1. The relative motion of the plates carrying these continents has been  constructed in detail, but the motion of one plate with respect to another cannot readily be translated into motion with respect to the earth's interior.

【譯文】這些大陸板塊的相對(duì)運(yùn)動(dòng)已被詳細(xì)闡述出來，但一個(gè)板塊相對(duì)另一板塊的運(yùn)動(dòng)還不能輕易地被解釋為它們相對(duì)于地球內(nèi)部的運(yùn)動(dòng)。

【析句】在這個(gè)用but連接的兩個(gè)并列分句中，前一個(gè)分句主語的限定成分the plates帶了一個(gè)現(xiàn)在分詞短語，起修飾作用；后一個(gè)分句中注意謂語be translated into意為“被解釋為”，這里的another指的是another plates。介詞with respect to出現(xiàn)了兩次，意思是“相對(duì)于......”。

【講詞】translate意為“翻譯”，但它還可以表示“解釋；調(diào)動(dòng)；轉(zhuǎn)換”。Today's low inflation and steady growth in household income translate into more purchasing power.（現(xiàn)今的低通貨膨脹率和家庭收入的穩(wěn)定增長(zhǎng)轉(zhuǎn)化成了更多的購(gòu)買力。）It is important to have an ideal, but it's more important to translate it into reality.（理想固然重要，但把理想變成現(xiàn)實(shí)更為重要。）Her silence was translated as a protest.（她的沉默被認(rèn)為是一種抗議。）Three years ago, he was translated to the countryside.（他在三年前被調(diào)到了鄉(xiāng)下。）

2. Emerging from the 1980 census is the picture of a nation developing more and more regional competition, as population growth in the Northeast and  Midwest reaches a near standstill.

【譯文】1980年美國(guó)人口普查表明，隨著東北部和中西部人口增長(zhǎng)近乎停止，地區(qū)間的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)越來越激烈。

【析句】這是主從復(fù)合句，逗號(hào)前面是主句，是個(gè)倒裝句，主干結(jié)構(gòu)其實(shí)是The picture is emerging from the 1980 census。of a nation developing more and more regional competition是定語，修飾the picture。as引導(dǎo)的從句（as population growth in the Northeast and Midwest reaches a near standstill）表示伴隨。

【講詞】 picture除了“圖像”以外，還可表示“情形”等，具體什么意思要看句子的表述。記住幾個(gè)與picture有關(guān)的詞組，如：come/step into the picture（引人注意，處于顯要地位，成為其中一部分），not in the picture（不合適，不相干的，被拋棄；被拒絕；沒有贏的希望）=out of the picture（不合適；不相干的，被拋棄；被拒絕；沒有贏的希望），put/keep sb. in the picture（把基本情況告訴某人）。