由于历史、地理和社会的原因,因此,擅用名词化不仅体现了写作水平,更是一种思维方式。曾经一个针对中国几所顶尖大学的优秀作文的调查显示,20 篇优秀作文中名词化的使用频率为7%-8%,而普通习作的使用频率仅为5%-6%。与此同时,选用了20 篇英语国家学生的英语作文,同样的方法统计出其名词化的使用频率为10%-15%。有人更是戏说道,老外眼中句子分为3个档次,最差的是主动句,较好的是被动句,倒装句等,最好的nominalization(名词化)的句子,这样的句子最学术最适合写论文。那么面对这样的差异,我们需要重新审视我们写作中的思维方式,做到如何恰到好处又不“画蛇添足”。
简单说,名词化即是动词或形容词被用作名词的现象。比如动词转成名词:discovery->discovery, move->movement, refuse->refusal,又比如形容词转成名词:careless->carelessness, difficult->difficulty, intense->intensity。那么什么情况下,我们需要进行名词化呢?
A 谓语动词的宾语部分
原句:I do not know either what she meant or what he intends.
名词化:I do not know either her meaning or his intentions.
B 结合被动形式
原句:If people decide without enough persuasive information,...
名词化:If a decision is made without enough persuasive information,...
C 取代诸如从句中“the fact that”的用法
原句:The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed the jury.
名词化:My denial of his accusations impressed the jury.
更好的名词化:a. When I denied his accusations, I impressed the jury.
b. In denying his accusations, I impressed the jury.
D 名词化部分用在there is/are的后面
原句:We demand that the government stop taxing entertainment.
名词化:There is a demand for an end to taxation on entertainment.
原句:The floods considerably eroded the land.
名词化:There was considerable erosion of the land from the floods.
然而,有些时候,在我们的思维方式中认为理所应当使用“名词化”时,老外认为是没有必要的。比如:
A 名词化部分跟在动词后面
原句(名词化“冗余”):The police conducted an investigation into the matter.
改后:The police investigated the matter.
B 名词化部分作为主语
原句:Our discussion is concerned with a tax cut.
改后:We discussed a tax cut.
C 连续进行名词化
原句:a. First, she reviewed the evolution of the dorsal fin.
b. There was a first a review of the evolution of the dorsal fin.
改后:First, she reviewed how the dorsal fin evolved.
D 连接部分名词化
原句:Their cessation of hostilities was because of their personnel losses.
改后:They ceased hostilities because they lost personnel.
原句:The instability of the motor housing did not preclude the completion of the field trials.
改后:Even though the motor housing was unstable, the research staff completed the field trials.
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