中文评论文章的要件/中文評論文章的要件 Major parts in commentary articles in Chinese

中文评论文章的要件
中文評論文章的要件
Major parts in commentary articles in Chinese

When reading a commentary article, it is useful to understand what are normally included by the author

• 标题/標題
• Title

          The brief statement or expressions the author picked from his writing to be placed initially to highlight his opinion and to attract attention.  Reader may find repetition of the title in the text body with more clues from the context.

• 事件
• Event/Incident

      the author normally starts with a narration of what is currently happening, or something that has been popularly discussed in order to set his/her stage of argument.

• 意见/意見
• Opinions
• (a) the author may introduce views by others before he/she reveals his/her own views.
• (b) the author may switch to argue against a view by using the following devices:
• 但是/可是/只是/然而....... (preceded by 虽然 although、尽管 even though、的确 indeed、固然 clearly、...也无可厚非 nothing wrong in...）
• （而）問題是......
• （而）值得注意的是......
• (c) the author may heighten his argument in stronger tone, using the following devices:
• 没想到...竟然... (sth. happens to be ...)
• 照理说...应该..., 可是...竟然... (sth happens against what is normally expected)
• 除非....，否則......一定.... (there is little chance, unless...)
• 即使/就算...， 也不能...... (even if ..., however ....; denying the legitimacy of ...) 
• 究竟为什么...？这到底是怎么回事？(really wonder why or what happens, and this will bring the author to provide an answer)

• 道理
• providing rationale
• (a) the author may explain what he/she think to be the way to solve an issue
• (b) the author may point out where the real problem lies in
• (c) the author may cite experts' opinions to support his argument

• 例子
• Examples
• Examples may be provided in a geographic format, citing similar situations across the world's or country's map
• Examples may be provided along the timeline of history, citing stories in the past

• 结论/結論
• Conclusion
• typical expressions found in a concluding part are:
• 由此可见，......；不论.....， 可以确定的是....；......
• (a) solution：只有...，才....； 必须......， 才......
• (b) anticipation：期望......；让我们......

评论文章的标题/評論文章的標題 (2) Expressions of Preference

评论文章的标题 II
評論文章的標題 II
What can one find in the title II

评论文章的作者也经常透过（1）对比；（2）选择   来表达自己的主张
評論文章的作者也經常透過（1）對比；（2）選擇   來表達自己的主張
In writing a commentary, the author often uses 1) contrast and 2) making choice to highlight his advocacy

不如 (bu4ru2, it would be better to ....)
（与其）Ａ......，不如 Ｂ.....

作者认为Ｂ是比较好的办法
作者認為Ｂ是比較好的辦法
the author regards option B is a better one

例： “喊破嗓不如甩开膀” 让改革掷地有声
        “喊破嗓不如甩開膀” 讓改革擲地有聲 
the author is comparing using voices 喊破嗓 with using actions 甩開膀 in carrying out reforms
 喊破嗓 : shout out loud to the point of hurting the voice/throat
甩开膀 : move one's arms free in marching 掷地有声: get responding sound when banging sth. on the ground


与其移民，不如移居
與其移民，不如移居
the author is comparing emigrating from Hong Kong with just moving away from Hong Kong without changing citizenship (currently more and more HKG people are moving to Taiwan to live and work)  
移民：to emigrate from or immigrate to (involving citizenship/ nationality)
移居 : to move or change residence

 
打房不如提高薪资
      打房不如提高薪資
the author is comparing hitting on the housing price with raising the wage level
打房：discouraging price hikes in housing market
提高薪资：raise the level of wages


要面子，不如要房子 外漂"蚁族"涌动返渝潮
         要面子，不如要房子 外漂"蟻族"湧動返渝潮
         the author is comparing seeking (unaffordable) faces with seeking (affordable) houses, when describing the current trend for migrant workers flowing back to Chongqing, Sichuan province from coastal cities where they wait for "opportunities"
        要面子：seeking faces, referring to staying in coastal cities to sound or look fancy
        要房子：seeking houses, referring to obtaining a house to live
        外漂蚁族：those who are squatting in the big cities in spite of poor living standard

宁/寧 
（ning2; would rather)
宁(可)　Ａ．．．也要　Ｂ．．．　　or 　　宁(可/愿)　Ａ．．．也愿　Ｂ．．．
寧(可)　Ａ．．．也要　Ｂ．．．　　or         寧(可/願)　Ａ．．．也願　Ｂ．．．
作者认为虽然Ａ不好，也可能很危险，但是为了Ｂ，可以接受Ａ
作者認為雖然Ａ不好，也可能很危險，但是為了Ｂ，可以接受Ａ
the author thinks that he would accept A for the sake of B, even A is something horrible

variation:
宁　Ａ．．．不　Ｂ．．．　　
寧　Ａ．．．不　Ｂ．．．　　
作者认为一定不接受 Ｂ，（尽管　不喜欢Ａ）
作者認為一定不接受 Ｂ，（儘管　不喜歡Ａ）
the author shows what he prefers in denying A or B, (he would accept A in order to avoid B)

both expressions are highlight the speaker's (writer's) strong will toward the goal shown in the latter part, even at the cost of the option stated in the former


例：为什么楼盘宁可受罚也要赶工？
        為什麼樓盤寧可受罰也要趕工？
       the author asks why the builders prefer rushing the construction project even at the cost of penalties

      宁走十步远不走一步险
      寧走十步遠不走一步險
      the author advocates that taking the safe path is the best policy, even it would takes longer to get there


作者认为目标是Ｂ
作者認為目標是Ｂ
the goal "B" is highlighted

other idioms
    宁死不屈
    寧死不屈
   would resist (not bending or bowing) at the cost of death

   宁缺勿滥
   寧缺勿濫
   would refuse to accept mediocre quality (not compromising)  even nothing is available


才
（只有）Ａ才能．．．　or（只有）Ａ才是．．．

作者认为Ａ是唯一的办法，或唯一正确的选择
作者認為Ａ是唯一的​​辦法，或唯一正確的選擇
the author believe A is the only way, or the only right thing to choose

评论文章的标题/評論文章的標題（1）Title of an opinion piece (1) modal verbs and adverbials showing Do or Don't

评论文章的标题
評論文章的標題
What can one find in the title

评论文章多半表达作者的想法和主张
評論文章多半表達作者的想法和主張
Normally, one may find author's views and advocacy in an opinion piece (commentary)

以下的字词出现在动词之前表达作者认为“应该”或“不应该”做的事
以下的字詞出現在動詞之前表達作者認為“應該”或“不應該”做的事
the words introduced below are often found preceding an action verb to denote whether the author advocates for or disapproves

应	應	yīng	◊ should
该	該	gāi	◊ should, ought to
宜	宜	yí	◊ should, ought to (mostly, but not always, used in the negative) (宜=suitable)
要	要	yào	◊ must, need to, should
让…V	讓…V	ràng	◊ let, allow ◊ have or make (sb do sth), cause
且让	且让	qiě ràng	◊ why not allow (suggestive)
务必	務必	wùbì	◊ be sure to
不可不	不可不	bùkěbù	◊ must, should
不应	不應	bù yīng	◊ should not
不该	不該	bù gāi	◊ ought not
不宜	不宜	bùyí	◊ inadvisable; should not
得	得	děi	◊ must, have to ◊ need, take, require
不必	不必	bùbì	◊ need not
别让…V	别让…V	bié ràng	◊ don’t allow or don’t tolerate
莫让…V	莫让…V	mò ràng	◊ don’t allow or don’t tolerate
勿	勿	wù	◊ do not, must not,
切莫	切莫	qièmò	◊ do not by any means
岂能	豈能	qǐnéng	◊ how can...(literary-style phrase used to form a rhetorical question implying that the action mentioned is not possible/appropriate; the colloquial modern equivalent is zěnme néng 怎麼能 /怎么能)
岂可	豈可	qǐkě	◊ how could (you)
难道？	難道？	nándào	◊ do you mean to say...?; really...? (in a rhetorical question, indicating doubt or surprise)
非…不可吗？	非…不可嗎？	fēi...bùkě ma	Does one really have to …?
避免	避免	bìmiǎn	◊ avoid, avert
提防	提防	dīfang	◊ guard against, take precautions against

YES, OK, advisable		NO, forbidding, unadvisable
应	應	不应	不應
该	該	不该	不該
宜	宜	不宜	不宜
要	要	勿、莫	勿、莫
得	得
务必	務必	不必	不必
让、且让	讓、且讓	别让、莫让	別讓、莫讓
		切莫	切莫
		岂可？	豈可？
		岂能？	豈能？
		难道要？	難道要？
		非…不可吗？	非…不可嗎？
不可不	不可不
		避免	避免
		提防	提防