读《金融时报》学英文写作:逗号夹注——主句骨架不动,把时间、条件和伴随说明夹进去

批改作文时,我常看到这样的句子:

The result was good. It was tested in two countries. The average rate was 70 per cent.

三句,三个信息点,一个信息点一句。学生不是没话说,而是不敢把信息塞进同一个句子:想补一个时间、加一个条件、带一句伴随说明,中文的习惯就是”再写一句”。最后整段读下来,像一排没有主次的短句。

英文记者的做法正好相反——先把主句骨架立好,附加信息用一对逗号夹进去。夹进去的可以是时间范围,可以是条件,也可以是一句伴随说明;主句的主语和谓语按原样走,读者不会迷路。

今天我们读《金融时报》2020年11月关于牛津-阿斯利康疫苗试验结果的报道,学4种「逗号夹注」。最后一种藏着中国学生最常犯的一个错:主语后面挂上一串人,谓语就自动变成了复数。

📖 素材来源: FT №5 — Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine results raise hopes for Covid fight(Donato Paolo Mancini、Clive Cookson 伦敦报道,2020年11月)

英文原文

Under one dosing regime, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine achieved 90 per cent efficacy, a measure of prevention of infection or severe disease.

The average efficacy, during trials in the UK and Brazil, was 70 per cent.

“In reality, if the vaccine is 70 per cent effective, that’s absolutely fine. It’s the most accessible of all the vaccines and so will still be used widely if approved,” he said.

Matt Hancock, the UK’s health secretary, said vaccinations could start next month, with the bulk of the rollout taking place after January, subject to regulatory approval.

By contrast, AstraZeneca, along with Johnson & Johnson, has said it will sell its inoculation at cost to the world during the pandemic.

中文对照

在一种给药方案下,牛津-阿斯利康疫苗达到90%的有效率——有效率是衡量疫苗防止感染或重症的指标。

平均有效率——在英国和巴西的试验期间——为70%。

“实际上,如果疫苗的有效率是70%,那就完全没问题。它是所有疫苗中最容易普及的一种,所以只要获批,仍会被广泛使用,“他说。

英国卫生大臣马特•汉考克表示,疫苗接种可能在下月开始,大部分接种工作将在1月之后展开,但须视监管批准情况而定。

相比之下,阿斯利康和强生一样表示,疫情期间将按成本价向全世界出售其疫苗。

4个高分结构

结构一:主谓之间夹「语境」——“The average efficacy, during trials in the UK and Brazil, was 70 per cent.”

原文出处:第3段。主语 The average efficacy 和谓语 was 之间,被一对逗号夹进了”这个数字是在哪测出来的”。

为什么好:中文的默认写法是两句——“平均有效率是70%。这是英国和巴西试验期间的数据。“英文把测出数据的语境紧贴在数据旁边:读者看到 70% 的同一秒,就知道这个数字的适用范围。雅思小作文和议论文里的数据,最常丢的就是”适用范围”。

❌ 学生初版 The average efficacy was 70 per cent. The tests were in the UK and Brazil.

✅ 升级版 The average efficacy, during trials in the UK and Brazil, was 70 per cent.

💡 效果 一对逗号换来”数据 + 语境”同框,主语和谓语照样直接相连。夹注越短越好:这里只有 6 个词。

模板: [数据/结论] + , [during/in + 语境], + 谓语 例句(仿写示例): The pass rate, during the first two years of the new curriculum, rose from 61 to 78 per cent.

结构二:主谓之间夹「条件」——“if the vaccine is 70 per cent effective, that’s absolutely fine”

原文出处:分析师亚当•巴克的引语。句首 In reality 先定语气,条件从句被一对逗号夹在中间,结论留在句尾。

为什么好:学生写条件句,习惯把 if 从句放句首、再补一句主句,或者干脆拆成两句(The vaccine is 70 per cent effective. Then it is fine.)。FT 的写法是让条件”路过”一下:主句短、判断硬,条件只负责限定范围。

❌ 学生初版 The vaccine is 70 per cent effective. Then it is fine.

✅ 升级版 In reality, if the vaccine is 70 per cent effective, that’s absolutely fine.

💡 效果 读者一口气读完:先拿到判断(fine),再接收条件(70%)作为边界。语气比 and/so 连起来的句子笃定得多。

⚠️ 提醒:夹注里的从句自带主语和谓语(the vaccine is),但它不是主句——主句仍然是逗号后面那句 that’s absolutely fine。别把从句里的主语当成整句主语。

模板: [语气词/立场], if [条件], [主句]. 例句(仿写示例): In practice, if the timetable is kept, the project will finish before June.

结构三:谓语后夹「伴随」+ 句尾条件尾注——“with the bulk of the rollout taking place after January, subject to regulatory approval”

原文出处:卫生大臣汉考克表态的那一句。主句说到 vaccinations could start next month 之后,连挂两件东西:with + 名词 + doing 交代”绝大多数接种在1月后进行”,subject to + 名词 交代”前提是监管批准”。

为什么好:中文要写三句(“下月开始接种。大部分工作在1月后。不过还要看审批。”),英文一句装完,而且时间、规模、前提都在位上。subject to 是雅思大作文和政策类句子的高频前提表达:三个词顶一整句条件。

❌ 学生初版 Vaccinations could start next month. Most of the work will take place after January. But it depends on approval.

✅ 升级版 Vaccinations could start next month, with the bulk of the rollout taking place after January, subject to regulatory approval.

💡 效果 with + 名词 + doing 把”大部分工作”变成主句的伴随成分,不需要新的主语和谓语;subject to 把前提压缩到句尾,不打断主干。

模板: [主句], with [名词] + [doing], subject to [名词]. 例句(仿写示例): The new timetable will take effect in March, with most classes moved online, subject to parents’ approval.

结构四:并列插入语 along with——别让插入语改变主谓一致

原文出处:最后一段的对比句。主语 AstraZeneca 是单数,插入语 along with Johnson & Johnson 把强生拉了进来,谓语仍然是 has said。

为什么好:along with / as well as / together with 是把”顺带也这么说”的第三方挂到主语后面的省字法,比再写一句 and J&J also said… 干净得多。但这个结构也是错句高发区。

⚠️ 陷阱:插入语不是并列主语。AstraZeneca has said,不是 have said;写成 have,读者会以为主语是两家公司,后面的代词也跟着乱。

❌ 学生初版 AstraZeneca, along with Johnson & Johnson, have said they will sell the vaccine at cost.

✅ 升级版 By contrast, AstraZeneca, along with Johnson & Johnson, has said it will sell its inoculation at cost to the world during the pandemic.

💡 效果 主语还是 AstraZeneca(单数)→ 谓语 has said、代词 it;插入语只添信息、不改骨架。同类结构还有 as well as / together with / including,规则一样:看逗号前面那个主语。

模板: [单数主语], along with [附带对象], + 单数谓语 例句(仿写示例): The library, along with two computer rooms, has been open to students at weekends.

为什么学生的句子总是「碎」?

三个原因,都出在”骨架和配件”的次序上:

  1. 中文一句一事:中文靠逗号、句号切信息,英文靠主谓结构挂信息。把中文的断句直接搬过去,就是碎句。
  2. 怕主语和谓语隔开:其实英语允许主谓之间夹一对逗号(结构一、结构二),只要夹注不喧宾夺主、不改变主谓一致。
  3. 把配件当成新句子:时间、条件、前提、规模,本质上都是主句的配件,不是新句子。

写法上记住一条规则:先写骨架(谁 + 做什么),再挂配件(语境 / 条件 / 伴随 / 前提)。同一处最多挂两层,第三层开始就断句——否则读者要回头去找主语。

小练习

把下面这段”三句版”合并成一句,用今天学的夹注:

❌ The survey was carried out in five cities. It covered 1,200 students. The result shows 68 per cent of them write in short sentences.

参考写法(前半句是结构一的分词版夹注,把”在五座城市开展”挂到 survey 后面;后半句是结构三的 with 伴随夹注):

The survey, carried out in five cities, covered 1,200 students, with the result showing that 68 per cent of them write in short sentences.

再练一次:用 , subject to + 名词 写一句”新方案将于下月公布,但需视资金情况而定”。


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