So spoke the Badger, not knowing what the future held in store, or how much water, and of how turbid a character, was to run under bridges before Toad should sit at ease again in his ancestral Hall.
这句话摘自《柳林风声》,原文翻译:獾说是这样说,但他并不能预测未来会发生什么,也不知道是福是祸,更不知道,蟾蜍要经历多少风风雨雨才能再次坐到他祖传的豪宅。句中的and of how turbid a character这个短语没看懂,还请专家老师帮忙解答。
and of how turbid a character是个and引导的插入语,of表示具有某种性质,how turbid a character表示水质浑浊程度。
我们常见的结构是这样的名词短语(不定冠词+形容词+单数名词)——a turbid character,表示水质浑浊。而如果要对混浊程度提问,那就是how turbid a character,即采用了how+形容词+不定冠词+名词单数的结构。这个结构可以类比感叹句中how的用法(how+形容词+不定冠词+名词单数)。当然,这里不是感叹句,根据上下文,尤其是not knowing / how much water,可以判断出来。
类似用法示例:
He did a very good job. 他做得非常好。→ How good a job did he do? 他做得怎么样?
The real question should be, how good a job did he/she do while in their position?
具体到这个间接疑问句,转换成how much water was to run under bridges, and of how turbid a character,能够看得更清楚。
字面意思是:不知道将有多少水流过桥下,以及有多浑浊
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