陳慧娟
一、概要寫作的感知
1. 概要寫作的含義。
A summary is a short account giving the main points of something longer or detailed.
概要寫作包含幾種能力。第一,把握文章結(jié)構(gòu)的能力。能夠看清楚文章的結(jié)構(gòu),設(shè)法反映出原文中作者的觀點。第二,具備篩選信息的能力。要學(xué)會區(qū)分事實和觀點、重要和次要、普遍與特殊、相關(guān)與不相關(guān)、原因和結(jié)果等復(fù)雜的邏輯關(guān)系。第三,用英文解釋英文的能力。要用自己簡單的語言解釋比較復(fù)雜的語言文字,不能抄襲原文。
2.概要寫作的步驟:
第一步 確定主題句。確定閱讀文章的主題句,一般在段首。沒有主題句的需要自己組合。
第二步 尋找關(guān)鍵詞。分析主題句意義,確定關(guān)鍵詞,關(guān)鍵詞一般體現(xiàn)為名詞、形容詞,關(guān)鍵詞的數(shù)目決定了概括的信息濃度。
第三步 重構(gòu)主題句。概括的主題句邏輯上要統(tǒng)攝后面所有的支撐句??梢詮淖髡叩膶懽髂康哪嫱?,反映寫作目的主題句是高度抽象的,它基本決定了概括的質(zhì)量。
第四步 重組支撐句。支撐句的意義在邏輯上受制于主題句,可以是補充過程或者提供證據(jù)。
3.概括的小技巧:
(1)刪除細節(jié),只保留主要觀點。
(2)避免重復(fù)。在原文中,為了強調(diào)某個主題,可能會重復(fù)論證說明,但是這在摘要中是不能使用的。
(3)刪除具體例子。不過,閱讀材料本身是由幾個具體例子構(gòu)成的,如閱讀材料是談西方種種節(jié)日的,如刪除具體例子,則概括很難達到30個詞,那就選擇一至兩個例子(即一兩個主要節(jié)日)。
(4)使用概括性的名詞代替具體的詞,比如:
“She brought home several Chinese and English novels, a few copies of Time and Newsweek and some textbooks. She intended to read all of them during the winter vocation.”
可以概括為:“She brought home a lot of books to read during the vocation.”
(5)把文章的對話或直接引語(的要點)改成間接引語敘述。
(6)把長段的描述變成短小、簡單的句子。如果材料中描述某人或某事用了十個句子,那么你只要把它們變成一兩句即可。
(7)壓縮長的句子。如下列兩例:
“His courage in battle might without exaggeration be called lion-like.”
可以概括為: “He was very brave in battle.”
“He was hard up for money and was being pressed by his creditor.”
可以概括為:“He was in financial difficulties.”
(8)你還可以使用詞組代替整句或者從句。
二、議論文概要寫作指導(dǎo) ——主題概括法
議論文通常用來講明道理、議論是非、提出觀點和看法。作者先正面或反面提出論點,然后用事實論證論點,最后以重申論點或提出建議的方式得出結(jié)論。議論文的主題句通常在首段或尾段,或者在各段的首句或尾句。議論文的概要寫作,我們所采取的方法 —— 主題概括法。具體如下:
第一步 找出關(guān)鍵詞和全文或段落的主題句。任何一篇文章都是圍繞某個主題展開的,因此,許多文章中最明顯的特點之一是有一個反復(fù)出現(xiàn)的中心詞,即高頻詞,也叫做主題詞。抓住了它,便容易抓住文章的中心。一般地說,主題詞通常是名詞、動詞或形容詞。
第二步 根據(jù)原文的詞句(一般指關(guān)鍵詞和全文或段落的主題句), 進行改寫: 或用相應(yīng)的同義詞,或進行句型轉(zhuǎn)換(如主動句改為被動句等等). 千萬不要原封不動地抄寫原文的詞句。
第三步 用連詞連接各部分,使它連貫;
第四步 整合中心要點,使用形容詞、介詞短語、非謂語動詞短語合并、簡化句子,使之符合概括短文內(nèi)容要點的詞數(shù)(30個詞左右)。
實戰(zhàn)演練:
閱讀下面短文,根據(jù)其內(nèi)容寫一篇60詞左右的內(nèi)容概要。
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However,
there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit (好處) of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18 century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II.Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Rue bush, an American immunologist (免疫學(xué)家), encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter (后者) position is gaining some ground.
1.要點分析。
文章第一段就是本篇文章的主題句,亮明了總的觀點:However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt. 換句話說:Different people have different attitudes towards dirt. 再結(jié)合下文談到的主題可知Different people have different attitudes towards dirt on the skin. 范文中的要點1“People have mixed opinions towards dirt on our skin. ”概括非常精煉。
第二段主要談到了在16世紀,人們認為dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease,尤以英、法兩國的貴族為代表。結(jié)合第三段第一句Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since 18 century.可知,直到18世紀之前,人們都認為dirt是很“友好的”,有助于預(yù)防疾病。范文中的要點2 “For a long time in history, people of some European countries, such as France, believed that dirt protected people from getting ill.”很好地總結(jié)了這些要點。
第三段用Though引出人們對dirt觀點的轉(zhuǎn)變“…since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health.”再結(jié)合本段最后一部分Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea…可得出要點3“However, people began to change their attitudes to dirt about 200 years ago. People have been told that washing dirt off our body can keep us healthy.”
文章最后一段第一句指出,現(xiàn)在人們對于dirt的態(tài)度還是有所不同,On the contrary引出專家的觀點,一位免疫學(xué)家認為dirt有助于增強免疫系統(tǒng),這一觀點獲得了一些支持。范文中的要點4“However, some scientists believe that exposure to some dirt may help our immune system.”表達很貼切。
2.要點連接。
文章概要,在寫完了要點之后,下一步的工作就是要把這些要點用適當?shù)倪B接詞進行連接,使上下句之間具有連貫性。本篇文章整篇結(jié)構(gòu)是總分的結(jié)構(gòu),要點2和要點3在觀點上截然相反,因此,之間需要表示轉(zhuǎn)折的連接詞,范文用了However恰到好處。要點3和要點4在觀點上又存在不同,因此,還是用表轉(zhuǎn)折的連接詞However。不過筆者認為,此處用Nevertheless可以避免三句話內(nèi)出現(xiàn)兩次However。
3.修改成文。
People have mixed opinions towards dirt on our skin. (要點 1 ) For a long time in history, people of some European countries, such as France, believed that dirt protected people from getting ill. (要點 2 ) However, people began to change their attitudes to dirt about 200 years ago. People have been told that washing dirt off our body can keep us healthy. (要點 3) However, some scientists believe that exposure to some dirt may help our immune system. (要點 4)
三、感悟
其實,概要寫作我們師生并不陌生,在日常的英語教學(xué)中,教師經(jīng)常讓學(xué)生就所學(xué)英語課文逐段概括段落大意或者復(fù)述課文,這在一定程度上都為概要寫作奠定了基礎(chǔ)。除此之外,作為考生,還要注意以下幾點:
1.積累常見的同義短語和句型轉(zhuǎn)換,掌握并運用單詞、短語和句型?!扒蓩D難為無米之炊”,即使有再好的寫作技巧,如果沒有相應(yīng)的基礎(chǔ)詞匯和句法知識,也很難寫出概要寫作的上乘之作。因此,考生要在基礎(chǔ)詞匯和句法知識上下功夫,以不變應(yīng)萬變。
2.進行適度的專題練習(xí)。
有計劃地進行適度練習(xí)有利于考生快速掌握概要寫作的要點,找到概要寫作的感覺,沖破對概要寫作的不適感。
總之,新高考更加重視考查考生高中階段英語基本技能的掌握情況,也注意考查考生進入高等學(xué)校繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)的潛能,目標是利用高考命題的導(dǎo)向功能推動新課程的課堂教學(xué)改革。
(作者單位:浙江省天臺中學(xué) 317200)