如何通过阅读外刊积累英文写作句型？（18）
这是“读外刊，学英文句型”栏目的第十八期，关于该栏目第一期的说明可以见如何通过阅读外刊积累英文写作句型？
1.一个举例&开头句型
下面的句子节选自The Economist对于英国电视频道Channel 4的报道：Channel hopping
There are few better illustrations of Britain’s obsession with property than the schedules of Channel 4. Kirstie and Phil, a cheerily bickering duo known to viewers by their first names, are presenting their 31st series of “Location, Location, Location”. “A Place in the Sun” and “Building the Dream” offer the tempting prospect of a new start.
上面第一句话的意思是：很少有例子能够比第四频道的节目表更能说明英国人对房地产的着迷。作者在接下来举了Kirstie和Phil这一对主持人搭档的节目名称来进行说明。第一句话也提供了一个很好的举例论证句型：there are few better illustrations of…than... 其中illustration是指“实例，例证”（an example, event, fact etc that shows that something else is true, or shows what something is like）。
该句型的使用难点是如何找到一个足够有代表性的例子来说明某个现象或某种趋势。比如要说明中国近些年电商的发展，可以用双十一作为例子：
There are few better illustrations of the rise of ecommerce in China than Singles' Day, an annual online shopping spree that takes place on 11 November. During last year’s event, Chinese shoppers spent more than $25bn, smashing previous records for the world’s largest retail extravaganza.
2.对事物进行比较
我在之前的系列中介绍过一些对比句型，比如：
(1) Today’s economic problems pale in comparison with those of the 1930s. (A pales in comparison with B)
(2) It’s a good university, but its architecture doesn’t compare with that of the older institutions. (A does not compare with B)
这里补充一个句型：
The amount of public money spent studying autism is shockingly modest. Britain’s government spends a trivial ￡4m ($5.6m) a year. America shells out around $200m a year—about what it costs to look after 100 severely autistic people for a lifetime. Such sums are dwarfed by the opportunity cost of having so many potentially productive people dependent on others.
这段话的背景是目前全球各国用于研究自闭症的经费太低，这些经费与自闭症造成的机会成本损失比起来相形见绌。这里有一个值得注意的表达 be dwarfed by something, 很多人比较熟悉dwarf的名词用法“小矮人”，但它还可以作为动词使用，含义为“使……相形见绌”。
在涉及到两者比较时可以灵活使用该表达，例如：
(1) China's online retail market dwarfs that of the United States.
(2) Alibaba's Singles' Day sales dwarf those of Black Friday, a traditional shopping event in the US.
3.一个补充论证句型
下面的句子节选自The Economist对于美国移民政策的报道So, does America want them or not?
Add to that the increased patrolling of the Mexican border and the paring back of welfare benefits, and the intent is obvious: America is no longer to be a magnet for the poor of Latin America and Asia, the sources now of two-thirds of the country's immigrants.
文章背景是美国的移民政策收紧，加上美国在墨西哥边境上的巡逻力度的加强以及福利救济的削减，美国不再是一个吸引拉丁美洲和亚洲穷人的地方。第一句中的 add to that… 是一个固定搭配，含义是“此外，再加上”（You use added to this or added to that to introduce a fact that supports or widens what you are saying）：
可以通过add to that/this…and…来补充论据以支持前面提到的观点，值得注意的一点是，add to that/this 后面要加名词成分。举个例子：
Studying abroad has many benefits. It provides a good opportunity for students to improve their language skills and expand their knowledge. Add to that the fact that overseas studies offer them a valuable chance to learn how to be more open-minded and independent, and it is easy to see why so many young people are willing to study in a foreign country.
4.不仅仅只是……
下面的句子选自The Economist对于阿拉斯加的报道From pork to petrodollars
So needy are the citizens of the “last frontier” that the looming trial of Ted Stevens, Alaska's senior senator and champion pork-rustler, for failing to disclose gifts is viewed not just as a political scandal but also as an economic threat.
选段的背景是阿拉斯加有三分之一的工作依赖于联邦政府财政支出，因此阿拉斯加州联邦参议员Ted Stevens没有向公众披露收礼这件事不仅仅是一件政治丑闻，还是一个经济威胁。这里有一个句式值得注意：…be viewed not just as…but also as… （不仅仅被视为……还被视为……）这是一个外刊当中很常见的结构，用来对事物的特点进行强调。
举个例子，有这样一道作文题目：
Students today can easily access information online, so libraries are no longer necessary. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
其中有一个论点是互联网不会取代图书馆，图书馆仍然有存在的必要，因为图书馆不仅仅是一个藏书的地方，它还提供了一个良好的学习环境，而这种学习环境在互联网时代是很稀缺的。这个时候我们可以说：
Libraries should be viewed not just as a repository for books, but also as an oasis of peace and sanity amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Although the Internet makes it possible for students to read books or even attend classes in the comfort of their own home, such a condition is not conducive to learning. All too often, they are distracted by pop-ups, instant messages or computer games. By contrast, libraries provide an ideal environment in which students are able to concentrate on their work without the distraction of digital gadgets.
总结：
本期一共介绍了以下几个表达：
(1) there are few better illustrations of…than...
(2) be dwarfed by something
(3) add to that/this…and…
(4) …be viewed not just as…but also as…
点击文末“阅读原文”可以查看这一系列的往期文章。
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