Comparing Your Writing with Native Speaker


        为什么有的人读了好几本外文原版书，也经常听BBC和VOA的广播，但每当拿起笔来写英语文章就发怵，不是用词不够准确，就是句型缺少变化，要不然就是用语不够地道。除了积累和写作实践不够以外，写完作文英文高手帮助修改，以致于无法意识到自己的缺点毛病，也是一个重要原因。但在现有条件下，我们仍然可以通过“对比”使自己的写作水平得到提高。

        “对比”的方法有很多，今天介绍一种将自己的作文与native speaker的作文相比较，通过这种学习方法，你能看到这样一种想法用地道的英语该如何表达。

        今天我们来做一个练习。首先，闭上眼睛回忆一下你第一次对某个男孩或女孩动了心的情景，你心跳不已，面红耳赤，头晕目眩。那么，一位美国女中学生是如何描述她的初恋的呢？

        It was so long ago I can hardly remember my first love, Rudy Boydans. He sat across from me in second grade at my table*. About the fourth day of school I noticed Rudy. He was taller tan most second graders* and had dark brown hair. I think it was then that I fell in love with him. Our class went outside for recess*; it was hot and sunny, a perfect day for " young lovers " . I was standing by the volleyball pole waiting to play, when I turned around and saw HIM*! He walked up to me and said, " You sit at my table, across from me. " I stared right into his eyes* (I couldn't believe he was talking to me.) " Y..y..yea...I...I do. "

        That's all he said. He just got up and left. I stood there, glued to the cement. All of a sudden I came to, to the sound of people yelling my name: " Nancy! Nancy! Nancy! It's your turn, get in! " I ran in as fast as I could, but I couldn't play worth beans*. All I thought about was Rudy. He noticed me, he really noticed me, how could he...look at me, gosh, he really noticed me! That's all I thought about for a week and a half, even though he didn't say two more words to me since that day.

        One day after lunch period I found a note in my table slot*. It read:

        I love you. Do you love me? Yes□No□

        Of course I checked " Yes. " I wasn't about to* give up a chance like this! I gave him the note back. He read it and smiled at me. Before the bell rang to let school out, I went behind the bulletin board to get my coat. Standing back there was Rudy.* I grabbed my coat and he grabbed* me. That was my first kiss. I'll never forget that day as long as I live.

        The rest of the year our small love died down*. There were no more kisses behind the bulletin board, but there were frequent notes. Then summer came and Rudy moved away. I never saw him again till fourth grade. I was sitting in my classroom when the principal walked in with a new boy.

        It was Rudy! I couldn't believe it. I smiled at him but he did nothing. He never even recognized me. He didn't look the same to me and I guess I didn't look the same to him either.

        * Sat across from me at my table: 坐在我的斜对过
        * second grader:二年级学生 grader 这个词有两个常用的意思，做“...年级的学生”讲时，必须与一个序数词连用，如 a sixth grader, an eighth grader...；另一个意思是“阅卷评分的人”，在表示这个意义时，不用与数字相连。
        * Recess: a temporary stopping of work or school; short intermission 课间休息
        一提到“课间休息”我们的脑子里就会跳出“break”这样的词，因为老师在课堂上常说“Let's take a 15-minute break.(休息15分钟)”，但这是英式说法，表示的多是工作或值勤时的休息，如：“during breaks from cotton picking(在摘棉花休息时)，而且，break 更多时候被用来表示“停止，中断，间歇”的意思如：“work for 20 hours without a break（不间断地工作20个小时）wait for a break in the traffic to cross the street （街上车太多）(等待车流的间隙过马路) ”，而“课间休息”美语里多用“recess”。
        * HIM表示强调，如同汉语里的“他！！！”
        英语里表示强调可用大写，可重复某个词，可用省略号、破折号……，这篇文章里强调部分很多，你可以自己在里面找到各种表示强调的方法。
        * Stared right into his eyes: 直盯着他的眼睛 right表示强调，“直直地”，同样的意思也可以用“look straight into one's eyes ” 表示出来。


        * Play worth beans:根本没办法玩好，玩得差极了
        beans多用在否定句里，表示“一点，丝毫”, 多用在a row of beans, a hill of beans这样的词组里，词组的意思是“一点，丝毫；无价值的东西”
        It's not worth a row of beans. 这一文不值，毫无价值。
        This does not add to a row of beans. 这丝毫无济于事。
        Do not care beans about sth.对某事毫不在乎。
        He doesn't know beans bout foreign policy. 他对外交政策一窍不通。


        * Table slot: 书桌上的抽屉
        * be about to do 一个我们都熟悉的词组，但你大概对它在否定句中的用法不很熟悉。
        用于否定句中，这个词组表示“打定主意要做某事”，例如：He was not about to waste any time. （他决不再浪费时间了。）
        * Standing back there was Rudy. 这句话利用倒装表达了强调的意图。正常的语序无法引起人们的注意，但大胆地将主语放在谓语之后，就使得整句话生动许多。
        这样的例子还有：The door burst open and in rushed the crowd. 或There was a sudden gust of wind and away went his hat. 但当主语是代词时，不要倒装，只将要强调的部分提前，如Lower and lower he bent.


        * Grab: 抓，抓住。这个词强调动作，强调速度比较快地抓，比我们常用的catch 要生动许多，而且，grab 的引申含义用法颇多，主要表示“夺取，霸占，赚取”，如：grab at the opportunity of going abroad抓住出国的机会；grab world markets夺取世界市场；grab public lands霸占公共土地，等。


        * Die down: 变弱，逐渐消失，渐渐停止。如：
        The wind died down noticeably. 风力以明显减弱。
        Fighting died down over the weekend. 周末期间，战斗逐渐停止。


        下面，请您写一篇有关初恋的文章，把那心动的时刻记录下来！