名人教英文：précis 撮要
the word précis (撮要) has its origin in french, meaning "precise". it is in the singular and pronounced "praysi" - the final letter "s" is silent. the plural of the word "précis" is "précises", pronounced "prayseez".
précis means a summary of a text or a speech. as the name indicates, a précis is precise and brief. it is normally one third of the original text, or of a length as specified, for example, in an examination paper.
making a good précis of a given passage shows one's comprehension, skill in interpretation and accuracy in the presentation of all the main points of the passage.
the dos and don'ts in précis writing
as a general guide to précis writing, the dos are:
‧do read the passage through carefully.
‧do write down the essential points.
‧do paraphrase the text in your own words.
‧do use a word to represent a phrase.
‧do make a draft first and, where necessary, give a title to the piece.
there are things to be avoided:
‧don't change the text.
‧don't use direct speech.
‧don't use figures of speech or add embellishment. (不要加油加醋)
‧don't select sentences in the text and artificially link them together.
‧don't use quotations from the original text.
in this respect, it is important to note that making a précis is different from writing a critique.
in making a précis, there are several vital points to remember:
‧a précis must show comprehension.
‧a précis itself must have continuity of expression.
‧one's knowledge of vocabulary will help one to attain precision in the use of words to enhance conciseness and exactness of expression.
passage of the week﹕construction workers
with the intended massive building programmes, currently being designed by the government, hong kong needs many builders and craftsmen or craftswomen in the building industry.
fortunately for hong kong, even though some of these people may be unable to read or write (1a), they can be trained to possess perfect and supreme (1b) skill in construction. without these positive factors, hong kong people may be sad and worried (1c) about the future of the building programmes ever being completed on time. fortunately, this is not the case and one does not need to worry about the timely completion of the intended massive building construction programmes, unless the construction workers are lazy and neglecting to do their job (1d). —from a magazine
exercises
1.express phrases in bold font by a single word.
2.make a précis in not more than thirty five words. a sample précis is given below.
a sample précis
government's ambitious building programmes require many construction workers. fortunately, though some workers may be illiterate, they can be trained to attain consummate skills in construction, thereby ensuring timely completion, unless the workers are negligent.