英語的書面表達(dá)一直以來就是英語學(xué)習(xí)的瓶頸。在此,筆者向各位學(xué)習(xí)者提供突破英語寫作的十字建議,即研習(xí)、背誦、默寫、互譯、模仿,概括出培養(yǎng)寫作能力的五個(gè)方面,如能嚴(yán)格遵循,定能柳暗花明。
研 習(xí)
“沒有規(guī)矩,不成方圓!睂(duì)于一般英語學(xué)習(xí)者而言,寫出優(yōu)秀的文章有賴于后天習(xí)得,但并不意味著機(jī)械背誦、生吞活剝,或者照搬照抄、人云亦云。所謂研習(xí),需要有獨(dú)立思考和個(gè)人的判斷,本著“他山之石,可以攻玉”的精神,汲取文章的精華部分加以研究。研習(xí)主要側(cè)重兩個(gè)方面,包括文章章法和語言表達(dá)。文章章法指文章的行文思路、布局謀篇、結(jié)構(gòu)安排、邏輯順序。許多學(xué)習(xí)者面對(duì)一個(gè)話題,可能存在兩種不同的困惑,一是下筆千言,但離題萬里;二是思緒萬千,卻無從落筆。導(dǎo)致兩種困惑的根源皆在于欠缺思考問題、組織思路的恰當(dāng)方式,以至于文章不得要領(lǐng)、章法紊亂。這就要求我們從全篇脈絡(luò)角度多研習(xí)范文,之后領(lǐng)悟如何以演繹法行文、怎樣用歸納法謀篇以及如何圍繞特定話題拓展思路等等。此外,研習(xí)還要側(cè)重于語言表達(dá),包括遣詞造句和句子、段落之間的各種銜接手段,以期在自己日后的寫作中派上用場(chǎng),因?yàn)橛⑽膶懽鹘酝ㄒ焕。只有善于借鑒,勤加研究,才會(huì)借他人的優(yōu)勢(shì)和長(zhǎng)處,提高自己的寫作水平。
背 誦
背誦是提高寫作的又一有效途徑。要學(xué)好寫作文,首先要處理好語言輸入與輸出之間的關(guān)系。前者是后者的前提條件。如果頭腦空空如也,就根本談不上寫出像模像樣的文章。只有讀過大量東西,并且有意識(shí)地將其中精彩部分儲(chǔ)存于記憶之中(commit the highlights to memory),才能保證下筆流暢、文通字順。因此,背誦對(duì)于寫作極為重要。但背誦不是機(jī)械記憶,而是有選擇性的背誦,是有意義的記憶。因?yàn)闄C(jī)械背誦的結(jié)果要么是記憶很快就蕩然無存、了無痕跡,要么是無法活學(xué)活用、付諸實(shí)踐。背誦包括五個(gè)方面:重點(diǎn)詞匯、常用套語、精彩句子、優(yōu)秀段落、經(jīng)典篇章。
重點(diǎn)詞匯
美妙的用詞及搭配皆在此列,像fall victim(受害),stand a fair chance(大有希望)這種地道的動(dòng)賓搭配要勤加記憶。為了積累寫作詞匯,應(yīng)將文中同屬一個(gè)話題的用詞匯總歸納,組成主題詞族(topic family)。歸類記憶可以使自己日后即寫即用,得心應(yīng)手。下文是一篇闡釋愛心的優(yōu)秀文章,多處用詞精巧,現(xiàn)將文中關(guān)于愛心這一主題的詞匯總結(jié)
emotional strength 情感的力量
the noblest of human emotions人類最高尚的情感
no thought of gain不計(jì)得失
the lamp of love愛心之燈
help the victims of natural disasters支援自然災(zāi)害受害者
donate whatever they can傾囊相助
help their needy fellow citizens 幫助有需要的同胞
be ready to give a helping hand 隨時(shí)準(zhǔn)備伸出援手
When we use the word "love", we do not simply mean an attraction to a person of the opposite sex, which is a very narrow definition of the word. Love is emotional strength, which can support us no matter how dark the world around us becomes. In fact, throughout history people of many different cultures have regarded love as the noblest of human emotions.
As an example of the power of love, we should remember how the Chinese people of all nationalities respond to the call to help the victims of natural disasters every year. Although their incomes are still low by international standards, people all over the country do not hesitate to donate whatever they can — be it money or goods — to help their needy fellow citizens. Moreover, they do this with no thought of gain for themselves.
In my opinion, the best way to show love is to help people who are more unfortunate than we are. We should always be ready to give a helping hand to those who are in trouble, no matter whether they are family members or complete strangers. In this way, we can help to make the world a better place, for the darker the shadows of sorrow become, the more brightly the lamp of love shines.
當(dāng)我們用“愛”這個(gè)詞時(shí),我們不僅僅指異性對(duì)一個(gè)人的吸引,這只是對(duì)這個(gè)詞非常狹隘的解釋。愛心是一種情感的力量,不論我們周圍的世界多么黑暗,愛心都能支撐我們。事實(shí)上,縱觀歷史,不同文化背景的人都把愛看成是人類最高尚的情感。
說到愛心的力量,我們馬上就會(huì)想起每年中國(guó)各族人民是如何響應(yīng)號(hào)召支援自然災(zāi)害受害者的。盡管按照國(guó)際標(biāo)準(zhǔn)他們的收入還處于低水平,全國(guó)人民毫不猶豫地傾囊相助——不管是錢還是物——幫助那些有需要的同胞。而且,他們這么做并不考慮自己的得失。
我認(rèn)為,表達(dá)愛心的最好方式是幫助比我們更加不幸的人。我們應(yīng)該隨時(shí)準(zhǔn)備向有困難的人伸出援助之手,無論他們是家庭成員還是素昧平生。這樣,我們就能夠助一臂之力把世界變成一個(gè)更美好的地方,因?yàn),悲傷的陰影越黑暗,愛心之燈的光芒就越閃亮。
常用套語
套語指流行的公式化語言,在寫作中適當(dāng)使用頗有必要。如在商業(yè)信函結(jié)尾,期望對(duì)方早日回復(fù)的表達(dá)方式就要遵循套語的基本模式,使表達(dá)規(guī)范得體。下面試舉幾個(gè)例子:
Kindly favor us with an early reply. 請(qǐng)?jiān)缛召n復(fù)。
Your prompt reply will be highly appreciated. 如能及時(shí)回復(fù),將不勝感謝。
We look forward to hearing from you soon. 早日回復(fù)。
We are expecting your prompt reply. 急盼回復(fù)。
Please have the kindness to answer this letter quickly. 請(qǐng)?jiān)缛栈匦拧?/P>
Kindly let us have your reply at your earliest convenience. 請(qǐng)?jiān)谀奖銜r(shí)盡早賜函。
We would appreciate it if you could respond right away. 如能即刻回復(fù),將不勝感謝。
當(dāng)前流行應(yīng)試寫作模板,即套語的使用貫穿文章始終,為考生提供萬能公式型的文章主架,每句表達(dá)皆由固定套語框定,考生只要背下套用句型、過渡詞語,在考試中根據(jù)特定考題填充具體內(nèi)容。這種應(yīng)試策略使寫出的文章矯揉造作,生硬刻板,雖可以讓考生及格過關(guān),但絕對(duì)得不到高分。套語的過多使用不妨可以比作大海中的救生圈,有了它,僅僅可以讓不擅游泳者保全性命,卻無法自在暢游,一展泳姿。一般而言,套語較為空洞,如使用過多,文章容易流于空泛,言之無物。寫作宜虛實(shí)結(jié)合,形式與內(nèi)容相統(tǒng)一。下例是一篇比較在家學(xué)習(xí)與入校讀書誰優(yōu)誰劣的范文,文中巧妙地使用了一些固定句式和過渡詞語,不僅增強(qiáng)了表達(dá)效果,而且實(shí)現(xiàn)了形式與內(nèi)容的統(tǒng)一。
There are two major arguments that can be made for studying at home. First, as advances in the electronic media have brought the whole world of scholarship into the home via the Internet and educational courses on TV, the classroom is no longer the only place for acquiring knowledge. Second, it is widely held that a person studies better in the familiar surroundings of his own home and when he can arrange his own study time.
But we must not lose sight of the fact that there are advantages to studying in the classroom, too. Being surrounded by people of roughly the same abilities and interests can be a great stimulus to acquiring knowledge, whereas studying in solitude at home is boring for many people. More importantly, there can be no substitute for a good teacher, who must not only be able to impart facts and theories, but also to appraise and encourage his students.
Given the choice between these two methods of learning, I prefer the classroom. This is because I am the sort of person who finds it difficult to concentrate on study in the midst of household chores, and disturbances from visitors and telephone calls. The classroom environment, I feel, is the only one in which most people feel comfortable applying all their energies to the all-important task of acquiring knowledge.
關(guān)于在家學(xué)習(xí),我們可以提出兩個(gè)主要論點(diǎn)。第一,由于電子媒體方面取得的進(jìn)步把整個(gè)世界的知識(shí)通過互聯(lián)網(wǎng)和電視上的教育課程帶入了家庭,教室不再是惟一獲取知識(shí)的場(chǎng)所。第二,人們普遍認(rèn)為,在自己家里這樣熟悉的環(huán)境中,并且能自己安排學(xué)習(xí)時(shí)間,一個(gè)人能學(xué)得更好。
但是,我們不能忽視在教室里學(xué)習(xí)也有好處這一事實(shí)。周圍都是能力相近和興趣相投的人可能會(huì)對(duì)獲取知識(shí)形成巨大的刺激,而對(duì)很多人來說孤獨(dú)一人在家學(xué)習(xí)會(huì)有些枯燥乏味。更重要的是,沒有什么可以替代一個(gè)好老師,他不僅能夠傳道授業(yè),而且能夠評(píng)估并鼓勵(lì)學(xué)生。
如果在兩種學(xué)習(xí)方法中選擇,我更喜歡在教室里學(xué)習(xí),因?yàn)槲沂悄欠N很難在家務(wù)瑣事、客人、電話的打擾下集中注意力學(xué)習(xí)的人。我認(rèn)為大多數(shù)人只有在教室里才能把全部精力放在獲取知識(shí)這件十分重要的工作上。
精彩句子
精彩句子指文章中句式優(yōu)美、蘊(yùn)含哲理的句子。精彩句子的背誦有助于寫作時(shí)的引用和模仿。如在閱讀美國(guó)前總統(tǒng)約翰?肯尼迪(John F. Kennedy)的就職演說(Inaugural Address)時(shí),可以記住諸如“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. ”(不要問國(guó)家能為你做什么,而要問你能為國(guó)家做什么。)這樣的傳世佳句,當(dāng)你寫關(guān)于愛國(guó)(patriotism)主題的作文時(shí),則可以適時(shí)引用,F(xiàn)仍以上面談“愛心”的文章為例,其中值得背誦的句子為數(shù)不少。摘錄
①Love is emotional strength, which can support us no matter how dark the world around us becomes.
愛心是情感的力量,不論我們周圍的世界多么黑暗,愛心都能支撐我們。
②People all over the country do not hesitate to donate whatever they can — be it money or goods — to help their needy fellow citizens.
全國(guó)人民毫不猶豫地傾囊相助——不管是錢還是物——幫助那些有需要的同胞。
③The best way to show love is to help people who are more unfortunate than we are.
表達(dá)愛心的最好方式是幫助比我們更加不幸的人。
④The darker the shadows of sorrow become, the more brightly the lamp of love shines.
悲傷的陰影越黑暗,愛心之燈的光芒就越閃亮。