聶龍
摘 要 本論文從轉述角度探討如何提高寫作評論性寫作能力,研究表明評論性寫作中信源明示與否以及轉述詞語的選擇和作者立場與論述的說服力密切相關。
關鍵詞 轉述 評論性寫作 信源
0引言
對英語非母語的學生而言,轉述(reporting)在閱讀和寫作中是很難以有效解決的問題(Adams Smith 1984; Davies 1988; Hedge 1988)。TEM4,TEM8(2016版)考試改革,寫作方面推出新題型即材料作文寫作,寫作更注重考查學生的批判性思維寫作能力,通過總結、評論對立的立場,提出自己的觀點。正確有效的轉述對寫好評論性短文有著重要的意義。
1信源
信源可以分為作者本人和他人;有名有姓的人和無名無姓之群體;人和語篇組織詞(Stubbs 1996:150; Hunston 2000: 190; Wickens 2000)。說話人是誰以及以什么樣的身份充當信源影響命題的狀態(status) (Hunston 2011: 34)。
2轉述詞語
轉述詞語中,引述動詞在學術語篇和學生的學術寫作中的功能更為明顯,一方面可以表達被引述者的觀點立場,是中立、肯定的或否定的觀點;另一方面它還向讀者轉達引述者在廣泛閱讀文獻資料的基礎上能夠理解、分析、綜合文獻內容,以創造性的方式表示贊同、反駁或提出質疑,從側面反映出引述者的觀點立場和對問題的思考。
3立場
3.1信源的明示性與立場功能
通過信源的選擇,作者可以表達對命題的態度,比如通過第一人稱的使用表達作者明確的立場、句1明確表達了作者“I”對命題“ it is the only information we have to offer you.”的擔憂。“I”既是作者也是命題的唯一信源。
(1)I am afraid it is the only information we have to offer you.
第一人稱作主語的結構是表達說說話人或作者立場的最明顯的表達方式(Biber 2006)。在這種結構中含有表立場動詞(stance verb),如例(2)的believe,或立場形容詞,如(1)的afraid和(3)certain:
(2)I believe it was the universal feeling among us.
(3)I was pretty certain that he could have heard nothing of our whispers ….
上述3例的信源都是第一人稱,是明示的信源。學術寫作中的立場為了客觀性,評價大多間接表達(Hyland and Guinda 2012)。
還有沒有明示的信源的一種結構,在系統功能語言學中被稱作“事實類投射現象” (Halliday 2008:470)。例如:
(4)This is attested by the fact that they place food in the grave,and that any family not complying with this rite is the object of the anger of the priest
3.2轉述詞語的立場功能
作者立場不僅通過選擇不同的信源也可以同時通過選擇轉述詞語實現。Thompson和Ye(1991)把轉述動詞表達的評價分為三個方面:作者立場(writers Stance),被轉述作者立場(authors Stance);作者的解釋(writers interpretation)。作者立場:
事實性:如acknowledge, bring out, demonstrate.
反事實性:betray [ignorance), confuse, disregard,ignore, misuse.
非事實性:advance, believe, claim, examine,generalize, propose.
被引述作者立場:
積極:accept, emphasize, hypothesize, invoke, note, point out,posit,
消極:attack, challenge, dismiss, dispute, diverge from, object to.
中性:assess, examine, evaluate,focus on, pose, quote
4分析及運用
語篇5是一份八級考試樣本中寫作任務的部分材料(為分析方便,加以編號),要求根據該材料寫出摘要并加以評論。材料由兩部分構成:第一部分是大學對在線教育的觀點,第二部分是部分學生對在線教育的看法。為節省篇幅,只提供部分文字材料。
(5)Universities
豍The University of Washington (UW) in the US isn't shy about the benefits and drawbacks of online education .
豎UW concedes online education may be more effective for self-directed learners, and students who are not organized and in possession of .…
Students
③Jasmine Barta of Arizona State University: I take about half my classes online each semester,and Ill tell you why: Online classes are the secret to a happier….
④Some students complain about the lack of social interaction and the ease with which they forget to meet a deadline.But for me these concerns fall f….
4.1 積極立場
4.1.1贊同原文立場
(6)Just as emphasized/demonstrated by UW, despite the effectiveness of online education for autonomous learning, students lacking …
表積極立場的轉述動詞有:acknowledge, bring out, demonstrate, identify,improve, notice, prove, recognize等.
4.1.2作者的明示的認同的立場
(7)I lend full support to UWs position that despite the effectiveness of online education for autonomous learning, students lacking…
(8)In my opinion, UWs worries concerning online education makes some sense.
4.2 中立立場
有些轉述詞語可以表達引述作者的中立立場,并使作者退居幕后:
(9)According to UW, despite the effectiveness of online education for autonomous learning, students lacking …
表中立的轉述動詞:
describe,show,reveal,study,note等。
4.3 消極立場
表反對或消極的轉述動詞有:betray (ignorance), confuse, disregard,ignore, misuse等。中性轉述詞加上一些副詞也可表達消極立場,如naively claim, wrongly point out…。
假如作者對Jasmine Barta of Arizona State University的觀點持懷疑態度,可以這樣表達:
(9)Jasmine Barta seems to overemphasize …
或:
(10)Jasmine Bartas view that online courses fit her well although they are unsuitable to some other students disregards their potential effect ….
5結論
評論性寫作離不開轉述手段的使用,信源明示與否以及轉述詞語的選擇和作者立場和對被轉述內容的理解密切相關。成熟的作者往往能在引用他人觀點的同時表達自己的立場態度。
基金項目:本課題由浙江省教育廳項目資助(編號:Y201737001),以及全國高校外語教學科研項目資助(編號:2017ZJ0020B)。
參考文獻
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