参透托福高级写作：从BBC报道北京雾霾谈起
北京雾霾再次来袭，今天我是带着口罩来上班的。与其抱怨雾霾的可恶，还不如看看今天的BBC新闻，学习一些可以用在托福写作中的高级表达。
以下英文内容摘自12月19日(今早)的BBC新闻
【1】The Chinese capital will see hazardous smog from Saturday until Tuesday, the official meteorological [气象的] service said.
解析：hazardous smog是“危险的雾霾”，hazardous可看作dangerous的升级版。
【2】Beijing authorities [北京当局] have advised residents to avoid outdoor activity and for schools to stop classes.
解析：have advised residents to是“建议市民”。在托福独立写作中，很多考生都喜欢写suggest somebody to do something，这是不对的。应该是advise somebody to do something。
【3】The red alert - the highest of a four-level alert system instituted [制定] two years ago - also triggers restrictions on vehicle use, factories and construction work.
解析：triggers restrictions on vehicle use, factories and construction work是“使政府出台了车辆限行制度，出台了限制工厂生产以及限制建筑工程进度的制度”。首先，trigger可看作cause的升级版。其次，这个英译汉一定要注意，不能生硬地翻译为“引发了在车辆使用，工厂和建筑工作上的限制”。相反，适当地增减与重复(中文不怕重复)一些词汇可使中文翻译变得得体而不生硬。
【4】The government has promised to take action to address often dangerous levels of pollution.
解析：take action to address是“采取措施以应对”，可看作do something to deal with的升级版。
【5】The government is coming under increasing pressure to deal with the problem.
解析：coming under increasing pressure是托福独立写作开头段的常用语言点，因为很多考生喜欢写“人们的压力越来越大”，那就是People are coming under increasing pressure。
【6】Long-term exposure to high levels of dangerous particulate [粒子] matter in smog - PM2.5 - has been linked to lung damage and respiratory illnesses.
解析：这句话的意思是“人如果长时间暴露在雾霾里，其中高浓度的危险颗粒物质(也即PM2.5)就可能导致肺部受损或使人患上呼吸道疾病，这是有一定科学依据的。”这句话的has been linked to很难翻译，请大家仔细体会。这句话有高级英语的鲜明特征——名词结构，但翻回汉语的时候，就要加上人等主语，否则显得生硬。
【7】Beijing resident Cheng Xianke expressed concern for the health of the elderly and children. He told Reuters: "For us who commute to work [乘车上下班] it's not so bad but still I'm very concerned about the pollution. I think the government needs to put more effort into solving this."
解析：expressed concerned for可看作were worried about的升级版;the elderly是old people的委婉说法;put more effort into solving this可看作do something more to solve this的升级版。
【8】Coal-powered industries and heating systems - in heavy use during the cold Beijing winter - are major contributors to the smog.
解析：are major contributors to the smog可看作have mainly caused the smog。
【9】China still depends on coal for more than 60% of its power, despite big investments in renewable energy sources.
解析：despite big investments in renewable energy sources可看作although it (China) has invested a lot in renewable energy sources的升级版，因为高级英语倾向于使用介词短语与分词，这样显得更简单，而且不用考虑时态。如果大家想写出高质量的托福独立作文，不妨注意一下这一点。
教师简介：
(编辑：Joe)
