2015考研英语图画作文的语言策略
从2000年到2012年,考研英语大作文均为占总分20%的图画作文,其成绩对英语总成绩影响非常大。图画作文讲究“图画简单,寓意深刻”,图画给出提示,深层次信息隐含在图画之中,考查学生对图画寓意的理解表达能力。考生须认真领会考研英语图画作文写作的每个细节,以便在30~40分钟内完成160~200词的图画作文。图画作文评分点之一在于词的多样性和句子语法结构及语言的标准性。因此,在复习中掌握相关的语言策略是至关重要的。
1. 词法应对策略
1.1 注意辨析词性
词性错误是指词根正确,但词性错误。一方面, 英汉是两种不同的语系, 它们在词汇和形态上区别很大。汉字没有形态变化, 许多词如“正确”“容易”“小心”,既可用作副词又可用作形容词。然而, 英语中, 许多形容词必须加后缀 - ly才能构成对应的副词,如 correct- correctly, easy- easily。许多考生受汉语影响, 常忽略英语词尾特征而犯以上词性错误。另一方面, 英语单词的后缀形式很复杂, 有些后缀改变词类, 如 care- careful,carefully- carefulness;有些后缀不改变词类, 如memory- memorization。由于这些后缀本身的复杂性, 考生很难记住, 所以容易犯词性错误。词性错误的应对策略是采用词根词缀法背诵单词,从根本上区分词根词缀。
1.2同义词替代
考研写作高分的第一步就是要有意识地在写作中用高级词汇去取代相对低级的词汇,从而反映出自己的词汇表现能力。比如“害怕”,经常用的是“afraid”,但还有比这个高级的词汇:horror,scared,astonished 等。这当中的任何一个词都会比afraid得的分数要高,这就是所谓的高级词汇正确取代低级词汇的过程。如:
高级词汇 |
低级词汇 |
facet, dimension, sphere |
aspect |
affair ,business ,matter |
thing |
demonstrate,manifest |
show |
individuals, characters, folks |
people ,persons |
shopper, client, consumer, purchaser |
customer |
give rise to, lead to, result in, trigger |
cause |
for my part ,from my own perspective |
in my opinion |
dreadful, unfavorable, poor, adverse, |
bad |
overwhelmingly,exceedingly,extremely, intensely |
very |
harbor the idea that, take the attitude that, hold the view that, it is widely shared that, it is universally acknowledged that |
think |
favorable,promising,superior, pleasurable,excellent,outstanding |
good |
高级词汇让你的作文看起来专业而地道,丰富多彩的语言一定会为你的作文加分不少!但也要避免替代错误。替代错误指从语法角度看似正确,但在语义上却讲不通的词汇错误。替代错误的频次最高,占词汇错误总数的33%。此类错误常出现在同义词。例如2003年真题“温室的花朵”的句子:
We should practice it from time to time, and thus we will slowly master it and do it perfectly.
副词slowly(缓慢地)修饰谓语动词master不符语义逻辑,出现了替代错误,gradually强调动作过程“逐渐地”,用在此处才合适。
We should practice it from time to time, and thus we will gradually master it and do it perfectly.
2. 句法应对策略
2.1注意修饰语位置
修饰语指起修饰作用的成分,包括单词、短语或从句。修饰语必须紧靠其所修饰的成分。若修饰语离所修饰的词太远或放错位置,就可能造成误解或产生歧义。例如:
(1)It is symbolically illustrated in the cartoon that two handicapped men are continuing their new journey with their powerful hands.(2008年真题)
(2)The block on the highway had been cleared before heavy traffic jam was caused by the policemen.
第一句介词短语with their powerful hands放在句末使句子不通顺。第二句by the policemen产生歧义“警察引起了重大交通事故”。应调整修饰语位置,使其紧靠所修饰成分。如:
(1)It is symbolically illustrated in the cartoon that supporting each other with their powerful hands, two handicapped men are continuing their new journey on the ground.(2008年真题)
(2)The block on the highway had been cleared by the policemen before heavy traffic jam was caused.
2.2避免垂悬结构
非谓语动词位于句首做状语时,其逻辑主语要与主句主语一致,否则就会犯悬垂结构的错误。悬垂结构的形式有分词短语、介词+动名词、不定式短语。垂悬结构的本质是主从句主语不一致。
例如,2003年真题有关“温室花朵”的图画中,表达“一旦离开父母,很多孩子难以独立生活”:
Once left their parents, many young people cannot make a living of their own.
这句话主从句主语时态不一致。many young people可以作make 的主语,主动做make 的动作,left 表被动,可译为“抛下、撇下”,从语义上看,many young people应是离开父母,并非“抛下、撇下”父母。本句直译为:一旦撇下父母,很多孩子难以独立生活。这是不合逻辑的。应改为:
Once leaving their parents, many young people cannot make a living of their own.
或者:Once they leave their parents, many young people cannot make a living of their own.
在道歉信中,“为了表达我的歉意,加拿大的朋友将买一个新的给你。”中文可这样表达,但译成英文:
To show my regret, my friend living in Canada will buy a new one for you.
不定式的逻辑主语I和主句主语my friend不一致,应使前后主语一致,如:
To show my regret, I will ask one of my friend living in Canada to buy a new one for you.
3.巧用句型
3.1 There be句型
图画作文中,描述图画常常使用there be句型。there be句型的结构为:There be +名词+地点,表达“某地方有某物”。这个句型有不足之处:be动词过于单调,名词前缺修饰。因此,there be句型有两个巧变策略,第一,灵活使用谓语动词替换be动词;第二,使用不同的量词组合修饰名词。
第一,谓语动词替换be动词。例如:
(1)There stands+(量词)名+(形容词)地点
(2)There exists+(量词)名词+(形容词)地点
(3)There lies +(量词)名词+(形容词)地点
(4)There sits+(量词)名词+(形容词)地点
(5)There vividly describes+(量词)名+(形容词)地点
例如,2000年真题A Brief History of World Commercial Fishing,描写两幅图的特点:“海里有很多鱼”“海里有很多船”,采用基本there be句型,如下:
a.There were a lot of fishes in the sea.
b.There were a lot of boats in the sea.
如果灵活使用中间的动词,并会写高级量词就不一样,可改写为:
a.In 1900, there existed a variety of fishes in the sea.
b.In 1900, there existed various kinds of boats in the sea.
there be的巧变句型应用到更多真题的图画描述中,使单调的there be句型变得生动起来。
There stands a charming American girl in the picture above.(2002年真题)
There stands a pot of fresh flower in a warm and comfortable room. (2003年真题)
There stand two soccer players in a football field. (2007年真题)
There sit a large number of youngsters at their computers.(2009年真题)
There lie a variety of foods in a large hot pot. (2010年真题)
第二,当涉及名词数量时,常见的表达有a lot of, many, much, more and more,其实表述数量的写法有很多,a large number of(很多),a growing number of(越来越多),a variety of(各式各样),various kinds of(各式各样),同样的意思,可使用多种表达方式。如表所示:
a sum of cash 一笔钱 |
a proportion of interviewees 一定比例的受访者 |
a chain of plans 很多计划 |
an amount of time 大量时间 |
a rich selection of goods 很多商品 |
a segment of population 很多人口 |
a large quantity of goods 大量货物 |
a galaxy of geniuses 很多人才 |
a wealth of information 很多信息 |
a wide range of challenges 很多挑战 |
a host of problems 很多问题 |
a combination of statistics 一组数据 |
a motorcade of vehicles 很多机动车辆 |
a fleet of vessels 很多渔船 |
a block of building 很多建筑物 |
我们如果进行写作对比,就能看到使用巧变句型与不用之间的差异,例如:
It is vividly illustrated in the upper cartoon that a lot of fishes were swimming freely in the sea, while only one fishing boat was catching them in 1900. On the contrary, many boats were fishing the only one fish in 1995.(2000年“商业捕鱼”真题)
在上述句子中,a lot of和many使这句话平实许多。下面利用there be句型,量词组合,再用so…that…句型,就可润色修改为:
It is vividly illustrated in the upper cartoon,in 1900, there existed a large number of fishes in the vast ocean while only one fishing boat was catching them. In 1995, on the contrary, there lied a growing number of fishing boats, and the number of fishes decreased so sharply that only one of them left.
参考译文:以上图片生动描绘了,1900年,海洋中有大量的鱼类,只有一艘捕鱼船。相反,到1995年,出现了越来越多的捕鱼船,鱼的数量急剧下降,只剩一条鱼。
3.2 例举句型
近10年真题中,图画人物的数量出现了以下情况:单人单物体描述5次(1998年、2001年、2002年、2004年、2010年),双人描述4次(2006年、2007年、2008年、2012年),多人多物出现过3次(2005年、2009年、2011年)。描写图画中多于一个以上的人或物时,一些看似不起眼的例举句型,只要学会巧用,作文就有亮光。常见的例举句型有:
(1)either+名词 or+名词+动词(或者……或者……)
(2)Neither of +名词(你也不……我也不……)
(3)None of them+动词(三者以上都不……)
(4)Some+动词,while others+动词,some few doing(一些……, 另一些,还有几个……)
(5)one+动词,while the other+动词(一个……而另一个……)
描述多人图画时可以用Some……,while others……,some few ……(一些……, 另一些,还有几个……)结构,解决常见主语people, some people, we, someone的泛滥问题。例如:
There stands three sons and a daughter in the picture above. Some of them are surrounding their father, while others kick him back and forth like a football, because none of them is willing to take care of him. (2005年“足球赛”真题)
参考译文:三个儿子和一个女儿围着他们可怜的父亲,把他像足球一样踢来踢去,因为谁也不想照顾自己的父亲。
Some are playing computer games, while others are chatting on line, some few searching for information.(2009年“网络的近与远”真题)
参考译文:图画中的年轻人有的在打电脑游戏,有的在网上聊天,还有的在搜集信息。
如果出现两人或两幅图画时,可以用例举的句型both of them, neither of them, one, while the other等,安排两个并列的主语。例如:
One of them paints on his face the name of a football star, while the other pays as much as 300 RMB for Beckham’s hairstyle. (2006年“追星”真题)
参考译文:一个年轻人把足球明星的名字写在脸上,而另一个年轻人为了贝克汉姆的发型就花了300块钱。
But neither of them is afraid of difficulty. Both of them are walking forward, shoulder to shoulder.(2008年“合作”真题)
参考译文:两个年轻人都不怕困难,他们肩并肩向前走。
3.3 巧用not only, but also 句型
句型not only…,but also….后面常加一个名词或者一个形容词,的确有些“大材小用”,经过变形,not only,but also可以有以下三种巧用方法:
第一,控制主语,将not only 放在句首,使句子倒装:Not only will sb./sth. +动词,but sb./sth. will also+动词。
第二,控制宾语:主语+谓语+not only+名词1,but also+名词2。
第三,连接多个宾语,结合such…as…句型。主语+谓语+not only+名词1,but also+名词2 and such benefits (problems)as+名词3。
例如:
Not only will they waste much time that should have been spent on their study and work, but their everyday life will probably go upside down, with their food uneaten, sleep lost or homework undone.(2006年“追星”真题)
参考译文:他们浪费了很多本来应该花在工作和学习上的时间,正常生活颠倒,不吃饭、不睡觉、不做作业。
In order to gain confidence and achieve success, we not only need to attain a thorough understanding of our own merits and disadvantages of ourselves, but also those aspects of our opponents. (2007年“自信”真题)
参考译文:为了获得信心和成功,我们不仅需要彻底了解自己的优缺点,还要了解我们的对立面。
Love can bring people not only material support, but also mental comfort and such benefits as spiritual back-up.(2001年“爱心”真题)
参考译文:爱心可以给人带来物质支持、情感抚慰和精神支柱。
总之,考研英语语言方面需要平时多积累,多读多背历年的经典范文,摘抄其中的精彩词汇、词组、句型、精辟观点,并加以模仿,为己所用;从词法和句法两个角度,同样的意思不同的表达方式,会产生不同的效果。