原標(biāo)題:為什么你也能看“外國話劇”?(容易搞定)
假如你從來沒有接觸過外國話劇禽翼,一聽到“外國話劇”幾個字礁苗,你的第一反應(yīng)可能是:“咦,外國話勩堤帷析校?會不會很難看懂啊长酗?”
如果你把上面的“外國話劇”換成“英文原版書”溪北,估計也成立。
英文原版書都很難嗎夺脾?
確實有一部分英文原版書是很難的之拨,比如專著或?qū)W術(shù)著作,不過大約80%的原版沒你想得那么難咧叭,它們是你跳一跳就能夠得著蚀乔、讀得進的。那些寫書的老外也希望書能暢銷對不對菲茬?寫得太晦澀吉挣,大概只能成為催眠道具了。
本文說的英文原版專指非虛構(gòu)致用類原版書婉弹,不包括小說睬魂。對于高中英語良好或具有英語四、六級水平的人而言镀赌,那些跳一跳就能夠得著的原版書按照難度氯哮,大致可以分為兩類:簡易和中等難度。
簡易類的原版書主要講方法商佛,理論涉及較少喉钢,通俗易懂,也容易上手操作威彰。以下3本書就是這種類型:
Speed Reading: Your Fast Track Ticket to Knowledge ?By Michael Chapman
5000 Words per Hour: Write Faster, Write Smarter ?By Chris Fox
Personal Branding: 10 Steps toward a New Professional You ?By Mel Carson
而中等難度的原版書雖然也談方法出牧,但解釋觀點、闡述思路的篇幅占主要歇盼,比如這幾本書:
The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast ?By Josh Kaufman
Personal Development for Smart People ?By Steve Pavlina
The Power of Habit ?By Charles Duhigg
如果你想從英文原版榨取干貨舔痕,學(xué)到知識和技能,真正把英語用起來,那么不管是簡易類還是中等難度的非虛構(gòu)致用類原版書伯复,都是你主攻的對象慨代。
英文原版書也能被你搞定
上面介紹的兩類原版書被你攻克,有一個基本條件:你高中時的英語水平良好啸如,最好在大學(xué)過了四侍匙、六級,或者雖然沒考但具有同等水平叮雳。在這個基礎(chǔ)上看英文原版想暗,事情就比較簡單,因為你看到的大多數(shù)非虛構(gòu)致用類原版書帘不,在遣詞造句和表述方式上“平易近人”说莫。
很多英文原版書為了暢銷,擴大讀者數(shù)量寞焙,在語言上精心打磨储狭,用簡短、精煉且常用的詞語表達觀點捣郊,帶一點口語風(fēng)格辽狈。同時會把句子寫得結(jié)構(gòu)清晰、簡單易懂呛牲,多用短句子刮萌,如無必要盡量回避復(fù)雜的長句子,便于讀者快速理解和碎片化閱讀侈净。僅僅為了顯示自己的水平而把句子整得又長又難懂尊勿,可能會嚇跑讀者僧凤。
以The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast一書中的句子為例:
As we discussed in chapter 1, learning isn’t the same thing as skill acquisition. That, however, doesn’t mean learning is unimportant. Doing a bit of research before you jump into practice can save you precious time, energy, and emotional fortitude.
Learning makes your practice more efficient, which lets you spend more of your practice time working on the most important subskills first.
它們都很容易理解畜侦,第二段即使有點長,但作者用了有逗號隔開的非限制性定語從句躯保,讀者一眼就能清晰地看出整個句子的結(jié)構(gòu):1個主句(講重點)+1個從句(做補充)旋膳。
我再截取2016年6月大學(xué)英語四級真題一篇閱讀的部分文字,放在下面途事。你把它和上面來自原版書的文字進行比對验懊,會發(fā)現(xiàn)它們的難度大致在同一水平。
Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.
(摘自2016年6月大學(xué)英語四級試題Section C ?Passage Two)
原版書的作者尸变,除了在語言層面增加易讀性义图,在內(nèi)容上也會下功夫,通過講故事召烂、舉例子碱工、做類比等方式,最大限度地讓你看懂他寫的文字。
比如原版書ME.inc: Creating a personal branding這一段:
My parents would sometimes take me to McDonald’s for a Happy Meal. I would associate the burger and fries with the golden arches.
That is branding.
A brand is anything—a symbol, design, name, sound, reputation, emotion, employees, tone, and much more—that separates one thing from another. In the case of McDonald’s, the golden arches became part of the brand. Those arches separate their product from all other fast food restaurants and they’re a recognizable symbol even with kids.
作者先用小時候父母帶他去麥當(dāng)勞的故事作為導(dǎo)入怕篷,講述品牌是什么历筝,接著列舉了各種品牌元素,告訴讀者哪些事物屬于品牌廊谓。經(jīng)過這么一講解梳猪,我們很容易理解品牌這個抽象的概念。
由此看來蒸痹,英文原版書語言精煉春弥、表述方式易懂,你要搞定它們叠荠,并不是什么難事惕稻。再給自己來點心態(tài)建設(shè)就更好,試著這樣想:“讀原版不難蝙叛,我能做到俺祠,”你讀的時候可能會信心大增,動力十足借帘,真的感覺不太難蜘渣。千萬別想著讀原版是一件超級難、高大上的事肺然,結(jié)果畏畏縮縮蔫缸、深思熟慮,遲遲不敢踏出第一步际起。別想太多拾碌,果斷跨出第一步!
目錄請戳此:《像看話劇一樣校翔,輕松搞定英文原版書》