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每一個(gè)歷史周期循環(huán)，都伴有文化與文明的興衰。那雄偉的萬(wàn)里長(zhǎng)城，華麗的阿房宮以及寬闊的大運(yùn)河，它們的興盛與衰敗又處于哪一個(gè)歷史周期中呢？且看今日之《英文觀(guān)止》。

賞析批注

The parallelism of events within each cycle unfolded itself with an unreasonable mechanical exactness as to time and sequence. Dr. Lee mentions, for instance, the undertaking of a great engineering feat which was repeated with fatal regularity and at the exact stage in each cycle, namely, immediately at the beginning of a new bloom of culture: for the first cycle, the building of the Great Wall under the Ch’in Dynasty and the colossal palaces, the Ofangkung, which were soon subjected to a conflagration lasting three months; for the second cycle, the building of the Grand Canal under the Sui Emperor, who had also magnificent palaces, noted for their grandeur and luxury; and for the third cycle, the rebuilding of the Great Wall, in which form it has survived to the present day.

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The parallelism of events within each cycle unfolded itself with an unreasonable mechanical exactness as to time and sequence.

parallelism, 指“相似”，e.g. I think he exaggerates the parallelism between the two cases. 我認(rèn)為他夸大了兩件事的相似之處。

exactness, 指“精確”，e.g. This method has the advantage of high exactness. 這種方法具有運(yùn)算精度高的優(yōu)點(diǎn)。

as to, 指“關(guān)于”，e.g. We have found some drivers clueless as to the law. 我們發(fā)現(xiàn)有些司機(jī)對(duì)這一法規(guī)一無(wú)所知。

句子分析：此句總體概述了每種事件的“循環(huán)”在歷史演進(jìn)過(guò)程中所呈現(xiàn)出的一些規(guī)律。由with引導(dǎo)一個(gè)伴隨狀語(yǔ)，更清楚地向我們解釋了每個(gè)循環(huán)在其時(shí)間和因果上向我們展現(xiàn)了一種怎樣的狀態(tài)。

本句譯為：每一個(gè)循環(huán)，其史跡之演進(jìn)，在它的時(shí)間上與前后的因果上，表現(xiàn)出一種不可理解的機(jī)械式的合同性，故上一循環(huán)與下一循環(huán)，其形貌如出一轍。

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Dr. Lee mentions, for instance, the undertaking of a great engineering feat which was repeated with fatal regularity and at the exact stage in each cycle, namely, immediately at the beginning of a new bloom of culture: for the first cycle, the building of the Great Wall under the Ch’in Dynasty and the colossal palaces, the Ofangkung, which were soon subjected to a conflagration lasting three months; for the second cycle, the building of the Grand Canal under the Sui Emperor, who had also magnificent palaces, noted for their grandeur and luxury; and for the third cycle, the rebuilding of the Great Wall, in which form it has survived to the present day.

feat，指“功績(jī)”，e.g. The tunnel is a brilliant feat of engineering. 這條隧道是工程方面的光輝業(yè)績(jī)。

colossal, 指“巨大的”，e.g. This is indeed a colossal success. 這確實(shí)是個(gè)巨大的成功。

be subjected to, 指“遭受”，e.g. He was subjected to severe criticism. 他受到了嚴(yán)厲的批評(píng)。

conflagration，指“大火”，e.g. The light of that conflagration will fade away. 這場(chǎng)大火會(huì)漸漸熄滅。

grandeur, 指“宏偉” e.g. The ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place。這些遺跡充分證明此處昔日的宏偉。

句子分析：此句首先引用李博士的話(huà)總結(jié)了歷史循環(huán)周期與文化發(fā)揚(yáng)的關(guān)系——初期有偉大工程之修建，而末期偉大工程必遭不幸之毀滅。接著列舉了中國(guó)歷史上三個(gè)周期的雄偉建筑——長(zhǎng)城、阿房宮、大運(yùn)河——都是興建于歷史循環(huán)初期，毀滅于歷史循環(huán)末期，強(qiáng)有力地支撐了李博士的觀(guān)點(diǎn)。該句句式乍看復(fù)雜冗長(zhǎng)，實(shí)則簡(jiǎn)明易懂?！癉r. Lee mentions...bloom of culture:”總領(lǐng)下文，接著通過(guò)排比句式，即“for the first cycle...;for the second cycle...;for the third cycle...”，呈現(xiàn)出三個(gè)周期循環(huán)的共性，直觀(guān)而清晰。

本句譯為：像李博士所說(shuō)：每一循環(huán)的相當(dāng)時(shí)期，大約是當(dāng)文化發(fā)揚(yáng)期之初期，總有一次偉大工程之興筑，然每度必遭不幸之毀滅。第一周期中，有秦始皇的雄偉的萬(wàn)里長(zhǎng)城，以及華麗的阿房宮，曾幾何時(shí)，阿房宮便毀于火，延燒綿延三月之久；第二周期，則隋代有運(yùn)河之開(kāi)鑿，隋煬帝也建筑過(guò)瑰偉的離宮，窮奢而極侈；第三周期，則有長(zhǎng)城之改筑，此改筑之形式，即遺留至今之面目。