如何提高英文水平,如何快速、準(zhǔn)確地理解各類英文資料,我認(rèn)為加強英文閱讀技巧訓(xùn)練應(yīng)該是必不可少的手段。本文旨在探討提高英語閱讀技能的有效途徑。

一、確定文章的中心思想

中心思想是全文思想的生命線,文章大部分段落都是以此為中心而展開闡述的。中心思想統(tǒng)領(lǐng)全文,將文章的各個部分有機地組織成一個整體,請看下例:

Storm run off is greatly accelerated when fires burn the vegetation and surface plants on steep slopes.A flood that caused $347,000 worth of damage in 1945 came directly from a boo-acre burned area on the grass-and-brush-covered hills north of the city. Flood of 1934 in California ,that caused $5 million damage and took 34 lives,came from a watershed area that had been burned about a month earlier. Damage flood similarly followed fire on the watershed area near Los Angles in 1954. Following the big Columbia River flood of 1948,watershed technicians found ample evidence that much water would have been held back until after the flood peaks had passed and damage would have been less if the plant and forest cover in the up-land watersheds had not been destroyed,mainly by forest fires.

當(dāng)火燒掉了陡峭斜坡上樹木植被后,暴雨的水流量劇增。在城北草木茂盛的山上,一片在1945年被大火燒后的區(qū)域,遭受了一場損失為34.7萬美元的水災(zāi)。1934年,加州的一分水嶺地區(qū)在遭受水災(zāi)的一個月后,又遭受了一場水災(zāi),其損失為500萬美元,34人喪生。1954年,鄰近洛杉磯的分水嶺地區(qū)在火災(zāi)之后同樣地發(fā)生了數(shù)次大水災(zāi)。繼1948年加倫比亞河的大水災(zāi)后,分水嶺地區(qū)的水質(zhì)技術(shù)人員已獲得充分證據(jù),證實了如果高地勢的分水嶺地區(qū)的植被和森林植被沒有被破壞,那大量的水就會被留住,等洪峰過后再流去,損失也會相應(yīng)減少。

1st example: A flood in 1945.

2nd example: The flood of 1934 in California.

3rd example: Floods followed fire on the watershed area near Los Angles in 1945.

4th example: The big Columbies River flood in 1948.

以上諸例所列舉的水災(zāi), 雖時間、地點各不相同,但共有的事實就是:森林大火的危害之一就是引起了該地區(qū)水災(zāi),這就是貫穿于全段的中心主題。在閱讀大段的文字時, 準(zhǔn)確地理解主題有助于讀者宏觀上把握文章主脈, 提高閱讀效率。

二、分析句子結(jié)構(gòu)

中等難度的英語讀物,句子結(jié)構(gòu)較復(fù)雜。主語、謂語之間經(jīng)常會插入一些諸如定語、狀語和同位語之類的句子成分, 這是英文的一大特點。正確分析、理解和理順句子之間的內(nèi)在關(guān)系,是對閱讀的一大挑戰(zhàn)。

例1:From his lofty perch, the passenger can see Huascaran whole,the summit glacier projecting over the cliffs,the lower glacier lying in a circle beneath,the valley leading down to the fertile plain.This plain,slooping gently down-hill from the toe of Huascaran to the Santa River,is dotted with cropland and villages.But what holds the eye of the man who knows mountains is a gray scar that twists from side to side down the mountain valley and then spreads over the plain all the way to the river.

從這個高度乘客可以看見Huascaran山脈的全貌。山頂上的冰河突出懸崖之上,下面的冰河形成一個圓形,山谷通向下面肥沃的平原。平原從Huascaran山腳下緩緩地向下面的Santa河延伸。平原上到處分布著農(nóng)田和村莊。但是,了解這山脈的人,其目光會被一道灰色的線路所吸引,這線路沿山谷歪歪扭扭地向下延伸,橫過平原,直至下面的Santa河。

影響閱讀理解的有以下若干句子結(jié)構(gòu):

1.三個并列作狀語的獨立主格結(jié)構(gòu)

①the summit glacier project ing over the cliffs

②the lower glacier lying in a circle

③the valley leading down to the fertile plain

2.兩個定語從句

①who knows mountains(修飾the man)

②that twists from side to side down the mountain valley and then spreads over the plain all the way to the river.

在紛繁復(fù)雜的長句閱讀中,首先應(yīng)確定主干句以免枝葉短句肢解原有的句子結(jié)構(gòu)。

例2:During world war Ⅱ,he constantly visited wounded American soldiers to talk about stamps and to ask them to write to him after they were discharged from the hospital. Many did and Mr. Herst now owns the first letter mailed by American Marines, a collection of stamps used for espionage purpose, and the only remaining propaganda leaflets dropped on the Japanese by Americans during the war.

二戰(zhàn)期間,他不斷地去看望受傷的美國士兵,和他們談?wù)撪]票,請他們出院后給他寫信。很多人確實給他寫了信?，F(xiàn)在Herst先生收到了第一封由美國海軍士兵寫給他的信,搜集到了一批(過去)用于間諜活動的郵票,得到了戰(zhàn)爭期間美國人撒向日本人的一些宣傳傳單。

切忌混淆三個并列的名詞短語:

①the first letter mailed by American Marines

②a collection of stamps used for espionage purpose

③the only remaining propaganda leaflets dropped on the Japanese by Americans during the war.

例3:詞的省略同樣會影響對句子的正確理解:

1.He had been on the throne for barely eight months when he authorized this measure, which was as much a product of necessity as of careful planning, although there may be divided views on this.

他授權(quán)這一措施時,剛在位八個月,這一措施既是需求的產(chǎn)物,又是周密計劃的結(jié)果。雖然對此人們有不同的看法。

在as和of之間省略了a product, as…as…表同等級。

2.Idealists have objected to the practice of camping, as to packaged tour.

理想主義者既反對由旅行社全部代辦的旅游,也反對野營。

在as與to之間省略了they have objected, as在此表示“正如,像”,是連詞。

3.The seeds must be carefully chosen and tended, if the vivifying fruits are to be at hand when needed.

只有仔細(xì)地選擇和照顧好種子,才能在需要時隨手采下生機勃勃的果實。

在when和needed之間省略了the vivifying fruits are。

三、確定詞義

同一英文單詞不僅有詞性的不同,而且在不同的上下文中,還存在著詞義的差異,如:

例1: Although she was visibly annoyed by this possibility, she was not driven to tears and there was really not scene at all.

雖然她對這種可能性明顯地感到不快,但并沒有因此而哭,更沒有大吵大鬧。

Scene: 大吵大鬧

例2: When he strolled onto the scene at something like twelve, there was really no harm done.

當(dāng)他十二時左右漫不經(jīng)心地抵達指定地點時,確實沒造成什么不好的后果。

Scene: 地點,地方。

例3: The boats in the harbour makes a beautiful scene.

海港中的船構(gòu)成很美的風(fēng)景。

Scene: 風(fēng)景。

單詞不僅有一詞多義的特點,有時會因作者采用了某種修辭手法,使原有的詞義有所變化和引伸。如:

Under Huascarans summit,an immense shape was borne.A mixture of broken ice, rocks torn from the cliff, sand and stone pieces. A big snake with a head 170 feet high went twisting down the valley.

在Huascaran山峰下,一巨物已形成。這是斷裂的冰,懸崖上滾落下來的巖石,還有沙子,石塊和融化了冰的混合物。一條首部為170英尺高的巨蛇沿山谷扭曲而下。

在這一段落中,作者采用了比喻的手法,把冰、泥、沙的混合物比作一條巨蛇,這使得原有的詞義發(fā)生了變化?？辞辶嗽~義的變化,理解全文也就不難了。

參考文獻:

[1]胡春洞.英語閱讀論[M].廣西教育出版社.

[2]Lan Jie.How to improve reading speed[J]中國英語教學(xué),2003.9.

(作者單位:中航工業(yè)洪都航空工業(yè)集團質(zhì)量部)