前言:筆者每年帶領(lǐng)學(xué)生參加高職技能大賽口語(yǔ)賽項(xiàng),發(fā)現(xiàn)多數(shù)參賽選手的“圖表描述”環(huán)節(jié)發(fā)揮得不盡如人意。究其原因,是對(duì)圖表小作文相關(guān)表達(dá)方式掌握不夠。要想從口中說(shuō)出來(lái),先要在腦中“寫”出來(lái)。本文立足于高職高專英語(yǔ)圖表小作文的寫作分析,在表達(dá)方式層面進(jìn)行匯總和舉例,注力求為高職學(xué)生口語(yǔ)比賽賽前指導(dǎo)提供有力的知識(shí)支撐。
常見的英文圖表有:統(tǒng)計(jì)表格--a statistic table;餅圖;餅狀圖--a pie chart;柱形圖;柱狀圖--a bar chart;線行圖--a line graph ;流程圖--a process diagram。
1.1常用名詞: 圖表--table, chart, figure, graph;比例--percentage, proportion, share
1.2常用動(dòng)詞
1)表明、顯示describe, show, represent, illustrate, demonstrate, indicate 2)占據(jù)比例account for, take up, occupy 3)增加或上升increase, rise, grow, go up 4)減少或下降decrease, fall, drop, decline, reduce, go down 5)保持平穩(wěn)remain stable/steady, stay/remain/maintain/keep/be the same 6)排名第一be on the top of the list; take the first place; rank the first 7)達(dá)到最高點(diǎn)reach the peak, reach the highest point, reach the zenith 8)達(dá)到最低點(diǎn)reach the bottom, bottom out 9)發(fā)生波動(dòng)fluctuate, rise and fall, go up and down 10)復(fù)蘇recover, bounce back
1.3常用形容詞和副詞
1)突然的(地)abrupt(ly),sudden(ly) 2)明顯的(地)dramatic(ally), sharp(ly) 3)急劇的(地)drastic(ally) 4)迅速的(地)quick(ly),rapid(ly) 5)顯著的(地)marked(ly),significant(ly) 6)可觀的(地)considerable(considerably),substantial(ly) 7)巨大的(地)enormous(ly), vast(ly) 8)適度的(地)moderate(ly) 9)平緩的(地)gradual(ly) 10)輕微的(地)slight(ly)
2.1數(shù)據(jù)變化的總體趨勢(shì)
1) 主語(yǔ)+showed a/an upward/downward trend +from+具體數(shù)據(jù)+時(shí)間點(diǎn)+to+具體數(shù)據(jù)+時(shí)間點(diǎn)
2) 主語(yǔ)+experienced a fall/rise + between +具體數(shù)據(jù)+時(shí)間點(diǎn)+and+具體數(shù)據(jù)+時(shí)間點(diǎn)
E.g.1) As can be seen from the line graph, the consumption of hamburgers showed an upward trend from about 90 grams in 1970 to nearly 550 grams in 1990.
2) By comparison, the consumption of fish and chips experienced a steady fall between just over 300 grams in the 1970 and 200 grams in 1985, followed by a slight increase to approximately 230 grams in 1990.
2.2數(shù)據(jù)的上升或下降
1) 主語(yǔ)+表示增長(zhǎng)或減少的動(dòng)詞+程度副詞+數(shù)據(jù)+時(shí)間點(diǎn)
2)There was a + 表示程度的形容詞+表示增長(zhǎng)或減少的名詞+數(shù)據(jù)+時(shí)間點(diǎn)
E.g. 1) The birth rate in China increased steadily from about 10 percent in 1920 to just over 15 percent in 1935, followed by a sharp decline to nearly 5 percent in 1940.
2) There was a steady increase in the birth rate in China from about 10 percent in 1920 to just over 15 percent in 1935, followed by a sharp decline to nearly 5 percent in 1940.
2.3對(duì)比的表達(dá)方式
1) By contrast/ By comparison;2) Compared with; 3) while; 4) A similar pattern was repeated for;5) A sharp contrast was illustrated in;6) On the contrary; 7) Contrary to
2.4時(shí)間的表達(dá)
1)in; 2) between … and; 3) from … to … ;4) over the period from … to … ;5) in the year between … and … ;6) in the 3 years spanning from 2001 through 2004; 7) for the first 3 months; 8) for/during/over the next/ following 6 months; 9) for/during/over/in the period of 4 months; 10) for/during/over/in a 4-month period; 11) over/for/during the same period; 12) from then on/ from this time/ point onwards/since then; 13) by the year of;14) after/before
3.以數(shù)據(jù)表格為例
圖表作文是說(shuō)明文的一種。一般可以分為三段來(lái)寫:第一段概括大意。根據(jù)題目描述圖表反映的總體情況。第二段分析歸納。分析數(shù)字的變化,歸納總結(jié)該變化的原因。第三段個(gè)人評(píng)價(jià)。表明個(gè)人想法,得出結(jié)論
下面以數(shù)據(jù)表格為例:請(qǐng)根據(jù)下表提供的信息描述近5年人們飲食的變化,并說(shuō)明變化的原因。
20082009201020112012
grain43%42%41%41%40%
milk13%14%14.5%14.5%15%
meat25%25%26%26.5%27.5%
Fruit & vegetable19%19%18.5%18%17.5%
total100%100%100%100%100%
As can be seen from the table, there are a lot of changes in people’s diet in the past five years.
Grain, the main food of the most people in China, is now playing a less important role and the amount of fruit and vegetables in the average people’s diet has also dropped by 1.5 percent from 2008 to 2012. In contrast to them, the amount of milk and meat has increased by 2 percent and 2.5 percent. It is clear from the table that great improvement in people’s lives has been made in these years.
In a word, there is no doubt that there will be great changes in people’s diet in the future.
(作者單位: 遼寧輕工職業(yè)學(xué)院)