48.he could not analyze carefully what this obscure officer may or may not have contributed to that great struggle between nations or indeed tell us anything much about the man himself.
49. There may have been many spies and intelligence officers during the Napoleonic Wars, but it is usually extremely difficult to find the material they actually provided or worked on.
【結構分析】
主句為There have ..., but it is +adj.+to do sth.句式結構,其中后半句含省略引導詞that的限定性定語從句。
【翻譯方法】
時間狀語置于句首進行翻譯,定語從句的翻譯也采用前置法。
【參考譯文】
在拿破侖戰爭期間,可能有許多間諜和情報官員,但通常很難找到他們實際提供或工作所用到的材料。
50. Just as the code breaking has its wider relevance in the struggle for Spain, so his attempts to make his way up the promotion ladder speak volumes about British society.