[size=13.333333015441895px]Though most people take it for granted now, the nationwide admission of students to colleges and universities based on academic merit is a relatively recent phenomenon, beginning only after World War II.这是一个正确的选项,但是为什么based on放在universities后面没有修饰歧义呢?显然表达的是录取是基于学术成绩,而不是大学基于学术成绩。based on修饰名词,不要求就近修饰吗?
英文在理解时其实也是一样,当读者读完 the nationwide admission of students to colleges and universities时,他不是把一个个单词作为文字符号背下来,而是脑中形成了一个整体意群构成的概念X= the nationwide admission of students to colleges and universities
这时候他再读based on,实际上based on是紧邻修饰对象的:X based on blabla,只不过这个修饰对象并不是一个单词admission,而是整个意群构成的概念X=the nationwide admission of students to colleges and universities。
当然,理论上跟based on紧邻的名词性意群可能是“universities”,或者“ colleges and universities”,或者“ the nationwide admission of students to colleges and universities”,读者真正在理解的时候是要根据句义内容来判断具体修饰的是哪个层次的紧邻意群,比如这里common sense会让我们知道,基于成绩的肯定不是学校,所以在句义和结构层次的综合作用下,读者都能达成一致理解为based on在修饰前面的X
比如这里,假如要加一个学生年龄的限定修饰,这么来说的话: the nationwide admission of students to colleges and universities of 18~20 years old
这样就是不好的跳跃修饰,因为to colleges and universities并不是修饰students的,无法和“students to colleges and universities”构成整体意群,那么 of 18~20 years old就没法紧邻它的修饰对象意群students了,换句话说to colleges and universities割裂了紧密意群students of 18~20 years old,应该调整为:
the nationwide admission of students of 18~20 years old to colleges and universities
句义上其实大家都能明白that从句肯定是要修饰cake,因为cake才是被bake的东西,但由于by the door句义上是状语与put搭配而不是定语修饰cake,无法将“cake by the door”形成一个整体意群,这时候从结构出发的话that从句只能修饰紧邻的唯一名词意群the door,所以这句是错的,必须改为: