(单词翻译:单击)
句子也是如此,我们提倡简炼,但不是说都用简单句。有人认为在写作考试中,采用简单句、短句、容易掌握,不在会出错,因而也最保险。这话没有错,但简单句用得太多,造成简单句的堆彻实际上是语言技巧不成熟、不老练,甚至语言水平低下的表现。在阅卷人员看来,同样的意思内容,一个考生能够运用比较复杂的句子结构来表达,其语言水平当然要比只会用简单句来表达的考生的语言水平高出一截,就是有点错也不妨碍他比后者取得较高的分数,因为他的难度系数要高。在某种意义上来说,在词数相同的作文中,语言水平越高,语言技巧越熟练,句子的数目也就越少。这就意味着句子长了,句子结构复杂了。
当然,我们反对过多地使用简单句并不是鼓励学生去刻意追求长句、复杂句。我们追求的是句子结构的多变。一篇文章能根据表达的内容使用不同的句子结构,会产生较好的艺术效果。
例子1本文来源:
The Career I Pursue的主体段:
A variety of reasons have led me to choose this occupation over other more lucrative ones. First, teaching is learning. To make my lectures more interesting, I have to read more books, explore new knowledge and gain a better understanding of the world—the very thing I like to do in my life. Second, teaching means freedom. As a teacher, I can freely express my opinions and explain them in my own way since nobody will interfere with me. Finally, I like teaching because it offers a certain peace of mind. No more rushing to catching a morning bus, no more anxiety to please a boss, and no more worries about being laid off because you are getting old. 文中有4个词的短句First, teaching is learning.也有27个词的长句To make my lectures more interesting, I have to read more books, explore new knowledge and gain a better understanding of the world—the very thing I like to do in my life.有简单句,也有复杂句As a teacher, I can freely express my opinions and explain them in my own way since nobody will interfere with me;还有同位语句,断裂句,排比句,比较句等,因而文章读起来节奏感强。所谓句子变化,主要是指句子的开头要有变化,句子的结构要有变化,句子的长度要有变化。不要连续使用几个简单句(如例9中的a)),要学会使用复杂句(如例9中的b))。
例2
a) Teenagers are pressured by school work. They are also encouraged by their peers. Under such circumstances, they resort to smoking. But sometimes they feel a little guilty.
b) Pressured by school work and encouraged by their peers, teenagers often resort to smoking, tough they feel a little guilty sometimes.
例5
a) if you compare bicycles with cars carefully, you will find bicycles are superior to cars
b) careful comparison of bicycles with cars will cars will show the superiority of the former over the latter.
a) If we only apply book knowledge, we will not get good results.
b) The application of book knowledge alone won’t bring you good results.
a) If we can better understand the greater pressure of population growth, we will have a correct attitude towards family planning.
b) A better understanding of the greater pressure of population growth is essential to a correct attitude towards family planning.
a) When a woman sees that she is going to be laid off, she begins to worry all day and night.
b) The mere prospect of lay-off would set a women to worry all day and night.
a) When our teacher had left, the heated discussion then ended.
b) The departure of our teacher brought the heated discussion to an end.
a) Only when we make continuous efforts, can we seize an opportunity when it occurs.
b) Continuous efforts must be made before it is possible for us to seize an opportunity when it occurs.
a) Because we cannot apply book knowledge to practice, we cannot handle real problems in society.
b) The inability to apply book knowledge to practice prevents us from handing real problems in society.
a) Because the decision recognizes the rights of students, so they all welcome it.
b) Students all welcome the decision which recognizes their rights.
不要对动词过分依赖,如例13的a); 要学会用名词结构来表达意思, 如例13的b)
例6
a) The style of living has become more and more popular and accepted by more and more young people.
b) The style of living has found its growing popularity and acceptance among young people.
a) It is time for us to revise educational system and then provide it to our society.
b) It is time for us to provide our society a revised educational system.
a) If we are watching too much TV, our reading ability will be seriously affected.
b) Heavy exposure to TV will exert an negative effect on our reading ability.
a) If we don’ t recognize the serious problem of growing population, we will make a big mistake.
b) Failure to recognize the seriousness of growing population will lead to a big mistake.
不要总是用肯定句来表达,如例14中的a);要学会用否定句来表达肯定的意思, 如例14中的b).
例7
a) Every young boy and girl wants to earn a little money to help cover higher college cost.
b) There is hardly a young boy and girl who doesn’t want to earn a little money to help cover higher college cost.
a) Whenever you pick up a newspaper, you will always find advertisements.
b) It is impossible to pick up a newspaper without finding advertisements.
a) Gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story is the best pastimes to bring a family closer together.
b) Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story.
a) Do is the most basic issue to individual and national survival.
b) No issue is as basic to individual and national survival as food.
恰当地使用排比、平行句,如例15中的b).
例8
a) I am in favor of equal rights for women. I think women should especially have the right to compete with men for jobs on equal terms. They should get the same pay as men for the same job. They should also have equal opportunities for promotion.
b) I am in favor of equal rights for women, especially the right to compete with men for jobs on equal terms, the right to get the same pay as men for the same job, and the right to equal opportunities for promotion.
a) The nationwide controversy over the current reforms will test the courage of our people. Through the controversy we can also see the determination of our government.
b) The nationwide controversy over the current reforms will test the courage of our people and the determination of our government.
a) For the first time in history Chinese citizens held such power in their own hands. In the past they have never been allowed such vigorous and unrestrained debate on politics.
b) Never before in history have Chinese citizens held such power in their own hands. Never before in history have they been allowed such vigorous and unrestrained debate on politics.
a) College students now are primarily interested in grades and economic success. They are expected to cheat on exams more frequently. This is not like those who graduated 10 years ago. They are only concerned with their own personal future. They consider little problems of society. All these are reported by a recent study.
b) A recent study reports that college students now are primarily interested in grades and economic success, that they are expected to cheat on exams more frequently than those who graduated 10 years ago, and that they are more concerned with their own personal future than with problems of society.
不要总是以有生命的名词和人称代词开头(受汉语表达习惯的影响,不少考生部喜欢以I,People,We等开头),如例10中的a)。
例3
a) Many people think birth control is quite necessary in China.
b) It is widely (commonly) thought/believed/held/accepted) that birth control is quite necessary in China.
a) More and more people agree (realize/are aware) that women should enjoy full equality with men.
b) There is a growing agreement (realization/awareness) that women should enjoy full equality with men.
a) Many Chinese people have gone to the United States in the past 15 years.
b) The past 15 years have brought many Chinese people to the United States.
a) We almost forget this event.
b) This event is now almost fading from our memory.
a) Students should certainly make continuous efforts.
b) Continuous efforts on the part of students are certainly required.
a) We easily drew the conclusion through the investigation.
b) The investigation easily led us to the conclusion.
不要千篇一律地使用主动态(英语中被动结构的使用频率远高于汉语),如例11中的a)。
例4
a) We are making great efforts to improve our English.
b) Great efforts are being made to improve our English.
a) We know very little about the nature of human beings.
b) Little is known about the nature of human beings.
a) Because of social demands, there appear many evening schools.
b) Many evening schools are called into exi
stence by social demands.
a) We may think more of the elderly who live apart from their children.
b) More thought may be given to the elderly who live apart from their children.
不要总是用(如果),(因为),(当)等口语意味较重的句子,如例12中的a); 要注意使用书面语体的句子, 如例12中的b).