我先翻译一下:
尽管从较后的观点来看,这个也许是很难想象的,但是,在二十世纪二十年代确实有一些批评的观点预言有声电影会是一个技术上的新生事物,将会昙花一现,不久就会退出视线,一如回溯到二战之前,许多先前的试图将图象与录音联系起来的尝试一样。
这是我摘来的:
Though it may be difficult to imagine from a later perspective, a strain of critical opinion in the 1920 s predicted that sound film would be a technical novelty that would soon fade from sight, just as had many previous attempts, dating well back before the First World War, to link images with recorded sound.
难句类型:层层追加的复杂修饰+插入成分
本句也是ETS的老套路了,为了把句子变长,就层层追加修饰成分,先又Though it may be difficult to imagine from a later perspective所谓一个转折的分句,然后主句是a strain of critical opinion in the 1920 s
predicted that sound film would be a technical novelty ,接着用that引导 would soon fade from sight, just as had
many previous attempts, dating well back before the First World War, to link
images with recorded sound的长句嵌套插入成分,来修饰novelty,但是实际上这些都不是什么重要的成分,大家只要读出来主句结构和句子的核心意思就是以前有一种预言认为有声电影很快就会消失就行了。
译文:
尽管后来人很难理解,但在20世纪20年代,一种批判性的意见预言:有声电影是一种将很快淡出公众视线的科技新事物,就像的许多先前把图像和声音结合起来的尝试,这些尝试可以追溯到第一次世界大战。
最后来回答你的问题:
Just as引导的是一个比较状语从句,常用省略。如不省略是:
just as many previous attempts to link images with recorded sound had faded for sight.
类似的句子:sb. did sth. just as his father had. 某人做了某事,一如他父亲以前做过的那样。
由于这一句话中的主语太长,所以将谓语had提到了主语的前面,特别是这个主语中间还插入了一个现在分词短语 dating well back before the First World War
如不这样“倒装”一下,这头也太重了!句子更是不好理解:
just as
many previous attempts, dating well back before the First World War, to link
images with recorded sound had.
不必死揪语法不放吧,汉语不也经常用这种颠三倒四的语法吗,能看懂就行了呗,就像“时不我待”这个词,到底指的是时间不等我,还是我不等时间?为毛要倒装?刻意 纠结这些细枝末节只是自寻烦恼。
just as 后面的句子的意思是:就像穿越回到第一次世界大战时期,把图像与录音连 起来 。
此为半倒装语序:
由as引导的部分倒装句:
1) 当as作为比较意义时,即用于as + adj./ adv. + as结构中时,如果把第一个as省略掉,就形成部分倒装句。
2) 当 as 引导让步状语时,和although, though一样,当用作“尽管”之义时,可以用于部分倒装句。
3) 省略 if 的虚拟条件状语从句,可用半倒装语序:
当从句中有were, had 或should时,可省略if,将were, had或should提到主语前,构成半倒装形式. Were/Should/Had+主语+(not)其他成分
这种句子可以倒装的,特别是这里主语太长,应该倒装,as是“像...一样”的意思,just as 是“正如...一样”的意思,又如
The photograph still remained, (just)as did many memories. 那张照片还挂在那里, 许多往事也仍历历在目.
just as通常后跟正语序从句。这里正如你猜的那样以倒装语序出现。
dating well back before the First World War是attempts的定语,
to link images withrecorded sound也是attempts的定语,
attempts后省略了一个词faded。