舌尖上的美国(63):强烈语气(中)

　　使用主动语态，少用被动语态
　　1a A number of parking spaces are always needed by commuting students.
　　1b Commuting students always need a number of parking spaces.
　　2a For energy conservation it is urged that all lights be turned off when not being used.
　　2b To save energy, students should turn off all lights they are not using.
　　以上两组句子中，a句是被动语态，b句是主动语态。被动语态强调状态，淡化动作的执行者，主动语态使用动作动词来强调动作，句子意思更直接，表达更有力度。此外，使用主动语态的句子往往比使用被动语态的句子更简练，而简练的句子比不简练的句子给读者留下的印象要深刻的多，从而达到强调的作用。
　　使用表达有力的动词，少用be动词和have
　　1a Our college is always the winner of the conference.
　　1b Our college always wins the conference.
　　2a The meat has a rotten smell.
　　2b The meat smells rotten.
　　以上两组句子中，a句使用了动词be和have的相应形式，b句使用了表达有力度的动作动词win和smell。不难看出，动作动词往往使一个句子简练，而简练的句子能达到强调的效果。
　　有意识地重复关键词语
　　1 Usually we cheat to make people think we are better than we are; sometimes we cheat to avoidunpleasant consequences such as paying taxes.
　　2 Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupidpeople love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe.
　　3 No one reads anymore—blame television. Families are breaking up—blame television. Highculture is being despoiled—blame television. What a splendid all-purpose explanation television hasbecome.
　　有意识地重复关键词语能凸显重点意思，达到强调的效果。这种有意识的词语重复通常用在平行句中。当然，要慎重重复词语，经常性的过多重复词语会造成不必要的重复，会淡化强调作用，从而削弱表达效果。
　　偶尔使用倒装句
　　1 At the feet of the tallest and plushiest offices lie the crummiest slums.
　　2 Among the students were a few visiting scholars.
　　3 There might be some truth in his words.
　　不同于正常语序，倒装句把重要的信息放在动词后面，能够造成悬念，给读者留下深刻的印象，从而达到强调的效果。不过一定要慎用倒装句，如果过多地使用倒装句，则给人一种语言不自然的感觉。
　　使用平衡句，对比强调异同
　　1 To be French is to be like no one else; to be American is to be like everyone else.
　　2 Love is positive; tolerance is negative.
　　3 Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
　　平衡句结构对称，意思相似或相异，对比强烈，会给读者留下很深的印象，强调语气浓厚。