长难句:during the past generation, the american middle-class family that once could count on hard work and fair play to keep itself financially secure has been transformed by economic risk and new realities.
分析: 句子的主干结构是the american middle-class family…has been transformed by economic risk and new realities,family后接一个定语从句。
2、generation指一代人,一般为20年。 count on表示“指望,依靠”,例如:you can count on my help.(你可以指望得到我的帮助。) fair play原是体育用语,意为“公平比赛”,转义指“公正的待遇”或“公平竞赛的条件”。 secure作形容词表示“安全的,可靠的,放心的,无虑的”。 transform意为“转变;转换;变形”,其名词是transformation。