原文:http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzI5MzQ0NjMyMw==&mid=2247485596&idx=1&sn=b92492f53b9a4e783ec8f062e16a3d4c&chksm=ec70bf40db0736567906604a12abd6efff221cc99f7a3d74d5d51db484119bb134a8c7aaf9ba#rd
利弊分析是日常生活、学习和考试中经常会遇到的一种写作类型,其话题涵盖面广,比如大学生社团活动、出国留学、文凭热、海外旅游、城镇化、移民、电子书、网购、智能手机、社交媒体等等。然而,当我们介绍一件事情的利与弊时,通常摆脱不了下面的结构:
There are some disadvantages. Firstly,... Secondly,... Thirdly,...
However, there are also some disadvantages. The first is... The second is... Last but not least,...
英文的一大特点就是“变”:同一个意思,要用不同方式去表达。不仅用词要丰富,句法也要追求多样性。
像上面的例子,用词和句法都非常单一,在雅思作文中只能得5分。用词方面,some重复;advantages和disadvantage虽然意思不同,但都属于同源词汇,也是重复用词。句法方面,there be句型反复出现;Firstly, secondly, thirdly句法相同;还有the first is, the second is等。单一的用词和句法不仅枯燥无味,也暴露了写作水平低下等问题。
那怎样才能精准、地道又优雅介绍一件事情的利与弊呢?
***
我们不妨先看一下《经济学人》是怎么写的:
2015年2月28日的《经济学人》封面文章Smartphones: Planet of the phones探讨了智能手机的利与弊,文章整体基调偏向乐观。全文共1053词,我把这篇文章最干的内容提炼了出来,和大家一起来体会《经济学人》是怎样描述一个事物的利与弊的:
①As with all technologies, this future conjures up a host of worries. ②Some, such as “text neck” (hunching over a smartphone stresses the spine) are surely transient. ③Others, such as dependency—smartphone users exhibit “nomophobia” when they happen to find themselves empty-handed—are a measure of utility as much as addiction.
④The greater fear is over privacy.
...
⑤Yet three benefits weigh against these threats to privacy. ⑥For a start, the autocrats will not have it all their own way.
...
⑦The second benefit is all those personal data which companies are so keen on.
...
⑧The third windfall is economic.
...
这段话探讨了智能手机的“三利三弊”:
一弊:健康——给脊柱造成压力;
二弊:上瘾——无手机焦虑症;
三弊:隐私——个人侵犯隐私、企业滥用用户数据、国家监视国民;
一利:倒逼政治透明——公民更方便记录政府官员的渎职、违法行为,并迅速传播;
二利:企业收集用户数据,为公众提供便利——路况实时提醒、打击犯罪、抗击流行病;
三利:提高生产率,提高沟通效率。
***
这段话可以进一步浓缩成①⑤两句:
As with all technologies, this future conjures up a host of worries.
Yet three benefits weigh against these threats to privacy.
和所有的技术一样,这种未来会引发人们的诸多担忧。
不过,三大好处可以抵消这些对隐私的威胁。
①句的关键词为a host of worries,阅读中,"a+n.+of"的结构可以理解成 many / some 的意思,因此,a host of worries就是a lot of worries的意思,即“诸多担忧”。
文中this future指的是智能手机的时代。
①句中还有一个难点:conjure up. 不过我们即使不认识conjure,也可以根据介词up推断出来,这个词组表示“出现”的含义,所以,conjure up a host of worries就是“引发诸多担忧”的意思,也可以写成 lead to / trigger / prompt a host of worries,但conjure up更有画面感。
conjure up在词典中的解释是:to make sth appear as a picture in your mind,和我们推断的差不多。所以,在动介短语中,如果我们不知道动词的意思,可以通过介词判断其方向。
⑤句中有一个关键表达:weigh against. 通过against我们大致可以推断出,该短语表示一种对比关系。
weigh against没有一个固定的翻译,只能在语境里体会它的用法。weigh表示“称重、掂量”,常见的一个搭配是weigh the pros and cons 权衡利弊;against表示一种对比、比较。文中 three benefits weigh against these threats 可以想象一幅画面:一个天平,一边放着threats,另一边放着benefits,使天平保持平衡,不向任何一边倾斜。
所以,在文中语境下,这句话可以翻译成:有三个好处可以抵消对隐私的威胁。
从中我们还可以学到:表示“好处”,除了advantages,还可以用benefits;表示“坏处”,除了disadvantages,还可以用worries和threats.
***
针对"a host of worries",《经济学人》从三个方面进行展开,其结构为:
②Some are surely transient.
③Others are a measure of utility as much as addiction.
④The greater fear is over privacy.
一些担忧无疑是暂时的。
还有一些,尽管是一种瘾,但同样体现了其实用性。
更大的担忧关于隐私。
三种担忧分别用some are..., others are..., the greater fear is over...引领,层层递进,且句式灵活,用词多变,摆脱了Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly的呆板枯燥。
②句的主干是Some are surely transient.
非主干成分是such as “text neck”,它是举例子,在文中作插入成分。“text neck”指“短信脖(微信脖)”,后面又通过括号进行解释:hunching over a smartphone stresses the spine 低头看手机给脊柱造成压力。
我们再梳理一下②句:
Some, such as “text neck” (hunching over a smartphone stresses the spine) are surely transient.
③句的主干是Others are a measure of utility as much as addiction.
measure在这里不是指“措施”,而是“衡量尺度”,在某些语境下,可以理解成sign,举个例子:
Sending flowers is a measure of how much you care.(=a sign of)
你派人送花就说明你是多么关心。
因此我们可以把主干部分变一下:
Others are a sign of utility as much as addiction.
utility表示“实用性,有用性”,相当于usefulness,所以,主干的意思是:另一些担忧体现了手机的实用性和上瘾程度是一样的。
such as dependency这部分举的是others的例子,在文中作插入成分,意思是“比如对手机的依赖”。
然后作者通过两个破折号解释dependency(在英语中,两个破折号等同于一对括号,这里也体现了句法的多变):smartphone users exhibit “nomophobia” when they happen to find themselves empty-handed 智能手机用户在手机离手时会表现出“无手机焦虑症”。
nomophobia=no (没有) +mo (mobile手机) +phobia (恐惧症) =无手机焦虑症。
最后我们梳理一下③句:
Others, such as dependency—smartphone users exhibit “nomophobia” when they happen to find themselves empty-handed—are a measure of utility as much as addiction.
***
接下来,我们看一下"three benefits":
⑥For a start, the autocrats will not have it all their own way.
⑦The second benefit is all those personal data which companies are so keen on.
⑧The third windfall is economic.
首先,独裁统治者不能为所欲为。
第二个好处是企业孜孜以求的所有个人数据。
第三个好处是经济效益。
三大好处分别通过 for a start, the second benefit is 和 the third windfall引领,句式丰富,用词多变。关于“好处”,作者分别用了benefit和windfall,windfall通常指“意想不到的好处/收获”。
首先,独裁者不能为所欲为。have it all one's own way是个习惯用法,意思是“为所欲为”。随后文章解释说:智能手机可以record the brutality of officials and spread information and dissenting opinions.(记录官员的暴行,并传播信息和异见。)
第二点是,企业可以获得孜孜以求的所有个人数据。比如滴滴,其导航软件上会实时显示路况信息,给司机设计一条用时最短的路线,这就是企业收集所有用户的个人数据的结果。文中是这么说的:
Governed by suitable regulations, anonymised personal data can be used, among many other things, to optimise traffic flows, prevent crime and fight epidemics.
如果有恰当的监管来治理,那么匿名个人数据可被用于优化交通流量、防阻犯罪、抗击流行病等许多事。
第三点是促进经济发展。比如智能手机促进员工之间的沟通与写作,解放生产力。
***
最后,我们把这个结构再总结一下:
As with all technologies, A conjures up a host of worries. Some, such as ..., are surely.... Others, such as ..., are....
The greater fear is over...
Yet three benefits weigh against these threats. For a start, ...
The second benefit is...
The third windfall is...
然后我们以“海外旅游”为例,仿写一段话:
As with everything in life, travelling abroad conjures up a host of worries. Some, such as personal financial cost, are easy to tackle. Others, such as snarled-up traffic, are a measure of prosperity as much as an infrastructure burden.
和生活中所有事情一样,海外旅行引发了人们的诸多担忧。一些担忧,比如个人经济开销,很容易解决。另一些担忧,比如交通拥堵,尽管对基础设施造成负担,但也体现了繁荣程度。
The greater fear is over environmental pollution. Hordes of visitors are also bringing tons of rubbish, leaving many Southeastern countries, say, the Philippines, with no other choice but to close their idyllic islands for a revamp.
最大的担忧关乎环境污染。大批游客也带来了成吨的垃圾,致使很多东南亚国家,比如菲律宾,关闭风景如画的岛屿进行整改。
Yet three benefits weigh against these threats.For a start, travelling overseas will boost the economy, especially the tourism sector. According to an estimate, tourism accounts for about 28% of Cambodia's GDP and more than 20% of Thailand's.
但三大好处可以抗衡这些威胁。首先,海外旅行可以促进经济发展,尤其是旅游业。根据统计,旅游业占柬埔寨GDP的28%,占泰国的20%。
The second benefit is more job opportunities for locals. With the economy soaring, the number of natives able to be employed as drivers, guides or waitors is also growing.
第二个好处是给当地人带来了更多的就业机会。随着经济腾飞,越来越多的当地人当起了司机、导游和服务生。
The third windfall is an increasingly diversified culture.
...
第三个好处是更加多元的文化。……
***
敲黑板
一个利弊分析的句式:
As with all technologies, A conjures up a host of worries. Some, such as ..., are surely.... Others, such as ..., are....
The greater fear is over...
Yet three benefits weigh against these threats. For a start, ...
The second benefit is...
The third windfall is...
有关“利”的表达:
advantage, benefit, windfall
有关“弊”的表达:
disadvantage, worry, threat
还有一个阅读技巧:
在动介短语中,如果我们不知道动词的意思,可以通过介词判断其方向。
今天就到这里,感谢阅读!