Ittendstoignore,andthuseventuallytoeliminate,manyelementsinthelandcommunitythatlackcommercialvalue,butthatareessentialtoitshealthyfunctioning.这句话中的两个that是修饰elements还是community应该怎么看呢

Question

It tends to ignore,and thus eventually to eliminate,many elements in the land community that lack commercial value,but that are essential to its healthy functioning.
这句话中的两个that是修饰elements还是community 应该怎么看呢

Answer 1

It tends to ignore,and thus eventually to eliminate,many elements in the land community 【that】 lack commercial value,but 【that】 are essential to its healthy functioning.
两个that的作用和指代都是一样的,指elements.
可把这句的主句看成“many elements【that】 lack commercial value,but 【that】 are essential to its healthy functioning.”
这样就一目了然了,后一个that不省略是为了标明这that从句是和第一个从句并列,成分一样的用意.省略易产生混淆,不知你指代哪.
因为一句话去掉一些状语是不影响理解的,就如这里去掉in the land community.以后楼主对长句有理解的困难的,大可大刀阔斧的去掉状语这些枝枝蔓蔓,抓住主句,意思就容易理解了.
另外,从另一个角度看,如果that指代community的话,它是单数,那么第二个that后就不是are而应该是is了.
从以上这2方面,都可以判断是elements.