摘 要:根據(jù)The Usborne First Thousand Words in English,by Stephen Cartwright列出的1000個基礎(chǔ)英語單詞,篩選出125個簡單動詞,以“有道詞典”里的柯林斯英英詞典、百度詞典等為查找工具,查出125個動詞的釋義。通過提取部分動詞的釋義,并通過分析、歸納的方法,最終發(fā)現(xiàn)動詞的釋義規(guī)律如下:①常見的動詞釋義方法是:描述法、同義詞釋義法。②可以通過探尋動詞釋義的共同點,歸納記憶動詞。③通過探尋動詞釋義的異同點,歸類記憶同類動詞,區(qū)分記憶同義動詞。教師要進一步探討動詞及其釋義在作文中的具體運用,讓學(xué)生了解動詞及其釋義對基礎(chǔ)寫作的重要性,提高學(xué)生寫作才能。
關(guān)鍵詞:動詞釋義;釋義記憶法;釋義寫作法;寫作才能
英語詞類中,動詞占了很重要的地位。如何設(shè)法記住最常見最簡單的動詞,是至關(guān)重要的事。除了常見的朗讀法、構(gòu)詞比較法、分類法、發(fā)音規(guī)律法、拼寫特點法,這里引入一種新的記憶方法——動詞釋義法。那么,動詞的釋義有什么規(guī)律?我們根據(jù)動詞的釋義規(guī)律,指導(dǎo)學(xué)生根據(jù)釋義的內(nèi)在聯(lián)系來分門別類加以記憶。在掌握動詞的釋義基礎(chǔ)上,指導(dǎo)學(xué)生在豐富釋義的過程中完成基礎(chǔ)小作文。
一、常見的動詞釋義方法是:描述法,同義詞釋義法
首先,我們看看kiss的釋義:To kiss is to touch someone with your lips. 這是用了什么方法來釋義呢?這是對動作的外部特征,進行了描述。其次,再看看fight的釋義:To fight is to struggle against someone or something. 這是用了什么方法來釋義呢?fight vs struggle against是用同義詞來解釋。
用同義詞釋義,類似的例子如下:
①To lift something is to pick it up. lift=pick…up
②To mix things is to put them together. mix=Put together
二、通過探尋動詞釋義的共同點,來歸納記憶動詞
舉例一:run、shake、clap,這三個詞,有什么共同點?我們從其釋義中探尋:1)To run is to move very quickly. 2)To shake something is to move it quickly up and down or from side to side. 3)When you clap,you bring your hands together quickly to make a loud noise. 關(guān)鍵詞是“quickly”,具有“快”這個特點。當然,也有特殊的時候,如果要描述“慢跑”,通常在“run”上加“slowly”。
舉例二:bake、cook、eat,這三個詞,有什么共同點?我們從其釋義中探尋:1)To bake something is to cook it in an oven. A baker is a person who makes bread,cakes,and other foods in a bakery. 2)To cook is to heat food and get it ready to eat. 3)To eat is to put food into your mouth,chew it,and swallow it. 關(guān)鍵詞是“food”,都與食物有關(guān),當然也跟吃有關(guān)。
舉例三:mix、sew、tie ,這三個詞,有什么共同點?我們從其釋義中探尋:1)To mix things is to put them together. 2)To sew is to join fabric together using a needle and thread. 3)To tie something is to knot it together. This boy is tying his shoelaces. 關(guān)鍵詞是“together”。篩選關(guān)鍵詞,需要一定的技巧。
舉例四:blow、crawl、dance、pull、push、ride、rock、roll、row、run、shake、skip、swim、walk、wave,這十五個動詞,有什么共同點?我們從其釋義中探尋:1)To blow is to move air with speed or force. You push air out of your mouth to blow bubbles. 2)To crawl is to move along on hands and knees. 3)To dance is to move your body in time to music. 4)To pull something is to take hold of it and move it towards you. 5)To push something is to take hold of it and move it away from you. 6)To ride is to sit in or on something while it moves along. This girl is riding a pony. 7)To rock is to move back and forth,or from side to side. 8)To roll is to tum over and over as you move along. 9)To row a boat is to pull on oars,so that the boat moves through the water. 10)To run is to move very quickly. 11)To shake something is to move it quickly up and down or from side to side. 12)To skip is to move along by hopping from one foot to the other. 13)To swim is to move yourself through water using your arms and legs. 14)To walk is to move along lifting one foot at a time and putting it down in front of the other. 15)To wave is to move your hand from side to side to say hello or goodbye.
關(guān)鍵詞是“move”,都是跟移動相關(guān)。十五個動詞都是各種各樣的移動:前、后、左、右,用手的,用腳的,用嘴的,用工具的。 通過“move”建立一個思維的譜系,前、后、左、右、上、下,用手、腳、嘴、工具,快,慢等,就可以把十五個動詞都串聯(lián)記憶在譜系里頭。而且通過以上動詞釋義學(xué)習,也學(xué)習到了與“move”相關(guān)的副詞和狀語表達,可謂一舉多得。
三、通過探尋動詞釋義的異同點,來歸類記憶同類動詞,區(qū)分記憶同義動詞
舉例一:kiss、lick,這兩個詞,有什么異同點?我們從其釋義中探尋:1)To kiss is to touch someone with your lips. 2)To lick is to touch someone with your tongue.關(guān)鍵詞是“touch”,這是相同點。區(qū)別是,第一個動詞“kiss”用“l(fā)ips”,第二個動詞“l(fā)ick”用“tongue”。通過區(qū)分,不用背誦,一下子就把兩個動詞記住了。
舉例二:draw、paint ,這兩個詞,有什么異同點?我們從其釋義中探尋:1)To draw is to make lines or marks that form a picture. 2)To paint is to make a picture using a brush and paints. 相同點都是畫畫。區(qū)別是,“draw”是用點、線來畫畫。比如用鉛筆、蠟筆等?!皃aint”是用水彩、油彩去畫。下面,我們來造句子區(qū)分這兩個動詞:How to draw a cartoon dog? 如何畫一個卡通狗? 這是典型的鉛筆畫。大家可以看到通過英文釋義來區(qū)分記憶動詞的好處:精確。
四、為了進一步探討動詞與其釋義在作文中的運用,本文通過舉例,來論證掌握動詞及其釋義對基礎(chǔ)寫作的重要性
題目如下:
To bake something is u5FnAyCIjEag/CLZrUsQceIg/Qc+3GvhBo9e1w9a69c=to cook it in an oven. A baker is a person who makes bread, cakes,and other foods in a bakery.
To cook is to heat food and get it ready to eat.
To eat is to put food into your mouth,chew it,and swallow it.
用bake、cook、eat這三個動詞及其釋義來舉例,寫一小作文。
教師示范小作文:I baked bread in my new oven this morning. I heated it for one hour. Then I put it into my mouth, chewed it slowly and swallowed it quickly.
解析:作文中第一句話:I baked bread in my new oven this morning. 通過在釋義上增加了“new”和“this morning”,大大豐富了原來的句子。我們著重看這個“new”:沒加這個“new”,加上這個“new”,區(qū)別是什么?不加這個“new”,表達的意思可能有些近似廢話。因為一般來說,烤面包都是在烤箱里。如果加了“new”,說明什么?說明強調(diào)是新的,這就不是一句廢話了。作文中最后一句話:Then I put it into my mouth, chewed it slowly and swallowed it quickly.通過在釋義上增加“slowly”“quickly”兩個詞,原本的釋義變成了具體的描寫,一種靈活應(yīng)用。就是由一種普通的情況,變成一種特殊的情況了。
學(xué)生在指導(dǎo)下,通過豐富釋義的方法,在課堂上完成的小作文如下:Today,at breakfast, I cooked my bread in my big new useful beautiful colorful oven and then I heated my yummy meat and got ready to eat .At last I put all the stuff into my big mouth with some potato sauce and quickly chewed them and swallowed them. Then I hurried to school.
所以,通過學(xué)習這三個動詞及其釋義,就可以學(xué)小作文了。即在原來釋義的基礎(chǔ)上,加上形容詞,表示時間的狀語,副詞如“快、慢”等修飾,讓一個普通的情況,變成一個特殊的情況,就變成自己的一個生動的小作文了。當然,這只是基礎(chǔ)寫作。要想寫得更有文學(xué)性,還需要學(xué)習更多的詞匯和表達。