GRE阅读 | 破解GRE阅读理解系列（十三）

GRE阅读中的一个关键技巧是：通过“划等号”来顺通文本的逻辑脉络。“划等号”的意思就是找到内容之间的指代关系。

因为英语的习惯是在需要重复前文某个概念或内容的时候，后文对此概念或内容的说法要改一改、变一变，以在表达上达到多样和简洁（其实，优质的中文也是如此）。

那么，我们知道了英语在措辞上的这个习惯或特点之后，就可以以此为阅读的技法来梳理文本的逻辑脉络和内容的走向，从而读懂。

我们以下面这个段落为例，看看刚才我们所说的指代关系的具体表现：

The defoliation of millions of acres of trees by massive infestations of gypsy moth caterpillars is a recurring phenomenon in the northeastern United States. In studying these outbreaks, scientists have discovered that affected trees fight back by releasing toxic chemicals, mainly phenols, into their foliage. These noxious substances limit caterpillars’ growth and reduce the number of eggs that female moths lay. Phenols also make the eggs smaller, which reduces the growth of the following year’s caterpillars. Because the number of eggs a female moth produces is directly related to her size, and because her size is determined entirely by her feeding success as a caterpillar, the trees’ defensive mechanism has an impact on moth fecundity.

我们把红色标出的内容做成简易的导图形式，如下（← 的意思是“指代”）：

1. 前文：The defoliation of millions of acres of trees by massive infestations of gypsy moth caterpillars ← 后文：these outbreaks。

2. 前文：toxic chemicals, mainly phenols ← 后文：These noxious substances … Phenols。

3. 前文：fight back by releasing toxic chemicals, mainly phenols ← 后文：the trees’ defensive mechanism。

于是，我们看到these outbreaks、These noxious substances、the trees’ defensive mechanism的时候，就不会一脸懵圈了，而会明白这些“莫名其妙”、“不知从何而来”的内容其实是对前文内容的指代。甚至，即使你不认识noxious也知道应该就是toxic的意思，以及你会知道releasing toxic chemicals, mainly phenols这个过程原来是树的防御机制（defensive mechanism），那就是对树有利的。

刚才那一篇是讲述自然的说明文，那么，讲述人文的说明文是不是也可以用到“划等号”的办法来疏通文本的脉络呢？当然。我们看如下：

It is possible for students to obtain advanced degrees in English while knowing little or nothing about traditional scholarly methods. The consequences of this neglect of traditional scholarship are particularly unfortunate for the study of women writers. If the canon—the list of authors whose works are most widely taught—is ever to include more women, scholars must be well trained inhistorical scholarship and textual editing. Scholars whodo not know how to read early manuscripts, locate rare books, establish a sequence of editions, and so on are bereft of crucial tools for revising the canon.

To address such concerns, an experimental version of the traditional scholarly methods course was designed to raise students’ consciousness about the usefulness of traditional learning for any modern critic or theorist.

我们依然把红色标出的内容做成简易的导图形式，如下（← 的意思是“指代”）：

1. 前文：knowing little or nothing about traditional scholarly methods ← 后文：this neglect of traditional scholarship，尤其是 knowing little or nothing ← this neglect。

2. 前文：historical scholarship and textual editing ← 后文：how to read early manuscripts, locate rare books, establish a sequence of editions。

前面这两点都是同一个段落里的句子之间的逻辑关系，下面就出现了跨段落的指代关系把段落关联起来的情况：

3. 前文：do not know how to read early manuscripts, locate rare books, establish a sequence of editions, and so on are bereft of crucial tools for revising the canon ← 后文：such concerns。

至此，GRE阅读中的一个关键技巧——通过“划等号”来顺通文本的逻辑脉络，是不是可以帮助你更好的读懂篇章呢？