英語句子通常有兩種語序，一種是自然語序（Natural Order），又稱正裝語序，另一種便是本章要介紹的倒裝語序（Inverted Order）。
從形式上分，倒裝有兩種：全部倒裝（Full Inversion）和部分倒裝（Partial Inversion）。謂語動詞全部位於主語之前的稱作全部倒裝，例如：In front of me stood a boy. （我面前站著一個男孩。）只將謂語動詞的一部分（通常是助動詞或情態動詞）放在主語之前的稱作部分倒裝，例如：Only in this way can we do it better. （只有這樣，我們才能做得更好一些）從使用目的區分，倒裝也有兩種情況，即語法倒裝（Grammatical Inversion）和修辭倒裝（Rhetorical Inversion）。語法倒裝是由於語法規則的要求而必須進行的倒裝，例如：Who called me just now？（剛才誰打給我？）修辭倒裝是出於修辭的需要而把正常語序轉為倒裝語序，例如：Out rushed the children.（孩子們衝了出去）H?Fowler歸納倒裝的原因有九種，即疑問、命令、驚歎、假設、平衡、銜接、點題（signpost）、否定和韻律（metrical）。這並不完全，還應加上強調和為使描寫更加生動兩種。在英語中，倒裝句俯拾即是，用得非常普遍，但漢語卻很少用，所以在翻譯倒裝句時，仍應按原文詞序翻譯，並照顧漢語的習慣，以保持譯文句子結構流暢、勻稱。本章只列舉在閱讀文章中常遇到的倒裝現象，以使考生熟悉英語和漢語在語序上的差異。
1. Jack London poured into his writings all the pain of his life,the fierce hatred of the bourgeoisie that it had produced in him,and the conviction it had brought to him that the world could be made a better place to live in if the exploited would rise up and take the management of society out of the hands of the exploiters.
第一層：Jack London 主 poured 謂 into his writings 狀 all the pain 賓 of his life,定 the fierce hatred 賓 of the bourgeoisie 定 that it had produced in him ,定語從句1 and 連 the conviction 賓 it had brought to him 定語從句2 that the world could be made a better place to live in if the exploited would rise 同位語從句 up and take the management of society out of the hands of the exploiters .
第二層：（定語從句1）that 引 it 主 had produced 謂 in him 狀（定語從句2）it 主 had brought to 謂 him 間賓（同位語從句）that 引 the world 主 could be made 謂 a better place 賓 to live in 定 if the exploited would rise up and take the man- 狀語從句 agement of society out of the hands of the exploiters.
第三層：（狀語從句）if 引 the exploited 主 would rise up 謂 and 連 take 謂 the management 賓 of society 定 out of the hands of the exploiters 狀
要點
本句為倒裝句。如果賓語較長或賓語結構比較複雜，往往將賓語後置，採用倒裝語序，以使句子保持平衡。本句的賓語由三個並列的名詞構成，且第二和第三個名詞後又帶有限定性定語從句，故採用倒裝語序，將動詞poured的賓語放在狀語into his writings之後。all the pain……，the fierce hatred……和the conviction……是poured的三個並列的賓語；其中，第一個that引導的定語從句修飾hatred,it had brought to him修飾conviction,在該定語從句中其關係代詞作賓語而被省略；第二個that從句則是conviction的同位語從句。
譯文
傑克?倫敦在作品中傾注了他一生中所遭受過的一切痛苦，傾訴了這種痛苦在他心中產生的對資產階級的刻骨仇恨以及由此產生的這樣的信念：如果被剝削者起來反抗，從剝削者手中奪回社會管理權，那麼世界就會變成一個人人有好日子過的地方。
2. Along with them goes social mobility,ambition to rise in the urban world,a main factor in bringing down the births in Europe in the nineteenth century.
分析：Along with them 狀 goes 謂 social 定 mobility,主 ambition 主 to rise in the 定 urban world,a main factor 同位語 in bringing down the births in Europe in the nineteenth century. 定
要點
這是一個完全倒裝句，主語是social mobility……century，謂語動詞是tion to rise in the urban world 是對 social mobility的進一步說明。a main factor在意思上相當於which is a main factor in……century，修飾 ambition to ……world.本句可按原文順序翻譯。
譯文
伴隨他們而來的是社會的流動性，人們強烈地希望在城市裡發展，這是19世紀歐洲出生率下降的主要因素。
3. For example,they do not compensate for gross social inequality,and thus do not tell how able an underprivileged youngster might have been had he grown up under more favorable circumstances.
要點
句中had he grown up …… 是虛擬條件中省略if的倒裝結構。翻譯時，要把if的含義譯出。主句為並列謂語…… compensate …… ， and …… tell結構。句中how引導賓語從句。虛擬條件句為賓語從句的狀語。根據漢語的表達習慣，條件狀語常前置。
譯文
例如，它們並不彌補明顯的.社會不公；因此，它們說明不了一個物質條件差的年輕人，如果在較好的環境下成長，會有多大的才幹。
4. So involved with their computers do the children become that leaders at summer computer camps often have to force them to break for sports and games.
要點
本句的基本結構是the children become so involved with their computers that……。因為把so involved with their computers 放在了句首，所以句子必須倒裝。因為該句的動詞是become，所以用do來幫助倒裝。翻譯時宜用正裝語序。
譯文
參加計算機夏令營的孩子們對計算機如此著迷，以至夏令營的負責人常常不得不強迫他們停下來參加體育運動或做遊戲。
5. As the Internet becomes more and more commercialized,it is in the interest of business to universalize access - after all,the more people online,the more potential customers there are.
要點 破折號後面的部分是用來解釋句子主句的，在結構上是部分倒裝句，屬（從句）the＋比較級……，（主句） the ＋比較級句型，這樣的句子一般主謂不倒裝。翻譯時可用正裝。universalize：使普遍化；使通用化。
