中國人寫托福作文往往會有“中國特色”,比如:中國人習慣于用人稱主語,而英語中則常用無靈主語,分享托福寫作如何巧用“無靈主語”,寫托福作文時,我們要有意識地按照英語的思維去表達,這樣不僅能寫出地道的英語句子,也避免了作文中千篇一律的“人”主宰一切的枯燥和沉悶的氛圍。
主語多樣化:中國人習慣于用人稱主語,而英語中則常用無靈主語
(inanimate subject),即無生命的事物作主語,如:
1.The last two decades has witnessed earth-shaking changes in China.
中國在過去的二十年中發生了翻天覆地的變化。
2 A strange peace came over her when she was alone.
她獨處時感到一種特別的安寧。
3 I am very sorry that the pressure of other occupations has prevented me from sending an earlier reply to your letter.
由于我近來事務繁忙,沒能給于及早回復,對此我表示深深的歉意。
4 The smallest excuse would have served.
其實,你隨便找個哪怕最小的借口就可以了。
5 That night sleep eluded me.
那天晚上我徹夜未眠。
6 The old house has seen better days.
這座老房子的主人曾過著更好的生活。
7 Everything at the party spoke of careful planning.
派對上的一切都說明主人進行了精心策劃。
8 A terrible thought suddenly struck me—had I locked the door?
我突然產生了一個可怕的想法——我鎖門了嗎?
9 When he had to speak, his confidence suddenly deserted him.
等到不得不說話時,他卻突然沒了信心。
在英語中沒有生命的事物作主語,來作為動作的發出者是相當普遍的現象,幾乎和人稱主語句平分秋色。但由于受漢語思維的束縛,我們往往覺得人作主語更自然,因此大多數情況下,我們中國學生不假思索地采取漢語的思維去表達,如上述例1、例5和例9,很可能會寫作如下的樣子:
1b. Great changes have taken place in China in the last two decades.
5b. I failed to fall into sleep that night.
5c. I kept awake all through that night.
9b. When he had to speak, he suddenly lost confidence.
我們既然已經了解了英語的這種獨特思維,寫托福作文時,我們要有意識地按照英語的思維去表達,這樣不僅能寫出地道的英語句子,也避免了作文中千篇一律的“人”主宰一切的枯燥和沉悶的氛圍。