... as stiff , ponderous and charmless as a mechanical apparatus 
(ROOT (FRAG (, ...) (ADJP (ADJP (IN as) (JJ stiff) (, ,) (JJ ponderous) (CC and) (JJ charmless)) (PP (IN as) (NP (DT a) (JJ mechanical) (NN apparatus))))))
(ROOT (FRAG (, ) (ADJP (ADJP (IN ) (JJ ) (, ) (JJ ) (CC ) (JJ )) (PP (IN ) (NP (DT ) (JJ ) (NN ))))))