While history once revered its affinity to literature and philosophy, the emerging social sciences seemed to afford greater opportunities for asking new questions and providing rewarding approaches to an understanding of the past.

【翻译】虽然历史学曾一度尊崇它与文学和哲学的邻近关系，但是新兴的社会科学似乎为提出新问题、提供了解历史的有效途径方面，提供了更大的机遇。

【分析】这是一个含有让步从句的复合句。

1. 让步状语从句：While history once revered its affinity to literature and philosophy

（1）while 除了表示时间外，还可以表示让步“虽然，尽管”，相当于though，使用时放在主句之前。如果在主句之后，则表示转折“然而”。

（2）revered its affinity to literature and philosophy：尊崇它文学和哲学的亲密关系；介词to 表示“对象关系”。

2. 主句：the emerging social sciences seemed to afford greater opportunities for asking new questions and providing rewarding approaches to an understanding of the past.

（1）the emerging social sciences：新兴的社会科学

（2）seemed to afford greater opportunities：似乎提供了更大的机会

（3）for asking new questions and providing rewarding approaches to an understanding of the past：为提出新问题、提供了解历史的有效途径方面。

【主句成分划分】

the emerging social sciences （主语）seemed to afford （谓语）greater opportunities （宾语）for asking new questions and providing rewarding approaches to an understanding of the past（目的状语）。