刪繁就簡 抽絲剝繭
——談閱讀文本中長難句的簡化

寧夏 魏 勇

在高考英語試題中，文本閱讀是考查學(xué)生英文能力的重要手段。文本，是指語言的書面表現(xiàn)形式，通常是具有完整、系統(tǒng)含義的一個(gè)句子或多個(gè)句子的組合。一個(gè)文本可以是一個(gè)句子、一個(gè)段落或者一個(gè)篇章。在高中階段，英語閱讀文本的呈現(xiàn)形式為閱讀理解、“七選五”、完形填空、語法填空和短文改錯(cuò)。而文本閱讀，即對(duì)根據(jù)一定的語言銜接和語義連貫規(guī)則而組成的整體語句或語句系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行分析和解讀。

在進(jìn)行文本閱讀時(shí)，學(xué)生最常見的問題之一就是如何正確理解長難句。長難句往往句式復(fù)雜，且含有較多詞匯。學(xué)生對(duì)句子結(jié)構(gòu)的理解稍有偏差，就會(huì)導(dǎo)致其對(duì)整個(gè)文本的理解出現(xiàn)錯(cuò)誤。下面，筆者談一談如何指導(dǎo)學(xué)生有效地分析和簡化閱讀文本中的長難句。

一、簡化長難句的必備知識(shí)

談到簡化，教師首先要讓學(xué)生了解以下兩個(gè)方面的內(nèi)容：

（一）基本句型

英語的基本句型：1.主謂句；2.主謂賓句；3.主系表句；4.主謂賓賓句；5.主謂賓補(bǔ)句；6.存在句。具體而言，主謂句是名詞/代詞+不及物動(dòng)詞；主謂賓句是名詞/代詞+及物動(dòng)詞+名詞/代詞；主系表句是名詞/代詞+系動(dòng)詞+其他成分（名詞、形容詞、數(shù)詞等）；主謂賓賓句是名詞/代詞+及物動(dòng)詞+人+物；主謂賓補(bǔ)句是名詞/代詞+及物動(dòng)詞+名詞/代詞+其他成分（名詞、形容詞等）；存在句是there be 句型。

（二）句子分類

根據(jù)句式的功能，可以把句子分為陳述句、疑問句和祈使句。陳述句往往闡述一個(gè)事實(shí)；疑問句用來質(zhì)疑；祈使句往往沒有主語，表示一種祝愿、請(qǐng)求或者命令等。

當(dāng)學(xué)生了解這些基本要點(diǎn)后，簡化長難句就像抽絲剝繭，自然手到擒來。任何一個(gè)長難句，只要保留其基本成分，使其符合基本句型即可，但句子要有意義。下面，筆者結(jié)合高考閱讀文本中的長難句，闡述簡化長難句的具體方法。

二、簡化長難句的具體方法

（一）刪除定語

定語是用來對(duì)名詞或代詞進(jìn)行修飾和限制的成分。它可以是簡單的形容詞，也可以是復(fù)雜的定語從句。教師可以先引導(dǎo)學(xué)生簡化漢語中含有定語的長難句。例如，元代著名戲曲作家關(guān)漢卿有一句名言：“我是個(gè)蒸不爛、煮不熟、捶不匾、炒不爆、響王當(dāng) 王當(dāng)一粒銅豌豆”，通過刪除定語可簡化為主系表句“我是豌豆”。同樣，通過刪除定語，歌手李春波《小芳》的歌詞中“村里有個(gè)姑娘叫小芳，長得好看又善良，一雙美麗的大眼睛，辮子粗又長”可簡化為“小芳好看又善良”。有了上述鋪墊，教師可以逐步引導(dǎo)學(xué)生簡化英語中含有定語的長難句。

【例1】（2017 年全國卷Ⅲ 閱讀理解B）Bradford sold the building and land to a local development firm,which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.

分析：local development 為firm 的前置定語；which 引導(dǎo)非限定性定語從句，修飾前面的名詞firm；where 為定語從句中所包含的定語從句，修飾前面的名詞land。

簡化：Bradford sold the building and land to a firm.

句意：Bradford 把建筑物和土地賣給了一家公司。

【例2】（2019 年全國卷Ⅰ 完形填空）Further up,the weather changes—low clouds envelope the mountainsides,which are covered with thick grass.

分析：low 為前置定語，修飾名詞clouds；which 引導(dǎo)定語從句，修飾名詞mountainsides。

簡化：The weather changes—clouds envelope the mountainsides.

句意：天氣發(fā)生了變化——云團(tuán)籠罩著山坡。

【例3】（2016 年全國卷Ⅲ 語法填空）Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius,who lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C.,influenced the development of chopsticks.

分析：句中that 引導(dǎo)一個(gè)賓語從句，在賓語從句中the great Chinese scholar 是前置定語，修飾名詞Confucius；who lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C.為非限定性定語從句，是Confucius 的后置定語。

簡化：Some people think that Confucius influenced the development of chopsticks.

句意：一些人認(rèn)為孔子影響了筷子的發(fā)展。

（二）刪除狀語

狀語是用來修飾整個(gè)句子或動(dòng)詞的部分，表示程度、原因、讓步、假設(shè)、時(shí)間、地點(diǎn)、伴隨、方式等。狀語既可以是副詞、介詞短語、非謂語動(dòng)詞短語，也可以是各種狀語從句。同樣，簡化句子時(shí)，把附加成分全部刪除，保留基本句型即可。教師可以先引導(dǎo)學(xué)生簡化漢語中含有狀語的長難句。例如，林志穎的歌曲《十七歲的雨季》中有這樣一句歌詞：“當(dāng)我還是小孩子，門前有許多的茉莉花，散發(fā)著淡淡的清香”。其中“當(dāng)我還是小孩子”是時(shí)間狀語，“散發(fā)著淡淡的清香”是伴隨狀語，這句歌詞簡化后為一個(gè)存在句“門前有茉莉花”。又如，網(wǎng)絡(luò)小說《雪中悍刀行》中有這樣一句話“天不生我李淳罡，劍道萬古如長夜！”，其中“天不生我李淳罡”是條件狀語，簡化后這句話是簡單的主系表句“劍道如夜”。有了上述鋪墊，教師可以逐步引導(dǎo)學(xué)生簡化英語中含有狀語的長難句。

【例1】（2017年全國卷Ⅲ閱讀理解D）The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named“DriveLAB”in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.

分析：Intelligent Transport 為前置定語；at Newcastle University 為地點(diǎn)狀語；named“DriveLAB”為后置定語；in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are 為目的狀語。

簡化：The team have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory.

句意：該團(tuán)隊(duì)已經(jīng)把電動(dòng)汽車轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)橐苿?dòng)實(shí)驗(yàn)室。

【例2】（2019 年全國卷Ⅲ 閱讀理解B）Earlier this year,the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art,with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美學(xué))on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries.

分析：Earlier this year 為時(shí)間狀語；China Through A Looking Glass 為前置定語；in New York 為地點(diǎn)狀語；with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美學(xué))on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries 為伴隨狀語。

簡化：The exhibition exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art.

句意：這個(gè)展覽展出了140件中國風(fēng)時(shí)裝和中國藝術(shù)品。

【例3】（2016 年全國卷Ⅱ 完形填空）The woman sitting at the desk,seeing my madness,sympathetically jumped up.

分析：sitting at the desk 為非謂語動(dòng)詞短語作后置定語；seeing my madness 為非謂語動(dòng)詞作原因狀語；sympathetically 為方式狀語，修飾動(dòng)詞jumped。

簡化：The woman jumped up.

句意：那位女士跳了起來。

【例4】（2019 年全國卷Ⅱ“七選五”）Another way of setting realistic goals is to analyze your short and long term objectives,keeping in mind your beliefs,values and strengths.

分析：of setting realistic goals 為后置定語，修飾名詞way；your short and long term 為前置定語，修飾名詞objectives；keeping in mind your beliefs,values and strengths為現(xiàn)在分詞作伴隨狀語。

簡化：Another way is to analyze objectives.

句意：還有一種方法是分析目標(biāo)。

（三）刪除同位語、獨(dú)立主格

有時(shí)，為了使句子生動(dòng)、完整，作者會(huì)使用同位語或獨(dú)立主格結(jié)構(gòu)，教師可以指導(dǎo)學(xué)生將其刪除來簡化長難句。

【例1】（2016 年全國卷Ⅱ 閱讀理解D）Frank Hurley,a confident and gifted Australian photographer who knew the Antarctic,was hired to make the images,most of which have never before been published.

分析：a confident and gifted Australian photographer 是Frank Hurley 的同位語；who 引導(dǎo)定語從句，修飾名詞photographer；to make the images 為目的狀語；most of which have never before been published 為非限定性定語從句。

簡化：Frank Hurley was hired.

句意：Frank Hurley 被雇傭了。

【例2】（2017 年全國卷Ⅱ 閱讀理解B）We shared the belief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success,you should put something back—he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill,and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival.

分析：that if you’re fortunate enough to have success,you should put something back—he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill,and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival 是名詞belief 的同位語。

簡化：We shared the belief.

句意：我們有著這樣的信念。

【例3】（2017 年全國卷Ⅱ 閱讀理解D）Back in 1983,two scientists,Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin,reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get.

分析：Back in 1983 為時(shí)間狀語；Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin 為同位語；getting bitten by insects 為后置定語，修飾名詞trees；that neighboring plants can get 為定語從句，修飾名詞smell。

簡化：Two scientists reported that young maple trees send out a particular smell.

句意：兩位科學(xué)家報(bào)道說年輕楓樹會(huì)釋放一種特殊氣味。

三、牛刀小試，一舉兩得

在教授學(xué)生簡化長難句的必備知識(shí)并講解簡化長難句的具體方法后，教師要給學(xué)生布置相關(guān)的練習(xí)，以提升學(xué)生簡化長難句的能力，從而更好地進(jìn)行文本閱讀并順利地解答相關(guān)試題。下面是學(xué)生按照筆者教授的方法，對(duì)2018 年高考英語全國卷Ⅰ閱讀理解C 進(jìn)行簡化的結(jié)果（畫線部分為簡化長難句后留下的文章主要內(nèi)容）：

①Languages have been coming and going for thousands of years,but in recent times there has been less coming and a lot more going.（刪除時(shí)間狀語）②When the world was still populated by hunter-gatherers,small,tightly knit(聯(lián)系)groups developed their own patterns of speech independent of each other.（刪除時(shí)間狀語、定語）③Some language experts believe that 10 000 years ago,when the world had just five to ten million people,they spoke perhaps 12 000 languages between them.（刪除定語、時(shí)間狀語、定語從句、范圍狀語）

④Soon afterwards,many of those people started settling down to become farmers,and their languages too became more settled and fewer in number.（刪除時(shí)間狀語、定語、目的狀語、程度狀語、范圍狀語）⑤In recent centuries,trade,industrialisation,the development of the nation-state and the spread of universal compulsory education,especially globalisation and better communications in the past few decades,all have caused many languages to disappear,and dominant languages such as English,Spanish and Chinese are increasingly taking over.（刪除時(shí)間狀語、定語、同位語、程度狀語）

⑥At present,the world has about 6 800 languages.⑦The distribution of these languages is hugely uneven.⑧The general rule is that mild zones have relatively few languages,often spoken by many people,while hot,wet zones have lots,often spoken by small numbers.（刪除定語）⑨Europe has only around 200 languages;the Americas about 1 000;Africa 2 400;and Asia and the Pacific perhaps 3 200,of which Papua New Guinea alone accounts for well over 800.（刪除定語和程度狀語）⑩The median number(中位數(shù))of speakers is a mere 6 000,which means that half the world’s languages are spoken by fewer people than that.（刪除定語從句）

2018 年高考英語全國卷Ⅰ閱讀理解C 是一篇說明文，介紹了世界上語言的消失。全文共304 詞，12 句話，平均每句25 詞，幾乎句句都是長難句，可以說學(xué)生對(duì)這些句子的簡化事關(guān)文本閱讀及解題的成敗。此外，對(duì)長難句進(jìn)行簡化的過程中會(huì)調(diào)用定語從句、狀語從句、同位語從句、獨(dú)立主格等語法知識(shí)，這無形中也夯實(shí)了學(xué)生的相關(guān)基礎(chǔ)知識(shí)。

綜上所述，在進(jìn)行文本閱讀時(shí)，教師要指導(dǎo)學(xué)生先找到句子中的主語和謂語，以確定句子的結(jié)構(gòu)；再確定修飾名詞的前置定語或后置定語，以及修飾動(dòng)詞或整個(gè)句子的狀語，在文本有意義的前提下迅速簡化長難句，從而快速了解文本大意，準(zhǔn)確解題。