It is difficult to the point of impossibility for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine a time when high-quality arts criticism could be found in most big-city newspapers.
句子翻译译文
40岁以下的普通读者难以想象到这样一个时代，彼时大多数大城市的报刊都有高质量艺术评论。
句子点评
首先找到句子主干，不难看出一个句式：It is difficult for sb To do sth，判断出谓语是is，形式主语为it，句子真正的主语是不定式to imagine a time....后面的完整部分。句子for the average reader 为不定式的逻辑主语，under the age of forty作后置定语修饰reader。最后when引导的定语从句修饰的是time。
本句难点在于to the point of impossibility，其中介词短语to the point of...表示达到某种程度，因此to the point of impossibility做程度状语说明difficult的程度，表示“很难，几乎不可能”。
句子详细分析
)It is difficult [to the point (of impossibility)] for the average reader (under the age (of forty)) to imagine a time (when high-quality arts criticism could be found [in most big-city newspapers]).
- it 为先行主语，代表后移的不定式。
- is 为系动词作谓语，采用一般现在时。
- difficult 为形容词作表语。
- for the average reader under the age of forty to imagine 为不定式。for the average reader under the age of forty 为不定式的逻辑主语。
- when 为关系副词，引导定语从句。
- found 为谓语，采用被动语态。
to the point of... 达到(某种程度)
impossibility [im,pɔsә'biliti] n. 不可能之事, 不可能
reader ['ri:dә] n. 1) 读者，读书……的人，阅读量大的人 2) （报刊杂志等的）读者
imagine [i'mædʒin] vt. 1) 想像，设想 2) 误认为，胡乱猜想，猜测
criticism ['kritisizm] n. 1) 批评，批判，责备 2) 评论，评论文章
newspaper ['nju:z,peipә] n. 1) 报纸，报 2) 旧报纸
