Your second interpretation (②) is much closer to the original meaning, but the first one (①) is incorrect in both grammar and meaning.
The core structure of the sentence is:
"To that world of assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope… we renew our pledge of support."
- "To that world of assembly of sovereign states" = This phrase introduces who or what is being addressed.
- "The United Nations, our last best hope" = This renames and describes the United Nations.
- "In an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace" = This is additional information explaining the current situation.
- "We renew our pledge of support" = This is the main action of the sentence.
1. Sentence ① is incorrect.
- "is still in the United Nations." is grammatically incorrect and does not reflect the original meaning. The United Nations is not "inside" anything in this context.
- The sentence structure does not match the original, making it confusing.
2. Sentence ② is mostly correct.
- Your understanding is very close to the original meaning.
- A clearer way to write it would be:
"We renew our pledge of support to that world of sovereign states, the United Nations, which is our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace."
- This keeps the original meaning while making it easier to understand.
Tip:
✔ Break down complex sentences by identifying the main action (verb), subject, and additional descriptive phrases.
✔ Pay attention to commas—in the original, the commas help clarify that "the United Nations" is an appositive (a phrase that renames "that world of assembly of sovereign states").
✔ When rephrasing, keep the logical structure intact—your second interpretation is a good attempt, but it’s better to keep it close to the original format for clarity.