本周的精读文章来自于《哈佛商业评论》,这篇文章也被选为考研英语一2010年的阅读真题。文章结构清晰,逻辑严谨,值得我们模仿学习。文章最后的结论也很有趣。
我们今天先来学习第一段和第二段
😉
In his book The Tipping Point Malcolm Aladuell argues that social epidemics are driven in large part by the acting of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called influentials who are unusual informed, persuasive, or we connect. The idea is intuitively compelling but it doesn't explain how ideas actually spread.
The supposed importance of influentials derives from a plausible sounding but largely untested theory called the "tow-step flow of communication". Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else. Marketers have embraced the two-step flow became it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those select people will do most of the work for them. The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of people was wearing, promoting or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention. Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trends.
The Accidental influentials
下面我们以段落为单位,逐段精讲。第一二段作者先阐述要批驳的观点,为后文提出自己的观点作铺垫。
①
In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that
social epidemics
are
driven in large part by
the acting of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called
influentials
, who are unusually
informed
,
persuasive
, or
well-connected
.
②
The idea is
intuitively compelling
,
but
it doesn’t explain how ideas actually spread.
📒
语篇分析:首段引入话题。①句引出畅销书《引爆点》的观点:社会流行潮由少部分的影响力人士驱动。②句先让步,指出直觉上观点有道理,随后以but转折,指出实际上观点有缺陷,intuitively与actually形成对比。
-
epidemic
[epɪ'demɪk]本义是“流行病”,喻指像流行病一样盛行、蔓延的事物,
social epidemics
指“社会流行浪潮”
-
in large part
表示程度,义为“很大程度上”
(not entirely but mostly)
,相当于
largely
。外刊在分析因果关系时经常加上
partly
,
largely
,
in part
,
in large part
这类表示程度的词,使论述更加严谨,值得我们模仿学习。大家体会一下这两句话的不同:
◇The success of the play was
due to
the director.
表演的成功是导演的功劳。
◇The success of the play was
i
n la
rge part due to
the director.
表演的成功很大程度上是导演的功劳。
-
A is driven by B.
指“
A
是因为
B
,
A
由
B
推动”,我们可以用在自己的作文中表示因果关系。比如我们在精读社一篇关于死亡的文章学过这样一句话
Driven in part by
the decline of religion, and broader shifts in attitudes to death and dying, fewer bereaved are ready to cede their dead unthinkingly to an off-the-shelf burial.
某种程度上由于宗教的衰落,加上人们对死亡和临终态度的广泛变化,越来越多的死者亲友不愿不假思索地选择现成的葬礼形式与死者告别。
-
最近我在读米歇尔·奥巴马的自传Becoming,书中也多次出现be driven by sth这一表达,比如:
I was ten when I finally mellowed enough to start venturing out myself, a decision driven in large part by boredom.
我十岁时,终于成熟到可以独自外出冒险,这很大程度上是因为无聊。
[写作推荐]
-
drive
作动词除了指”开车“,还可表示“促进,推进”
(
to influence sth or cause it to make progress
)
,比如推动经济发展:
drive the economy
。
-
形容词
driven
指“发愤图强的,奋发努力的”
(determined to succeed, and working very hard to do so)
,我们在自我介绍的时候就可以说
I am a driven person.
替换掉
I am a hard-working person.
-
再比如米歇尔·奥巴马在Becoming中曾这样描述她学钢琴的经历:
I was probably no better than her other students, no less fumbling, but I was driven.
-
-driven
指“受
...
影响的,
...
驱动的”
(influenced or caused by a particular thing)
,可构成形容词,比如
◇
a market-driven economy
市场导向的经济
✏️
大家在学习写作的时候要特别关注这些灵活地道的小词,学会玩转小词,将你认识的词的所有词性都用上,用小词勾勒出漂亮的句子。
-
influential
[ˌɪnflʊ'enʃl]
在这里是名词,指“有影响力的人,能左右别人看法的人”。
-
informed
[ɪnˈfɔːmd]
指“有知识的,了解情况的,见多识广的”
(Someone who is informed knows about a subject or what is happening in the world)
,比如《经济学人》一篇关于临终关怀的文章提到:
Cost is not an obstacle, since
informed,
engaged patients will be less likely to want pointless procedures.
费用并不是问题,因为那些对病情了解更多、更主动参与治疗的病人更不会想要无意义的治疗。加上前缀well-, ill-
我们又可以再学到两个词:
well-informed
指“知识渊博的,见多识广的”,反义词
ill-informed
指“孤陋寡闻的”
-
persuasive
[pə'sweɪsɪv]
义为“有说服力的;令人信服的”
(able to persuade sb to do or believe sth)
,既可以形容人,也可以形容物,
◇persuasive arguments
令人信服的论点
-
well-connected
指
“人脉广的”
(having important and powerful friends)
。
-
intuitively
[ɪn'tjuːɪtɪvli]
义为“凭直觉地”,来源于形容词
intuitive
,
指“凭直觉得到的;直觉的”
(obtained by using your feelings rather than by considering the facts)。
名词形式为
intuition
。
-
compelling
[kəmˈpelɪŋ]
指
“令人信服的”
(that makes you think it is true)
,
◇There is no compelling reason to believe him.
没有令人信服的理由让人相信他。近义表达还有convincing,persuasive。
-
此外,
compelling
还可以表示“极为有趣的,引人入胜的”
(that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting)
,
可以替换我们用烂了的
interesting
和
exciting
,比如
◇
It’s a compelling film.
这是一部引
人入胜的电影。一提到有趣,大家第一反应都是
interesting
,在这里再补充几个可替换
interesting
的词汇:
intriguing
,
absorbing
,
riveting
,
gripping
,
captivating
可联系起来一起记忆,丰富自己的语料库。
[写作推荐]
参考译文:Malcolm Gladwell
在他的《引爆点》一书指出,社会流行浪潮在很大程度上是由一小部分特殊个体的行为推动的。这些个体通常被称为 “影响力人士”。他们异乎寻常地见多识广,具有说服力,人脉广泛。直觉上看,
Malcolm Gladwell的
观点很有说服力,然而,它并没有说明观点实际上是如何传播的。
①
The
supposed
importance of influentials
derives from
a
plausible-sounding
but largely untested theory called the “
two step flow of communication
”: Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else.
②
Marketers have
embraced
the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those select people will do most of the work for them.
③
The theory
also seem
s to explain the sudden and unexpected
popularity
of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods.
④
In many such cases, a
cursory
search for causes finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention.
⑤
Anecdotal evidence
of this kind
fits nicely with
the idea that only certain special people can drive trends.
📒语篇分析:本段承接上一段,阐述《引爆点》观点的合理之处,为后文提出作者自己的观点做铺垫。
①
句指出该观点的理论来源:两级传播理论。形容词a plausible-sounding but largely untested 暗示作者对该理论持怀疑态度。
②
句指出市场营销人员接受了该理论及其原因。
the two-step flow指代上一句中two step flow of communication,实现句间衔接。
③④⑤
句展开阐述
“两集级传播理论”的合理之处:似乎可以解释社会流行潮现象。本段表面上是在阐述《引爆点》观点的合理性,但实际上文中出现的
untested, seems to explain,cursory,anecdotal evidence
等词汇都在暗示作者对这一理论的否定态度。
-
supposed
[sə'pəʊzd] 指“据说的,假定的”
(claimed by other people to be true or real, although you do not think they are right)
,暗示作者对影响力人物的重要性持怀疑态度。
-
derive from sth
义为“起源于;来自”
(to come or develop from sth)
,比如
◇The word derives from French.
这个词来自法语。
-
derive sth from sth
指“从…中获得”
(to get sth from sth)
,比如
◇Many students derived enormous satisfaction from the course.
许多学生从这门课程中得到了巨大的满足。
-
plausible
['plɔːzɪbl] 义为“貌似合理的,可信的”
(An explanation or statement that is plausible seems likely to be true or valid)
-sounding
与形容词连用表示“听上去…的”,plausible-sounding即“听上去合理的”。
-
plausible
这个词可能有些同学不认识,我们从两个角度来讲解一下这个词。
-
1.上下文语境推测词义。我们在前面讲过,but后面往往才是作者真正的观点,这句话也不例外。文中说a plausible-sounding but largely untested theory called the “two step flow of communication”。我们可以从but推断出作者的重点在untested上面,前面的plausible-sounding不认识也不影响阅读。如果考试时需要判断它的含义,我们可以从转折关系中大致推断出plausible-sounding是与untest相反的意思,是一个正面的形容词。
✏️通过上下文推测生词的词义是考试阅读和平时阅读获取信息必须要掌握的技能,大家平时在阅读的时候要有意识的训练自己。
-
2.词根词缀。我们再从词根词缀角度帮助大家迅速记住这个词。plausible由plause和isble组成,plausi指鼓掌,比如我们熟悉的applaud,指“鼓掌,赞许”,-ible指“能…的”,合起来,“能鼓掌的”,即“令人信服的,可信的”
-
untested theory
指“未经检验的理论”。
-
two step flow of communication
义为“两级传播理论”,大家在读外刊或者做考试阅读的时候如何遇到专有名词,不用担心,后文往往会有解释,这里作者便解释道
Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else
信息从媒体流向影响力人士,再从他们流向其他所有人。
-
embrace
[ɪm'breɪs] 指“欣然接受,乐意采纳”
(to accept an idea, a proposal, a set of beliefs, etc., especially when it is done with enthusiasm)
,我们在无人驾驶汽车那篇文章也遇到过这个词,可以替换
accept
。
-
select
在这里不是动词,而是形容词,指“精心挑选的”
(carefully chosen as the best out of a larger group of people or things)
。
[熟词僻义]
-
popularity
来源于形容词
popular
,指“普及;流行”
(the state of being liked, enjoyed or supported by a large number of people)
。我们在2010 Text 1 讲过
enjoy
可以替换
have
,表示“有,享有”。
enjoy popularity
即“享有知名度,受欢迎”,比如
◇
Tik-tok,also known as Douyin enjoys great popularity with young users around the world.
抖音受到了全世界年轻用户们的欢迎。