1As a historian who’s always searching for the text or the image that makes us re-evaluate the past, I’ve become preoccupied with looking for photographs that show our Victorian ancestors smiling ( what better way to shatter the image of 19th-century prudery?).
主干主语：I；谓语：have become preoccupied with；宾语：looking for photographs
结构句首As引导的身份状语，内含who’s always searching定语从句修饰historian，其中又嵌that makes us re-evaluate the past定语从句修饰the text or the image。主句后接that show...定语从句修饰photographs，括号内为插入的反问句作补充说明。整体为“身份状语+主句+定语从句+插入语”的层层嵌套。
译文作为一名总在搜寻能让我们重新评估过去的文本或图像的历史学家，我已一门心思去寻找那些展现维多利亚时代祖先微笑的照片（还有什么比这更能打破19世纪刻板拘谨的形象呢？）。
考点who/that引导的多重定语从句嵌套 · 介词with后接动名词looking作宾语
2Of course, I need to concede that my collection of ‘Smiling Victorians’ makes up only a tiny percentage of the vast catalogue of photographic portraiture created between 1840 and 1900, the majority of which show sitters posing miserably and stiffly in front of painted backdrops, or staring absently into the middle distance.
主干主语：I；谓语：need to concede；宾语：that从句（collection makes up a tiny percentage）
结构主句后接that引导的宾语从句。从句中created between...为过去分词短语作后置定语修饰catalogue。逗号后the majority of which为非限制性定语从句，which指代catalogue，show后接并列的现在分词posing...or staring...作宾语补足语，描述sitters的状态。
译文当然，我必须承认，我收集的“微笑的维多利亚人”只占1840至1900年间所创作的海量摄影肖像目录中极小的一部分，其中绝大多数都是坐着的人在彩绘背景前痛苦僵硬地摆姿势，或心不在焉地凝视着远方。
考点the majority of which非限制性定语从句 · 现在分词作宾语补足语表示伴随状态
3During the 1840s and 1850s, in the early days of photography, exposure times were notoriously long: the daguerreotype photographic method (producing an image on a silvered copper plate) could take several minutes to complete, resulting in blurred images as sitters shifted position or adjusted their limbs.
主干主语：exposure times；谓语：were；表语：long（后接冒号解释）
结构时间状语During...与插入同位in the early days...并列。冒号后独立分句解释原因，括号内现在分词producing...作method的后置定语。resulting in...为现在分词结果状语，其中as引导时间状语从句说明模糊的原因。冒号起解释说明作用。
译文在19世纪40、50年代，摄影术尚处早期，曝光时间出了名地长：达盖尔摄影法（在镀银铜板上成像）可能需要好几分钟才能完成，结果坐着的人只要挪动位置或调整肢体，影像就会模糊。
考点现在分词resulting in作结果状语 · as引导时间状语从句
4A toothy grin ( especially when there were gaps or blackened teeth) lacked class: drunks, tramps and music hall performers might gurn and grin with a smile as wide as Lewis Carroll’s gum-exposing Cheshire Cat, but it was not a becoming look for properly bred persons.
主干主语：A toothy grin；谓语：lacked；宾语：class（冒号后对比说明）
结构括号内especially when...为插入的时间状语从句补充grin的情形。冒号后为解释性并列句：前半might gurn and grin，with a smile后接as...as比较结构；but转折后it指代toothy grin，表语a becoming look。整体用冒号+but构成对比论证。
译文露齿而笑（尤其是有缺牙或黑牙时）有失体面：酒鬼、流浪汉和音乐厅演员也许会像刘易斯·卡罗尔笔下那只露出牙龈的柴郡猫一样咧嘴傻笑，但对教养良好的人来说，这可不是得体的样子。
考点as...as比较结构修饰smile · 冒号后转折对比解释前句观点