研英翻译演练(43)

it is the admission of ignorance that leads to progress, not so much because the solving of a particular puzzle leads directly to a new piece of understanding but because the puzzle－if it interests enough scientists-leads to work.

参考答案:

要点：这是主从复合句。在主句中it is... that...为强调句型，强调主语部分。主句的主干是the admission of ignorance leads to progress。在第二个because从句中，if it interests enough scientists是插入语，构成主谓分隔。

译文：正是承认无知才促进了人类进步。这并不全是因为解决某一个特别的难题就能直接帮助人们理解一些新知识，而是因为这难题之谜－如能使更多的科学家们感兴趣－可以促使人们努力探索。