Lecture5NarrationandDescriptionPartI.NarrationConceptandBasicStructureFiveAspectsofNarrationHowtoWriteaNarrationNarrationinCET6Ⅰ.ConceptandBasicStructure1.记叙文又称记事文或叙述文,是按照时间顺序叙述人物的经历和事情的产生、发展和变化过程的文章。记叙文主要的叙事方式有顺叙、倒叙、插叙和夹叙夹议。2.顺叙(insequenceoftime)通常是按事情发生的先后顺序进行叙述;倒叙(flashback)把结局提到前面叙述,然后再按时间的顺序进行叙述;插叙(narrationinterspersedwithflashbacks)是在叙述过程中,由于某种需要,暂时把叙述的线索中断,插入与之相关的另外一件事;夹叙夹议(narrationinterspersedwithcomments)是一面叙述事情,一面对这种事情加以分析或评论。a.交代清楚与事件有关的六要素:人物、时间、地点和事情的起因、经过、结尾(who/when/where/why/what/how)b.选取恰当的叙事角度。在记叙某件事情时,即可采用第一人称,也可采用第三人称。第一人称可以使记叙显得逼真,让读者有一种身临其境的感觉,也便于表达作者的思想感情,这种形式常用在写自传、本人经历或记叙耳闻目睹的事件;第三人称可不受时间、空间的限制,可以更加客观地反映内容,常用在对重大事件的客观报导以及记叙他人的经历或事迹。c.合理使用文章发展的方法,将事件有逻辑地组织起来。一般来说按开端、发展、高潮、结尾的顺序进行的。常用的表达时间顺序的词和短语有:first,second,third,afterthat,next,meanwhile,while,afterward,later,whenever,finally,fromthenon,soonafter,during等。3.一篇好的记叙文必须具备以下几点要求:WeplannedasurprisepartyforLucyrecently.Sheneverhadabirthdaypartyandshewastwenty-oneyearsold.First,wecarefullymadeaguestlist.Weincludedmanyofherfriendsfromschool,afewofherotherfriendsfromchurch,andallofherbrothersandsisters.Second,weplannedasuitablemenu.Weneededsomerefreshingdrinksandfood.Weweregoingtoservefruitpunchandcoffee.Wealsowantedchickensandwiches,abirthdaycakewithtwenty-onecandles,andicecream.Third,weplannedentertainment.Aboydidmagictricksskillfully.Anotherboyplayedtheguitarwell.Wealllikedgroupsinging.Wehadalotofrecordsandarecordplayer.Everyonehelped.Thepartybecameasecretcommunityproject.d.在记叙文中,记和叙都离不开动词,所以动词出现率最高,且富于变化。记叙文中用的最多的是动词的过去式,这是英语记叙文区别于汉语记叙文的关键之处。英语写作的优美之处就在于这些动词时态的变化,正是这一点才使得所记、所叙有鲜活的动态感、鲜明的层次感和立体感。这一点在准备记叙文的写作中值得注意。e.主题明确。中心思想是文章的灵魂。我们记叙任何事件都必须有一个明确的主题,要围绕主题思想精心设计情节,而不是罗列琐碎的小事。这个中心思想就是指对所记叙的人、事、物究竟是持什么态度,是赞成还是反对;是歌颂还是批评都必须明确,并且保持主题始终如一。《科技英语学习》主编,上海交大毛荣贵教授与美国天普大学DorineHouston教授合作对中国大学生作文进行修改,其中一篇写一个女孩在公交车上为老人让座,不料在场的三位男青年耻笑女孩,女孩的母亲也责怪了她,此时“我”实在看不下去了,就带头为女孩的行为鼓掌,车厢里也响起了掌声。原文的开头如下:Inthisworld,weshouldthinkmoreofotherpeoplethanourselves.Bydoingso,ourworldwillbefullofhappiness.This,ofcourse,inmypersonalview.ButitisalessonIhavedrawnfromoneofmyownexperience.Sonow,Iwouldliketosharethisexperiencewithyou,mydearreader.按照汉语的写作标准,这样的开头自然而又不俗,但Houston教授对他的评语是“Thisisessentiallyasolidessay.Thewriterusesananecdotetomakeapoint…Nowwejustneedtogiveitagood,strongtopicsentenceusingthewriter’sownideastoformit.”Houston教授为该短文代拟了如下主题句:Alittlegirlandabusfulofpeopletaughtmeanimportantlessonabouttheimportanceofthinkingmoreofotherpeoplethanofourselves.OnedayItookaverycrowdedbustoschool…ASeasideHolidayOncewespentourholidayattheseaside.Whenwearrivedattheseaside,theweatherwasfineandeverythingarounduswasbeautiful.Theseawasallbluewithseagullshoveringtoandfro.Someboatswerefloatingonthestillseaandsomespeedboatswererushingquicklyacrossthewater.Weallenjoyedapleasanttime.Mostofusswaminthesea.Weplayedandsplashedwaterontooneanother.Havingswumforawhile,wewenttotheshoreandbathedinthesunonthesandground.Somewentboating.Theysangastheyboated.Theothersplayedgamesattheshore.Weallspentthetimehappily.Whenitwastimetogoback,wewereallreluctanttoleave.Wewerefreshenedbytheseawindandfascinatedbythescenery.Thebathintheseamadeushealthyandcomfortable.Ishouldsayaholidayattheseasideisreallyenjoyableandprofitable.Ⅱ.FiveAspectsofNarrationContext(背景)记叙文的背景包括事件发生的时间、地点、人物等要素,这些需要在文章的开头交代清楚,从而为事件的发展提供一个背景环境,帮助读者更好地理解事件的进程。SelectionofDetails(细节的选取)一个事件总是由大大小小的细节构成的。细节的选取要适量,如果太少无法使读者了解整个事件的发生及过程,如果太多又会使情节显得杂乱从而使读者失去兴趣。细节的选取应遵循一个原则:即仅选取那些与主题相关,能够带出中心思想的细节。Organization(情节的组织)一般的记叙文可以按照时间的顺序展开,即开端、发展、结局依次将情节展开。如果整个故事情节已经清楚地交代完毕,则无需另外添加结尾。但有的情况下有必要在叙述完整个事件的经过后,对事件的意义或后续进展做简单论述。PointofView(观点)即可选用第一人称或第三人称的写法。第三人称的选择可以比较客观地表达作者的观点。Purpose(目的)记叙文不是单纯地流水账式的记叙,必须有一定的写作目的。可以是证明某种理论,例举某种概念,赞扬某种美德或是批评某种恶行。所以,在细节的选取和情节的设计上都必须紧紧围绕这一写作目的。Ⅲ.HowtoWriteaNarrationPrewritingDrawanoutline:(1)Thetimeandplaceofoccurrenceoftheinstanceandthepeoplewhowereinvolved(2)Themajorphasesintheprocessinwhichtheinstancedeveloped(3)Yourcommentsontheinstance.Workonthethreepointslistedinyouroutlineonebyonebytryingtocollectallthedetailsrelevantrespectivelytoeachofthethreepoints,soastomakeyourselfcomprehensivelyfamiliarwiththewholeprocess,withintheframeofwhichtheinstancedevelopedDraftingAtthisstageyouareexpectedtobereadytoputwhatisinyourmindconcerningtheinstanceintowrittenwords.Makefeasibleplanforcomposingyournarrativepiece.Topic:___________Tentativetitle:___________Place:___________Time:___________Peopleinvolved:_____________Detailstoinclude(whathappened):_______________Mycomments:_________________Writethefirstdraft.Revising:AwaytoimproveyourcompositionReadyourpapercarefullyandobjectively.Markpartsoraspectsyoulikeandthoseyouthinkweakandneedimproving.Checkthedetails/examplesandseeiftheysupportyourcentralideaandifyouhavebetteronestoreplacethem.Rewritewhatyouthinkineffectiveandsupplymorepowerfuldetailsifyoucan.CutoutwhateverdetailthatdoesnotrelatetothetopicEditing:AwaytoimproveyourcompositionbyeliminatingthetechnicalerrorsitcontainsCheckyourspelling.Checkyourgrammar:subject-verbagreement,verbforms,tenses,etc.Makesureyouusecorrect