英語寫作之續寫

劉繼華

尊敬的劉老師：

您好！

我是象山某中學的學生，我寫的這篇英語作文，不知是否可以請您批改指導？謝謝！

王可伊

【寫作任務】

閱讀下面短文，根據所給情節進行續寫，使之構成一個完整的故事。

The Water of Life⑴

It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. The creeks and streams were long gone back into the earth. It was a dry season that would bankrupt several farmers before it was through. Every day， my husband and his brothers would go about the tiring process of trying to get water to the farm. If we didn’t see some rain soon， we would lose everything.

It was on this day that I learned the true lesson of sharing and witnessed the only miracle I have seen with my own eyes. I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year old son， Billy， walking toward the woods. He wasn’t walking with the usual carefree abandon of a youth but with a serious purpose. I could only see his back. He was obviously walking with a great effort trying to be as still as possible. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods， he came running out again toward the house. I went back to make sandwiches， thinking that whatever task he had been doing was completed.

Moments later， however， he was once again walking in that slow purposeful stride toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour： walking carefully to the woods， and then running back to the house. Finally， my curiosity got the best of me. I crept out of the house and followed him on his journey.

He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked， very careful not to spill the water he held. Maybe two or three tablespoons were held in his tiny hands. I sneaked closer as he went into the woods. Branches and thorns slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. He had a much greater purpose. As I leaned in to spy on him， I saw an amazing sight. A mother deer with a huge pair of deer horns appeared in front of him， with a baby fawn （幼鹿） lying on the dry ground. I almost screamed to get him away.

注意：⑴所續寫短文的詞數應為150左右;⑵至少使用5個短文中標有下畫線的關鍵詞語;⑶續寫部分分為兩段，每段的開頭語已為你寫好;⑷續寫完成后，請用下畫線標出你所使用的關鍵詞語。

【原文】

Paragraph 1：

Howevesr， Billy walked right up to them. I felt a clutch at my heart for it’d been too late to summon him back if the fierce creature with enormous horns⑵ gave him sudden attack⑶. To my amazement， however⑷， nothing miserable ⑸happened. With the water in his cupped⑹ hands， Billy knelt down slowly and inched his palms towards the corner of the baby fawn’s mouth， and with caution let the water drip into it⑺. While all of it happened⑻， the mother deer stood beside⑼， with tears glittering in her clear and gentle eyes.

【趙教授批注】

⑴ 原文細致生動，非常漂亮，只是有一個bug：頭上長那么一對大角的，應該是公鹿（除非是馴鹿reindeer），不是a mother deer。不過，這個常識性錯誤，是原文作者或者命題的問題，你按原文寫來，可以不究。但我們也應從他人的錯誤中吸取教訓。

⑵ 應有定冠詞the，因前面已提到過。如不加，則等同于一種描繪，不能說錯，但以加為好。

⑶ 應有不定冠詞a。

⑷ 這個however如果移至句子開頭，文氣會更順暢，因為to my amazement是新信息，與上句之間的銜接不緊密，而however這種連接性副詞本身的職責就是銜接。

⑸ 事情發生過后才能判斷是否miserable，這里尚未發生，用該詞不妥，可改為terrible。

⑹ 從實際情況看，由于鹿嘴的構造，很難讓水滴進鹿嘴。更為可行的是把水捧到鹿嘴邊，鹿會伸出舌頭來舔水喝。

⑺語法上沒有錯，但這樣的語言挺繞的，不夠干凈。其實，all the while三個詞就好了。

⑻現代英語中，beside一般都是介詞，后面要加賓語的。可以用beside them或者by the side。

【原文】

Paragraph 2：

I witnessed the most beautiful heart working hard to save a life. I rooted myself behind a tree to avoid being spotted by Billy， and（10） without being disturbed， he carried on（11） his rescuing plan in the woods. After what seemed like a century（12）， he paused， sitting（13） upon the ground near the fawn and stroking its fur（14）. I was too touched by the scene to become aware（15） that it was darkening and clouds（16）were gathering above the woods. After months’（17） drought， it finally rained. Thrilled shouting and crying coming in the distance（18）， I felt the rain， mixed with my tears， streaming down my cheeks.

【趙教授批注】

（9）這個句子用and連接了兩個分句，意義上當然沒有問題，但從意義中心來看，兩個分句所述不同，最好能分開兩句寫，也就是改為：I rooted...by Billy. Without being disturbed...in the woods.

（10） carry on的意思是continue an activity or task，意義上此處沒有問題，但需加介詞with帶賓語。如你想表達“他做了或做完了這個計劃”，則可用carry out（不帶with）。

（11） 在這篇文章里，what seemed like a century其實并不妥帖。如果是不好的事情，比如危急的事情等，這個說法才合適。這個地方用after what seemed a very long time更妥帖。

（12） -ing是同時進行的動作，那么，此處sitting upon the ground是持續性動作（與sitting down不同），與瞬間動作paused同時進行，邏輯上有疙瘩。其實，這個句子還不如把三個動作全部用一般過去時表示：He paused， sat down on the ground by the fawn and started to stroke its fur. 另外，這里的paused可以刪去，因為Billy應該是把水喂完了，后面不可能再開始喂。

（13） its fur改成his fur更好。

（14）too touched...to become aware非常生硬，改成so touched...that I wasn’t aware...就好了。

（15）aware后其實帶的是兩個從句，所以clouds前如能加引導詞that，則語言更為規范清楚。

（16）原文講“We had not seen rain in almost a month”，此處months’drought不能說不可能，但邏輯上可能不夠嚴密。

（17）你如果想用一個獨立主格結構，最好加一個with，以明確指示這是一個獨立主格結構，不讓讀者費神（因為它與后面的主句關系不是非常密切）。我個人意見（當然別的老師會有不同想法）：其實，這個獨立主格結構與后面主句關系不密切（這些shouting啥的跟I felt rain有什么關系？沒有關系），所以這樣用獨立主格結構并不好。最后一句也許這樣改會好些：I heard thrilled shouting and crying in the distance. Rain， mixed with my tears， streamed down my cheeks.

劉教授點評：

這篇續寫很好，情節曲折合理，尤其是結尾下雨的設計，令人精神一振，可圈可點。故事人物刻畫細致，情感傳達充分、自然、感人，語言也較為地道，總體通順流暢。有幾點需要注意：

1. 細處要準確。如：冠詞的使用。英語是形合語言，其意義受其形式限制。enormous horns是原文中已經提到過的，續寫中使用應加定冠詞;sudden attack則是第一次，應使用不定冠詞。又如：所選用詞語的意義應該貼切，如miserable和after what seemed like a century等詞語的意義。

2. 邏輯要合理。邏輯主要是從情節與人物刻畫（性格、動作等）等方面講的，但是，所有的任務都是用語言完成的，因此，邏輯是否合理實際主要在語言層面上體現。如he paused， sitting...and stroking...以及too touched to become aware...實際就是邏輯問題。上面所講考慮詞語意義貼切實際上也屬邏輯問題。

3. 文氣要自然。如第二段所續第一句中兩個分句用and連接，表面上看，似乎語言接在一起了，但由于兩個分句意義上有間距，用and連接反而不通暢。另如句與句之間的銜接，如To my amazement， however， nothing miserable happened一句，however的位置干擾了連貫性。文氣其實就是coherence，coherence很多時候依靠cohesion完成，cohesion使用是否恰當，影響著文氣是否通暢。

其實，上面所講的三點都可以歸入邏輯問題（情節邏輯、意義邏輯），歸根結底就是語言邏輯問題。建議以后讀書、寫作時多思考what和why這兩個問題——“這是什么？”“為什么這樣用？”“這樣用對不對？”“這樣用好不好？”“為什么？”多加練習，必有驚喜。