一、类属法即通过类属来推测词义。如:
Bananas, oranges, pineapples, coconuts and some other kinds of fruit grow in warm areas.
说明:从句意我们知道 pineapples, coconuts和bananas, oranges是同类事物,同属水果(准确地说是“菠萝”和“椰子”)。
二、推理法即根据文章的前后语境推出生词的词义。如:
That museum is so immense that it will be impossible to see all the exhibits in one day.
说明:既然一天之内看不完所有的展品,那么 immense 的意思应该是“很大”了。
Everyone agreed that the woman in the photo was gorgeous. It was easy to see why she had won the beauty contest.
说明:既然“她在选美比赛中获胜”,说明她“很美丽”(gorgeous)。
三、列举法即通过对文章所列举的事物来猜测生词的词义。如:
Children like such creatures as dogs and monkeys.
说明:像 dogs 和 monkeys 之类的 “creatures”,显然creatures 的意思应是“动物”。
In your spare time, you may look through any of these periodicals: Time Magazine, News Week, or The New Worker.
说明:periodical 是生词,但根据其后所列举的例子,我们可以推测出它的意思可能是“期刊”或“杂志”。
四、构词法即根据前缀、后缀、复合、派生等构词知识判断生词的词义。如:
Overwork may cause diseases.
说明:前缀 over- 的意思是“过分的,过量的”,故 overwork 的意思应为“工作过度”。
There was a dissatisfied look in the manager’s eyes.
说明:satisfied 的意思是“满意的”,前缀 dis- 的意思是“不”,故 dissatisfied 的意思应该是“不满意的”。
五、对比法即根据文章前后的对比关系确定生词的词义。如:
He had been getting better, but during the night his condition deteriorated .
说明:句中的 but 表明 deteriorate 应该与 get better 的意思相反,即“恶化”。
In many countries there are two financial extremes, from penury to great wealth.
说明:上文说两个经济上的极端,那么下文中 penury 应与 great wealth 相对,即表示“贫困”。
Mrs. Smith is loquacious while her husband is the silent type.
说明:while 表对比,意为“而”,所以 loquacious 应是 silent 的反义,即“多嘴的”。
If you agree, draw a circle; and a cross if you dissent.
说明:既然画圈表示同意,那么画叉便是“不同意”(dissent)。
六、同位法同位语是对所修饰词语的进一步说明和解释,若对所修饰的词语不熟悉,可通过其后同位语的“说明或解释”来确定其词义。如:
His father is an expert in phonetics, the study of the sounds of language.
说明:同位语 the study of the sounds of language 表示 phonetics 的意思应该是“语音学”。
Jean was born with spina bifida, a birth illness that damages the spine (脊骨).
说明:同位语 a birth illness that damages the spine 表明了spina bifida 是一种病,一种对脊骨有损害的病。
七、释义法即根据文章中所提供的释义关系来确定生词的词义。如:
They described him as a loon, or a mad man.
说明:句中的or 是对loon的解释,即loon与a mad man 同义,即表示“疯子”。
It will be very hard but also very brittle, that is, it will break easily.
说明:句中的 that is 表明 it will break easily 是对 brittle 的解释,从而猜测出其意为“脆”。
The herdsman, who looks after sheep, earns about 500 yuan a year.
说明:定语从句 who looks after sheep 表明 herdsman 的词义为“牧人”。
There are three kinds of snow. One kind is a fluffy snow that is somewhat dry and feathery?
说明:定语从句 that is somewhat dry and feathery (有点儿干、像羽毛似的) 表明 fluffy snow 的意思可能是“鹅毛大雪”。
八、常识法即根据普通常识推测生词的词义。如:
It’s said that Bill Gates is the most affluent person in the world.
说明:根据常识,Bill Gates 为世界首富,所以 affluent 可能是“富有的”。
As a scientist, Edison is very famous for his contrivances.
说明:根据常识,Edison为发明大王,他应因“发明”而闻名于世。
