淺談大學(xué)英語(yǔ)閱讀中如何判斷和猜測(cè)詞義

王　蕊

摘要：閱讀中遇到的生詞，會(huì)影響閱讀速度及理解。本文從六個(gè)方面對(duì)如何判斷和猜測(cè)詞義進(jìn)行了論述，意圖讓學(xué)生掌握猜詞技巧，提高閱讀理解能力。

關(guān)鍵詞：上下文；詞義；猜測(cè)；關(guān)系

在大學(xué)英語(yǔ)閱讀中，我們往往會(huì)遇到一些不認(rèn)識(shí)的生詞。如果這些生詞不影響對(duì)文章主要內(nèi)容的理解，我們可以一帶而過(guò)。如果了解這些詞語(yǔ)的意思對(duì)正確理解文章很重要，這時(shí)，我們就必須根據(jù)上下文的聯(lián)系，對(duì)它們的意義進(jìn)行猜測(cè)，使之不影響對(duì)整篇文章的閱讀和理解。需要注意的是，不可脫離上下文，只根據(jù)自己以前了解的詞義來(lái)確定其意義。通常，猜測(cè)詞義可采用以下幾種方法：

1 根據(jù)上下文內(nèi)在邏輯關(guān)系猜測(cè)詞義。

1．1 根據(jù)對(duì)比關(guān)系猜測(cè)詞義

在一個(gè)句子或段落中，有對(duì)兩個(gè)事物或現(xiàn)象進(jìn)行對(duì)比性的描述，我們可以根據(jù)生詞或難詞的反義詞猜測(cè)其詞義。例如：

Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. His brother， in contrast，is quite humble and modest.該例中supercilious對(duì)許多人來(lái)說(shuō)可能是個(gè)生詞，但是句中短語(yǔ)in contrast，（相對(duì)照的，相對(duì)比的）可以提示我們supercilious和后面詞組humble and modest（謙卑又謙虛）是對(duì)比關(guān)系。分析出這種關(guān)系后，我們便能猜出supercilious意為“目空一切的，傲慢的”。

表示對(duì)比關(guān)系的詞匯和短語(yǔ)主要是unlike，not，but，however，despite，inspiteof，incontrast和while引導(dǎo)的并列句等。

“A good supervisor can recognize instantlythe adept workers from the unskilledones.”

該句中并未出現(xiàn)上面提到的表示對(duì)比關(guān)系的詞或短語(yǔ)，但是通過(guò)上下文可以判斷出句子前后是對(duì)比關(guān)系，即把熟練工人與非熟練工人區(qū)分開(kāi)。這時(shí)我們也能夠推斷出生詞adept的詞義，“熟練的”。

1.2 根據(jù)比較關(guān)系猜測(cè)詞義

同對(duì)比關(guān)系相反，比較關(guān)系表示意義上的相似關(guān)系，例如：“Green loves to talk，and hisbrothers are similarly loquacious.”

該句中副詞similarly表明短語(yǔ)loves totalk與生詞loquacious之間的比較關(guān)系。以此可以推斷出loquacious詞義為“健談的”。

表示比較關(guān)系的詞和短語(yǔ)主要是similarly，like，just as，also等。

1.3 根據(jù)因果關(guān)系猜測(cè)詞義

在句子或段落種，若兩個(gè)事物、現(xiàn)象之間構(gòu)成因果關(guān)系，我們可以根據(jù)這種邏輯關(guān)系推知生詞詞義。例如：The teacher did not hear the knocking at the door because he was completely engrossed in his reading.

以因果關(guān)系為線索, 可確定engrossed的意思為“被吸引”, “全神貫注”。

There were so many demonstrators in theRed Square that he had to elbow his waythrough the crowd.

此句為結(jié)果狀語(yǔ)從句，根據(jù)從句的描書“許多示威者”，我們便可推知elbow的詞意“擠，擠過(guò)”。

1.4 找同義詞、近義詞和詞組的替代關(guān)系猜測(cè)詞義

在句子或段落中，我們可以利用熟悉的詞語(yǔ)，根據(jù)語(yǔ)言環(huán)境推斷生詞詞義。例如：

Should the government regulate the cost of resources such as oil and gas? Some people do not believe that government control is the solution to the problem of the rising cost of fuel.

文中regulate的詞義可猜測(cè)為與government control的意思相近。

Cleaning up waterways is an enormous task. The job is so large, in fact, that the government may not be able to save some of the rivers and lakes which have been polluted.

文中enormous 的詞義可猜測(cè)為與so large 的意思相近。

“Doctors believe that smoking cigarettes isdetrimental to your health. They also regarddrinking as harmful.”

句中detrimental四個(gè)生詞，但判斷出harmful替代detrimental后，不難推斷出其詞義為“不利的，有害的”。

1.5 利用文中的反義詞猜測(cè)詞義。

表示對(duì)比的詞有but, while, however, otherwise 等。

American businessmen expect employees to be punctual. They do not expect that the workers will come late.

文中be punctual.的意思, 可理解為not come late, 即“準(zhǔn)時(shí), 不遲到”。

Unlike her gregarious sister, Jane is a shy person, who does not like to go to parties, or to make new friends.

根據(jù)文中Unlike的意思, shy person, who does not like to go to parties, or to make new friends.應(yīng)該表達(dá)了“gregarious”相反的意思, 所以gregarious的意思為“好交際的”。

A vegetarian does not want meat, but may rate the utility of banana very highly, while a meat-eater may prefer steak.

句中vegetarian通過(guò)while與meat-eater對(duì)比, 可猜為“吃素者”。

Most of them agreed; however, John dissented.

dissented通過(guò)however與agreed對(duì)比, “反對(duì)”。

I try hard not to make serious mistakes, but inevitably I slip up.

slip up通過(guò)but與make serious mistakes對(duì)比, 可猜為“犯小錯(cuò)誤”。

Jane was talking with others while Bliza remained reticent all the time.

根據(jù)while的提示, 前后對(duì)照, reticent的含義是“沉默寡言”。optimism“樂(lè)觀主義”與Pessimism意義相反, 可猜Pessimism之意為“悲觀主義”。

利用文中的舉例猜測(cè)詞義。

恰當(dāng)?shù)呐e例能夠提供猜測(cè)生詞的重要線索，常見(jiàn)的舉例的提示詞有：for example, such as , for instance 等。例如：The consequences of epochal events such as wars and great scientificdiscoveries are not confined to a small geographical area as they were in the past.

句中“戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)”和“重大科學(xué)發(fā)現(xiàn)”是生詞的實(shí)例，通過(guò)它們我們可以猜出epochal的大致詞義“重要的”，這與其確切含義“劃時(shí)代的”十分接近。

Some artists plan their paintings around geometric forms like squares, circles and triangles.

如不知道“geometric forms”的意思, 可從文中所列舉的三角形、正方形、圓形來(lái)猜得其意義為“幾何圖形”。

Today young couples who are just starting their households often spend lots of their money on appliances, for instance, washing-machines, refrigerators and color televisions.

如不知道appliances的意思, 從文中的舉例washing-machines（洗衣機(jī)）, refrigerators（冰箱）, color televisions（電視機(jī)）可以猜出該詞的意思為“家用電器”。

There were disastrous fires in some cities, such as the great fire of London in 1666.

such as 列舉出如1666年倫敦大火一類“災(zāi)難性”（即disastrous）的火災(zāi)。

The government promises to give millions of deprived black the essentials in life——housing, education, health facilities, and job opportunities.

可猜出essentials是“必需品”。

3 利用文中說(shuō)明詞義的同位語(yǔ)或定語(yǔ), 猜測(cè)詞義。

上下文中可能有與生詞出現(xiàn)的句子類似的平行結(jié)構(gòu)，找出和生詞處于同一位置的詞去推測(cè)。

The invention of snorkel, a long air tube that reaches up to the surface, has made it possible for submarines to use their diesel engine even when they are submerged.

句中snorkel一詞的意思, 可通過(guò)其同位語(yǔ)a long air tube that reaches up to the surface來(lái)猜得。由此我們可以確定該詞的意思為“通氣管”。

Tom was a roamer,a wanderer who could never stay in one place.

roamer是生詞, 但wanderer是由我們所熟悉的wander變化而來(lái)的名詞, 那可以推出的意思是“流浪漢”。

Nearby is the race course, where the town's most famous car race is held each year on May 30th.

以where引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句為依據(jù), course應(yīng)是汽車賽舉行的地點(diǎn), 所以排除“過(guò)程”, “課程”, “航向”, 而要定義為“跑道”。

The type of meter is called multimeter, which is used to measure electricity.

通過(guò)定語(yǔ)從句which is used to measure electricity（用來(lái)測(cè)量電的）, 我們可以將multimeter的詞義確定為“萬(wàn)用表”。

They will be on the night shift—— from midnight to 6 a.m. - next week.

由破折號(hào)之間的解釋內(nèi)容, 我們可以了解到night shift意思為“夜班”。

To train the students to deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words through contextual clues, namely, through the words before or after the words they may not know.

namely后面的內(nèi)容解釋說(shuō)明了contextual clues為“情景線索”。

In sports, especially athletics, success is often prevented by psychological obstacles, that is, barriers that exist in the mind only.

that is后面的內(nèi)容解釋說(shuō)明了psychological obstacles為“心理障礙”。

4 利用下文定義的句子猜測(cè)詞義。

In some cultures, certain foods are taboo. Taboo is a word from the language of the Fiji Islands, used to describe something forbidden.

根據(jù)句子內(nèi)容, 可猜測(cè)Taboo為“禁忌”。

Instinctive behavior is a pattern of behavior that an animal is born with.

根據(jù)句子內(nèi)容, 可猜測(cè)Instinctive behavior為“本性”。

An expedition is a long, organized trip or journey, which is made into an unfamiliar area for a particular purpose by a group of people.

句中which引導(dǎo)的定語(yǔ)從句進(jìn)一步解釋了expedition之意為“遠(yuǎn)征隊(duì)”。

Some computer scientists are developing artificial-intelligence machines that they say will think like people.

根據(jù)定語(yǔ)從句, 可猜測(cè)artificial-intelligence之意為“人工智能”。

A gorilla always makes me think of the word aloof-- not friendly, of distance from others.破折號(hào)后的內(nèi)容是aloof一詞“不友好, 冷漠”的釋意。

We all use onomatopoeic words——words that sound like the noise they are describing.

不難猜出onomatopoeic words意為“象聲詞”。

總之, 在英語(yǔ)閱讀中運(yùn)用和掌握這些猜詞方法, 就會(huì)在很大程度上減少生詞的數(shù)量, 有助于提高閱讀速度和培養(yǎng)閱讀能力。

參考文獻(xiàn)

[1]汪榕培.英語(yǔ)詞匯學(xué)教程[M].上海外語(yǔ)教育出版社，2005.

[2]譚曉英.大學(xué)英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)策略培訓(xùn)與研究[J].外語(yǔ)界，2002.

[3]劉兵.閱讀能力培養(yǎng)[M]北京航空工業(yè)出版社，1998.

[4]呂道利.英語(yǔ)詞匯教學(xué)研究[J].外語(yǔ)研究，2004，（2）64-66.

作者簡(jiǎn)介：王蕊（1973-）黑龍江哈爾濱人，黑龍江廣播電視大學(xué)基礎(chǔ)教學(xué)部英語(yǔ)教師。