This is helpful as a means of establishing that analysis of scenography need not be restricted to degrees of similitude.
这是一种非常有帮助的建设性办法，可以证明场景美术的剖析不必局限于相似度。
metaphoric icons, already noted earlier in this work, have been important in establishing the potential of scenography as performance.
比喻性像似符号（metaphoric icons），在本书前面已经提到过，在确立场景美术作为表演的潜力方面非常重要。
想请教老师的是：
1，第一句的establishing是否可以理解为“具备建设性的办法”？
2，第二句的establishing理解为确立
3，第二句的红色部分，我对as 和of的修饰范围的理解还是有点问题：
establishing the potential of scenography as performance
是理解为：在确立场景设计作为表演的潜力方面非常重要。
还是如此：在确立场景设计的潜力作为表演方面非常重要。
谢谢老师
This is helpful as a means of establishing that analysis of scenography need not be restricted to degrees of similitude.
1. 句子主干：This is helpful
2. as a means of establishing... 作为确立...的一种方法。根据传统语法，as a means of...是主语This 的补语。现代语法则看作状语。
3.This is helpfulas a means of establishing：
【直译】作为确立...的一种方法，这是非常有帮助的。
metaphoric icons, already noted earlier in this work, have been important in establishing the potential of scenography as performance.
应该是这层意思：
establishing the potential of scenography as performance
在确立作为表演用的场景设计的潜力（方面非常重要）。
