Anthropologists Ground Norms Firmer Attempt Cultural Homogeneous Undertake

意群训练： Anthropologists and other s are on much firme r ground when they attempt to describ e the cultural norm s for a smal l homogeneous trib e or village than when the y undertake the formidable tas k of discoverin g the norms that exist in a comple x modern nation-stat e composed o f many disparate groups .

标志： Anthropologists and others are on much firmer ground /when they attempt to describe the cultural norms (for a small homogeneous tribe or village) than /when they undertake the formidable task {of discovering the norms［that exist in a complex modern nation-state (composed of many disparate groups)］}/.

译文： 人类学家们和其他人 /当 试图去描述 （一个小的而且同一部落或村庄的）文化标准 的时候/，比起 /肩负起 {去探寻\［存在于一个（包括很多不同人群的）复杂的现代单一民族国家的\］行为准则的}艰巨任务 来说/，前者 是基于一个更为 坚实的基础之上的 。

解释： 句子的结构拉得很长，主要原因是用来比较的两个when引导的状语从句都太长。句子的主干是Anthropologists are on much firmer ground /when.../ than /when.../。结果more than的结构被长长的状语从句分隔得很远。

另外，第二个when引导的从句中的宾语也很复杂。解释一个单词：nation-state指单一民族的国家。此单词的词义不必背下来。