长难句20190907

【昨日回顾】

William Schlesinger, a biogeochemist and former president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, was among the latest to weigh in with commentary published in Science yesterday. He said that “recent evidence shows that the use of wood as fuel is likely to result in net CO2 emissions.”

William Schlesinger是生物地球化学学家，也是Cary生态系统研究所的前任主席，作为最近参与该话题讨论的人之一，他的评论发表在昨天出版的《科学》杂志上。他说，“最近，有证据表明，使用木材作为燃料很可能导致最终的二氧化碳排放。”

【今日长难句】

Biomass is technically a “renewable” energy source, in that trees can be replanted after they’re harvested. And some lawmakers have argued that because trees store carbon as they grow, replacement forests will gradually remove the carbon dioxide emitted when the previous trees were burned for energy, making the whole process carbon neutral—that is, putting no net emissions into the atmosphere.

【难点词汇】

biomass n. 生物量；生物质能源

technically adv. 在技术层面上

renewable adj. 可更新的；可再生的

in that 因为

replant v. 改种；重新种植

harvest v. 收获，收割

argue v. 争论；认为

remove v. 移动；移出

carbon dioxide 二氧化碳

emit v. 发出，射出

neutral adj. 持平的；中立的；中性的

net adj. 净的；最终的

【结构解析】

1. 首句难度不大，in that 引导原因状语从句，请注意in that 引导原因状语从句时，只能用在主句之后。

2. 二句主干为“主谓宾宾从”结构，即：some lawmakers /have argued /that …

3. that从句的主干为“主谓宾”结构，即：replacement forests /will gradually remove /the carbon dioxide; “emitted when the previous trees were burned for energy” 为后置定语修饰 the carbon dioxide; making the whole process carbon neutral 为结果状语修饰that从句的主干。

4. 此外that宾语从句中，还嵌套了一个because 引导的原因状语从句，从句主干为“主谓宾”结构，即：trees /store/ carbon; as they grow是时间状语，修饰because 原因状语从句主干。

5. 破折号之后的“that is, putting no net emissions into the atmosphere.”是对“making the whole process carbon neutral ”的解释说明。

【参考译文】

Biomass is technically a “renewable” energy source, in that trees can be replanted after they’re harvested. And some lawmakers have argued that because trees store carbon as they grow, replacement forests will gradually remove the carbon dioxide emitted when the previous trees were burned for energy, making the whole process carbon neutral—that is, putting no net emissions into the atmosphere.

生物质在技术上是一种“可再生”能源，因为树木可以在收获后再种植。一些立法者争辩说，因为树木在生长的过程中会吸收碳元素，新种植的树木将逐渐吸收人们燃烧先前种植的树木获取能量时释放的二氧化碳，这使得整个过程是碳中性的，也就是说，最终没有向大气排放排放物。

【请注意: 参考译文将多个修饰成分都单独处理成了句子】

【明日预告】

But there are some serious flaws in that argument, many scientists suggest. One of the biggest issues is the matter of timing. Burning biomass for energy releases large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere all at once. But depending on the type of tree, forests may take decades or even a century to draw the same amount of carbon back out of the air.