So he held her very closely in his arms as the cab rolled into the big, dull square in which stood the house which was their destination.
It was a big, dull, brick house, exactly like all the others in its row, but that on the front door there shone a brass plate on which was engraved in black letters:
MISS MINCHIN, Select Seminary for Young Ladies.
从that往后这部分有点分析不明白了。希望各位老师解答!!!
but that可以搭配虚拟语气使用,但在您的例句中,就是一个很普通的组合,类似于except that。如:
He noted that he has had a conversation with Will McClay, but that they haven’t set guidelines for it yet.
所以你的例句,从but that开始就是说这个房子的不同点了,因为前面用了exactly like,那后面再补充一些不同细节也是自然的文章写法。
这种but的用法可以是搭配but that加句子使用,也可以是用but for加名词或短语使用。如:
The work was now complete, but for a final coat of paint.
补充:
on the front door there shone a brass plate on which was engraved in black letters
这里采用了一些倒装手法:
(1)there shone a brass plate倒装(2)on which 从句为定语从句,先行词为plate,即 Something (in black letters) was engraved on a brass plate (这里面又有倒装,something就是你原文最下面那段大写的话,你写在最下面,我一开始还没看到)
非倒装非定语从句的白话版为: 'MISS MINCHIN' (in black letters) was engraved on a brass plate, and the plate shone there on the front door.