In fact, radium not only damaged their health but also made the laboratory equipment with which they were working radioactive. 事实上，镭不仅损害了他们的健康，而且还使他们工作的实验设备具有了放射性。
从上面的实例不难看出,英语的分隔主要是受两个原则的支配:一是尾重原则(the principle of end-weight),二是句尾信息焦点原则(the principle of end-focus)。
按照尾重原则，应当把长而复杂的成分放在句末，从而使结构平衡匀称，以避免主语部
分太长，谓语部分太短的毛病。请比较：
(A) In the Soviet Union several cases have been reported recently of people who can read and detect colors with their fingers. (NCE)
(B) In the Soviet Union several cases of people who can read and detect colours with their fingers have been reported recently.
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The story is told of her phenomenal success in Australia. (CGEL)
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(B) The story of her phenomenal success in Australia is told.
根据句尾信息核心(焦点)原则,应把新信息(语义重点)放在句子末尾,通过分隔手段可以很容易地实现这一点。请比较:
(A) The question whether it was worth the effort sometimes comes to my mind.
(B) The question sometimes comes to my mind whether it was worth the effort.
下面是英语分隔引起的误译：
(1) As they grow old, people also accumulate belongings for two other reasons, lack of physical and mental energy, both of which are essential in turning out and throwing away, and sentiment. (New Concept English, Book 3, p. 142)
[原译]随着岁月流逝人变老,人们还由于另外两个原因积累物品,即体力衰弱与精神不佳,因为在丢弃这些无用之物时这两者缺一不可;此外,还有感情的因素。(上外教版,p.34)
原文中的两个并列成分 lack of physical and mental energy 和 sentiment 被一个定语从句分隔, 致使译者弄错了语法关系: 把 lack of physical and mental energy 理解为 two other reasons 的同位语了。
[试译]当人们年老的时候,还由于其它两个原因而积存物品:一是缺乏体力和精力(因为清理和扔掉无用之物,体力和精力是必不可缺的),二是出于感情上的考虑。
(2) In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles. (New Concept English, Book 4, L. 35)
[原译]一九五三年，一位五十多岁的原电子工程师克里斯托弗·科克雷尔，改行从事诺弗克布罗兹的造船业。他向英国政府和工业界提出了一项他研究了多年的计划。（上外教版，p.18）
不难分析,原文中的介词短语 In 1953 是句子谓语动词 suggested 的状语。但是由于它与谓语分隔得很远,竟使译者把它误认为是 had turned 的状语了。
[试译]克·科克雷尔从前是一名电子工程师，后来在诺福克郡的湖泊地区改行从事造船业，于1953年，在他五十多岁的时候，向英国政府和工业界提出了一项他研究了多年的计划。
(3) Twenty or thirty pages of information handed to any of the major world powers around the year 1925 would have been sufficient to change the course of world history. It is a strange thought, but I believe a correct one, that twenty or thirty pages of ideas and information would be capable of turning the present-day world upside down, or even destroying it. (New Concept English, Book 4, L. 57)
[原译]一九二五年前后，如果把二、三十页情报提交给任何一个主要世界强国，都将足以改变世界历史的进程。这是一个奇怪的念头，但我相信是正确的。二、三十页书面的计划和情报将有能力颠倒今日的世界，甚至于摧毁它。（上外教版，p.35）
译者之所以把 It 看成是代表前一个句子的内容,而没有把它看成是形式主语,主要是因为主语从句与其主句被 but I believe a correct one 所分隔的缘故。
[试译]……二、三十页的计划和情报就能使今天的世界发生天翻地覆的变化，甚至于把它摧毁，这是一个奇怪的念头，但是我相信它是正确的。
(4) Kepler discovered from the data some very beautiful and remarkable, but simple, laws re-
garding planetary motion. [清华大学《英语教程》(四), p. 28]
[原译]凯布勒耳根据一些绝妙惊人的但又是简单的数据发现了有关行星运动的定律。（教参）
由于动词 discovered 与其宾语 some very beautiful ... laws 被介词短语 from the data 所分隔, 所以译者对句子的语法关系产生了误解: 把 some very beautiful and remarkable, but simple 看成是 the data 的后置定语了。实际上, some...simple 是 laws 的定语, 否则无法解释 some 的语法功能。
[试译]开普勒根据这些资料发现了一些绝妙惊人但又非常简单的关于行星运动的定律。