1Long gone are the days when a boss could simply give an employee contractual notice.
主干主语:the days;谓语:are;表语:long gone(倒装)
结构完全倒装:表语 Long gone 前置,系动词 are 提前,主语 the days 后置。when 引导定语从句修饰 days,从句中 could give 为情态动词结构,contractual notice 作直接宾语。强调“那种日子一去不复返”。
译文老板只需按合同提前通知就能解雇员工的日子,早已一去不复返。
考点表语前置的完全倒装(Long gone are...) · when 定语从句修饰抽象时间名词 days
2As countless boards and business owners will attest, constraining firms from firing poorly performing, high-earning managers is a handbrake on boosting productivity and overall performance.
主干主语:constraining firms...managers(动名词短语);谓语:is;表语:a handbrake
结构句首 As 引导方式状语从句(“正如……所证明”)。主句主语是动名词短语 constraining...managers,其中 from firing... 为 constrain 的固定搭配;poorly performing 与 high-earning 并列修饰 managers。handbrake on 后接动名词 boosting,表“对……的掣肘”。
译文无数董事会和企业主都可以作证:限制企业解雇表现不佳、薪酬却很高的经理,等于给提升生产率和整体业绩踩了刹车。
考点constrain sb from doing 结构 · 动名词短语作主语 + 隐喻 handbrake on
3If not placing jobs at risk, to the extent employment protection laws constrain business owners from dismissing under-performing managers, those laws act as a constraint on firm productivity and therefore on workers’ wages.
主干主语:those laws;谓语:act as;宾语:a constraint
结构If not... 为省略条件状语(If they are not...)。to the extent (that) 引导程度状语从句,从句主语 employment protection laws,谓语 constrain...from dismissing。主句 those laws act as a constraint on A and therefore on B,两个 on 并列。插入的程度从句把“若非危及岗位”与“仍制约生产率与工资”衔接起来。
译文即便没有危及岗位,只要就业保护法规限制企业主解雇表现不佳的经理,这些法规就会制约企业生产率,进而制约工人工资。
考点to the extent (that) 程度状语从句 · constrain...from doing 与 act as a constraint on 的对应
4Indeed, in “An International Perspective on New Zealand’s Productivity Paradox” (2014), the Productivity Commission singled out the low quality of managerial capabilities as a cause of the country’s poor productivity growth record.
主干主语:the Productivity Commission;谓语:singled out;宾语:the low quality of managerial capabilities
结构句首 Indeed 表递进;in + 书名与年份作地点/来源状语。谓语 singled out...as... 把宾语认定为“原因”。of managerial capabilities 修饰 quality;of the country’s poor productivity growth record 修饰 cause。名词密集、后置修饰层层叠加。
译文事实上,新西兰生产力委员会在2014年报告《新西兰生产率悖论的国际视角》中,把管理层能力偏低单列为该国生产率增长疲弱的一个原因。
考点single out A as B 结构 · 多层 of 短语后置修饰
5Across the Tasman Sea, Australia deals with the unjustified dismissal paradox by excluding employees earning above a specified “high-income threshold” from the protection of its unfair dismissal laws.
主干主语:Australia;谓语:deals with;宾语:the unjustified dismissal paradox
结构Across the Tasman Sea 地点状语。by excluding... 方式状语,excluding 后接复合宾语 employees...from the protection。earning above... 为现在分词短语作后置定语修饰 employees;specified 与引号内 high-income threshold 标明法定门槛。
译文在塔斯曼海对岸,澳大利亚应对“不正当解雇”这一悖论的办法是:把收入超过规定“高收入门槛”的雇员排除在不公平解雇法保护之外。
考点exclude A from B 与 by doing 方式状语 · 现在分词短语 earning... 作后置定语