1、【写作提升】“原因”可以怎么说?地道写作表达积累今天我们看一下“原因”在外刊中是怎么表达的:1. 原因 at play(in 现象/结果)is .play在这里是个熟词僻义,它的意思是:the effect or influence of something 影响,常见的一个搭配就是at play,有时后面加in sth。e.g. There are a number of factors at play in the current recession.目前的不景气是由一些因素引发的。e.g. Several factors seem to be at play in the trend o
2、f todays marrieds increasingly living apart. Technology is part of the story.当今,越来越多的已婚夫妇开始分居,有多重因素引发了这一趋势,其中,技术是原因之一。(part of the story,故事的一部分,这里的story指的是several factors,part of the story可以理解为“部分原因”。)我们可以从中得到以下几种变形:如果采取“总分”的结构,比如:有很多原因导致了某一现象,是原因之一。我们可以说:Several factors / forces seem at play in 现象(
3、现象用1-2个词概括,不宜过长)。. is part of the story.如果是分原因,我们可以说:原因 is at play in 现象。这一表达较为简洁,但结构性相对较弱。我们也可以说The first reason / factor / force at play in 现象 is 原因。这一表达不如上一个简洁,但结构性更强。2. 现象 stem in part from 原因stem from的意思是“源于,起源于”,in part(部分上)起到一个修饰的作用。e.g. The price increases stem in part from supply disruption
4、s in short-fiber pulp after forest fires in Canada and production problems in Brazil.卫生纸价格上涨,部分是因为加拿大森林大火以及巴西出现生产问题后短纤浆供应紊乱。e.g. Noticeably, the spread of plastic stems in part from increasing volumes of single-use plastics.很明显,塑料垃圾泛滥,部分原因是越来越多的人使用一次性塑料袋。3. helps explain ., serve as an explanation f
5、or / of / as to .explain和explanation是一对非常简单、实用的小词,意思是“解释”,外刊中常用来分析某一现象的原因。e.g. A recent paper argues that this genetic quirk helps explain why some countries are rich and others poor.近期,一份报告认为,这一基因怪异是一些国家富裕而另一些国家贫穷的原因。(我们也可以直接用explain,不过加上help语气更委婉一些。)另外,还可以用serve as an explanation for / of / as to来
6、替换help explain,使表达更具有学术气息。e.g. A dearth of competition among firms serves as an explanation for wage inequality and a host of other ills.企业间缺乏竞争是导致工资不平等和其他问题的原因。4. the force / factor behind . is .behind后面加某一现象,is后面加原因。e.g. President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Mario Draghi announced late last
7、 month that an “increasingly robust and broad-based” recovery was the factor behind the decision to scale back quantitative easing and cut the monthly rate of bond purchases to 30 billion euros (USD 35 billion) from the current 60 billion euros at the beginning of 2018.欧洲央行主席马里奥德拉吉于上月末宣布,越来越强劲而且全面的复
8、苏是缩减量化宽松政策、降低每月债券购买率的原因。每月债券购买率将从2018年初的600亿欧元的水平上减少至300亿欧元(合350亿美元)。5. the factor lies in .lie in是外刊中经常会用到的百搭词组,比如,分析原因时,我们可以说:the factor / reason / force lies in.;提出解决方案时,我们可以说:the solution lies in.,等等。其实,在这一语境下,lie in就相当于be动词。e.g. The second factor lies in digital native generations preference for internet celebrities.第二个因素在于数字时代成长起来的一代对网络名人的追捧。