解读OG11-50既大全643的OG注释

xfwxiao

 一直觉得这题大家的讨论好像都是模模糊糊的，OG的解释也似乎很高深，大全解释也很简单，也许这题太容易的缘故吧，反正我是怎么都读不顺，干脆一点点拆解它，结合CDers的意见，对这题作个回顾，希望大家批评指正。

That educators have not anticipated the impact
                of microcomputer technology can hardly be
            said that it is their fault: Alvin Toffler, one of the most prominent students of the future, did not even mention microcomputers in
                Future Shock, published in 1970.

(A)        That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said that it is their fault

(B)         That educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said to be at fault

(C)         It can hardly be said that it is the fault of educators who have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology

(D)        It can hardly be said that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology

(E)         The fact that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said

Grammatical construction

Although it is possible to begin a sentence with a subordinate clause beginning with that, this inverted
                construction often results in errors such as those found here. In the original sentence, the subordinate clause that ... technology is followed by the main verb, can ... be said, but then the verb is followed by yet another subordinate clause, that it is their fault. The best way to solve this problem is by putting the sentence in the expected order, with the main clause (It can hardly be said) preceding the subordinate clause (that ... )（根据OG的这句话得出正确的句子顺序应该是:It can hardly be said that educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology and that it is their fault，it指上一个that从句整个句意）. For greater clarity and concision, the two subordinate clauses should be condensed into one: educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology.

 

A  Inverting the usual order results in an ungrammatical construction in which the main verb is both preceded and followed by a

subordinate clause

CDer：第二个it这里应该是作为形式主语，但是也会被误解为代词，如果是代词则没有了指代对象，所以形式主语一般都

要放句首，所以A就是容易引起歧义的典型错误。

我：根据OG解释还原语序被inverted前的句子应该是：It can hardly be said that educators have not anticipated the impact of

microcomputer technology and that it is their fault(it可指上一个that从句整个句意，但易引起指代误会）。这样看A的错误是不是就清

楚一些呢？

 

B Can hardly be said to be at fault does not grammatically complete the subordinate clause

CDer：B不完整的原因如下：转换成主动语态角度看：(sb.) can say that educators have not anticipated the impact of microcomputer technology to be at fault. to前面已经是完整的句子，to be at fault连在后面就错了。

我：sb be said to be sth/to do sth； it can be said that都是say的习惯用法,但是否可以sb be said to be at fault（一个人+被说+有责任）不确定，而that…be said to be at fault就不是say的习惯用法了，没有习惯用法，就得在语法上用句子来完成句意，这样来看to be at fault不能表达一个句子才能表达的完整意思，没有主语，没有谓语，不知道谁to be at fault，OG认为educators are at fault或者it is their fault才算grammatically complete。

 

C Construction that it is ... who have not is wordy and awkward（见后面解释）; it also distorts
                

meaning(指改变原句重心educator->fault)and lacks completion(指强调句型没有完成。因为OG认为

正确的句子应该是这样的： It can hardly be said that it is educators who are at fault for not

anticipating the impact of
            microcomputer technology,但是it is educators who are…因为wordy被替

换为正确选项中的educators are at fault…)

 

D Correct. This sentence has the main clause followed by one subordinate clause correctly introduced by that.

It 是形式主语,真正主语是that从句，如果不考虑原句需要强调的hardly,将被动态转变成主动语态应该是：Some people say that educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology

 

E The fact is wordy（fact抽象概括从句的内容，OG认为在本句中不适合）; the inverted construction

does not successfully convey the meaning of the sentence

句子The fact … can hardly be said被动语态不能传递原句意，也就是所即使去掉the fact,修改为主语从句+can hardly be said:That educators are at fault for not anticipating the impact of microcomputer technology can hardly be said也是不对的。但是作为母语非英语的人士，我觉得这句用被动态也挺好，真是读不出来和正确答案语感上的差别。

 

 

补充:

at fault adv.感到困惑、有故障 /出了毛病应受责备if someone is at fault, they are responsible for something bad that has happened,

eg.Some people claim that it is the UN that is at fault.

 

 

KATIEUS

请教LZ,

能否提供一个GMAT中的例子,关于sb be said to be sth/to do sth这个的具体用法?

[此贴子已经被作者于2007-10-10 2:06:01编辑过]

xfwxiao

没有见过，用said to be在大全里查找了一下，只有sth be said to be +adj

用said to do搜，也只有sth be said to do.你可以试试

我从longman上找到一个例句：somebody is said to be something/do something
He's said to be the richest man in the world.

judyenglish

UP

enkyklios

分析的很好啊

enkyklios

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