复杂的比较级的拆分和理解 例178

例178　For the women of my generation who were urged to keep juggling through the' 80s, downshifting in the mid' 90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life—growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one—as a personal recognition of your limitations.

【结构分析】介词短语For the women of my generation做状语，后面加上定语从句who were urged to keep juggling through the ’80s，主干是downshifting in the mid ’90s is not so much a search for the mythical good life as a personal recognition of your limitations，用的是not so much A as B，翻译成与其A，不如B，里面有插入语growing your own organic vegetables, and risking turning into one。

【亮点回放】此句话的亮点在于not so much A as B，翻译成与其A，不如B，否定A，赞成B，比如I am not so much a student as a teacher（与其说我是个学生，不如说我是个老师）。

【核心词汇】

urged to　强烈要求

keep juggling　为生活奔波

downshifting　放慢生活节奏

a search for the mythical good life　寻求一种神话般的美好生活

grow your own organic vegetables　用有机肥种植蔬菜

l recognition of your limitations　认识到自身能力有限这一事实

【参考译文】对于我这一代曾在整个80年代为生活奔波的女人来说，90年代中期出现的放慢生活节奏与其说是我们寻求一种神话般的美好生活——用有机肥种植蔬菜，并且梦想自己变成其中一部分——不如说是我们清醒地认识到自身能力有限这一事实。