标准搭配,表示"在...方面的培训",不用 "of"。

at least (程度限定)

at least

"at least" 是程度限定短语,意为"至少、起码"(not less than, and probably more),用于表达最低限度或保守估计。此处 "at least part of the problem" 表示"至少部分问题",暗示可能还有更多问题,但说话人只确定这一部分。该短语在学术写作中常用于谨慎表态,避免绝对化论断,体现论证的严谨性。它既可修饰数量(至少三个),也可修饰程度(至少部分),还可用于让步表达(至少我们尝试过)。此处的使用弱化了论断的绝对性,为后续论证留有余地。

exists because (因果逻辑连接)

exists because

"exists because" 表达存在的原因,"because" 引出原因状语,解释为何某事物存在。此处整个句子结构为:问题存在("exists"),因为("because")有两个原因("for one thing... and for another...")。该结构直接建立因果关系,是说明文和议论文的基本逻辑框架。"because" 引导的原因状语可以是单一原因,也可以是复合原因(如此处通过 "for one thing... for another" 列举多个)。在学术写作中,"because" 是最直接的因果连接词,比 "since"、"as" 的因果语气更强。

how difficult it is (间接疑问结构)

how difficult it is

"how difficult it is" 是间接疑问结构,作 "underestimate" 的宾语,表达"有多难"。该结构由疑问词 "how" + 形容词 "difficult" + 主语 "it" + 系动词 "is" 构成,是陈述语序(非疑问语序),用于名词性位置。"it" 在此是形式主语,真正主语是后面的不定式 "to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences"(与多样化受众有效沟通)。这种 "how + 形容词 + it is + to do" 结构在表达难度、程度时极为常用,是四六级和考研的高频考点。需注意间接疑问必须用陈述语序,不能写成 "how difficult is it"(直接疑问语序)。

• ✓ I don't know how difficult it is. ✗ I don't know how difficult is it. 间接疑问用陈述语序(主语 + 动词),不能用疑问语序(动词 + 主语)。
• ✓ We underestimate how hard the task is. ✗ We underestimate how hard is the task. 作宾语的间接疑问必须是陈述语序。

复杂宾语结构的识别

We believe that at least part of the problem lies in places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media

该句 "We believe that..." 之后是一个较长的宾语,且宾语本身包含复杂修饰成分。中文学习者容易在长宾语中迷失,难以识别核心结构。此处核心结构是 "part of the problem lies in places",其余都是修饰成分:"at least" 修饰 "part","other than..." 修饰 "places"。理解此类句子的关键是先找到主干(主语 + 谓语 + 核心宾语),再逐层分析修饰成分。中文学习者需要训练从复杂句中提取核心结构的能力,不被长修饰语干扰。

• ✓ 先找核心:We believe [that 宾语从句],再看宾语从句的主干:part lies in places,最后分析修饰成分。 ✗ 从头到尾线性翻译,被长修饰语打断后无法回到主干。 长难句理解需要采用"核心主干 + 修饰层次"的分析方法,而非线性逐词翻译。

并列原因结构的识别与翻译

for one thing we underestimate how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences, and for another most scientists do not receive formal training in science communication

"for one thing... and for another" 引导的并列原因结构,在中文中需要明确译出"一方面...另一方面"或"首先...其次",否则容易丢失逻辑层次。中文学习者常忽略这类逻辑连接词的重要性,导致译文或理解中逻辑不清。此处两个原因权重相当,都是解释问题存在的根源,理解时需要认识到这是并列关系,而非主次关系。同时,每个原因内部又有复杂结构(第一个原因包含间接疑问和不定式,第二个原因包含否定),需要逐层分析。

• ✓ 识别出 "for one thing... for another" 是并列结构,两个原因权重相当,翻译时需明确标出。 ✗ 忽略连接词,把两个原因当成简单的罗列,或误以为有主次关系。 逻辑连接词在学术英语中至关重要,直接影响论证结构的理解。

多层修饰的处理

places other than the interaction between scientists and members of the media

"places" 后接 "other than..." 这一长修饰语,而修饰语内部又包含 "the interaction between A and B" 这一名词短语。中文学习者容易被多层修饰搞混,难以确定修饰关系。此处 "other than" 修饰 "places",表示排除某类地方;"the interaction between scientists and members of the media" 是被排除的具体内容。理解此类结构需要识别修饰层次:先确定中心词(places),再看直接修饰语(other than...),最后分析修饰语内部的结构(the interaction...)。

形式主语 it 与真正主语的对应

how difficult it is for scientists to communicate effectively with a diversity of audiences

该结构中,"it" 是形式主语,真正主语是后面的不定式 "for scientists to communicate..."。中文学习者容易误以为 "it" 指代某个具体事物,或难以识别真正主语的位置。"how difficult it is" 问的是"有多难",而"什么难"则由真正主语 "to communicate..." 回答。这种形式主语结构在英语中极为常见,尤其在表达难度、重要性、必要性时(It is difficult/important/necessary to do sth.)。理解的关键是认识到 "it" 只是占位符,真正的语义主体在后面的不定式中。

• ✓ 识别 "it" 是形式主语,真正主语是 "to communicate...",翻译时以真正主语为语义核心。 ✗ 把 "it" 当成指代词,寻找其具体所指,或无法识别真正主语。 形式主语 it 是语法占位符,不承载实际语义,真正主语在后面的不定式或 that 从句中。