原句没有错。你得培养语感,不能光学语法分析。a respectable position,but with little social status. = a respectable position,but (a position) with little social status.
His father was a clerk in the British Navy pay office—a respectable position,but with little social status.
but作为并列连词,但形容词respectable和介词短语with…并列修饰名词position,那2个由but并列的部分不就隔了名词position吗?既然这样是否说明原句是病句,而这句话是不是更严谨应该是a position,respectable but with little status,也就是把respectable后置?