在雅思口语Part Two的各类话题中必然出现的一个单词就是describe(描述),例如Describe a helpful person(描述一个有帮助的人),Describe your favorite piece of clothing(描述你最喜爱的一件衣服)。
大家在描述的时候往往更多侧重reasons (说理)的层面:why helpful(为何有帮助)或why it is your favorite(为何是你最爱的),而忽略了对于这个话题本身facts (事实特点)的描述。
其实,在话题描述的时候,facts和reasons同样重要,甚至篇幅应该各占一半。下面环球教育盛艳老师就雅思口语Part Two人物类话题试举一例,讲讲如何描述facts。
Describe a couple you know who have a happy marriage.
You should say:
Who they are;
How you got to know them;
How long they have been married;
Explain why you think they have a happy marriage.
“描述一对拥有幸福婚姻的夫妻”,在这个话题里前面三个提示性问题都是讲facts的:Who they are(他们是谁?);How you got to know them(你是如何认识他们的);How long they have been married(结婚多久了?)。
而最后一个提示性问题Why you think they have a happy marriage(为何你认为他们拥有幸福婚姻)则是讲reasons。那么人物类的facts可以从哪些角度来进行描述呢?
一、Appearance外貌描述
①可以描述“颜色”:
Eyes of green or black, intensified by sunlight.光线映衬下的绿色或黑色的眼睛
Golden brown summer skin, the color of toast.金棕色的晒后肌肤
Light blond hairs of the light spread of honey butter.蜂蜜黄油般的浅色秀发
Hair of the lightest brown, sprinkled with the occasional gray.浅棕色头发中夹杂着些许灰色
②也可以描述“五官”:
Everyone will be fascinated by her physiognomy - the prominent nose, brooding eyes, ruddy lips and thick hair.
每个人都会被她的美貌吸引——高耸的鼻梁,深邃的眼神,红润的嘴唇和浓密的秀发。
Physiognomy相貌、容貌
Prominent高耸的
Brooding神秘莫测的
Ruddy红润的
③还可以从“体型”的角度来描述:
What sort of build is she? 她身材如何?
diminutive 娇小的(特指女性身材)
graceful/elegant 优雅的 (用于形容女性体态窈窕)
gracile/slim/slender 苗条的,纤小的(多用于指女性体态和手指、手臂、腿)
tall 高大的(形容男子);修长的(形容女子)
huge 虎背熊腰 (专指男性)
stocky粗壮的
robust 强壮的
stout 矮胖的
medium-built不胖不瘦
medium-height不高不矮
④最后,还可以描述“气质”:
attractive妩媚动人的
comely清秀的、标志的
cute小巧可爱的
fair淑女气质的
good-looking 漂亮的 (男性和女性)
gorgeous 靓丽的
handsome 俊美的 (男性阳刚潇洒;女性相貌端庄)
lovely 亲切可爱的
pretty 甜美、活泼的(女性或小孩)
Tips:回到举例的这个话题“Describe a couple you know who have a happy marriage.”需要描述一对夫妻,那就是两个人。
建议大家如果要描述两个人的外貌,可以从他们的相似或差异的角度来对比描述,比如妻子肤白貌美大长腿,而丈夫黝黑健壮相貌平平。
二、Personality性格描述
①词汇:
ambitious有雄心壮志的
cultured有修养的
aggressive积极进取的
responsible负责任的
creative富创造力的
well-educated受过良好教育的
confident自信的
efficient高效的
competent能干的
versatile多才多艺的
analytical善于分析的
easy-going随和的
industrious勤奋的
charming有魅力的
steady踏实的、坚定的
strong-willed意志坚强的
introverted内向的
extroverted外向的
②例句:
1.Maria's a terrible Gossip. She's always talking about everybody else in the office.玛利亚是个长舌妇,她总在办公室讲每个人的闲话。
Gossip喜欢传播流言蜚语的人;爱说长道短(或说三道四)的人
2.Jane is quite relaxed and easy-going about most things.珍妮对大多数事情都很随和。
Easy-going悠闲的;随和的;不慌不忙的
3.People often say the British are very Reserved.人们通常认为英国人很冷淡矜持。
Reserved内向的;寡言少语的;矜持的
4.When you get to know them they can be very emotional like anyone else.深入接触之后你会发现他们也一样感情丰富。
Emotional情绪激动的;感情冲动的
5.Bob is such a big-head. He never stops telling people how wonderful he is.鲍勃是个自大狂。他总跟别人炫耀自己有多棒。
Big-head 傲慢的人,自负的人,自吹是行家的人
6.Robert's quite an extrovert.罗伯特是个外向开朗的人。
Extrovert性格外向者;活泼自信的人
7.Andrew is a terrific guy. He's really generous with both his time and his money.安德鲁是个了不起的人。无论是时间还是金钱他从不吝啬。
8.Mike's girlfriend is a bit cold, a bit distant.迈克的女朋友对人有点冷淡,有点疏远。
Distant冷淡的;疏远的
9.He is quite a good man except for his quick temper.他人挺好就是有点急脾气。
10.I feel more cheerful and optimistic when it's sunny.天晴的时候我会特别乐观开朗。
③段落:
There are diversity of characters. For example, some people are always happy no matter what happens, they are generous and are ready to help others. Such people are welcomes wherever they go, because they may bring pleasure to others. Another kind of person is disagreeable kind. They are weak in character, and they are easily disappointed when they are in troubles, they are easily hurt by others' words, while they often offend others' feeling by their eccentric dispositions.
三、Experience事件经历描述
The couple's story, which includes romance, war, separation, disease and death, began in 1946 when Rao and his father visited Mao's home to arrange their marriage. Through an open window, Rao suddenly saw a beautiful 20-something girl sitting in front of a mirror putting on lipstick.
Another picture shows Rao, too shy to say "I love you", singing the English lyrics - "Rose Marie, I love you" - from an old US song to express his feeling to Mao during a date in a park.
Mao was diagnosed with diabetes and uremia in 1992. The last picture shows the family final visit to the hospital in 2008, "I saw a tear in the corner of her right eye. In the afternoon, she left me."
Tips:上述四幅照片和画就展现了一对老夫妻之间从年轻到年老的经历片段,言简意赅但是主题突出,恰恰切合“Describe a couple you know who have a happy marriage.”这个话题的要点。所以,通过事件经历的描述也可以很好地展现facts。
综上所述,人物类话题的事实描述主要可以从三个方面来进行:appearance外貌描述;personality性格描述;experience事实经历描述。三个方面既可以各自独立分别描述,也可以相互穿插彼此呼应。