陈老师认为 and Lear soon after expiring为为名词+副词+介词+动名词结构，那么Lear在句子中做什么成分呢？不知陈老师如何将这个句子读下去的。

其实，expiring在此并不是动名词，而是现在分词，与Lear构成独立主格结构。after不是介词而是副词，soon修饰after，构成soon after副词短语（不久），作expiring的时间状语。Lear soon after expiring, 李尔不久就去世了。soon after也可以放在现在分词之后：Lear expiring soon after.

独立主格结构作时间状语，修饰谓语followed。

Before he died, the good earl of Kent, who had still attended his old master's steps from the first of his daughters' ill-usage to this sad period of his decay, tried to make him understand that it was he who had followed him under the name of Caius; but Lear's care-crazed brain at that time could not comprehend how that could be, or how Kent and Caius could be the same person: so Kent thought it needless to trouble him with explanations at such a time; and Lear soon after expiring, this faithful servant to the king, between age and grief for his old master's vexations, soon followed him to the grave.

在他死前，好心的肯特伯爵(Earl Of Kent)，从他女儿们的第一次生病，到他衰败的这段悲伤时期，还在跟随他的老主人的脚步，他试图使他明白，是他以该犹的名义跟随他的；但是李尔那时候疯狂的头脑无法理解这是怎么回事，也不明白肯特和该尤斯怎么会是同一个人，所以肯特认为不必在这样的时候给他解释；李尔死后不久，这位忠心的侍从在年老和老主人烦恼的悲痛之间，就跟着他走到了坟墓里。

lear soon after expiring为名词+副词+介词+动名词结构

=相当于“soon after Lear expiring”

lear为后面动名词expiring逻辑主语

（soon after =副词soon+介词after 意思在..之后不久）

(1)soon after sth/doing sth 某事/做某事不久之后/之后不久

They were married with all the trimmings, soon after graduation.  

他们毕业后不久就大操大办地结婚了。

The plane developed engine trouble soon after taking off.  

飞机在起飞后不久发动机就出了问题。

The aircraft caught fire soon after take-off.  

飞机起飞后不久就着火了。

(2)expire vi.气绝;死亡;故去 

He endured excruciating agonies before he finally expired.  

在最终离世前他经受了极大的痛苦。