1. This development-and its strong implications for US politics and economy in years ahead-has enthroned the South as America's most densely populated region for the first time in the history of the nation's head counting.

【譯文】這一發(fā)展--以及其對今后幾年美國政治和經(jīng)濟(jì)的強(qiáng)大影響--在美國人口普查史上第一次確定南部是人口比較密集的地區(qū)。

【析句】句子的主干是This development... has enthroned the South as America's most densely populated region。破折號之間成分是對主語的補(bǔ)充。for the first time in the history是全句的狀語。

【講詞】enthrone意為"登基；加冕"，在句中的意思是"正式確定為"或"成為"。"Ten years ago I was enthroned as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama," the 11th Panchen Lama told the crowd.（十一世班禪告訴人群："十年前我被正式確定為第十世班禪的轉(zhuǎn)世靈童。"）

head counting是census（人口普查）的通俗說法。

2. Often they choose-and still are choosing-somewhat colder climates such as Oregon, Idaho and Alaska in order to escape smog, rime and other plaguesof urbanization in the Golden State.

【譯文】他們常常選擇--現(xiàn)在依然這樣選擇--一些氣候較冷的地區(qū)，如俄勒岡、愛達(dá)荷和阿拉斯加，為的是躲開"金州"（加利福尼亞）的煙霧、犯罪和其他在城市化進(jìn)程中出現(xiàn)的問題。

【析句】這是一個單句，其主干結(jié)構(gòu)為They choose... and are choosing colder climates。破折號之間的成分是補(bǔ)充謂語成分。such as Oregon,Idaho and Alaska是    somewhat colder climates的同位語，注意climates在句中并不是"氣候"的意思，而是指"地區(qū)"。in order to escape smog,crime and other plagues of urbanization in the Golden State作目的。

【講詞】 plague作名詞時表示"瘟疫；麻煩；苦惱；災(zāi)禍"，作動詞時意為"折磨；使苦惱；使得災(zāi)禍"。Health officials feared a dread plague was in the making.（衛(wèi)生官員擔(dān)心一種可怕的瘟疫正在形成。）Could the bird flu be the plague of our century?（禽流感會成為我們這個世紀(jì)的瘟疫嗎？）For years, the country has been plagued by violence.（多年來這個國家一直受到暴力的困擾。）