由于在很多情况下,说明文是对客观存在的说明与介绍,因此语言的表述也应该尽可能地给人以客观可信的感觉,比如:
(1)I think that getting up late is not always a bad thing.
(2)It is said that getting up late is not always a bad thing.
相比之下,例(2)的语言要比例(1)的语言客观一些,容易让人接受一些。如果再作一些表述上的改动:
(3)Getting up late is not always a bad thing, according to Franklin Smith, a well-known psychologist in Stanford University.
引进著名人士作为信息的来源,可以使想要说明的内容更具有说服力。如果我们将例(3)中的always再改为necessarily,就可使整个句子更客观、委婉,便于为读者接受:
(4)Getting up late is not necessarily a bad thing, according to Franklin Smith, a well-known psychologist in Stanford University.
在英语中,采用被动语态,引进权威的信息来源以及选用委婉的词语是使说明文避免主观色彩,增加客观性,从而为读者接受的重要语言手段
由于说明文往往是对客观事物或事理的一种介绍与解释,而这种客观的介绍与解释一般是不随时间和空间变化而改变的,比如:说明早锻炼的好处,介绍猫的`胡子的功能,解释臭氧层对人类生活的影响等等,是不受时间和空间影响的。因此,尽管有时为了特殊表达的要求,会在个别地方采用其他时态,英语说明文的基本时态还是一般现在时。下面这篇由香港学生写的充分反映了说明文的这一特点。
The Way to Achieve Success
Many successful people say that they owe much of their success to the cultivation (培养) of certain good habits in early life. In forming good habits, I think we should pay attention to four things, that is, honesty, industry (勤勉), enthusiasm (热情), and thrift (节俭)。
“Honesty is the best policy”。 This is a proverb to which we must pay attention. There are so many temptations (诱惑) in society that through a little carelessness we may go astray (走入歧途)。 But when we are honest, people will not be dishonest to us.
Industry gives every man and woman, every boy and girl, proper work to do. To do nothing is to ruin oneself.
Enthusiasm is a great force. One's soul will expand if one devotes (贡献) oneself to a noble cause. The difficulties in our way are tremendous (巨大的), but what can we not accomplish (取得), if with enthusiasm?
There are many proverbs which set forth (陈述) the advantages (好处) of thrift. Since we live in a world where money is a very powerful thing, we should always try to save part of our earnings for future use.
These are the four things to which we must pay attention. It is only in this way that we can achieve success.
春天来了,小草绿了,花儿开了,大地上一片生机勃勃,聪明伶俐的小燕子出来活动了。小燕子喜欢停在电线杆上,一双浅黄色的小爪子紧紧抓住电线,背上的羽毛像黑色的西装,腹部的羽毛像雪白的衬衫。它小巧玲珑,一双透亮灵活的眼睛下面,长着一张又短又宽的小嘴。
燕子不但长得漂亮,而且会捕捉害虫,是我们人类的好朋友。尽管蚊子。苍蝇是那么机灵,飞行的速度是那么快,可还是难以逃脱燕子那锐利的眼睛,只要害虫一出现,小燕子就像箭一样飞过去,张开那短而宽的嘴巴,害虫就成了它的腹中之物。有时候燕妈妈还把害虫含在嘴里,飞回窝里喂宝宝呢!小燕子不仅是捕虫能手,还是垒窝能手呢!它让我想起了白居易的诗句‘几处早莺争暖树。谁空新燕琢春泥’。燕子在屋檐下搭窝,先用泥土、稻草、树枝垒好,再用口水粘好,燕子搭窝真不容易 。
燕子是人类的'益鸟,几个月就消灭了25万只害虫,它永远为人们服务。
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