我是如何阅读《经济学人》的？
How I Read The Economist
Experience from a veteran reader of The Economist
Considering The Economist has become the de facto bible for many English learners, especially intermediate to advanced enthusiasts seeking to improve their writing, it is fitting to share how I read the newspaper. I prefer to write in English because two other articles written in English with regard to The Economist seem well received. Plus, writing in English is ineffably pleasurable.
How the newspaper should be read depends on a few factors. There is no single right way to do it. Motivation, English proficiency, time budget, environment and mood all play a part. Each will determine how you read it. Sophisticated readers know these factors well, and normally have their own reading habits. Beginners can be overwhelmed, so some advice may be helpful.
Nobody is born a sophisticated reader. The general guide would be to pick any The Economist issue, print or digital, skim it page by page, and get a sense of how each section feels. Once done, you should find what interests you the most, what somewhat interests you, what challenges you and what bores you. Alternatively, Wiki The Economist and read the introduction of the newspaper. Hyperlinks on Wiki will direct you to learn more about your interested references. Stick to your favorite section(s) and allocate the bulk of your time. Whenever you have time, try the sections you find slightly interesting. Choose one challenging article once in a while and confront it. Forget about the boring parts, they are not for you, at least not now.
Favorite sections can help you become a habitual reader. At first, for example, I mostly read articles on China. I was just exposed to The Economist and found I could easily relate to its perspectives on a country I lived in. Many concepts and ideas were familiar, and I was able to focus on its vocabulary, syntactic gymnastics, arguments and narrative skills. Gradually I familiarized with its writing stye, a springboard to other sections. While the China section cannot be wrong for any newbie, you should discover what your favorite is. If you are a literature and humanities major, start from the back--Obituary and Books and Arts; those keen on current affairs should find Leaders a decent starting point; students specializing in business, sciences, economics and finance can find their respective enclaves. A watcher of a particular country or continent? Go gently into the regional sections.
What fails to strike you as deserving at first may turn out to be the most delightful. In my case Obituary is such a gem. When I first read The Economist back in 2007, stories in Obituary were far beyond my grasp. Their vocabularies were too wide; sentence structures too intimidating; depictions too complicated; stories too esoteric; and writing style too unfamiliar. As my reading and overall knowledge of English bettered, Obituary started to make sense to me. Not only that, it is beautifully written and captivating and is nonfiction at its best. I cannot wait to take a look at Obituary every week after I download a new issue. So reexamine the sections as you read. You never know how and how much you will be amazed.
Some sections are better read at one sitting. Briefing, Special Report, Technology Quarterly and International all feature heavily referenced and meticulously written articles with considerable length. Charts, tables and pies fill them. The Economist correspondents very often collect data from multiple sources--universities, consultancies, think tanks and research institutes--and make visually appealing graphs, some of which can even be regarded as works of art. These sections are particularly useful if you are working on broad themes in preparation for an essay at school or GRE issue topics. Budget enough time, get a cup of Latte and enjoy.
Bite-sized sections, in contrast, are perfect for elevators and waits. Nothing beats The World This Week (including Politics, Business and KAL's cartoon) and Letters if you want to kill time, be it taking an elevator or waiting in a not terribly long line.
In terms of the actual reading methods, I take a whole-to-part approach. Each week I would download the new issue, read its cover and highlights, scroll down the contents, read titles and bylines (or one-sentence summaries) and identify a few must-reads. Then I would revisit the The Economist app throughout the week. Normally I would pick one of the must-reads, read the first paragraph, first sentences of each paragraph and the last paragraph. This way, I can get the gist of each piece within less than one minute. If I have lots of time and am interested in the topic, I will keep reading it from start to finish.
Within a particular article, I focus on the parts that wow me. Some articles start with stunning sentences. Some stand out because of effectiveness or elegance of arguments. Some leave a lasting impression for they end in a witty or surprising note. Some make good points despite their lighthearted prose.
Reading habits change as you change. One only becomes a mature reader by reading. For many people, starting to read matters more than how to read. Perhaps it's time to start to read now.
题图：David Abbot.
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