The southern states would not have signed the Constitution without protections for the “peculiar institution,”
主语 谓语 宾语 条件状语 后置定语
including a clause that counted a slave as three fifths of a man for purposes of congressional representation.
后置定语 定语从句
译文:如果没有对这项“特殊制度”的保护性条款——其中一项条款规定:在国会选举中,一个奴隶算作五分之三个人——南方诸州就不会在宪法上签字。
分析:句子的主干是The southern states would not have signed the Constitution…。本句运用了虚拟语气,其中without protections for the “peculiar institution”是虚拟的条件。现在分词短语including a clause…做后置定语修饰条件状语中的名词protections,这个定语中包括一个由that引导的定语从句修饰名词clause,从句中for purposes of congressional representation是目的状语。