20181003长难句

【昨日回顾】

This view, which holds that torturing a monkey is morally equivalent to chopping wood, may seem bravely “logical.” In fact it is simply shallow: the confused center is right to reject it.

这种观点认为，从道义上讲，折磨猴子无异于劈柴，这种想法似乎是既大胆又合乎逻辑。实际上这种观点非常肤浅，其混乱的中心思想正好说明它不攻自破。

【今日长难句】

The most elementary form of moral reasoning—the ethical equivalent of learning to crawl—is to weigh others’ interests against one’s own. This in turn requires sympathy and imagination, without which there is no capacity for moral thought. To see an animal in pain is enough, for most, to engage sympathy.

【词的处理】

elementary  / ˌeliˈmentri / adj. 初级的，基础的

moral  / ˈmɔrəl / adj. 道德的

reason  / ˈri:zn / vi. 推理

ethical  / ˈeθikl / adj. 伦理的

equivalent / iˈkwivələnt / adj. 等价的，相等的

crawl / krɔ:l / vi. 爬

weigh / wei / vt. 认真权衡，考虑

in turn 轮流，依次

sympathy / ˈsimpəθi / n. 同情

engage / inˈɡeidʒ / vt. 吸引，引起

【结构解析+参考译文】

The most elementary form of moral reasoning—the ethical equivalent of learning to crawl—is to weigh others’ interests against one’s own. This in turn requires sympathy and imagination: without which there is no capacity for moral thought. To see an animal in pain is enough, for most, to engage sympathy.

道德推理的最初级形式，和学习爬行的理论一样，是把自身利益和他人利益加以权衡考虑。那么，这就需要同情心和想象力。没有这两点，就无法用道德观念来进行思考。看到动物受苦足以引起大多数人的同情。

1. 首句中主干为主系表结构，破折号中间为插入语；主干为：The most elementary form of moral reasoning /is /to weigh others’ interests against one’s own.

2. 二句主干为主谓宾结构，即：This /requires/ sympathy and imagination; without which …为定语从句，修饰sympahty and imagination

3. 三句主干为To see an animal in pain/ is /enough to negage sympathy.

【明日长难句】

When that happens, it is not a mistake: it is mankind’s instinct for moral reasoning in action, an instinct that should be encouraged rather than laughed at.