句子结构让我疑惑

Question

He lives in the damp blackness of vast forest, as the pygmies of Africa do to this every day.这句话的to this是否多余？放在这里怎么解释它的结构？
But, as I have said before, of these beginnings we know so very little.这里的of是不是多余的呢

Answer 1

He lives in the damp blackness of vast forest, as the pygmies of Africa do to this every day.

我们简化结构——“He lives in the blackness，as the pygmies do.”
可以看见，to this的确是多余的，并且是一个病句，因为do代表的是live，而live通常只接同源宾语life。或者说“He lives in the damp blackness of vast forest, as the pygmies of Africa do these days.”

But, as I have said before, of these beginnings we know so very little.
我们简化结构——“But of these beginnings we know very little.”
（PS：so和very不可以同时用）
这里的Of相当于Among，作为主句的状语，不是多余的。

Answer 2

第一句话，to this是感觉比较多余，单独看这一句话，把to this去掉无论是从句意还是语法的角度来讲，都没有问题。反倒是放在这里，不知道to this指的是什么。
第二句话的of不能去掉，如果去掉，你会发现后面的句子有两个主语，即these beginnings和we都做主语。其实of these beginnings放到句子的后面你就不会感觉奇怪了，这个句子只是把它提前，表强调。这句话翻译过来就是：在这些开始当中，我们对此几乎一无所知。

Answer 3

1.你把句子抄错了,正确的原句是The primitive man lived in the damp blackness of vast forests，as the pygmies of Africa do to this day.
to this day是"至今,直到今天"的意思.整句话的意思是"原始人就象现在的非洲矮人一样，住在大森林中潮湿阴暗的地方。"
2.这是个把介词词组前置的句子,使句子看上去平衡.正常的语序是But, as I have said before, we know so very little of these beginnings.这里的know of是"知道,听说"的意思.know是"了解",know of是"听说".
例如:I don't know the writer,but I know of him.

Answer 4

to this every day意思是直到现在的每一天,碑格米人从古到今就生活在潮湿阴暗的环境中.
of=about,对于这些我们近乎一无所知.