怎样写英文摘要
WritingCenterHandouts
WritingSummaries
?Thegoalofwritingasummaryofanarticle,achapter,orabookistoofferas
accuratelyaspossiblethefullsenseoftheoriginal,butinamorecondensedfo rm.Asummaryrestatestheauthor’smainpoint,purpose,intent,andsupporting detailsinyourownwords.
?Theprocessofsummarizingenablesyoutobettergrasptheoriginal,andthe
resultshowsthereaderthatyouunderstanditaswell.Inaddition,theknowle dgegainedallowsyoutobetteranalyzeandcritiquetheoriginal.?First,trytofind themainideainthereading;it’susuallyinthefirst
paragraph.Next,skimthroughthearticle,glancingatanyheadingsandgrap hics.Then,readtheconclusion.Theintenthereisbothtogiveyourselfareviewof theworkandtoeffectivelyengageyourselfwithit.
?Nowgobackandreadtheoriginaltextcarefully,jottingdownnotesonor
highlightingtheimportantpoints.Writethecentralideaandtheauthor’srea sons(purposeandintent)forholdingthisviewpoint.Notethesupportingelemen tstheauthorusestoexplainorbackupher/hismaininformationorclaim.
?Makeanoutlinethatincludesthemainideaandthesupportingdetails.
Arrangeyourinformationinalogicalorder,forexample,mosttoleast
importantorchronological.Yourorderneednotbethesameasthatintheorig inal,butkeeprelatedsupportingpointstogether.Thewayyouorganizetheoutlin emayserveasamodelforhowyoudivideandwritetheessay.?Writethesummar y,makingsuretostatetheauthor’snameinthefirst
sentence.Presentthemainidea,followedbythesupportingpoints.Therema inderofyoursummaryshouldfocusonhowtheauthorsupports,defines,and/oril lustratesthatmainidea.Remember,unlessotherwisestatedbyyourinstructor,a
summaryshouldcontainonlytheauthor’sviews,sotrytobeasobjectiveaspossi ble.
?Asyoureviseandedityoursummary,compareittotheoriginalandask
yourselfquestionssuchas:HaveIrephrasedtheauthor’swordswithoutcha ngingtheirmeaning?HaveIrestatedthemainideaandthesupportingpointsaccu ratelyandinmyownwords?
?Ifyouareaskedtowriteacriticalsummaryortoincludeacritique,youmay
wanttoaskyourselfquestionssuchas:Doestheauthorsucceed?Howand
whyorwhynot?Whatarethestrengths,weaknesses?Why?Whatdidtheaut hordowell?Notwell?Why?
摘要（summary）是一种对原始文献（或文章）的基本内容进行
浓缩的语义连贯的短文。它以迅速掌握原文内容梗概为目的，不加
主观评论和解释，但必须简明、确切地表述原文的重要内容。
1）细读原文。首先要仔细阅读全篇作品，然后对作品进行整体
分析，掌握原文总的意思和结构，明确全文的主题（themaintheme）和各段的段落大意（themainidea）。
2）弄清要求。搞清楚是写全文概要，还是写某一部分的概要，
或者就某些问题写出要点。
3）列出原文要点。分析原文的内容和结构，将内容分项扼要表
述并注意在结构上的顺序。在此基础上选出与文章主题密切相关的
部分。
4）草拟写作提纲并写出初稿。将挑选出的要点作为框架草拟详
细的提纲，以所列的提纲为依据写出摘要的初稿。在写作时要特别
注意下面几点：
（1）摘要应包括原文中的主要事实（mainfacts）；略去不必要
的细节（unnecessarydetails）。
（2）安排好篇幅的比例。摘要应同原文保持协调，即用较多的
文字写重要内容，用较少的文字写次要内容。
