The power of a great introduction - Carolyn Mohr

引言的魔力 - Carolyn Mohr

譯者: Marssi Draw 審譯者: Geoff Chen

Think about how your favorite stories hook you.

回想看看你最喜歡的故事為什麼吸引你？

"When he was nearly 13, my brother Jim

「我的哥哥杰姆在快13歲的時候

got his arm badly broken at the elbow.

把手肘摔斷了。

When it healed, and Jim's fears of never being able to play football

當他痊癒後，就不再需要擔心這輩子都不能玩橄欖球了，

were assuaged, he was seldom self conscious about his injury."

他很少想起曾經受過這個傷。」

"All this happened, more or less. The war parts, anyway,

「這種事總會發生，只是多少的問題罷了。

are pretty much true. One guy I knew really was shot

戰爭總是如此真實。 我認識一位曾在德勒斯登被槍擊的人，

in Dresden for taking a teapot that wasn't his."

原因只是他拿了別人的茶壺。」

"My father's family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip,

「我父親的姓是皮利普，我的名是菲利普。

my infant tongue could make of both names nothing longer

可是小時候我只會說：『皮普』

or more explicit than 'Pip.'

所以我自稱皮普，

So I called myself Pip, and came to be called Pip."

然後大家就都叫我皮普了。」

Imagery, intrigue, emotion: each introduction makes you want to read more.

富含意象、情節、情感的每一篇引言 都會讓你想要繼續讀下去

If you have an assignment to write a literary analysis,

如果你被指派寫一篇文學分析

your introduction will be just as important.

你的引言和它一樣重要

There will be four elements in your essay:

你的論文會有四個部分

your introduction,

引言

thesis statement,

論點陳述

analysis and conclusion.

分析與結論

If you begin writing a literary analysis with the introduction,

如果你從引言開始撰寫文學分析

you may be discouraged.

你可能會感到挫折

Here's a tip for writing a great introduction:

告訴你一個把引言寫好的好方法

Write it last,

最後再寫它

and write your thesis first.

然後先寫你的論點

Figure out what you want to analyze before you actually analyze it.

在你開始分析之前，寫清楚你想要分析什麼

Your thesis is the foundation for the rest of your essay,

你的論點是整份論文

including your introduction.

以及引言的基礎

So how do you find your thesis?

那麼要如何找出你的論點呢？

Start by asking questions.

可以以問問題開始

To Charles Dickens you may ask,

你可以問察爾斯．狄更斯

"why do you draw attention to characters' hands?"

「為什麼你將注意力放在角色的手上？」

"What's up with their names?"

「他們的名字為什麼要這樣取？」

"Pumblechook? Really?"

「潘波趣？你是認真的嗎？」

To narrow your concept for analysis, answer the questions yourself.

試著縮小你分析的概念，然後自己回答問題。

"Estella ridicules Pip's hands, Jaggers constantly washes his hands,

「艾斯提拉嘲笑皮普的手，賈各斯不斷地洗他的手，

Pip insufferably burns his hands,

皮普痛苦難熬地燒傷了他的手

Mrs. Joe brings Pip up by hand."

喬伊太太一手把皮普帶大。」

Are there patterns in your answers?

你的答案是否有一套模式？

"Estella's comments smack of cruelty,

「當賈各斯洗淨他不道德的心時，

while Jaggers' cleanses his immoral conscience.

艾斯提拉的言論既尖酸又刻薄。

Pip finds a second chance,

當喬伊太太以愛與奉獻之名虐待一個孩子時，

while Mrs. Joe abuses a child under the guise of love and dedication."

皮普發現了第二次機會。」

What can you analyze with this pattern?

你可以從這個模式中分析出什麼？

"Hands symbolize social class inequities,

「手象徵了社會階層的不平等，

and through Dickens' criticism, he exposes the dire need for reform

經過狄更斯的評論，他顯露出維多利亞時代的倫敦人

in Victorian London.

對重新改革的渴求。」

What you will do next, which is an entirely different lesson,

接下來你需要做的是全然不同的課題

is to draft and revise your analysis.

那就是設計與修正你的分析

Only after you write your analysis,

在你寫下你的分析後

return to your introduction.

才能回到你的引言

Like authors earlier,

如同早期的作家

try to intrigue and inspire your reader.

試著去激發與激勵讀者的好奇心

Avoid starting with famous quotations,

避免以佳句名言

dictionary definitions

字詞定義或誇張的問題

or rhetorical questions.

來起頭

Consider the historical context of your topic,

試著想想主題的歷史背景、趣聞軼事

or an anecdote or some larger idea or concept.

或是一些較巨觀的見解或概念

Here's an example:

舉例來說

"27 bones in the hand and wrist allow humans to concurrently create

「手部與腕部所涵蓋的27根骨頭 讓人們得以同時創造與摧毀

and destroy. Thousands of hands have been behind history's astounding creations.

成千上百的手在歷史上創造了令人驚奇的事物

Hands represent a powerful symbol,

在查爾斯．狄更斯的筆下

one that was not lost on Charles Dickens.

手意味著強大有力的象徵

In Great Expectations, Dickens uses hands

在《遠大前程》一書中，狄更斯以手來象徵

to symbolize social class inequities,

社會階層的不公平

and through his criticism, he exposes the dire need for social reform

經過他的評論，他顯露出維多利亞時代的倫敦人

in Victorian London."

對重新改革的渴求。」

Take time crafting and revising your thesis and introduction.

花點時間製作、修訂你的論文和引言

Remember, if you are bored while writing,

要記得，如果你在書寫時覺得無趣

your reader will be bored while reading.

你的讀者會將在閱讀時感到無趣

By the way, did you notice the introduction to this lesson?

附帶一提，你注意到這堂課的引言了嗎？

It didn't start with "here's how to write a thesis and introduction."

我不是以「讓我來告訴你如何寫出好的引言」開始

Would that have hooked you?

如果是的話，那還會抓住你的目光嗎？