[求助]旧prep105，对句意的疑问

china101

105.       (30121-!-item-!-188;#058&004107)

 

Even though it was not illegal for the bank to share its customers' personal and financial information with an outside marketing company in return for a commission on sales, the state's attorney general accused the bank of engaging in deceptive business practices by failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep records private.

 

(A) by failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep

(B) by its failure of honoring its promise to its customers to keep

(C) in its failing to honor its promise to its customers of keeping

(D) because of its failure in honoring its promise to its customers in keeping

(E) because of its failure to honor its promise to its customers of keeping

这道题解释就说by比because of省事，可我认为这两者是不一样的。我查词典by并没有因为的意思，这道题选a不会给人这种误读么：通过“ failing to honor its promise to its customers to keep”美国律师状告了银行。

这样后者就成为了美国律师状告银行的手段，而不是原因了。请大牛指点！

msuzengli

非NN.请指教.

我认为by failing修饰的是engaging.原因有两个:

1.看句意:"银行从事欺骗性的商业操作通过未为其顾客进行所承诺过的保密行为";

2.如果by failing是承接accused,那么by failing的逻辑主语就会是attorney. 那么its指代的就是attorney,不合逻辑.

综合以上两点,我认为by failing是非常合理的.

rosemary628

那by在这里是方式吗？

china101

嗯，我认为最关键的还是你说的its问题。非常感谢！

rainbowmanutd

非NN.请指教.
我认为by failing修饰的是engaging.原因有两个:
1.看句意:"银行从事欺骗性的商业操作通过未为其顾客进行所承诺过的保密行为";
2.如果by failing是承接accused,那么by failing的逻辑主语就会是attorney. 那么its指代的就是attorney,不合逻辑.
综合以上两点,我认为by failing是非常合理的.

-- by 会员 msuzengli (2009/6/15 0:13:00)

既然是不合逻辑的，那就是有歧义，为什么不排除这个选项呢？


有时候要求我们按逻辑来排除选项，但有的时候，比如这个A，却让我们按逻辑来替“不排除他”而说话。。。