阅读方法论之五How to Dig Out Viewpoints

笔者在过去三年的教学过程当中，发现很多学生非常地勤奋，每天都在看英语阅读文章，但进步非常有限。究其原因是，他们错误地认为只要努力了，就一定能够有所收获。这种看法是非常片面的，殊不知方向错了，方法错了，越是努力反而离目标越远。这和打网球是一样的，握拍、引拍、挥拍等技术动作都要有正确的方式，否则沿着错误的方式练下去，只会导致水平的难以提高，严重的还会伤害自己的身体健康。

很多学生都有这样的困惑：为什么我每天都在看英语阅读文章，做阅读题目，却还是很难看懂文章呢？一个很重要的原因其实是学生看文章时根本没有想过去挖掘文章的观点或者根本不知道如何去挖掘文章的观点。为了解决上述的问题，本文着重于解决挖掘观点的基本功的分析：从如何区分观点和事实到文章重要观点的把握。

I. How to Differentiate Between Opinions and Facts

大部分阅读材料都是为了影响读者思想而存在的。优秀的读者就要首先学会区分事实和观点。一句陈述到底是事实、是观点、还是二者兼而有之，辨别起来并不总是那么容易。而且作者要说服你接受他的观点，必然会通措辞使其观点看上去更像是事实，从而达到混淆视听的效果。

＊Definition of Facts

    Fact is something which is known to have happened or to exist, especially something for which proof exists, or about which there is information. 由此可见事实是指已经发生或存在的一种客观。而描述事实的句子则可以通过直接观察、实验和研究等手段去验证它的正确性，并且事实不会传达作者的个人观点或感受。例如：In 1996, men earned an average $ 32,144 annually, while women earned $ 23,710 for the same amount of hours worked, according to a report published by the National Committee on Pay Equity. 这句话就是典型的事实表达。

＊Definition of Opinions

Opinion is a thought or belief about something or someone, or a way of thinking about something, or a statement of belief, attitudes, or judgments. 由此可见，观点的陈述通常表达出了个人的看法、判断、信念、情感、态度和价值观，并且常常表现为推论、预感、猜测或结论等各种主观表达形式。例如：Christian Dior was the most outstanding dress designer of the last century. Premarital sex is normal today. In many areas, Nixon’s record did look bad. 这里的outstanding, normal, bad都是一种主观判断的表现。

＊Informed Opinions

为了加强观点，作者可能会把观点建立在事实的基础上。在这种情况下，其观点就称之为有事实依据的观点。例如：Light is essential to photosynthesis. 这里essential是一种主观判断，但光确实是光合作用的起重要作用。

＊Word Watch

观点出现的标志词：

believe suggest allege conclude surmise feel think hold appear to

It apparently/presumably is    It seems that    It probably will

主观判断、感情色彩表露、价值观展现的词：

 bad beautiful best doubtful   favorable   good   great   inconsequential

 meaningful    significant   expensive    unsatisfactory    worse

 特殊的表示作结论的词：

 As a matter of fact     the fact of the matter is   in fact    the point is

 It is a fact that         the truth is

II. How to Find the Viewpoints

一般说来学术类文章每一段的opening and closing sentences对我们发掘观点来说是至关重要的。因为他们能够作为guideposts帮助我们确定focus并且进一步根据focus找到作者的观点。另外在阅读文章时，你应该学会自己问自己以下三个问题：

Whom or what is this passage about？

What aspect of this subject is the author talking about?

What is the author trying to get across about this aspect of the subject?

最后在阅读时应该关注以下八处地方，这些地方都是观点发掘的重要地方：

我们举个例子来看看：

Sesame Street is expensive in every respect. Estimates have put the cost of producing each viewing hour anywhere from ninety-two thousand to one million dollars. No one questions that this monumental product reflects good and earnest intentions on the part of its generators and producers, Children’s Television Workshop. Yet when we encourage preschoolers to watch Sesame Street, we are programming them to “enjoy”---and perhaps even need---over-stimulation, manipulation, and neural habits that are antagonistic to academic learning. In my opinion, it is a serious travesty of the educational enterprise particularly because it has assumed the mission and garnered parents’ trust.

上面highlight的部分都是观点，因为它们都做出了主观的判断：expensive, antagonistic, serious travesty。

吴 鹏