考研英语：历年真题阅读要点之1991-Text 2（一）

　　The period of adolescence, i.e., the period between childhood and adulthood, may be long or short, depending on social expectations and on society’s definition as to what constitutes maturity and adulthood.

　　adolescence“青春期”，形容词形式adolescent“青春期的”，adolescent也可以表示“青少年”;i.e., the period between childhood and adulthood充当插入语，起到补充说明的作用，阅读中，基本上可以直接略过;depending on...and on...“取决于...也取决于...”;expectation“期望，期待”;as to“关于”，in regard to，as regards和with respect to也可以表示“关于”，写作中经常会用到;constitute“构成，组成”;maturity“成熟”，动词形式mature，也可以充当形容词。

　　In primitive societies adolescence is frequently a relatively short period of time, while in industrial societies with patterns of prolonged education coupled with laws against child labor, the period of adolescence is much longer and may include most of the second decade of one’s life.

　　primitive“原始的，远古的”;frequently和relatively是以-ly结尾的，通常为副词，不认识也无所谓。阅读中，遇到副词基本上也可以直接略过。prolonged“延长的，持续很久的”，动词形式prolong;coupled with=and。

　　Furthermore, the length of the adolescent period and the definition of adulthood status may change in a given society as social and economic conditions change. Examples of this type of change are the disappearance of the frontier in the latter part of the nineteenth century in the United States, and more universally, the industrialization of an agricultural society.

　　Furthermore“此外，更进一步来说”，翻译中考查过这个词;status“状态”;given“特定的”;as充当连词，引导原因状语从句，表示“由于”，当然也可以译为“随着”;as充当连词，除了引导原因状语从句以外，还可以引导时间状语从句、让步状语从句、方式状语从句和比较状语从句;也可以充当介词，表示“作为”，结构as + n./ pron./ doing(动名词)。Examples of this type of change就是the disappearance of the frontier和the industrialization of an agricultural society;frontier边远地区，边疆;industrialization工业化，形容词industrial“工业的”，有一个词写法与之相似industrious“勤勉的”。agricultural形容词“农业的”，“农业化”就是agriculturalization。