Though it may be difficult to imagine from a later perspective, a strain of critical opinion in the 1920s predicted that sound film would be a technical novelty that would soon fade from sight, just as had many previous attempts, dating well back before the First World War, to link images with recorded sound.

【翻译】虽然按后来的观点看，这也许是难以想象的，但在20世纪20年代，一种批评性的观点就预言，有声电影是技术上的新生事物，很快就会淡出视线，正如追溯至一战前，将画面与录音连接在一起的多次尝试一样。

【分析】just as had many previous attempts，是as引导的方式状语从句。

1. 这还是一个倒装句。正常语序是：just as many previous attempts had (faded)，为避免重复只保留助动词had。倒装的原因是因为主语太长（含有较长的定语）。

2. to link images with recorded sound，动词不定式作定语，修饰attempts。

3. dating well back before the First World War，现在分词短语作时间状语。