1The idea that one might burn down an entire house just to reclaim the nails underlines how scarce, costly and valuable the simple-seeming technology was.
主干主语：The idea；谓语：underlines；宾语：how scarce, costly and valuable the simple-seeming technology was
结构主语 The idea 后接 that 引导的同位语从句，说明 idea 的内容；just to reclaim the nails 为目的状语。谓语 underlines 后接 how 引导的宾语从句，从句中 scarce, costly and valuable 并列作表语，simple-seeming 为复合形容词修饰 technology。
译文有人会为了回收钉子而烧掉整栋房子，这一想法本身就说明，这种看似简单的技术当时有多么稀缺、昂贵、珍贵。
考点that 同位语从句修饰抽象名词 idea · how 引导的感叹性宾语从句作及物动词宾语
2According to Sichel, although the falling price of nails was driven partly by cheaper iron and cheaper energy, most of the credit goes to nail manufacturers who simply found more efficient ways to turn steel into nails.
主干主语：most of the credit；谓语：goes；介词宾语：to nail manufacturers
结构句首 According to Sichel 为来源状语。although 引导让步状语从句，从句用被动 was driven by。主句 credit goes to 后接 manufacturers，再接 who 引导的限制性定语从句；ways 后不定式 to turn...into... 作后置定语。
译文西切尔指出，钉子价格下跌虽部分源于铁和能源更便宜，但主要功劳应归于那些找到更高效方法把钢变成钉子的制造商。
考点although 让步从句与主句的转折关系 · who 定语从句修饰 manufacturers
3After writing two books about the history of inventions, one thing I’ve learnt is that while it is the enchantingly sophisticated technologies that get all the hype, it’s the cheap technologies that change the world.
主干主语：one thing；系动词：is；表语：that 从句
结构句首 After writing... 为现在分词短语作时间状语。主语 one thing 后省略 that 的定语从句 I’ve learnt。表语为 that 从句，其中嵌套 while 让步从句；主从句均用 it is...that 强调句，分别强调 sophisticated technologies 与 cheap technologies。
译文写完两本发明史之后，我明白了一件事：尽管风光全被那些精巧迷人的高科技占尽，真正改变世界的却是廉价技术。
考点it is...that 强调句的并列对照 · while 让步从句嵌在表语从句中
4The Gutenberg printing press transformed civilisation not by changing the nature of writing but by changing its cost—and it would have achieved little without a parallel collapse in the price of surfaces to write on, thanks to an often-overlooked technology called paper.
主干主语：The Gutenberg printing press；谓语：transformed；宾语：civilisation
结构not by...but by... 并列方式状语。破折号后 and 连接并列分句，would have achieved 为虚拟语气，without 引出含蓄条件；surfaces to write on 为不定式后置定语，thanks to 引出原因状语，called paper 为过去分词短语修饰 technology。
译文古腾堡印刷机改变文明，靠的不是改写书写的本质，而是压低其成本——若非书写材料价格同步暴跌（多亏常被忽视的纸张技术），它也难有作为。
考点not by A but by B 对比结构 · without 含蓄虚拟条件
5It would be absurd to try to track the changing price of sports cars since 1695, but to ask the same question of nails makes perfect sense.
主干前分句形式主语：It；真正主语：to try to track...；后分句主语：to ask the same question of nails；谓语：makes；宾语：perfect sense
结构前半 It would be adj. to do 为形式主语结构，would 表推测。but 连接并列句，后半不定式短语 to ask... 直接作主语；the same question of nails 中 of 表示“关于”。since 1695 修饰 track 的时间范围。
译文若要追踪自1695年以来跑车价格的变化，未免荒唐；但对钉子提出同样的问题，却完全说得通。
考点形式主语 it 与不定式真正主语 · but 连接两个不定式主语的对照