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
我以前听说过“春蚕到死丝方尽,蜡炬成灰泪始干”这句话,可一直不懂这句话是什么意思。直到有一天,我明白了……
那是一个傍晚,太阳已经落下了山坡,天空中一片漆黑。我开了灯,开始津津有味地看起了电视节目。突然,“啪”的一声,房间里黑了下来。我意识到,是停电了。
我呆在椅子上,想起电视旁有一根小小的红蜡烛。于是我拿起了蜡烛,找到火柴,点燃了它。
房间里立即充满了柔柔的烛光。我坐在蜡烛边,看着它那跳动的火焰,和它那慢慢流下来的红色的烛泪,终于明白了那句话的道理。是啊,我们在学习和生活中,不正需要蜡烛那种吃苦耐劳、默默无闻的为他人服务而不求回报、无怨无悔的`精神吗?再想想我们这些“小皇帝”“小公主”们,个个都被家长们娇生惯养着,过着“衣来伸手,饭来张口”的生活,不正是需要蜡烛这种燃烧自己而照亮他人的那种精神吗……
“啪”的一声,灯亮了,来电了。我看着桌上的一些烛泪,陷入了沉思……
我喜欢生机勃勃的春天,更喜欢家门前绿油油的小草。
有一次,我来到家门前的草地上,那绿油油的小草,是多么富有生机。春天一到,他立刻铺满整块土地,我常常看着这些小草,一阵春风过后,小草左右摇动,不时弯下腰,过一会, 他有恢复。我看着这些小草,常常使我心旷神怡,乐而忘返。
你别看小草这样柔弱,但他的生命力是最顽强的。突如其来的暴风雨,使小草弯下了腰。一次次的雷声,打破了春天是的宁静。暴风雨终于停了下来,小草的身体已经要到下来了, 身上还有着一颗颗雨珠。
“野火烧不尽,春风吹又生”。白居易写的这首诗可真好呀!一棵棵小草,虽然鲜花美丽,也没有白杨那样挺直,但他那顽强的生命力是不可比的。
我爱家门口的绿油油的.小草。
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.
© 2022 xuexicn.net,All Rights Reserved.