典型的篇章结构

第三节　典型的篇章结构

语篇通常是指在交际功能上相对独立，在逻辑上自成一体，在内容上相对完整的语言片段。语篇虽然可长可短，但是必须符合两个条件：在意义上相互关联，在结构上互相黏着，这两个条件缺一不可。英语考试中的阅读文章虽大多是节选，但是却相对独立地讨论某个话题，有自己独立的论点、论据、较完整的论证过程，因此也是自成一体的语篇。英语正式文体的典型文章架构非常固定，特别是用于阅读考试中的，绝大多数都采用先总述、后分述的结构，而且大多数段落的内部结构也是如此，因此就每篇阅读文章而言，最重要的是文章的第一段；就段落而言，最重要的就是段首句。

例1：

Diego Chiapello，legally blind since birth，isn’t one of Italy’s famous“mama’s boys”who live with their parents into adulthood.The 27-year-old lives alone in Milan，works as a network administrator，loves diving and dreams of sailing across the Atlantic with a sightim paired（有视力障碍的）crew.

Obviously，he’s not your average disabled person—but especially so in Italy.The country has more barriers to integration than almost anywhere else on the Continent：among European countries，Italy ranks third from the bottom in accessibility for the disabled，ahead of only Greece and Portugal，people who use wheelchairs，especially，find it difficult to navigate the country’s cobblestone（鹅卵石）streets，ride buses or visit restaurants，shops and museums.Less than a quarter of Italy’s disabled hold jobs compared with 47 percent for Europe.

But the biggest obstacle for the country’s physically challenged may，in fact，be the fabled Italian family.Because of the social defect that still attaches to disabilities，“they tend to keep disabled people at home”and out of public view，explains Giovanni Marri，head of an employment training center in Milan that caters to the handicapped.Thus while 15 percent of the country’s families include a disabled person，according to surveys，only 2 percent of Italians report going to school with a disabled person and only 4 percent work with one.

Italians are beginning to recognize the problem.Over the past decade，the government has passed laws targeting everything from workplace discrimination to accessibility requirements.A recent study by the European Union found that 85 percent of Italians admit that public transportation and infrastructure（基础设施）are inadequate for the handicapped，and 97 percent say action is needed.But the biggest barrier is psychological.“Italian companies are afraid of hiring disabled people.”says Chiapello.The only way to alter that，he says，is for Italy’s disabled to do what he did—get out of the house and demand change.（2004年第三篇）

上面的这篇文章是典型的问题分析型论说文。此类文章通常第一段引出要讨论的问题，这里是通过举例的方式开篇，也可以通过描述现象或讲故事的方式，也有的开门见山，直接入题。随后，通常会分析问题的起因、可能引起的后果或指出解决的办法。在阅读中，考生除了要掌握这一主要脉络外，还应重视每段主题句的概括作用和承上启下的段首句的关联作用以及各种关联词语的作用。

例2：

Nowadays，we hear a lot a bout the growing threat of globalisation，accompanied by those warnings that the rich pattern of local life is being undermined，and many dialects and traditions are becoming extinct.But stop and think for a moment about the many positive aspects that globalisation is bringing read on and you are bound to feel com forted，ready to face the global future，which is surely inevitable now.

Consider the Internet，that prime example of our shrinking world.Leaving aside the all-too-familiar worries about pornography and political extremism，even the most narrow minded must admit that the net offers immeasurable benefits，not just in terms of education，the sector for which it was originally designed，but more importantly on a global level，the spread of news and comment.It will be increasingly difficult for politicians to maintain their regimes of misinformation，as the oppressed will not only find support and comfort，but also be able to organize themselves more effectively.

MTV is another global provider that is often criticized for imposing popular culture on the unsuspecting millions around the world.Yet the viewers’judgment on MTV is undoubtedly positive；it is regarded as indispensable by most of the global teenage generation who watch it，a vital part of growing up.And in the final analysis，what harm can a few songs and videos cause？

Is the world dominance of brands like Nike and Coca-Cola so had for us，when all is said and done？Sportswear and soft drinks are harm less products when compared to the many other things that have been globally available for a longer period of time—heroin and cocaine，for example.In any case，just because Nike shoes and Coke cans are for sale，it doesn’t mean you have to buy them—even globalisation cannot deprive the individual of his free will.

Critics of globalisation can stop issuing their doom and gloom statements.Life goes on，and has more to offer for many citizens of the world than it did for their parents’generation.（2003年第五篇）

这是一篇典型的驳斥型论说文，文章在第一段首先树起批驳的靶子，然后再提出自己的观点，进行论证。在这类文章中，第一段段末句或第二段段首句的观点往往能体现出作者的真正观点。本文采取的是先总述，后分述，最后再总述的格局，在考试文章中相对比较少见。阅读此类文章要特别注意表示对比转折意思的关联词语。

有了对文章结构的把握，考生既可以高屋建瓴地纵观全局，掌握文章的主旨大意，也可以了解各段局部的意思，了解文章的重要细节。