一、compare与contrast的误用 我们先从两者的定义入手来看两者的区别。Compare的定义为:to examine people or things to see how they are similar or different. Contrast的定义为:to compare two or more things to show the difference between them. 由定义不难看出前者侧重于找到两个或多个事物的异同,而后者则侧重于它们的不同。 看个例句: It is interesting to compare their situations to ours./It is interesting to contrast their situations to ours。 前一句翻译为:对比一下我们的情况与他们的情况会很有趣。 后一句的翻译为:我们的情况与他们的情况有很大的不同,这很有趣。 再看一个引自OXFORD ADBANCED LEARNER’S DICTIONARY的例子: There is an obvious contrast between the culture of East and West。 The company lost $7 million in contrast to a profit of $6.2 million a year earlier。 When you look at their new system, ours seems very old-fashioned by contrast。 不难发现,Compare 翻译为“ 与。。。相比”而contrast可译为“明显不同的是。。。”,切记这种翻译方式就不会用错彼此了。 二、介词使用错误 1、普通介词的误用 一般表现为固定搭配错误,如常把provide sb with sth用成provide sb sth; be satisfied with用成be satisfied for等等,虽然这样的错误看似无伤大雅,但在考官眼里就是影响顺畅阅读的,当然会影响 终成绩。解决的办法简单而古老:把常见的固定搭配牢记于心,问题自然就解决了。 2、“to”作为介词的误用 “to” 常见的用法是以动词不定式符号的形式出现的,所以同学们也已经习惯了 “to do”的固定搭配。对于一些如walk to me, to the left等介词to表方向等常见用法一般也不会出现错误。但是对于与动词搭配的介词to就会经常犯错: 如: More and more students have taken to depend on their parents to make decision for them。 这里的 ‘take to’ means ‘to begin to do sth as a habit’ 其中 ‘to’为介词,所以后面只能接名词或相当于名词的词,如动名词。所以黑体处应改为“depending on”。“take to”的另一个常用用法也需要牢记: He hasn’t taken to his new school. (这里‘take to’ means ‘to start liking sb or sth’) Prefer A to B中的 “to”也是介词,会有 prefer doing sth to doing sth/ prefer sth to sth else, 这里雅思中国网海外考试研究中心提醒您,“prefer to do sth rather than do sth”中的“to”可是真正的不定式符号。 类似的常用用法请同学们牢记: Be used to doing Be accustomed to doing See to doing Adapt to doing Adjust to doing prefer doing sth. to doing sth。 等等,请注意平时仔细积累。 三、assume及claim使用不够准确 我们知道, think, assume, claim是议论文中常用引出观点的动词。在实际作文中,同学们往往认为几个词的意思是一样的,完全可以代换,所以拿过来就用。甚至还有同学把consider也拿过来与之混用。我们首先还是从定义来看这几个词的不同: Think: to have opinion or belief about sth。 翻译为“认为”,通常接宾语从句来表达比较确定的观点。 Assume: to think or accept that sth is true but without having proof of it。 翻译为“假设、假定”,是否有事实依据是不确定的。 Claim: to say sth is true although it has not been proved and other people may not believe it。 翻译为“声称”,用这个词往往意味着不赞同紧跟其后的观点,所以很少用作 ‘I claim that… Scientist are claiming a breakthrough in the fight against cancer, but in fact, …。 所以 ‘It is claimed that’ 通常翻译为“有报道称。。。”。和‘it is reported that ’的区别在于后者翻译为“据报道”,往往代表着作者赞同报告的内容, Consider: to think about sth carefully, especially in order to make a decision 翻译为“考虑”,一般不用作引出观点,看个例子: We are considering buying a new car。 所以,提醒您,千万不要在雅思大作文的段(观点表达段)就因为用词把握不准而导致对整篇文章的低分印象。 四、表“建议”的词汇后面忘记用虚拟从句 这是摘自学生作文中的一个病句: I suggest he continues his study instead of working after graduation from high school。 因为 ‘suggest’翻译为“建议”,所以后面的从句应该用虚拟语气,黑体部分应该改为 “(should) continue” 提醒您,一定要牢记以下常见表“建议”的词汇,而且要记住这些词接从句时要用虚拟语气: Recommend, suggest, advise 五、such as与for example的混用 我们知道,在表示举例子的时候,such as 与like是完全等同的,如:Wild flowers such as/like orchids and primroses are becoming rare。 但是同学们对于Such as、for example 的把握还是不够准确。我们都知道,后者接句子前者接词语表示举例子。于是就有了下面的写法: There is a similar word in many languages, such as in French and Italian。 这里的such as改为 for example为好,因为“in French and Italian”其实是“there is a similar word in French and Italian”的简化,所以要用 for example来引出例证。再来看几个类似的例子: It is possible to combine computer science with other subjects, for example physics。 后,要提醒各位考生,在平时的写作中绝对不能放过任何的模棱两可,只有平时“斤斤计较”才能做到“写作使人精确”。 (责任编辑:admin) |