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1. Over 800 full-time thatches are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses.
结构：全句只有1个谓语动词：are employed.句子主干为：Over 800 full-time thatches are employed.其中，maintaining，renewing the old roofs 和thatching newer houses是三个并列的现在分词短语作伴随状语。As well as 表示并列。
翻译：目前有800名全职茅屋匠人在英格兰和威尔士工作，进行维修，翻新旧屋顶并且还盖新的茅屋顶。
2. He had never been to school or university but had studied privately and by the time he was twenty he was a skillful chemist and excellent linguist, speaking Swedish, Russian, German, France, and English.
结构：全句有4个谓语动词：had been，had studied，was和was.全句由三个并列的简单句组成。he was twenty是一个由by the time引导的时间状语从句。其中句末的现在分词短语speaking Swedish, Russian, German, France, and English 作伴随状语，对excellent linguist进行解释说明。
翻译：他从来没有上过中学或大学，但是他都是自学的。到20岁时，他已经是一个很熟练的化学家，一个优秀的语言学家，会说瑞典语，俄语，德语，法语和英语。
3. The materials used – copper, stainless steel, concrete and glass- give the building a striking beauty.
结构：全句只有1个谓语动词：give.句子主干是：The materials give the building a striking beauty.其中，过去分词used作为后置定语修饰materials.现在分词striking作定语修饰beauty.破折号之间的并列的名词结构是materials的同位语，起补充说明作用。
翻译：使用的这些建材——铜，不锈钢，水泥和玻璃等——给这个建筑物增添了一种夺目的魅力。
4. After all, eighty was a special birthday, another decade lived or endured just as you chose to look at it.
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