SC知識點:(綜合)考試時遇到倒裝句,該怎麼辦?要還原嗎?
很多同學的習慣是:考SC時遇到倒裝句就先去想還原,倒過來倒過去在心裡面糾結他原本該怎麼寫。
問題來了,SC是要叫你用鍵盤在銀幕上打出一個句子嗎?SC是要考你「讀者的理解」——對讀者而言,是否能夠有效率地理解作者的意圖。
遇到倒裝句,你完全不需要還原!
首先我們先來論證一下:為什麼這世界上會有「倒裝」這個東西。
倒裝不是莫名其妙出現的,也不是古人特別設計出來給你在寫作文時可以炫技加分用的。想想看:若是能夠好好講話,為什麼要刻意倒著講?那肯定是因為原本正常語序(好好講話)無法有效地、清晰地讓讀者理解重點,所以只好刻意換個位置,改善讀者讀句子的理解。
在終結者討論群組裡,成員在Dustin提示之下去找了正確句裡的倒裝,然後觀察倒裝的寫法跟不倒裝的寫法有什麼區別:
正確句一:Among the objects found in the excavated temple were small terra-cotta effigies left by supplicants who were either asking the goddess Bona Dea’s aid in healing physical and mental ills or thanking her for such help.
(用以祈求神明的陶土雕像們是在挖掘出的寺廟中所發現的文物之一)
上句若沒有使用倒裝的情況下是
Small terra-cotta effigies left by supplicants who were either asking the goddess Bona Dea’s aid in healing physical and mental ills or thanking her for such help were among the objects found in the excavated temple.
這一句會讓讀者要讀過很長的限定修飾語才能理解陶土雕像一同和其他文物在寺廟中被發現這件事,很難讀得出來作者想強調的核心是「small terra-cotta effigies………were among the subjects found in excavated temple.」甚至讀者看到後面,反而更有可能只記得……..such help were among the objects…..,誤解整句的重點。
所以透過倒裝,讓作者想要強調的核心結構靠近:among the objects …were small terra-cottta effigies…..,跟作者想強調核心無關的全部丟到後面去,能夠讓讀者第一時間抓到重點。
正確句二:New data from United States Forest Service ecologists show that for every dollar spent on controlled small-scale burning, forest thinning, and the training of fire-management personnel, seven dollars are saved that would have been spent on extinguishing big fires.]
(美國專家們最新數據顯示,在控制小規模燃燒等消防人員培訓上,每花一美元就可以節省(用以撲滅大火)的七美元成本。)
注意最後半句,若未使用倒裝的情況下是
seven dollars that would have been spent on extinguishing big fires are saved.
讀者也需讀完很長的修飾語才能理解七美元成本被省下的這件事,甚至還有可能會被誤解成…big fires are saved.
所以透過倒裝,讓作者想強調的核心結構靠近:seven dollars are saved,跟作者想強調核心無關的全部丟到後面去,能夠讓讀者第一時間抓到重點。
現在我們理解了倒裝是在「正常語序把核心結構拉得太開,導致句子讀起來ambiguous 時」的折衷改善方法,那為什麼我們還不要求考試時要「會還原」呢?
原因很簡單,如果題目真的要考你「要不要倒裝」,某個選項是倒裝句,另外一個選項肯定是正常語序,不是嗎?這樣才能讓你選出到底是「要倒」還是「不倒」比較好。如果兩個選項都是倒裝句,那就沒有差別,沒有要考你倒裝,自己也不需要亂想。
所以你幹嘛自己動手還,看另一個選項有沒有正常語序就好啦!
比如:
OG SC 12-67:
Affording strategic proximity to the Strait of Gibraltar, Morocco was also of interest to the French throughout the first half of the twentieth century because they assumed that if they did not hold it, their grip on Algeria was always insecure.
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure (OA)
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it
人話:Morocco, located at a strategic point, was valuable to the French because without it their control over Algeria would be negatively impacted.
(摩洛哥對法國人而言有戰略意義,如果沒有它,將可能動搖法國對阿爾及利亞的控制權)
(B) without it their grip on Algeria would never be secure (OA)
(E) never would their grip on Algeria be secure if they did not hold it
B選項和E選項皆能表達出若沒有摩洛哥;法國人對A地控制權就會被危及。看到E選項使用倒裝never would their grip….be secure,相對選項使用正常語序their grip on Algeria would never be secure. 我們就來思考:正常說話的B會不會像剛剛我們看到的例子一樣,核心結構被拆得太開太遠,讓讀者不好理解重點?
不會啊!B選項順著讀下來不是一眼就看出是their grip on Algeria would never be secure了嗎?哪裡有頭重腳輕?所以這時就沒有必要把話硬是倒過來講(E選項),原本語序不會頭重腳輕引起誤解,沒有必要還硬做倒裝反而危害了句子的流暢度。
About Dustin
最不專業的GMAT教學分享平台。
最討厭商學院卻考了GMAT。
為GMAT考生打造的輔助學習網站。
(那個,拜託,不要叫我老師或顧問。)