1. There is, as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says, a “disjunction” between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics.

【词汇突破】the treasury secretary 财政部长(美)

anecdote 轶闻，趣闻

statistics 数据(还有一个我们不熟悉的意思：表格)

picture 情况，事态，局面，状况，情形，形势

【主干识别】There is a disjunction.

【其他成分】as Robert Rubin, the treasury secretary, says 插入语;between the mass of business anecdote that points to a leap in productivity and the picture reflected by the statistics后置定语修饰a disjunction.

【微观解析】between the mass of business anecdote and the picture; 为定语的主体部分;that points to a leap in productivity修饰anecdote;reflected by the statistics修饰statistics。

【难点揭秘】由于插入语的加入，造成了对主干是别的难度，尤其是在between… and…结构的识别中由于加入了定语从句使其难于理解。

【译文赏析】正如财长鲁宾所说，在表明生产力飞跃发展的商业佚事和数据所反映的情况之间存在着脱节。

【翻译点拨】也可以把比较长的那个部分单独翻译，这样更符合中文的习惯：有大量表明生产力飞跃发展的商业佚事，但是财长罗伯特.鲁宾认为现实的数据表明的情况并不能支持这些传奇

2.Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time.

【词汇突破】estimate 估量，评估

not…but 不是……而是……

【主干识别】Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass but changes.

【其他成分】括号中的内容对biomass进行解释和说明;of species和in particular parts of the ocean做后置定语修饰biomass， in that biomass over time后置定语修饰changes;

【难点揭秘】estimate的宾语为the actual biomass 和changes的并列，并列连词为but ,在阅读的过程中往往 会由于长定语的分割而产生阅读的障碍;

【译文赏析】他们的研究方法并不是想估计出某些特定地区鱼类的实际生物量(活的生物总量)，而是估计出这些生物量随着时间发生的变化。

【翻译点拨】多个定语在修饰着changes因此顺序应该做符合中文习惯的调整。

3. One leading authority says that these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control, to help us sleep and feel better.

【词汇突破】authority 权威

harness 使……停止的意思;和stop 可以互换但是更加正式的表达;还有一个单词是curb，这个单词表示控制的意思相当于control，原意是缰绳的意思，这个单词为考研高频词。

conscious 有意识的

intensely powerful mental event在原文中就等于dreams;

【主干识别】one leading authority says that+宾语从句;

【其他成分】宾语从句的主干是these intensely powerful mental events can be not only harnessed but actually brought under conscious control; 并列连词not only …but also…连接两个并列的动词harnessed 和 brought;to help us sleep and feel better 为目的状语

【难点揭秘】动词的并列造成识别上的困难。

【译文赏析】而一名顶级权威认为，这些极其强烈的大脑活动不仅可以被抑制，实际上还可以受到意识的控制，进而帮助我们睡眠，使我们感觉好一些。

4.But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility, they will have to operate with less human supervision and be able to make at least a few decisions for them- selves—goals that pose a real challenge.

【词汇突破】utility 运用

supervision 监管

【主干识别】they will have to operate and be able to make a few decisions. 并列的两个谓语由and 连接;

【其他成分】But if robots are to reach the next stage of laborsaving utility状语;with less human supervision状语;at least状语;goals that pose a real challenge整个句子的同位语。

【微观解析】同位语goals 被定语从句修饰;

【难点揭秘】动词的并列，状语的隔离;同位语的识别需要关注。

【译文赏析】但是如果机器人能在下一个阶段达到节省人工的运用，它们将必须在更少的人力监督之下工作，而且还要至少能够自己做出几个决定--这些目标才会带来真的挑战。

【翻译点拨】对于the next stage of laborsaving utility的处理，如果直译就是：如果机器人要达到节省人工的运用的下一个阶段在，这样的表达不仅拗口而且难懂，就是典型的死译，所以把定语转译为状语。

5. But the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent that is irrelevant, instantaneously focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd.

【词汇突破】glimpse 快速的看一眼;

disregard 抛弃，丢弃

irrelevant 不相干

instantaneously 立即

winding 蜿蜒曲折的

suspicious 可疑的

【主干识别】the human mind can glimpse a rapidly changing scene and immediately disregard the 98 percent并列的两个动词glimpse和disregard

【其他成分】that is irrelevant 修饰 the 98percent; focusing on the monkey at the side of a winding forest road or the single suspicious face in a big crowd. 现在分词短语作状语，focus 的动作发出者就是句子主语human mind。

【微观解析】the monkey or the single suspicious face 为focus on 的并列宾语

【难点揭秘】动词的并列在主句中出现;而在现在分词短语中出现并列宾语;

【译文赏析】但是人类的大脑可以只迅速地瞟一眼一个快速改变的场面，然后立刻放弃98%的不相关信息，而马上聚焦于一条崎岖森林道路边的一只猴子，或者在茫茫人海中的一张可疑的脸。