1. 主题句的概念

 

在英语篇章中，一致性原则通常体现在各段的主题句里。一个比较规范的段落通常由三部分组成：主题句(Topic Sentence)，展开句或推展句(Developing Sentence)和结论句(Concluding Sentence)。如图中—1—1所示。

 

主题句是全段核心，它通过一个句子来点明全段的中心思想；展开句一定要围绕主题句展开，偏离主题句的展开句不能出现在段落里。

 

请看下例：

 

 

 

例1

 

Women are playing an increasingly important part in society today. In many countries, more and more women are acting as workers, farmers, scientists and even leaders, and so we can say that almost all jobs which men can do are done equally well by women. Women are no longer looked down upon in society.

 

例1的画线句是全段的中心思想，以后各句都围绕妇女的作用在社会上不断得到加强展开。最后一句为结论句。

 

 

 

例2

 

As a boy, Mark Twain caused much trouble for his parents. He used to play practical jokes on all his friends and neighbors. The nature of his jokes often led to violence. He hated to go to school, and he constantly ran away from home. He always went in the direction of the nearby Mississippi. He was fascinated by that mighty river. He liked to sit on the bank of the river for hours at a time just gaze at the mysterious islands and passing boats and rafts. He was nearly drowned nine different times. He learned many things about the river during those days. He learned all about its history and the unusual people who rode up and down it. He never forgot those scenes and those people. He later made them part of the history of America in his books Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

 

例2以马克·吐温童年时期经常给父母找麻烦为核心内容展开，列举了三个典型例子：开玩笑过火导致打架争斗、逃学，到密西西比河边玩，九次差点被淹死，这些经历为他以后写文学作品奠定了基础。

 

有时候，有的段落并没有主题句，然而全段各句都突出一个中心。例如：

 

An Eskimo baby who was brought up by American parents would speak English, hate castor oil, and act like any other American child; and an American baby who was brought up by an Eskimo family would grow up to be a seal hunter, to like eating blubber, and to speak Eskimo.

 

此段虽然没有一个明确的主题句，但是读后仍可较清楚地知道其中心思想：不同环境造就不同风俗习惯的人。

 

因此，可以这样说，没有一个明确表达中心思想的句子——主题句，并不等于全段没有中心思想，也并不等于全段就可以出现多个中心。

 

但是有些段落里必须有主题句，否则读者就很难准确地抓住作者要表达的思想，这类例子如：

 

For example, how do we learn language? Man differs most from all the other animals in his ability to learn and use language but we still do not know exactly how this is done. Some children learn to speak when they are very young compared to average children. But scientists are not sure why this happens. They are

 

trying to find out whether there is something about the way we teach language to children, which in fact prevents children from learning sooner.

 

此段原主题句被删去，请归纳上段中心思想，然后再看下面的段首主题句：

 

Scientists hope that if we can discover how the brain works, we will be able to put it to better use.

 

在许多写得很规范的文章里，段段都有主题句。例如：

 

How to Develop the Qualities of Leadership

 

 

The qualities of leadership are almost constant the world over. If you would like to become president of your class, school, or student council, you must first demonstrate that you have the potentials of leadership.

 

For one thing, you must show that you are interested in your school and in your fellow students. In practical terms, this means taking an active part in school activities. It means joining clubs, attending dances and other social functions, and going out for athletics if you are athletic. But many young people have to push themselves to join clubs or attend dances. Perhaps you are one of them. The basic reason for this hesitancy is natural shyness. There is nothing whatever wrong with shyness; it can be overcome if you recognize that it is not a permanent affliction, and if you realize, too, that most of your schoolmates are probably as shy as you are.

 

If you consciously strive to overcome shyness by going out to meet people, you will find yourself at the same time developing another quality of leadership—understanding. As your circle of friends and contacts widens you will get to know your schoolmates better. Because you are no longer so concerned with your o

 

wn feelings, you will begin to respect and take into account the feelings of others. Your friends and acquaintances will be aware of your new attitude, for it will show in many small ways—your greeting, conversation, and willingness to give and accept friendship.

 

Another quality of leadership which you can develop is willingness to do a bit extra. If you are expected to sell ten tickets to a dance, for example, and sell fifteen, you have proved your interest and your effort to make your organization successful. Once you acquire the reputation of always doing a little more than expected, your fellow students will be willing to trust you with greater responsibilities. All your extra effort also indicates enthusiasm, and shows that you concentrate more on how to do a job efficiently than on its difficulties.

 

A fourth quality of leadership is imagination—the ability to see a way through problems and to develop new ideas. You can develop this all-important quality by devoting extra thought during quiet moments to problems being faced by your organization. Many members of a club sit passively through a meeting, and giv

 

e no more thought to club matters until the next meeting. But if you take time during the week to think over the last meeting, you are likely to come up with new ideas (or at least some questions)to contribute at the next meeting.

 

As you show that you are interested in your school or organization, that you have understanding and respect for your schoolmates, and that you will work hard and use your imagination, your schoolmates will naturally think of you as one of their leaders.  When the time comes for election of class or student body officers, you will be mentioned as a possible candidate by your closer friends, and this word will reach other groups until you are given a chance to declare yourself a candidate without seeming immodest.

 

 

 

【注释】

 

①constant一致的，不变的

 

②affliction苦恼

 

③the potentials of leadership领导潜能

 

④consciously strive to overcome the shyness有意识地努力克服胆怯心理

 

⑤fellow students同学

 

⑥acquaintances熟人

 

⑦going out for athletics去参加体育活动

 

2. 主题句的位置

 

主题句在段中可以居首、居中，也可以居尾。主题句的位置可以根据作者写作需要而定。请看下面的例子：

 

 

 

例1主题句在段首

 

Progress in science and the improvement of living conditions have led to the rapid growth of the world population.  Modern medicine， for example, has made it possible for babies to grow up healthily and for people to live longer. With improved living conditions， particularly in the countryside， people tend to have larger families. As a result, the world population has increased so rapidly that it has now exceeded 6 billion.

 

 

 

例2主题句在段首

 

The commonest source of entertainment in Britain today is television, popularly called“TV” or “the telly”.  Its importance only dates from just after the Second World War, but nowadays the great majority of homes possess a television set as well as or instead of an ordinary radio. With television, you not only hear the voices and music, but you can actually see what is going on at the very moment it is happening many miles away. It is like having a cinema in the comfort of your own home—a cinema which can show both films and actual events.

 

 

 

例3主题句在段尾

 

Throwing criminals in jail is an ancient and widespread method of punishment: but is it a wise one? It does seem reasonable to keep wrongdoers in a place where they find fewer opportunities to hurt innocent people, and where they might discover that crime doesn’t pay.  The system has long been considered fair and sound by those who want to see the guilty punished and society protected. Yet the value of this form of justice is now being questioned by the very men who have to apply it: the judges. The reason, they say, is that prison doesn’t do anyone any good.

 

 

 

例4主题句在段中

 

Does it really help society, or the victim, or the victim’s family, to put in jail a man who, while drunk at the wheel of his car, has injured or killed another person? It would be more helpful to make the man pay for his victim’s medical bills and compensate him for the bad experience, the loss of working time, and any other problems arising from the accident.  If the victim is dead, in most cases his family could use some financial assistance.

 

 

 

例5主题句在段中

 

Just as I settle down to read or watch television, he demands that I play with him. If I get a telephone call, he screams in the background or knocks something over. I always have to hang up to find out what’s wrong with him; Baby-sitting with my little brother is no fun.  He refuses to let me eat a snack in

 

 peace. Usually he wants half of whatever I have to eat. Then, when he finally grows tired, it takes about an hour for him to fall asleep.

 

 

 

例6主题句在段首与段尾

 

Good manners are important in all countries, but ways of expressing good manners are different from country to country.  Americans eat with knives and forks; Japanese eat with chopsticks. Americans say “Hi” when they meet; Japanese bow. Many American men open doors for women; Japanese men do not. On the surface, it appears that good manners in America are not good manners in Japan, and in a way this is true. But in any country, the only manners that are important are those involving one person’s behavior toward another person. In all countries it is good manners to behave considerately toward others and bad manners not to. It is only the way of behaving politely that differs from country to country.

 

虽然主题句在段中的位置没有一定之规，但是，在150词的短篇写作中，最好把主题句放在段首。这可以帮助作者理顺思路，紧扣主题展开段落，防止跑题或出现中心思想、观点不突出的情况。