1、英语作文规范格式的应用(节选)郭小民英语作文的规范格式流程并非不能自然地应用于稍有中国特色的大学英语作文。试举题为 “Free admission to museums”的作文(200906)为例,其写作提示为:越来越多的博物馆现在免费向公众开放,目的是有的人认为这样做会带来一些问题。在我看来。规范格式流程应从全局规划开始。纵览题目和写作提示(克制住思维定势中“三段”冲动,代之以规范格式审题训练),可以有如下发现:“博物馆免费开放”是论题,“目的”和“问题”是论题两个论点,“在我看来”为结论。按照多段作文格式要求,论题句应放在导言段,两个支持段分别处理“目的”和“问题”,结论放在结论段;一个“
2、1-2-1” 格式的全局规划就成形了,这种规划是提纲的基础。如表格 1 所示。表 1 引言段: 题目到论题的铺垫 + 论题句(提出论题:免费开放的目的及问题)支持段:“目的”主题句(免费开放的目的意义) + 支持语句 支持段:“问题”主题句(免费开放可能带来问题)+ 支持语句结论段: 呼应论题的总结性收尾语句 + 结论句(结论 :不/应该免费开放 + 结论的内涵)拟写提纲是将全局规划细化处理,必须落笔。引言段论题句,支持段主题句,结论段结论句,都要写成完整句子,论据细节稍有提示即可,如表格2所示(在此用两种文字使提纲主次部分一目了然;完整句子用英文,论据提示等用中文)。论题句是全文领衔句;段落
3、主题句是该段落领衔句;结论句表达作者观点(本文持肯定态度)。写完提纲后,检查“论据对论点是否构成足够的支持”(Langan,2005),支持段落的排序是否需要调整根据重要程度顺序或逆序排列。在本题中,目的相对重于问题,所以将原排序(目的-问题) 调整为(问题-目的);邻近结尾的部分会给人留下较深印象。表2 引言语句作简短铺垫The free admission has well-intended purposes, but it may create problems too.Museums may have difficulty receiving an inestimable number
4、 of visitors.细节1: 参观者人数太多。细节 2: 参观者人数太少However, the purpose of the free admission is to attract more visitors to museums, which may have a far-reaching effect.细节1:历史与进化的知识。细节2:对科技文化产品的认识。细节3:可能得到的启发。与论题句形成呼应的结尾语句Museums should open this way. + (结论的内涵或延伸意义)提纲之后的下一个步骤“fleshing it out”(详述成文)把提纲有理有据地细化。
5、操作原则是:“(多段作文)每个段落长度应在二到五句之内。”(Krigline,2008);“引言是题目和论题句之间的桥梁”(梁正溜,2006),短小文章的引言尽量简短,多留笔墨给主体段;“一个观点至少需要23条支持” (Krigline,2008);“在结论句之前,应有总结论点的语句”(Fearon,2003);“结论应指出论题的内涵 ”,“学业作文宜避免第一人称”(Krigline,2008)。以下为依照前述格式与原则作成的1-2-1格式样文及关于段落句子数量和划线部分的简要说明。Free admission to museums by 郭小民 Museums, one after anot
6、her, are now opening free to the public. This has well-intended purposes, but it may create problems too. (两句。划线部分为论题两个论点预览。 ) Museums may encounter difficulty receiving an inestimable number of visitors. People may crowd in, and the museums may have a hard time trying to keep both visitors in order
7、 and exhibits intact. On the other hand, if too few people come, costs for maintenance may be a huge waste. (三句。划线部分为论点)However,the free admission aims at serving more visitors, which may have a far-reaching effect. More people will have a chance to see humanitys histories and evolutions, cultural a
8、nd technological products. More of them may have a glimpse of humankinds past and present, and a foresight into its future. Museum visits may broaden viewers horizon and inspire them to explore unknown territories. (四句。划线部分为论点一。 )The opening-free step must have been a thoughtful decision; museums may serve more people and are prepared to solve problems that may arise. They should keep open this way. With more people being educated from museum visits and better management by the museums, this opening-free will prove worthwhile in the long run. (三句。划线部分为论题呼应,结论及内涵。 )