陈绮老师谈：得主题者得天下 中口阅读“必杀技”.doc

陈绮老师谈：得主题者得天下中口阅读“必杀技”阅读考试永远是速度(speed)和正确率(accuracy)的赛跑，它决不是对文章逐字逐句的推敲，也不代表对文章从头到尾不分主次的分析。文章是由段落构成的。典型的英文段落，是一个逻辑的整体（logical unit），它必定要围绕着一定的主题展开。绝大多数情况下段落中会有一个最能概括该段主题的句子，即主题句（topic sentence），而段落中主题句之外的内容就是细节（subordinations）。对于中级口译的考生而言，在阅读部分抓住一个段落，乃至全文的主题句至关重要。首先，主旨题是考试的重点题型之一，细数历年考题，每次考试6篇文章30道题目中必定会出现36个题直接考察文章的主题，如What is the main idea/concern /purpose of the passage? 便是常见的主旨题；其次，辨识主题句之后意味着段落中的其他内容可以略读（scan）或者跳读（skim），可以大大节约时间。再次，部分细节题考查的往往是细节对于主题的支持，这种情况下细节的内容并不一定需要深究，选对了主题便可顺便选出正确答案。最后，文章中的难词往往出现在细节内容中，如果可以在全面理解文章的前提下跳读难词的话，对于考生紧张情绪的平抑也将大有裨益。可见，把握主题不仅可以加快阅读速度，也可以提高正确率，可谓阅读理解考试的“必杀技”。下文将重点剖析段落中主题句的典型特征及全文主题句的分布规律。一、主题句特征“必杀技”：中口的文章虽然内容庞杂，涵盖政治、经济、社会、法律、天文、地理、自然科学、社会科学、人类学、心理学、美学、生物、医学和生活常识等内容，但是主题句的“样子”却不外乎“强”、“新”、“奇”、“真”、“并”五种。之所以会具有这些特征，是和中口文章最常见的体裁（议论文和说明文）及其出处（英美报刊及专业文献）分不开的。1、“必杀技”之一：“强”字诀！“强”，顾名思义是段落中强调的部分，体现了作者强烈的感情或倾向，这样的词句怎能不重视？(1)“强”调单词：A. huge、great、monumental等表示“伟大”意义的词汇出现在说明文中，该句极有可能成为主题句。中口文章往往来自报刊文献或专业杂志，作者的用词往往比较中立客观，如果用了这类“强”词，下文势必会花笔墨进行一番细细分析。例如：(2000年3月中口阅读第一篇)A Japanese constitution company plans to build a huge independent city-state, akin to the legendary Atlantis, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The city, dubbed “Marinnation”, would have about one million inhabitant, two airports, and possibly even a spaceport. Marinnation, if built, would be a separate country but could serve as a home for international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank.评析：不难看出第二句话和第三句话是对第一句中huge一词的进一步说明，抓住这条主线就可以提高阅读该段的速度，而不受个别难词，如“marinnation”的干扰。Bmust、only、solely 等表示强调意义的单词及形容词、副词最高级带有作者鲜明的态度和主观色彩，往往会成为后文的中心。例如：（2003年3月第四篇）Perhaps the most notable block in the vicinity was Queen Annes Mansions. Partly designed by E. R. Robinson in 1884 and recently demolished. For many years, this was a Londons loftiest building and had strong claims to be the ugliest. The block was begun as a wild speculation modeled on the American skyscraper, and was nearly 200 feet high. The cliff-like walls of dingy brick completely overshaded the modest thoroughfare nearby评析：看到most notable之后应该立刻预测到下文论述的焦点应该就是Queen Annes Mansions，可直接跳至下段，段中其它枝节可暂时不予深究。(2)“强”调转折：however、but和yet后转折的内容是任何人都不应该忽略的，而且这类词出现的位置越靠前越有可能是主题句。例如：（1997年9月第一篇）Most people picture sharks as huge, powerful, frightened predators, ready at any moment to use their sharp teeth to attack unwary swimmers without provocation. There are numerous fallacies, however, in this conception of shark.FirstA second fallacy concernsFinally评析： 首句描述一般人对于鲨鱼的错误看法，第二句用however引出作者自己的观点，鲨鱼并非像人们想象的那样。下文光看三个段首就可以肯定是分别描述了三方面的谬误。(3)“强”调结构：段落中出现not only A, but also B和not A but B时用来强调后者，而出现A as well as B、A rather/other than B、 A instead of B或A more than B的结构时则与之相反，强调前者。这些结构有助于确定话题（topic），考生务必把此类结构背得烂熟于胸。(请参见“必杀技”之三的例题)(4)“强”调句型：出现次数虽不及其他“强”类语汇频繁，但是只要一出现，无一不是主题句。2、“必杀技”之二：“新”字诀带有new、latest、contemporary等词的句子往往会是关于新科技，新发明或者新事物的议论文的主题句所在，这些类型的文章在中口中的比重一直颇高。值得注意的是，这个特点在高级口译的文章中更是体现得淋漓尽致。例如：（2001年3月第一篇）Some children do not like school. So what is new? But in Japan that familiar aversion has reached alarming proportions. About 50,000 unhappy youngsters a year (out of a total school-age population of 20 million) suffer what Japanese behavior experts call school phobia评析：new引出主题，即日本学生患恐学症的人数已到警戒线。后文果然就围绕这个新现象展开了论述，用举例子、列数字、下定义等方法来支持主题。3、“必杀技” 之三：“奇”字诀unusual、extraordinary、exceptional、strange、unique、striking这类词出现在新闻评论类文章是几乎都和主题脱不了干系。新闻的使命是挖掘有新闻价值的事，称得上“奇”的必然值得报道和探究。例如：（2003年9月第四篇） The strange fact is that the last hundred years have seen not only the dehumanizing of manual work with the introduction of mass-production method and scientific management and a consequent reduction in the satisfaction which an individual can derive from the performance of a skilled craft, but also universal acceptance of the idea that everyone ought to work，even though they may have no absolute economic necessity to do so评析：此句是中口历年考题中较长的一句话，考生若逐字翻译咀嚼，则生词恐怕马上会成为妨碍理解的拦路虎。可是，只要结合“强”字诀中的“强”调结构，我们不难找到主题。首先strange预示着这个问题的本质值得探讨，而当not only A，but also B结构映入眼帘的时候则眼前顿时豁然开朗，主题已昭然若揭：人人应该工作的观念为什么会那么深入人心？这就是作者在后文要探究的“奇”事4、“必杀技”之四：“真”字诀(1)“真”发现：中口文章往往会谈到科研成果，所以出现researches/ survey / interview等研究工作show / reveal / demonstrate或者 expert / specialists / professor / doctor这样的专业人士find / say / argue / suggest等词，往往预示着新发现或真道理，考生也应该格外留意。(2)“真”观点：议论文有“先破后立”的写法，作者会先批判错误观点，继而用indeed、in fact、actually等副词或real 、true等形容词来揭示主题。例如：（1997年3月第六篇）One of the most difficult questions to answer is how much a job is worthAnother factor we must take into account is now socially useful a mans work isIndeed, this whole question of just reward can be turned in its head. You can argue that a man who does a job which brings him personal satisfaction is already receiving part of his reward in the form of a so-called “psychic wage”评析：首段主题由most difficult question引出，可见其后的内容都是围绕工资展开。第二段的主题句也很明显，显然就是对影响工资的另一个因素的讨论。而第三段indeed后面引出的才是作者真正的观点，即人的工资的有一部分是“精神工资”，只有算上这部分工资，才能衡量一个人真正应得的报酬。5、“必杀技”之五：“并”字诀从最近两年的考题来看，中口文章似乎迷上“并”字诀，即作者在文章的前3段内提出主题句，后面的段落少则3段、多则6段，段段并列，分别谈论这个主题的方方面面。例七：（2000年9月第二篇）There must be few questions on which responsible opinion is so utterly divided as on that of how much sleep we ought to have. There are some who think we can leave the body to regulate these matters for itselfOther people feel sure that the present trend is toward too little sleepThen, to complete the picture, there are those who believe that most people are prepared to sleep too much评析：首句提出人们对于睡眠时间长短问题众说纷纭，后面的三段分别描述some、other people 和there are those who believe that most people are prepared to