1By the date of his birth Europe was witnessing the passing of the religious drama, and the creation of new forms under the incentive of classical tragedy and comedy.
主干主语：Europe；谓语：was witnessing；宾语：the passing... and the creation...
结构时间状语 By the date of his birth 前置。谓语 witnessing 后接并列宾语 the passing of the religious drama 与 the creation of new forms。under the incentive of... 介词短语修饰 creation，说明新形式产生的动因。and 连接两个名词短语作同一谓语的宾语，而非两个分句。
译文到他出生之时，欧洲正目睹宗教剧的消亡，以及在古典悲剧与喜剧激励下新戏剧形式的诞生。
考点witness 后可接抽象过程作宾语 · 并列宾语而非并列谓语，and 后无新主语
2no boy who went to a grammar school could be ignorant that the drama was a form of literature which gave glory to Greece and Rome and might yet bring honor to England.
主干主语：no boy；谓语：could be ignorant；宾语从句：that the drama was...
结构who went to a grammar school 为定语从句修饰 boy。be ignorant that 后接宾语从句。which 引导定语从句修饰 a form of literature，从句内 gave... and might yet bring... 为并列谓语。双重否定 no... ignorant 强调人人皆知。
译文凡上过文法学校的男孩都不会不知道：戏剧是一种曾给希腊和罗马带来荣耀、或许还能给英格兰带来荣誉的文学形式。
考点双重否定表强调肯定 · which 从句中 and 连接两个谓语，时态与情态不同
3But the professional companies prospered in their permanent theaters, and university men with literary ambitions were quick to turn to these theaters as offering a means of livelihood.
主干前分句主语：the professional companies；谓语：prospered；后分句主语：university men；谓语：were quick to turn to
结构and 连接两个并列分句。with literary ambitions 介词短语作后置定语修饰 university men。as offering a means of livelihood 中 as 引出补足语，说明把剧院当作谋生手段；offering 为现在分词。be quick to do 表迅速采取行动。
译文但职业剧团在其固定剧院里兴旺起来，怀有文学抱负的大学人士也很快转向这些剧院，将其视为谋生之道。
考点as + 分词短语作宾语补足语 · be quick to do 表示毫不迟疑地去做
4A native literary drama had been created, its alliance with the public playhouses established, and at least some of its great traditions had been begun.
主干三个并列被动结构：drama had been created；alliance (had been) established；traditions had been begun
结构三个过去完成时被动并列，中间一项省略 had been，构成独立主格/省略并列：its alliance... established。native literary drama 指本土文人戏剧。alliance with 表示与公共剧场的结合。
译文一种本土的文学戏剧已经诞生，它与公共剧场的联盟已经确立，其若干伟大传统至少也已肇始。
考点并列被动中省略相同助动词 · 独立结构 its alliance... established 表伴随完成状态
5To realize how great was the dramatic activity, we must remember further that hosts of plays have been lost, and that probably there is no author of note whose entire work has survived.
主干主语：we；谓语：must remember；宾语：两个 that 从句
结构句首不定式 To realize... 表目的。how great was... 为感叹/程度宾语从句，表语前置。remember 后两个 that 并列：hosts of plays have been lost；there is no author... whose 定语从句修饰 author，entire work has survived。of note 意为著名的。
译文要体会当时戏剧活动何等盛况，我们还必须记住：大量剧作已经佚失，而且大概没有哪位名家的全部作品得以留存。
考点how 从句中表语提前 · whose 引导定语从句修饰 author of note