难句解析：
①If ambition is to be well regarded, the rewards of ambition — wealth, distinction, control over one's destiny — must be deemed worthy of the sacrifices made on ambition's behalf.
▲此句包含一个if引导的条件状语从句If ambition is to be well regarded，主句的主语是the rewards of ambition，谓语是must be deemed，而wealth, distinction, control over one's destiny既是插入语，又是the rewards的同位语。made on ambition's behalf是the sacrifices的补语。
△本句中需弄清一些词汇的含义，如：distinction声望显赫或出人头地；worthy of对得起或不辜负；on behalf of为了。
②If the tradition of ambition is to have vitality, it must be widely shared; and it especially must be highly regarded by people who are themselves admired, the educated not least among them.
▲这是一个并列关系的并列句。前一个分句又包含由if引导的条件状语，主句中的主语it指代the tradition of ambition。后一分句中who are themselves admired修饰people，the educated not least among them是people的补语。
△注意people who are themselves admired指“自己也受人仰慕的人士”；not least意为“相当重要”。
③There is a heavy note of hypocrisy in this, a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped — with the educated themselves riding on them.
▲a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped是前面主句的补语，with the educated themselves riding on them是补语中的伴随状语。
△hypocrisy虚伪或伪善，理解了这个词，后面的比喻就简单了。要理解这个比喻，最好把句中的马理解为ambition的象征。注意这个比喻和“亡羊补牢”没有任何关系，它的意思更接近于“掩耳盗铃”；在这里是指受过良好教育的人在自己的野心实现以后，从追求野心的过程中受了益，但他们得了便宜还卖乖，反过来谴责野心，并说自己并没有追求野心。
④Certainly people do not seem less interested in success and its signs now than formerly. Summer homes, European travel, BMWs — the locations, place names and name brands may change, but such items do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago.
▲此处出现了两个比较级，less interested in success and its signs now than formerly和less in demand today than a decade or two years ago。
△千万注意两句中的双重否定：“do not seem less interested in success and its signs now than formerly”means“seem at least as interested in success and its signs now as formerly, if not more”，后面的do not seem less in demand today than a decade or two years ago也是如此。
⑤What has happened is that people cannot confess fully to their dreams, as easily and openly as once they could, lest they be thought pushing, acquisitive and vulgar.
▲what一词指代的是that引导的从句，从句中as easily and openly as once they could又是下一层的状语，此外lest引导带虚拟语气的假设状语从句。
△注意lest一词的含义（“唯恐”）和用法（引导虚拟语气）。而且在阅读过程中应该能够推测出pushing，acquisitive，vulgar三词都是贬义。
⑥Instead, we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles, which now more than ever seem in ample supply: the critic of American materialism with a Southampton summer home; the publisher of radical books who takes his meals in three-star restaurants; the journalist advocating participatory democracy in all phases of life, whose own children are enrolled in private schools.
▲本句的主句是we are treated to fine hypocritical spectacles。后面有一个非限定性的定语从句修饰spectacles。在冒号的后面是三个并列的名词性短语，其核心词分别是critic，publisher和journalist。
△要理解本句，首先要正确理解be treated to的意思是“被款待，被招待”；因此后面的spectacles就不是“眼镜”，而是“壮观景象”，此处有一定的反讽意味。后面即使不理解其具体含义，大致也应该抓住的是虚伪，说一套做一套的具体事例，从这个角度理解就比较清楚了。
⑦The attacks on ambition are many and come from various angles; its public defenders are few and unimpressive, where they are not extremely unattractive.
▲此句是用分号隔开的两个并列句，后面的一个分句中有一个where引导的定语从句，从整体上来修饰its public defenders，只不过先行词用了where。
△要理解分号前后是从正反两个方面来说明人们对于ambition的态度，同时注意最后的定语从句中的那个双重否定，表达了作者的一种态度，说明作者对于野心的维护者是抱肯定的态度的，从而也能推出作者对于野心也是持积极态度的，而作者所不齿的是对于野心问题虚伪的、说一套做一套的做法。
来源:可可英语 http://www.kekenet.com/kaoyan/201406/305305.shtml