[讨论]语序造成的歧义

原题：Architects and stonemasons, huge palace and temple clusters were built by the Maya without benefit of the wheel or animal transport.

(B) without the benefits of animal transport or the wheel, huge palace and temple clusters were built by the Maya

(C) the Maya built huge palace and temple clusters without the benefit of animal transport or the wheel

(D) there were built, without the benefit of the wheel or animal transport, huge palace and temple clusters by the Maya

(E) were the Maya who, without the benefit of the wheel or animal transport, built huge palace and temple clusters

正确答案选C

分析：原文中without benefit of the wheel or animal transport表达有歧义，一种理解是without benefit or animal transport，of the wheel介词结构作benefit的定语；一种理解是without benefit，of the wheel or animal transport介词结构作benefit的定语

但是C选项改成without the benefit of animal transport or the wheel就可以避免这个问题了吗？欢迎大家踊跃讨论+赐教。

A, B, and D illogically suggest that the palace and temple clusters were architects and stonemasons. For the modification to be logical. Architects and stonemasons must immediately precede the Maya, the noun phrase it is meant to modify. A,
                B, and D also use the passive verb form were built, which produces unnecessary awkwardness and wordiness. E is awkwardly phrased and produces a sentence fragment, because the appositive noun phrase Architects and stonemasons cannot serve as the subject of were the Maya. C, the best answer, places the Maya immediately after its modifier and uses the active verb form built.

OG没有提到歧义啊？

我的解释是上XDF课时老师讲的，感觉是有些歧义，我还没看OG上的解释呢，谢谢2楼的解释先。

也谢谢3楼，我的确是你那样的想法，所以看了你贴的linkage非常有帮助。