How to Remember Words 如何記單詞

苗淑華選譯

At the beginning of the class one day， one student says， “I started to read more. I feel that it is good for me. I can see how my grammar is better， but I have a problem. When I read， I look at a new word in a dictionary. Then I go on reading. Sometimes when I see the same word again only 10 minutes later， I dont remember the word and I have to look at it again. Can you help me to remember the words better？”

一天，在開始上課時，一個學生說：“我開始大量閱讀了。我覺得這對我有好處。我能看出來我的語法變好了，但我有一個問題。當我閱讀時，我在字典里查完一個生詞，然后繼續閱讀。有時，當我10分鐘后又看到同一個單詞時，卻不記得這個單詞了，我不得不再查一遍。你能幫助我更好地記住這些單詞嗎？”

Our teacher says that it is an interesting question and she gives this explanation1， “It is normal2 that you dont remember the new word at once. Usually3， you will have to look up the word 5 times before you remember it. There will be also words which you will have to look up 10 or 15 times. These words are usually verbs4.

我們老師說這是一個有趣的問題，她給出了這樣的解釋：“你不能馬上記住這個生詞是很正常的。通常，在你記住這個單詞之前，你得查5遍。還有一些單詞，你要查10到15遍。這些詞通常是動詞。

When we learn a new word， the word goes through phases5. Only when you get to the last phase， you remember the word very well.

當我們學習一個新詞時，這個詞經過了幾個階段。只有到了最后一個階段，你才能把這個詞記牢。

There are five of these phases. Lets have a look at them.

其中有五個階段。讓我們看看。

The first phase is when you see the word for the first time and you dont know the word. You look it up in the dictionary.

第一個階段是你第一次看到這個詞，卻不知道這個詞的那一刻。你要在字典里查一下。

The second phase is when you see the word which you already looked up in the dictionary or heard or saw it in the past. You know that you saw this word before， but you still dont remember its meaning6. You look at the word again.

第二個階段是當你看到這個詞的時候，你已經在字典里查過了，以前聽過或者看過它。你知道以前見過這個詞，但還是不記得它的意思。你再來看這個詞。

The third phase is when you see the word again and you feel what it could mean but you are not sure. For example7， you know that the word is some kind of object8 or some animal or a verb.

第三個階段是當你再看到這個詞時，會覺得它可能是某個意思，但你不確定。例如，你知道這個詞是某種賓語、某種動物或一個動詞。

The fourth phase is when you already know what the word means when you see it， but you cant remember the word when you want to say it. When this phase happens， the word is in your passive vocabulary9.

第四個階段是當你看到這個詞的時候已經知道它的意思，但是當你想說這個詞的時候卻記不起來。到了這個階段時，這個詞就在你的被動詞匯表中。

The fifth phase is when you are able to use the word when you speak.

第五個階段是你說英語時能夠使用這個詞。

Do you understand now why you cant remember a new word when you see it for the first time？ You would have to jump across all the phases when you first see the word. You have to see or hear every word several times and let it go through all the phases until10 you get to phase number five.

你現在明白了嗎？為什么當你第一次看到一個新單詞時就記不住它？當你第一次遇到這個詞時，你必須跨越所有的階段。你必須多次看到或聽到每個單詞，并讓它通過所有的階段，直到達到第五階段。

You can be happy not only when you learn a new word well， but also when you get from one phase to the other. When it happens11， you are closer to using the word without problems in everyday communication12.”

當你學好一個新詞，并從一個階段走到另一個階段的時候，你會很快樂。當它發生時，你離在日常交流中毫無問題地使用這個詞更近一步。”

（英語原文選自：howtolearnenglishinlevel. com）

【Notes】

1. explanation? n. 說明，解釋;辯解

2. normal adj. 正常的

3. usually? adv. 通常，經常

4. verb? n. 動詞

5. phase? n. 時期，階段

6. meaning? n. 意義;含義;意思

7. for example 例如

8. object n. 物體;客體;賓語

9. passive vocabulary 被動詞匯

10. until? conj. 到……時，直到……為止

11. happen? vi. 發生;碰巧;偶然遇到

12. communication? n. 交流