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1、,.8. 低调陈述UNDERSTATEMENT1. 定义Understatement: It is a restrained statement in ironic contrast to what might be said, a studied avoidance of explicit emphasis or exaggeration (WED); A statement which fails below the truth or fact (OED). Understatement (低调陈述)是恰与Hyperbole (夸张)相对的一种修辞格。其基本用法是，在陈述事物时有意采取低调
2、，抑制措辞，轻描淡写，借含蓄与弱化的语言形式表示强调。因为英国男人喜欢把话说得委婉一些，温和一些，故把Understatement称为男性语言(males speech)，而把Hyperbole称为女性语言 (female speech) 。Understatement的表达形式有Litotes和Meiosis两类。 2表达方式 （1）Litotes（间接肯定法）或（曲言法） Litotes: A figure of speech in which an affirmative is expressed by the negation of its opposite (AHD); Unders
3、tatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary. (WED) Litotes就是以反说代替正说，即采用否定事物的反面这样一种结构，构成间接肯定。更明确地说，就是在某些词前加一个否定词来达到强烈的间接肯定。间接肯定给人的印象往往比直接肯定更深刻一些，因此，它能广泛地用于文学作品和政论文中。As lean was his horse as is a rake,And he was not right fat.I undertake. ( G. Chaucer ) 他的马瘦得像钉钯，骨骼清晰，
4、 而他也不那么胖 我敢担保，真的不胖。 *此例中，马瘦骨嶙峋，人也骨瘦如柴，但不直接说he was lean而用曲言he was not right fat,文字表述就多一点变换，这样就给读者留下了多一点的想象空间并增加了一点幽默感。 Who can not rely on such an honest man? 谁能不信任这样一个正直的人? *这句话的意思是Everybody can rely on such an honest man. 谁都能信任这样一个正直的人。用否定的形式来表达肯定的内容，语气就更为强烈。反抑为褒，给人印象深刻。The face wasnt a bad one: it
5、 had what they called charm. ( John Galsworthy ) 这张脸不算难看，它有着人们所说的妩媚。 He is no fool. ( He is wise. ) 他一点也不傻。He is no more opponent in the coming debate. ( He is a worthy opponent. )在即将来临的辩论中，他不仅仅是位反对派。It is not a disagreeable thing to be rich. ( It is agreeable to be rich. )富有不是一桩不光彩的事情。 There is nev
6、er a week without his finding faults with me. 他从来没有一个星期不找我的岔子的。 There isnt a weapon he doesnt know the use of. ( Lady Gregory ) ( He knows the use of all weapon. ) 他什么武器都会使用。 and after we reached high ground there was no lack of fine scenery. ( Mark Twain: A Tramp Abroad )我们到达高地，这里不乏其美景。 He has no s
7、mall (=a great )chance of success.他的成功机会不小。 Similar mistakes are not uncommon.类似的错误并非少见。There is no rule without exception.任何规则都有例外。 We cant serve the people well without high political consciousness. 没有很高的政治觉悟，我们就不能很好地为人民服务。 He was no mean (= a very good ) orator. 他是一位很出色的演说家。This problem is not ab
8、ove us. 这个问题难不住我们。 A book may be compared to your neighbor; if it be good, it cannot last too long; if bad, you cannot get rid of it too early. 一本书可以比作邻居。如果是好的，结识越久越好；如果是坏的，分手越早越好。 “Dont you figure out that I might have had something to do with it?” said Soapy, not without sarcasm, but friendly, as
9、one greets fortune. ( O. Henry: The Cop and the Anthem ) “你算不到我同这件事有点关系吧。”苏比说，不无讽刺意味，可是态度和气，像是要交好运的人。I see myself, with Agnes at my side journeying along the road of life. I see our children and our friends around us; and I hear the roar of many voices, not indifferent to me as I travel on.( Charles
10、 Dickens: David Copperfield ) 我看见我自己与阿格尼丝在人生道路上并肩旅行。我看见我们的孩子和朋友们围绕在我俩身边；我也听见当我前进时许多人对我还不算冷淡的响亮评论。 In India, not a year passes without a number of people falling victims to the ferocity of the tiger. 印度每年必有多人死于虎患。I am not quite too late, I see.我知道，我来得还不算很晚。 I couldnt be more happier. (= Im very happy
11、.) 我幸福极了。 We should choose none but the best. 我们应该只挑最好的。None but fools have ever believed it.只有傻瓜才相信。She writes rather too often to her mother.她经常给她母亲写信。I am not too sure.我不敢过分肯定。I have never committed one act that was not in the interests of my people. ( W. Epton )我还从来没有做过一件不是有利于人民的事。Bassanio, in h
12、is grief, replied that there was nothing he could not sacrifice. ( Ch. Lamb )巴莎尼奥非悲痛地答应说，他没有什么不可以牺牲的。He was never dissatisfied with my work.他从来没有对我的工作不满意。She is not unhappy (= very happy) in her present post. ( J. B. Heaton & J.P. Stocks )她对目前的职位并不是不满意。 There are no difficulties that are insurmounta
13、ble. 天下无难事。 We are not careless of our political study. 我们对政治学习不是不关心的。 Without honesty nothing can be achieved in the world. 不认真就会一事无成。No one is free from faults.人非圣贤，孰能无过。 Never fail to (= Be sure to) come to us. 务必到我们这里来。 Our efforts were not in vain.我们的力气没有白费。He did not go to Oxford for nothing.
14、他没有白上牛津大学。He is no stranger to computers.他对计算机很内行。 They didnt start a moment too soon. 他们动身一点也不早。 A teacher cannot be too patient with his students.老师对学生越耐心越好。You cannot begin the practice too early. 你练习得越早越好。 We cannot be too thankfulgrateful to the Party. 我们对党感激不尽。 Good manners cannot be too much
15、valued. 礼貌是总值得尽量尊重的。 I cant thank you enough for your kind help. 我对你的帮助感激不尽。 We cant do enough for our socialist educational cause. 为了社会主义教育事业我们有做不尽的事情。（2）Meiosis (克制陈述) 或（弱陈法） Meiosis: A figure of speech by which the impression is intentionally conveyed that a thing is less in size, importance, etc
16、 than it really is (OED).前面阐述过，Litotes是采用否定反面意思的间接肯定结构，而Meiosis是用直接肯定的结构来故意缩小事态，即弱说代替强说。换句话说，Litotes是使用否定词，而Meiosis是使用rather，quite，almost，a bit，a 1ittle，some (thing), sort / kind of，scarcely，hardly, pretty，almost等低调词(downtoners)来代替程度副词very (much)，以缩小事物的重要性, 从而表示评估的审慎、强度的削弱。Mr. Li is something of a p
17、hilosopher. 李先生略有哲学家的风味。 *此例句没有上下文，推测起来大约李先生本不是哲学家，但言谈中或许常带有一些具哲学深度的话；若直说李先生是哲学家，似乎太过，有奉承之嫌，用something of 则恰到好处。或者李先生本是哲学家，则此句就有讽刺意味了。The truth is that I was never much of a credit to the family, and I doubt if they would be so very glad to see me. They were all steady, chapel-going folk, small farm
18、ers, well known and respected over the country-side while I was always a bit of a rover. ( Conan Doyle: The Sign of Four ) 事实上，对那个家族而言。我是没有信誉的，我怀疑他们是否高兴看见我。他们全是信仰上帝作风务实的小农，在乡下有名气并且受人尊敬。而我总是有点流浪者的气息。 *说“有点流浪者的气息”真正是用低调在描述一个流浪者与终年守着土地的农民之间的关系。所谓“有点”(a bit of)在这里只是语气上的低调语，而事实上，上例中的“我”是一个地地道道的流浪者。 Her p
19、ronunciation is rather good. 她的发音相当好。 *此例中的“相当 ”是一个低调词，它的“弱说”在于它的模糊性。rather good虽也是赞扬，但语气上很审慎。During last years Central Park Bicycle Race, five of the racers were attacked and had their bikes stolen while the race was in progress. This is something of a handicap in a bicycle race. ( Caskle Stinnett
20、) 在去年的中央公园自行车赛中，五位参赛者受到袭击而且他们的自行车被盗走，这对自行车赛的顺利进行多少是一种妨碍。 *这是记者写的报道文字，用了something of这样的低调陈述来陈述自行车被盗遭袭的事实，用词很审慎，语气很委婉，记者如此行文，自有他多方面的考虑，譬如不太想刺激自行车赛的组织者，或者不想让人感觉到报道有幸灾乐祸之嫌。总之，用低调陈述来委婉审慎地表示一种麻烦，在语气上比较适合于这样的报道。You may have something of a Roosevelt, something of a Newton in yourself, you may have something
21、 very much greater than either of these men manifested waiting your help to give it expression. 你也许具有那么一点罗斯福的才能，牛顿的智慧，你也许具有比他们两人所显示的更为伟大的本领，在等待着你把它表现出来。She is rather (=very) good-looking.她相当漂亮。He has written quite a number of (=quite a lot of ) books.他撰写了相当多的小说。The place is some distance (=a great d
22、istance)off.到那地方还有点儿距离呢。 Few pastimes bring a family closer together than gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story. 围拢来听妈妈或爸爸读好故事是最能使孩子聚集在一起的娱乐。 Im sort / kind of (=very much) angry at your rudeness. 我对你的鲁莽有点儿生气。 My friend was a bit (=very much)upset by his sons death.我朋友
23、因儿子的死亡而深为悲痛。 He was a little (=very much) annoyed when he found his valuable vase broken. 他发现自己珍贵的花瓶摔破时，他大为恼火。 There was a slight disturbance in the city yesterday. All the shops were shut. 昨天城里出了点乱子。所有的商店都关门了。He was, he said, rather a precocious boy that he was permitted an amount of initiative tha
24、t most children scarcely attain by seven or eight. ( Wells )他说，他是个相当早熟的男孩子一他富有首创精神，那是大多数七、八岁的孩予几乎不可能具有的。 There is also poverty, convincingly etched in the statistics, and etched too, in the lives of people like Hortensia Cabrera, mother of 14, widow. “Money,” she says with quiet understatement, is kind of tight. But I manage.” ( Griffin Smith. Jr. : National Geographic ) 贫困，不容置疑地，深深印在统计数字之中，也印在像卡布雷拉那样的人们的生活之中。她是14个孩子的母亲，一个寡妇。 “钱，”她安祥而含蓄地说，“有些紧，不过我能对付。” *一个拉扯14个孩子的寡妇，在谈到钱时只是轻描淡写地说了句“有些紧”。低调陈述反衬出她自尊、自立的骨气。 *注意，不要以为句中用了这些词，就是Meiosis，只有当表示说话人的克制陈述时才可看成Meiosis。