CAE英语议论文的写作,大多有具体要点(即论点或论据)的限定,所以并不需要如何地纵横捭阖,如何地旁征博引。但是,麻雀虽小,五脏俱全,一篇100来字的议论文,同样必须逻辑严密,结构清晰,语言洗练,必须论有中心,言而有据。剑桥国际教育的小编试从篇章结构、句子修辞和词汇运用等三个方面来论述写好一篇小议论文的基本方法和技巧,希望对学生们的写作水平能有所帮助哦。
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一、篇章结构
(一)先有规矩,然后才能从心所欲,不逾矩
议论文的写作,住往从正反两方面来论述,且都有其约定俗成的议论模式,即从“主题句一正面论述,反面论述一结论”四大块去营造文章的基本结构(四块论)。例如,某题目要求论述“学校规定‘课间学生只能呆在自己的教室里'对吗?”这一话题。如果作者认为学校的规定不对,他就应该在文章第一块(段)亮出自己的观点:There
is currently
much discussion
about whether
students should
stay in their
own classrooms
or not during
break times.Personally
I believe
that—.而第二块应该从正面论述“课间不能只呆在自己的教室里”的理由。比如可以说:I
would argue
that break
times are our
only opportunity
to choose
what we want
to do.
第三块则从反面观点,即“课间只能呆在自己的教室里”出发,批驳对方观点或进一步阐述己方观点。例如可以说:Another
reason why
people say
that students
have to stay
in their own
classes at
break times
is that it
would be
difficult to
organize
dinners。最后一块(段)则用不同的语言再次强调已方观点。乍一看去,议论文“四块论”仿佛有“八股文”的嫌疑,但“四块论”符合人的认知规律,所以值得多多模仿和操练。
(二)围绕中心论述,确保论述的内容直接为主题服务
在上例中,“学生课间时不能只呆在自己的教室里”是主题句,论述时应该紧紧围绕它。有的同学在写的时候先说“学生若课间被允许到其他班级活动,就可以交到更多的朋友”,然后又说“交到更多朋友就可以学到更多知识”,“学到更多知识就可以为社会做出更大的贡献”……这种论述方式貌似环环相扣,承前启后,实则是中心涣散的流水账,说到最后,不仅读者会一头雾水,连作者自己都会忘了自己在说什么。
(三)确立并写好论点,并将其置于每一段的段首
整篇文章有整篇文章的中心论点,每一段落有每一段落的分论点。选取论点时要问一问自己:这一论点是否会让自己信服?如果—个论点连自己都说服不了,就要放弃它。段落论点的呈现不能羞羞答答,犹报琵琶半遮面,也不能深藏不露,让读者去总结和归纳,而必须在文章开篇或段落开头就亮出来。论点置于篇首或段首,才能纲举目张,也是确保不跑题的前提。以下两个例子中,第一个结构松散,群龙无首,令读者不知所云;而第二个例子则中心突出,章法严谨。请看:
1.Firstly,it
is very
convenient in
daily life.There
are many
shops and
supermarkets in
a city.I can
buy everything
I need easily
in these
places.When I
am sick,I can
easily see a
doctor in any
clinic or
hospital.Transport services
are good in
a city.when I
want to go
somewhere,I can
take a bus,a
train or
something else.There
are also many
kinds of
entertainment in
a city.Public
buildings(such as
libraries)and parks
can easity be
found in a
city,too.
2.First.it
is convenient
and comfortable
to live in
a city.To
begin with,there
is good
housing in a
city,as all
the houses
and flats are
well-equipped with
good facilities
and surrounded
by modern
amenities such
as places of
entertainment,public libraries
and parks.
而中心句的写法也有讲究。中心句必须能高度概括所在段落的论据,它的关键词应该在每—个论据中都有重复或适当体现。那种无关痛痒的叙述或说明性的句子,是不适宜用作中心句的。例如:
1.Students
always feel
relaxed and
happy during
breaks.(叙述性句子)
2.Break
times are
scheduled for
about 10
minutes.(说明性句子)
以下即是论述“学校规定‘课间学生只能呆在自己的班级里'对吗?”的一篇学生习作:
Although
some people
believe that
students should
stay in their
own classrooms
during break
times,I would
like to argue
that we
should be
allowed to
spend break
times in
another class.
The
most important
reason for
believing that
is that many
students have
friends in
other classes.We
spend all day
in our own
classroom,and break
times are the
only time we
have to spend
with other
friends.It can
become very
tedious(令人厌倦的)to have
to spend even
more time
with the same
people.
A
further reason
for allowing
student to
choose where
they spend
their break
times is that
it would stop
arguements.If students
are forced to
spend time
with classmates
who are not
good friends,they
can annoy
each other.This
leads to
problems that
have to be
sorted out by
teachers.
Teachers
argue that we
all should
stay in our
own classes,because
it is then
easier to
know what is
going on.They
say that it
is difficult
to keep track
of students
when they are
walking round
the corridors.However,students
could be
given the
chance to
choose a
different classroom
to spend the
whole break
time in.That
would mean
that there
would not be
any students
in the corridors.
As
I have
explained,although it
might be a
little easier
to manage
when everyone
stays in
their own
classroom,it would
make break
times happier
for all
students if
they were
allowed to
choose where
they spent
their time.
这篇范文符合“四块论”的基本模式,正反论述兼顾,结构严谨,中心突出。
二、句子修辞
(一)应用修辞,增强说服力
适当采用比喻、头韵(即连续数个单词的头音或头字母相同)、夸张等修辞手法,采用幽默、平行结构等写作手法,可以把道理说得更加透彻,把观点表达得更加鲜明,把平淡的内容表现得更加生动,从而更好地传递信息,增添文采,激发读者的共鸣。例如:
1.Many
people have
tried a
thousand times
before they
achieve their
goals.(夸张)
2.Only
a madman
would choose
to live in
a modern city.(夸张)
3.Our
life would be
like soup
without salt
or flowers
without sunlight.(比喻)
4.The
best way is
to reduce,reuse
and recycle.(头韵)
5.For
children.the Internet
is another
way to waste
more hours.(幽默)
6.If
you want to
earn a
satisfactory grade
in the
training program,you
must arrive
punctually,you must
behave courteously,and
you must
study conscientiously.(平行结构)
值得注意的是,比喻等修辞格的使用及谚语等的引用关乎作者对英语文化的理解,因为它们在英语中的意义往往与我们的理解大相径庭,很容易误用。只有多多学习,认真分析它们的应用环境,使用起来才能锦上添花。如果没有十分的把握,切不可生搬硬套,否则会适得其反。
(二)表达到位,才能言之成理
通常,作者对自己论述的观点是清楚的,但在将观点传达给读者时,往往因为用词不准确,逻辑欠严密,或因受中国式思维的干扰而令表达不到位,结果使读者如堕五里雾中。作者应站在读者的立场上考虑问题,始终牢记“读者明不明白”才是判断写作是否成功的最重要标准。请看以下几个表达不到位的例句及其改正方法。
1.They
gave me what
I need,but
not what I
want.
析:want可译为“想要”。从汉语角度看,整个句子是流畅的,但从英语的逻辑上看,want与need的意义极易混淆,因此整个句子意义表达不到位,含糊不清。可以改为:They
have given me
what I need
but not What
I often ask
for.
2.Maybe
there are
also some
disadvantages of
living in a
city,but I
think they
are less
important.I feel
convenient and
comfortable.
析:句子后半部分的逻辑关系未交代清楚,令人有“前言不搭后语“的感觉。可以改为:Theere
are surely
disadvantages of
living in a
city,too,but they
are less
important and
tend to be
de-emphasized.For the
sake of the
advantages mentioned
above,I prefer
to live in
a city.
3.Different
people have
different choices.Some
people like
living in a
city and some
people like
living in a
village.
析:Choice的含义十分宽泛,因此与后面的like不相称,应改为:Different
people have
different likes
and dislikes.Some
like to live
in a
city,others like
to live in
a village.
4.The
people,the society
and so on
were quite
different from now.
析:The
people,the
society依然不足以让读者完全理解要论述的话题,可改为:The
peopIe,the society
and other
aspects of
life were
quite different
from now.
5.Thieves
should be
sentenced for
what they
have done.
析:使用sentence未免言过其实,应改为:Thieves
should be
punished for
their wrongdoing.
(三)简洁洗练,要言不烦
语言简洁有力,文风干净利落,是议论文的重要特征之一。应该指出的是,好句子并不以长短论英雄,长句未必不简洁,短句未必不哆咳。作者在写作时,只要力求做到“章无冗段,段无冗句,句无冗词”,就可改变当断不断、拖泥带水的现象。
1.The
Are No Good
Reasons Why
Boys and
Girls Should
Not Be
Treated Equally.
析:此为一标题句,此作者滥用双重否定,从而使句子过长。宜改为:Boys
and Girls
Should Be
Given Equal
Treatment.
2.For
instance,I knew
how to
communicate with
other people
and how to
look after
myself.The most
important thing
was that I
learn to be
independent.
析:从意义上讲,look
after
myself与independent关系紧密,可以合在一起。句子可改为:For
instance,I knew
how to
communicate with
others and
how to look
after myself
as an
independent girl.
3.Moreover,as
some girls
study harder
than boys,they
may be even
superior.
析:moreover后若继续用从句,就会干扰读者的思维。可改为:Moreover,some
girls are
very dilgent.As
a result,they
may prove
superior to
ordinary boys.
4.What
I mean to
say is that
well-intentioned law-makers
sometimes make
fools of themselves.
析:what从句并未提供新信息,故可删去。句子可改为:Well-intentioned
law—makers sometimes
make fools of
themselves.
二、词汇运用
(一)多用书面语,少用口头语
相对口头语而言,书面语更能增添文章的厚重感和读者对文章的信任感。下列每一组句子中,第二句都使用了书面语言,用词更加规范,因而比前一个句子略胜—筹。
1.We
still have
the social problems.
The
same social
problems still
exist today.
2.For
me,there is
no need for
further protection
of woodlands.
As
far as I'm
concerned,further protection
of woodlands
is not needed.
3.With
the development
of computer
technology, commercial
information exchange
is becoming easier.
Computers
have greatly
influenced business
communication.
4.Everything
has two sides
and this
problem is
quite the same.
Everything
has two sides
and this
issue is not
an exception.
(二)使用连接词
在句子间使用连接词,能使文章脉络更加清晰,逻辑关系更加流畅。例如:
1.The
water was
polluted.As a
result,the fish
died.
2.However,others
think we
should have
junk food.
3.On
the other
hand packaging
can have many
disadvantages.
4.Firstly
many people
die of
passive smoking(被动吸烟)and
secondly it
can aggravate(使……恶化)lung
diseases.
相关的连接词还有:On
the contrary,all
in all,in
short,generally,worse still,on
the other
hand,in conclusion,as
a
consequence,hence,also,personally,furthermore,definitely,surely,undoubtedly,obviously,additionally,in
addition,moreover,consequently,clearly,besides,as
well,likewise,in my
opinion,for the
sake of,last
but not the
least,to begin
with,firstly(first),etc.
很多时候,一些常用的句式或句子也能承上启下,使相关的信息得到巧妙的过渡和衔接。例如:
The
main reason
is that…
I
can't agree more.
Another
thing we
can't forget
is that…
There
is every
reason to
believe that…
As
we all know…
总而言之,一篇议论文,需要在结构、逻辑和语言等方面整体提升,才能做到最好,剑桥国际教育针对议论文方面的训练也有开设哦,欢迎家长们为孩子预约!
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