（二）句型结构

1．He knew what he wanted and he wanted only this: to understand within his limits as a human being the nature of the universe and the logic and simplicity in its functioning.
他知道他想要什么，而他想要的仅仅是在为人的局限中尽量理解宇宙的本质及宇宙运行的逻辑和朴素性。

递进句式，冒号后说明what句的内容，其中understand 的宾语不是紧跟其后的within… being而是the nature…functioning. within…being做understand的状语，规定了这个动作的范围。

2．He was content to go as far as he could.
尽可能取得最大成就他就满足了。

本意为：能走多远就走多远，这他就满足了。
句型：be content do to sth.做某事很满足，短语as far as 意为
（1）to the degree that尽，就
As far as I am concerned, the film is not of much interest.
就我而言，这部电影没什么意思。
（2）to the distance that…远至，直到
They walked as far as the lake, but still they didn't find a way out.
他们一直走到湖那么远，可是还没发现一条出去的路。

3． I never knew him to carry money because he never had any use for it.
我从来都没听说过他身上带钱，因为钱对他从来都没有用处。

know sb. to do sth.知道/了解某人做某事，只用于过去时，多表否定，也可用于被动语态，前边这句可以改为：
He was never known to carry money because he never had any use for it.

4.He won the Nobel Prize for his Photoelectric Theory, a series of equations that he considered relatively minor in importance, but he didn't have any curiosity in observing how his theory made TV possible.
他因为光电理论--他认为比较次要的一系列公式--而获得诺贝尔奖，但对于观察他的理论怎样使电视得以产生却没有一点好奇心。

a series of…importance 可以认为插入语，用来补充说明Photoelectric Theory是怎么一回事，从but开始的转折不是针对这一部分，而是针对上文他因光电理论获得诺贝尔奖这一事实。同时注意体会Photoelectric Theory和a series of equations之间在语气上存在一定差异，不像它们在语法上的等同。前者听起来很正式、重要，后者则较随便、次要。

5．As a boy and then as an adult, I never lost my wonder at the personality that was Einstein.
作为一个孩子，以后又作为一个成人，我一直对爱因斯坦的个性惊叹不已。

The personality that was Einstein是一种强调说法，意为：the personality which was the most striking characteristic of Einstein即个性是爱因斯坦最显著的特征。类似的例子还有：
The literary genius that was Shakespeare.莎士比亚是文学天才。

6．Einstein nodded, properly impressed by my skill and knowledge.
爱因斯坦点点头，完全被我的知识与技巧折服了。

Impressed...knowledge是过去词短语作状语，表伴随状态。properly有三个意思（1）suitably(2)exactly（3）completely, thoroughly，这里取它的第三个意思。作为程度副词的properly是理解这一句的难点。

7．When I suggested that he try shaving cream, he said, "The razor and water do the job."
当我建议他用剃须膏时，他说"剃刀和水就够了"。

"You know, the cream really works," he announced.
"你知道，那种剃须膏还真管用"，他宣布道。
两句中do the job和work意思相同，指（计划，机器，活动的部件）行，成，可以，办得到，行得通，会，走，会动。另外，一个做不及物动词也有类似含义的词是help。这种表达方式简洁有力，能予人以深刻印象。