摘要(summary)是一種對原始文獻(或文章)的基本內容進行濃縮的語義連貫的短文。它以迅速掌握原文內容梗概為目的，不加主觀評論和解釋，但必須簡明、確切地表述原文的重要內容。

摘要寫作(summary writing)是一種控制性的作文形式，它能使學生通過閱讀原文，吸收原文的文章結構與語言方面的長處，寫出內容一致、結構近似、語言簡潔的短文。另外，對培養學生善于抓住文章重點的能力也有很大幫助，有利于他們在實際寫作中避免面面俱到，事無巨細，一一羅列的不良傾向。這種寫作既要準確理解原文，又要能綜合概括;既能培養欣賞能力，又能訓練書面表達能力。因此，用英文寫摘要，對學習英語寫作的學生來說，不失為一種切合實際的方法。下面談談如何寫好英文摘要。

1)細讀原文。

首先要仔細閱讀全篇作品，然后對作品進行整體分析，掌握原文總的意思和結構，明確全文的主題(the maintheme)和各段的段落大意(the main idea)。

2)弄清要求。

搞清楚是寫全文概要，還是寫某一部分的概要，或者就某些問題寫出要點。

3)列出原文要點。

分析原文的內容和結構，將內容分項扼要表述并注意在結構上的順序。在此基礎上選出與文章主題密切相關的部分。

4)草擬寫作提綱并寫出初稿。

將挑選出的要點作為框架草擬詳細的提綱，以所列的提綱為依據寫出摘要的初稿。在寫作時要特別注意下面幾點：

(1)摘要應包括原文中的主要事實(main facts);略去不必要的細節(unnecessary details)。

(2)安排好篇幅的比例。摘要應同原文保持協調，即用較多的文字寫重要內容，用較少的文字寫次要內容。

(3)注意段落的連貫和句子的銜接。要用適當的轉折詞語貫通全文，切忌只簡單地寫出一些互不相干的句子。

(4)盡可能用自己的話來寫，但不排斥用原文的某些詞句。

(5)計算詞數，看是否符合規定的詞數要求。

請閱讀下面這篇約500詞的原文。并要求寫出約150詞的摘要。

How New York Became Americas Largest City

In the 18th century New York was smaller than Philadelphia and Boston.Today it is the largest city in America.How can the change in its size and importance be explained?

To answer this question we must consider certain facts about geography， history，and economics.Together these three will explain the huge growth of Americas most famous city.

The map of the Northeast shows that four of the most heavily populated areas in this region are around seaports.At these points materials from across the sea enter the United States， and the product of the land are sent there for export across the sea.

Economists know that places where transportation lines meet are good places for making raw materials into finished goods.That is why seaports often have cities nearby.But cities like New York needed more than their geographical location in order to become great industrial centers.Their development did not happen simply by chance.

About 1815，when many Americans from the east coast had already moved toward the west，trade routes from the ports to the central regions of the country began to be a serious problem. The slow wagons of that time，drawn by horses or oxen，were too expensive for moving heavy freight very far. Americans had long admired Europes canals.In New York State a canal seemed the best solution to the transportation problem.From the eastern end of Lake Erie all the way across the state to the Hudson River there is a long strip of low land.Here the Erie Canal was constructed. After several years of work it was completed in 1825.

The canal produced an immediate effect.Freight costs were cut to about one-tenth of what had been.New York City，which had been smaller than Philadelphia and Boston， quickly became the leading city of the coast.In the years that followed， transportation routes on the Great Lakes were joined to routes on the Mississippi River.Then New York City became the end point of a great inland shipping system that extended from the Atlantic Ocean far up the western branches of the Mississippi.

The coming of the railroads made canal shipping less important，but it tied New York even more closely to the central regions of the country.It was easier for people in the central states to ship their goods to New York for export overseas.

Exports from New York were greater than imports.Consequently，shipping companies were eager to fill their ships with passengers on the return trip from Europe.Passengers could come from Europe very cheaply as a result.

Thus New York became the greatest port for receiving people from European countries. Many of these people remained in the city.Others stayed in New York for a few weeks，months，or years，and then moved to other parts of the United States.For these great number of new Americans New York had to provide homes， goods， and services.Their labor helped the city be come great. (498 words)

Here is the summary of above passage.

How New York Became Americas Largest City

New York was once smaller than Philadelphia and Boston，but now it is Americas largest city because of geography，history and economics.

New York was located at the seaport where materials were imported to the US and the products of the US were sent abroadacross the sea.The city was further developed when the Erie Canal was completed in 1825.This linked Lake Erie to New York via the Hudson River and the cost of transporting goods to those who had settled inland was cut down.In addition， the Great Lakes were soon linked to the Mississippi.Later，railroads tied New York closer to the central states，whose goods were exported via New York.Fewer goods were imported，so cheap passages were available from Europe.New York became the main port for receiving Europeans，many of whom stayed in the city and helped it become great.(150 words)

初稿完成后要檢查修改。看主要內容是否已包含進去，內容是否前后連貫，是否存在語法、拼寫、標點符號等方面的錯誤。另外，在表達方式上要求直截了當、開門見山，不要拖泥帶水、迂回曲折。在修改時要注意下面幾個具體問題。

(1)省略。

用來說明要點的細節可省略，可去掉修飾性的描述。摘要的特點是質樸、簡潔、扼要，因此沒有必要采用修辭手法潤飾文章中的人或物。

(2)縮減。

如果原文中使用好幾個句子來說明某一問題或解釋事理，在摘要中只保留一個就可以了。

(3)替代。

在摘要中要使用最簡短的承接語，如用but替代較長的表達方式 on the other hand，用 suddenly替代 all of a sudden，用 finally替代 at last等。

摘要(summary)是一種對原始文獻(或文章)的基本內容進行濃縮的語義連貫的短文。它以迅速掌握原文內容梗概為目的，不加主觀評論和解釋，但必須簡明、確切地表述原文的重要內容。

摘要寫作(summary writing)是一種控制性的作文形式，它能使學生通過閱讀原文，吸收原文的文章結構與語言方面的長處，寫出內容一致、結構近似、語言簡潔的短文。另外，對培養學生善于抓住文章重點的能力也有很大幫助，有利于他們在實際寫作中避免面面俱到，事無巨細，一一羅列的不良傾向。這種寫作既要準確理解原文，又要能綜合概括;既能培養欣賞能力，又能訓練書面表達能力。因此，用英文寫摘要，對學習英語寫作的學生來說，不失為一種切合實際的方法。下面談談如何寫好英文摘要。

1)細讀原文。

首先要仔細閱讀全篇作品，然后對作品進行整體分析，掌握原文總的意思和結構，明確全文的主題(the maintheme)和各段的段落大意(the main idea)。

2)弄清要求。

搞清楚是寫全文概要，還是寫某一部分的概要，或者就某些問題寫出要點。

3)列出原文要點。

分析原文的內容和結構，將內容分項扼要表述并注意在結構上的順序。在此基礎上選出與文章主題密切相關的部分。

4)草擬寫作提綱并寫出初稿。

將挑選出的要點作為框架草擬詳細的提綱，以所列的提綱為依據寫出摘要的初稿。在寫作時要特別注意下面幾點：

(1)摘要應包括原文中的主要事實(main facts);略去不必要的細節(unnecessary details)。

(2)安排好篇幅的比例。摘要應同原文保持協調，即用較多的文字寫重要內容，用較少的文字寫次要內容。

(3)注意段落的連貫和句子的銜接。要用適當的轉折詞語貫通全文，切忌只簡單地寫出一些互不相干的句子。

(4)盡可能用自己的話來寫，但不排斥用原文的某些詞句。

(5)計算詞數，看是否符合規定的詞數要求。

請閱讀下面這篇約500詞的原文。并要求寫出約150詞的摘要。

How New York Became Americas Largest City

In the 18th century New York was smaller than Philadelphia and Boston.Today it is the largest city in America.How can the change in its size and importance be explained?

To answer this question we must consider certain facts about geography， history，and economics.Together these three will explain the huge growth of Americas most famous city.

The map of the Northeast shows that four of the most heavily populated areas in this region are around seaports.At these points materials from across the sea enter the United States， and the product of the land are sent there for export across the sea.

Economists know that places where transportation lines meet are good places for making raw materials into finished goods.That is why seaports often have cities nearby.But cities like New York needed more than their geographical location in order to become great industrial centers.Their development did not happen simply by chance.

About 1815，when many Americans from the east coast had already moved toward the west，trade routes from the ports to the central regions of the country began to be a serious problem. The slow wagons of that time，drawn by horses or oxen，were too expensive for moving heavy freight very far. Americans had long admired Europes canals.In New York State a canal seemed the best solution to the transportation problem.From the eastern end of Lake Erie all the way across the state to the Hudson River there is a long strip of low land.Here the Erie Canal was constructed. After several years of work it was completed in 1825.

The canal produced an immediate effect.Freight costs were cut to about one-tenth of what had been.New York City，which had been smaller than Philadelphia and Boston， quickly became the leading city of the coast.In the years that followed， transportation routes on the Great Lakes were joined to routes on the Mississippi River.Then New York City became the end point of a great inland shipping system that extended from the Atlantic Ocean far up the western branches of the Mississippi.

The coming of the railroads made canal shipping less important，but it tied New York even more closely to the central regions of the country.It was easier for people in the central states to ship their goods to New York for export overseas.

Exports from New York were greater than imports.Consequently，shipping companies were eager to fill their ships with passengers on the return trip from Europe.Passengers could come from Europe very cheaply as a result.

Thus New York became the greatest port for receiving people from European countries. Many of these people remained in the city.Others stayed in New York for a few weeks，months，or years，and then moved to other parts of the United States.For these great number of new Americans New York had to provide homes， goods， and services.Their labor helped the city be come great. (498 words)

Here is the summary of above passage.

How New York Became Americas Largest City

New York was once smaller than Philadelphia and Boston，but now it is Americas largest city because of geography，history and economics.

New York was located at the seaport where materials were imported to the US and the products of the US were sent abroadacross the sea.The city was further developed when the Erie Canal was completed in 1825.This linked Lake Erie to New York via the Hudson River and the cost of transporting goods to those who had settled inland was cut down.In addition， the Great Lakes were soon linked to the Mississippi.Later，railroads tied New York closer to the central states，whose goods were exported via New York.Fewer goods were imported，so cheap passages were available from Europe.New York became the main port for receiving Europeans，many of whom stayed in the city and helped it become great.(150 words)

初稿完成后要檢查修改。看主要內容是否已包含進去，內容是否前后連貫，是否存在語法、拼寫、標點符號等方面的錯誤。另外，在表達方式上要求直截了當、開門見山，不要拖泥帶水、迂回曲折。在修改時要注意下面幾個具體問題。

(1)省略。

用來說明要點的細節可省略，可去掉修飾性的描述。摘要的特點是質樸、簡潔、扼要，因此沒有必要采用修辭手法潤飾文章中的人或物。

(2)縮減。

如果原文中使用好幾個句子來說明某一問題或解釋事理，在摘要中只保留一個就可以了。

(3)替代。

在摘要中要使用最簡短的承接語，如用but替代較長的表達方式 on the other hand，用 suddenly替代 all of a sudden，用 finally替代 at last等。