Question

2. It is because of the close association in most people’s minds of tools with man that special attention has always been focused upon any animal able to use an object as a tool,but it is important to realize that this ability,on its own,does not necessarily indicate any special intelligence in the creature concerned.

[句子分析]        

[譯文]

Answer 1

2. [分析]此句的框架是：It is because of...that... but it is important to realize that....并列連詞but連接兩個并列分句：前一個分句為強調句型It is... that...，強調原因狀語because of —，在that后面的部分中，able to use an object as a tool作后置定語，修飾any animal;后一個分句中，it是形式主語，真正的主語是后面的動詞不定式短語to realize that...， realize后又跟由that引導的賓語從句，concerned同樣是后置定語修飾the creature 。另外，需要注意的是，the close association in most people's minds of tools with man中in most people's minds把 the close association of tools with man (工具與人類的密切聯系) 分隔開來，使得此句難以理解。

[譯文]正是由于在大多數人頭腦中工具與人類聯系密切，人們才特別關注能把物體當工具使用的任何一種動物。但值得注意的是，這種能力就其自身而言，并不一定表明這種動物有什么特別的智慧。