如：The best books are treasuries of good words,the golden thoughts,which,remembered and cherished,become our constant companions and comforters. 不难看出which become our constant companions and comforters原本是一个整体，被用作状语的过去分词remembered and cherished分割开。常见的分割结构形式有同位语或同位语从句与先行词的分割，定语或and定语从句与先行词的分割，主语与谓语的分割，谓语与宾语的分割。使用分割结构的目的是使语句结构平衡，避免头重脚轻，或者为了使表达的主题思想更加突出醒目，读起来更通顺流畅。分割结构的存在说明了英语在结构形式和表达方法上的生动性和灵活性，但也造成了句子结构的错综复杂。对于分割结构，只有从结构上和语意上弄清它才能避免理解上的错误，英译汉时要把原来属于一个整体部分的意义译出。
如：An unusual present was given to him for his birthday,a book on ethics.过生日的时候他得到了一件不寻常的礼物——一本关于伦理道德的书。(present 和a book被分隔)
再如：After Galileo's work the feeling grew that there were universal laws governing the motion of bodies and that these laws might apply to motion in the heavens as well as on earth.在伽利略著作之后，这样的认识加强了，即认为存在着支配物体运动的普遍规律，这些规律不仅支配着地球上的也支配着天体上的物体的运动。(the feeling和 that从句被分隔)
此外，还有定语(或定语从句)与其中心词被分隔，某些词语与其所要求的介词被分隔，动词与其宾语被分隔，介词与其宾语被分隔等。总之，英语的分隔应遵循尾重原则(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)和句尾信息焦点原则(把新信息，即语义重点放在句子末尾)。阅读时要注意把原来属于一个整体的各部分找出来。
1. Such a viewpoint,particularly prominent in the developing countries,is reinforced by the widely-held belief that it is not the peaceful application of nuclear energy that is endangering the survival of mankind.
第一层：Such a viewpoint,主 particularly prominent in the developing 定 countries,is 系 reinforced 表 by the widely-held belief 状 that it is not the peaceful application of nuclear energy that is end- 同位语从句 angering the survival of mankind.
第二层：(同位语从句)that 引 it 形主 is not 系 the peaceful application 强调主语 of nuclear energy 定 that 引 is endangering 谓 the survival 宾 of mankind.
