不同的文化有著自己獨特的思維方式,對中國學生而言,寫好英語作文除了具備一定的詞匯量和語言基礎知識外,還必須注意不同思維模式的差異性。英語通常用一個段落表達一個意思,段落中心意思往往由作者直接說出來,被稱為作者責任型 (writer responsibility) ;而漢語段落中心一般深而不露,要靠讀者自己去歸納。漢語中常常是一個段落包含多個意思,甚至還有用多段說明一個意思的,因此被稱作讀者責任型 (reader responsibility) 。學生在寫作時往往憑自己的直覺和漢語思維模式進行段落的展開,很少注意所寫的方式是否符合英美人的行文習慣。Robert Bander認為這是因為語言文化思維差異的影響所致。那么如何才能在實際寫作中擺脫固有的漢語思維模式呢?我們可通過同一內容不同形式的行文方式加以比較,辨別其差異性。
一、曲折型與統(tǒng)一型
漢語的語篇思維模式多以迂回式形式為主,其表現(xiàn)為側重情感,遵循思維的自然流向,波瀾起伏,曲折入題。而英語語篇的思維模式表現(xiàn)形式常常為一個段落一個意思,其敘述通常圍繞主題進行,以輔助句的形式來支撐主題,突顯中心意思,表達直截了當,用事實說話。如:
I have been studying English for several years. Though I have made a lot of efforts, and spent much time on it, I haven’t made very obvious progress. I think it is because we have few opportunities to practice what we have learned. How can I memorize it if we learn a new word without any chance to use it? But if we use it in real life many times, things will be quite different. For example…
該段文字主要論述了學英語付出了許多努力但回報甚微的情況,后過渡到記憶單詞靠使用,接下來講如果能在實際生活中使用遇到的單詞,情形就會不一樣。這樣一直在不停地變換話題。也許在舉例后,又會對產生的情形加以分析,這是典型的受漢語思維的影響所造成的行文模式。段落順著漢語“起承轉合”的軌跡延伸,不能直奔主題,從而使論述的內容游離于段落中心之外。雖然讀上去無任何語法結構上的毛病,但給人以松散的感覺。這是許多學生在實際寫作中常犯的毛病之一。
如何改變學生在寫作中固有的漢語思維模式呢?教師可通過不同段落對比的方式來闡明英美人行文的思維模式。如根據(jù)該段落的內容可運用下面的段落進行對比。
It’s not easy to learn English to a Chinese. Although I have been learning English for several years and made a lot of efforts, I haven’t made obvious progress. One of the reasons, I think, is that we have few opportunities to practice what we have learned. For example, to learn a new word and to memorize it we need to have more opportunities to practice it in real life. If we use it in real life many times, things will be quite different.
該段落突出了一個中心,即中國人學英語不容易,用段落主題句點明其中心思想,將主題句放在句首,然后根據(jù)主題展開論述。這樣有利于作者控制段落發(fā)展方向和范圍,使段落內容集中,達到段落的統(tǒng)一和完整。用此形式可以降低漢語思維模式對寫作的影響。因此教師在指導學生寫作時,應告誡學生緊緊圍繞段落的主題去展開,切忌東一榔頭西一棒的現(xiàn)象。
二、情感型與理性型
漢語思維模式重直覺,表達迂回曲折,靠意義貫通所形成的語境來組織語言,習慣于陳述觀點和看法;英語思維模式重理性,主要通過語言形式手段來反映語言結構關系,論述問題時習慣用事實說話。如:
Taking part in sports can also help improve study efficiency. It can give you a rest after a day’s work. It can make you relax when you feel tired and broken-down. It can relieve the pressure you have in studies. If you take part in sports regularly, your study efficiency will be surely improved.
該段落主要論述了參加體育活動與學習之間的關系。其行文完全按照漢語的思維模式進行,這種一個接一個羅列看法的寫作使人讀了覺得空泛,造成“東拉西扯”的感覺。對照下面的一段按英語思維模式所寫的段落,則效果就不一樣。如:
Taking part in sports can also help improve study efficiency. One study shows that people who take regular exercise suffer less from anxiety and are able to work better. According to medical report, 83 percent of the freshmen who had trouble with studies were in bad physical shape. And when they were put into a physical fitness program, their grades picked up more or less.
該段落首先提出主題,然后用一系列的細節(jié)展開論述,把原段落中空洞的口號式句子轉化為說明段落中心的細節(jié),使之得到了較好的改進。
三、意合型與形合型
漢語思維模式傾向于思維的自然流向,完全遵循事情發(fā)生的先后順序和時間順序,主要靠語義的貫通來表明語言結構之間的邏輯關系;而英語思維模式則主要通過語言的形態(tài)和語言的形式手段 (如連詞、代詞) 的連接來表示結構關系。如:
A student acquires knowledge mainly from textbooks and in class. When he graduates from school he can do nothing. Everything is different from what teachers told him. He would be disappointed and frustrated. He may even be afraid to face the world. Our schools have turned out people of no use.
該段落主要論述了教育的一些失誤之處。雖然整個段落無任何語法的錯誤,但給人以松散的感覺,其主要原因是缺乏必要的連接形式,致使段落銜接不緊。這也是學生在實際寫作中極易忽視的問題。而英文的段落則主要靠話語聯(lián)系語進行銜接,從而體現(xiàn)英語形合的特點。如:
As he acquires knowledge mainly from textbooks and in class, a student finds himself capable of doing nothing when he graduates from school. For everything in life is different from what teachers told him, he would be disappointed and frustrated. As a result, he may even be afraid to face the real world. Obviously our schools have turned out people of no use.
經過改寫的段落除了使用了As a result外,還使用了介詞for和副詞obviously等,既闡明了原因又作出了結論,其效果不言而喻。
通過上面的幾點論述和段落的比較,我們知道不同的思維模式在英語寫作中可能會產生不同的效果。了解不同的思維模式在行文中的特點,有助于在寫作中寫出更符合英文習慣的文章,使之寫出的文章有較濃的英文味。
(作者:張海生,江蘇省海安縣實驗中學)