[求助]OG p388有个句子不明白

waterpoo

文章第一段：

前文说，对于ethnicity的定义，社会学家有两种不同的观点。其一是×××，其二是×××。然后就是下面这句：

While both of these definitions are useful, neither fully captures the dynamic and changing aspects of ethnicity in the United States. Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations.

蓝色部分我没读懂，尤其是 ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process 我怀疑是不是省略，所以把上一句也贴在这里。

谢谢大家了。

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-9-12 12:30:21编辑过]

falchion

Rather, ethnicity is more satisfactorily conceived of as a process [in which preexisting communal bonds and common cultural attributes(从句主语） are adapted for instrumental purposes according to changing real-life situations]

主句是conceive of ethnicity as a process的被动形式

paladino

一家之言，和第二楼的观点不一致。

主语是 ethnicity, 谓语是 be conceived of  。 其他划分同楼上。

看一下这个词组的介绍。

conceive of

formal to imagine something happening or what a particular situation is like - use this especially in questions and negative statements

It is difficult to conceive of a society in which nobody has to work.

cannot conceive of something

I don't know about you, but I cannot conceive of a home without electricity or water.