【例一】Andrew is one of the most supercilious men I know. His brother,in contrast,is quite humble and modest.
该例中supercilious对许多人来说可能是个生词,但是句中短语in contrast(相对照的,相对比的)可以提示我们:supercilious和后面词组humble and modest(谦卑又谦虚)是对比关系。分析出这种关系后,我们便能猜出supercilious意为“目空一切的,傲慢的”。
【例一】Semantics,the study of the meaning of words,is necessary if you are to speak and read intelligently.
此例逗号中短语意为“对词意义进行研究的学科”。该短语与前面生词semanties是同位关系,因此我们不难猜出semanties指“语义学”。
在复述中构成同位关系的两部分之间多用逗号连接,有时也使用破折号、冒号、分号、引号、和括号等。
【例二】Capacitance,or the ability to store electric charge,is one of the most common characteristics of electronic circuits.
由同位语我们很快猜出生词capacitance词义——电容量。需要注意的是:同位语前还常有or,similarly,that is to say,in other words,namely,or other等副词或短语出现。
2)定语从句
【例如】Krabacber suffers from SAD,which is short for seasonal affective disorder,a syndrome characterized by severe seasonal mood swings.
根据生词SAD后面定语从句which is short for seasonal affective disorder和同位语a syndrome characterized by severe seasonal mood swings,我们可以推断出SAD含义,即“季节性情绪紊乱症”。
3、根据举例猜测词义
恰当的举例能够提供猜测生词的重要线索。
【例如】The consequences of epochal events such as wars and great scientific discoveries are not confined to a small geographical area as they were in the past.
句中“战争”和“重大科学发现”是生词的实例,通过它们我们可以猜出epochal的大致词义“重要的”,这与其确切含义“划时代的”十分接近。