253. Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, colder and wetter than was usual in some regions. which slowed sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.
(A) colder and wetter than was usual in some regions, which slowed
(B) which was colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing
(C) since it was colder and wetter than usually in some regions, which slowed
(D) being colder and wetter than usually in some regions, slowing
(E) having been colder and wetter than was usual in some regions and slowed
Choice B is the best answer. It is concise and idiomatic, and which has a clear referent, the weather. In A, the insertion of was is unnecessary, and the referent of which is not clear because regions, not weather, is the nearest noun. In C, the adjective usual is needed in place of the adverb usually, and the referent of which is unclear because regions, not weather, is the nearest noun. In D and E, the verb phrases (being colder ..., having been colder . ..) do not refer as clearly to the noun weather as the pronoun which does. Choice D needs the adjective usual in place of the adverb usually, while choice E fails to maintain parallelism in verb tense (having been... and slowed).
请问，如果我把A修改一下，改为 Analysts blamed May's sluggish retail sales on unexciting merchandise as well as the weather, colder and wetter than usual in some regions, slowing sales of barbecue grills and lawn furniture.可以么？这里形容词colder and wetter－－－修饰the weather,还是也可以修饰May's sluggish retail sales ？我对形容词修饰有些糊渎。望指教，谢谢～ | 
