賴如卓
【摘 要】本文在分析了PETS2考試中對(duì)話改寫題的考查要求和命題特點(diǎn)以及對(duì)話和短文的語篇差異基礎(chǔ)上,討論了提綱法在對(duì)話改寫題中使用的具體操作步驟,并給出了一個(gè)范例。
【關(guān)鍵詞】PETS2;對(duì)話改寫;提綱法
全國(guó)英語等級(jí)考試(Public English Test System, 以下簡(jiǎn)稱PETS)是教育部考試中心負(fù)責(zé)設(shè)計(jì)并實(shí)施的全國(guó)性英語水平考試體系。PETS共有五個(gè)級(jí)別,PETS2是中下級(jí),通過該級(jí)考試的考生,其英語水平基本滿足進(jìn)入高等院校繼續(xù)學(xué)習(xí)的要求,同時(shí)也基本符合諸如賓館前臺(tái)服務(wù)員、一般銀行職員、涉外企業(yè)一般員工,以及同層次其他工作在對(duì)外交往中的基本需要。
2016年,PETS2考試題型有了較大變化。其中,寫作部分第一小題由原來的短文改錯(cuò)變成對(duì)話改寫,要求考生把一篇約200詞的對(duì)話改寫成一篇約80詞的短文。對(duì)話改寫題是一種全新的題型,作者查閱了目前各級(jí)各類主要英語考試的試題,沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)其它考試中采用這一題型。另外,作者也通過中國(guó)知網(wǎng)等知名學(xué)術(shù)數(shù)據(jù)庫檢索了相關(guān)學(xué)術(shù)文獻(xiàn),沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)專門探討這個(gè)新題型的解體指導(dǎo)之類的文章。本文將從2016年P(guān)ETS2考試中新出現(xiàn)的對(duì)話改寫題型的命題特點(diǎn)和考查要求出發(fā),探討如何將對(duì)話文本改寫成一篇連續(xù)的短文語篇,以便幫助考生更好的理解和解答此類考題。
1 對(duì)話改寫題的考查要求和命題特點(diǎn)
對(duì)話改寫題的題面給出一篇200詞左右的對(duì)話,對(duì)話通常圍繞一個(gè)學(xué)生日常生活中有較好認(rèn)知的主題展開,然后要求學(xué)生把對(duì)話改寫成一篇80詞左右短文,要求短文包含對(duì)話的主要內(nèi)容或觀點(diǎn),且不能照抄原文的句子或段落。本題主要考查學(xué)生能否抓住對(duì)話大意和主要內(nèi)容,考查學(xué)生的語言轉(zhuǎn)換能力,從而測(cè)試學(xué)生的語言熟練程度,語言使用的靈活性和產(chǎn)出能力。
對(duì)話改寫題中的對(duì)話原文一般有兩個(gè)角色,對(duì)話主題是由兩個(gè)角色的話輪轉(zhuǎn)換不斷推進(jìn)和展開,對(duì)話往往采用第一或第二人稱,也常涉及到第三方個(gè)人或事物。其中,往往有一個(gè)角色是對(duì)話的主要推動(dòng)者,通過不斷的提問來向?qū)Ψ将@取更多的信息,而另一個(gè)角色是對(duì)話的合作者,在遵守會(huì)話原則下,回答一系列問題,使對(duì)話走向深入,讓對(duì)話主題得以呈現(xiàn),內(nèi)容得以展開,最后達(dá)到交際的目的。而短文不同于對(duì)話,一般用一種人稱按照一定的邏輯結(jié)構(gòu)向讀者敘述故事、發(fā)表觀點(diǎn)或者介紹事物,而且通常以第三人稱居多。
2 提綱法在對(duì)話改寫題中的具體運(yùn)用和操作步驟
從以上分析可知,對(duì)話改寫有兩個(gè)關(guān)鍵:一是,抓住原對(duì)話的主旨大意和內(nèi)容綱要;二是,將對(duì)話中的兩種人稱(一般是第一、二人稱)轉(zhuǎn)換成短文中的一種人稱(一般是第三人稱)。在把握這兩點(diǎn)的基礎(chǔ)上,用一種人稱將原對(duì)話語篇的主要內(nèi)容按適當(dāng)?shù)慕Y(jié)構(gòu)順序連結(jié)成一篇與原對(duì)話內(nèi)容基本相符的短文語篇。
本文將探討用提綱法來解答對(duì)話改寫題,其具體步驟如下:
第一步,擬標(biāo)題。根據(jù)對(duì)話的內(nèi)容結(jié)構(gòu)和語氣基調(diào)歸納出其主旨大意,草擬出短文標(biāo)題。這樣對(duì)話改寫就類似命題作文了,有一個(gè)明確的標(biāo)題指引。
第二步,列提綱。根據(jù)對(duì)話的發(fā)展脈絡(luò),理清對(duì)話的內(nèi)容結(jié)構(gòu),概括出對(duì)話主要觀點(diǎn)并列出作為一級(jí)提綱,構(gòu)成短文的宏觀結(jié)構(gòu);然后從對(duì)話中找出每個(gè)一級(jí)提綱的支撐性觀點(diǎn)或事實(shí),列入其下作為二級(jí)提綱,構(gòu)成短文的微觀結(jié)構(gòu)。短文提綱通常列至第二級(jí)即可。一二級(jí)提綱的次序可以根據(jù)短文中心適當(dāng)?shù)卣{(diào)整,以更好地實(shí)現(xiàn)寫作目的。注意,提綱要使用完整的英文句子。這是關(guān)鍵一步。
第三步,連成文。把第二步列出的提綱按次序組織成短文,但初步改寫的短文可能在語言表達(dá)、內(nèi)容結(jié)構(gòu)和邏輯連貫上還存在問題,尤其是人稱,時(shí)態(tài),銜接和段落結(jié)構(gòu)方面,需要適當(dāng)調(diào)整才能使短文基本完善。
第四步,定文稿。對(duì)短文進(jìn)行最后的審讀定稿,注意短文可能存在的某些瑕疵,如代詞使用是否恰當(dāng),時(shí)態(tài)前后是否一致,句子銜接和段落過渡是否流暢等。
3 一個(gè)例子
下面就用提綱法嘗試將下列對(duì)話改寫成一篇短文。以下是對(duì)話原文,
(The year is 1963 in the USA.Two men are talking in prison.)
A:Why are you in here?
B:I was on the march.
A:What march?
B:Havent you heard there was a big civil rights march through the center of Birmingham yesterday.
A:Why was that?
B:I imagine youre not very interested in politics.
A:Im a stranger here.Im from the west coast.Tell me more.
B:Its like this.We black people of Birmingham want equal rights.We want the same rights as the white people in the city.For years weve been demanding better housing and jobs.
A:So youre telling me that the situation here is bad for black people.
B:Thats right.Were not treated as equal citizens.We cant go to the public parks or swimming pools.Its forbidden.
A:What happened on the march then?
B:I joined in the march and we were marching peacefully along and then the police came up. They told us to go home but we went on.They said that the march had been forbidden,but that wasnt true.They hit us with their sticks over and over again and put some of us in prison.
A:I imagine that hurt a lot.
B:Yes,my whole body hurts.
第一步,擬標(biāo)題。根據(jù)短文中A的提問和B回答,不難發(fā)現(xiàn)對(duì)話主要講述了黑人B參與了一次黑人為爭(zhēng)取平等公民權(quán)利的大游行,并解釋了游行前因后果,對(duì)話旨在揭示美國(guó)種族歧視的黑暗現(xiàn)象。標(biāo)題可擬為“The March on Birmingham”
第二步,列提綱。根據(jù)對(duì)話的發(fā)展脈絡(luò)和內(nèi)容結(jié)構(gòu),可歸納出其主要內(nèi)容為黑人不公境遇,黑人的游行訴求,警察當(dāng)局的應(yīng)對(duì)。這些要點(diǎn)前后相扣,可列為短文一級(jí)提綱,構(gòu)成短文的宏結(jié)構(gòu)。然后再從對(duì)話中提取具體事實(shí)支撐每一個(gè)主要觀點(diǎn),列入其下并作為短文二級(jí)提綱,構(gòu)成微結(jié)構(gòu)。短文提綱如下所示,
1)The blacks miserable life:
①Were not treated as equal citizens.
②We cant go to the public parks or swimming pools.
2)The blacks march and demand:
①We want the same rights as the white people in Birmingham.
②We demand better housing and jobs.
③We join in the march and march peacefully.
3)The polices cracking down on the march:
①The police come up and tell us to go home.
②They want to forbid the march.
③They hit us with their sticks over and over again.
④They put some of us in prison.
第三步,連成文。由于這篇短文是敘事性的,一級(jí)提綱不需要在短文中直接使用,其內(nèi)容主要由二級(jí)提綱敘述的事實(shí)間接呈現(xiàn),所以,把二級(jí)提綱按次序初步連結(jié)成短文即可。短文初稿如下,
The March on Birmingham
Were not treated as equal citizens.We cant go to the public parks or swimming pools.We want the same rights as the white people in Birmingham.We demand better housing and jobs.We join in the march and march peacefully.The police come up and tell us to go home.They want to forbid the march.They hit us with their sticks over and over again.They put some of us in prison.
顯然,短文初稿在開頭結(jié)尾,段落結(jié)構(gòu),人稱,時(shí)態(tài),銜接等方面都存在一些問題(注意上文粗體部分),需要做適當(dāng)?shù)恼{(diào)整和修改。改稿如下,
The March on Birmingham
The story took place in 1963, when the black people were not treated as equally as the white people in the USA. They were not permitted to go to the public parks or swimming pools. Besides, their housing was in poor conditions and they did very heavy work.
To demand the same rights as the whites, black people of Birmingham marched along the street peacefully.
But the police wanted to stop them by hitting them with their sticks over and over again. The black people did not give up even though some of them were put into prison. They decided to go on strike until they won the fight against racial discrimination.
觀察比較以上初稿和改稿(尤其是粗體部分)可以發(fā)現(xiàn),經(jīng)過增加開頭和結(jié)尾使短文的故事性更完整,調(diào)整段落結(jié)構(gòu)以突出各部分間的因果關(guān)系,增加銜接成分使短文前后連貫,變換單一人稱,時(shí)態(tài)改成過去時(shí),至此,對(duì)話改寫成短文就基本完成了。
第四步,定文稿。最后通讀檢查一遍,以確保短文中心明確,結(jié)構(gòu)合理,語言流暢。
綜上可見,提綱法可以有效幫助考生從對(duì)話中提煉出目標(biāo)短文的中心思想,內(nèi)容提綱,把握短文的邏輯結(jié)構(gòu),使短文改寫變得有章可循、得心應(yīng)手。
【參考文獻(xiàn)】
[1]全國(guó)英語等級(jí)考試[M](第二級(jí))考試大綱(2015版).高等教育出版社,2015,3.
[2]全國(guó)英語等級(jí)考試標(biāo)準(zhǔn)教程[M](第二級(jí))(全新版).高等教育出版社,2011,7.
[3]http://sk.neea.edu.cn/yydjks/index.jsp[OL].
[4]http://www.exam8.com/zuowen/zuowen/gaozhong/manfen/201601/3487382.html[OL].
[責(zé)任編輯:湯靜]