Line of Reasoning and Commentary · 推理线索与评述
A line of reasoning is a sequence of claims
- A line of reasoning is the logical sequence of claims that work together to defend the overarching thesis statement.
- Three words matter: sequence (they have an order), together (they are not independent), defend (they all serve the thesis).
- A list of three true observations about a novel is not a line of reasoning.
If your claims can take the elevator in any order, the line of reasoning forgot to use the stairs.
推理线索是一串主张
- 推理线索是一串合力捍卫总论点的、合乎逻辑的主张。
- 有三个词很重要:序列(它们有顺序)、合力(它们不是彼此独立的)、捍卫(它们全都服务于论点)。
- 关于一部小说的三条为真的观察排在一起,并不是推理线索。
如果几个分论点坐电梯时谁先谁后都无所谓，推理的路线就忘了走楼梯。
A line of reasoning is... · 推理线索是……
Sequence, together, defend — three words that all do work. · 序列、合力、捍卫——三个词都在起作用。
Commentary is how the reasoning becomes visible
- A line of reasoning is communicated through commentary that explains the logical relationship between the overarching thesis and the claims/evidence within the body.
- So the reasoning lives in your head until commentary puts it on the page.
- An essay with good claims and no commentary has a line of reasoning the reader cannot see.
评述是推理得以显形的方式
- 推理线索通过评述来传达,评述解释总论点与正文中各主张/证据之间的逻辑关系。
- 因此在评述把推理写到纸上之前,它只存在于你的头脑里。
- 主张不错却没有评述的文章,其推理线索读者是看不见的。
The line of reasoning is communicated through ____. · 推理线索通过 ____ 来传达。
Until commentary puts it on the page, the reasoning lives only in your head. · 在评述把它写到纸上之前,推理只存在于你的头脑里。
What commentary actually says
- Commentary answers: why does this evidence support this claim, and why does this claim serve the thesis?
- Two links, and most weak essays write neither.
- Restating the quotation in your own words is not commentary — it is paraphrase wearing its clothes.
评述实际上说些什么
- 评述回答的是:这份证据为什么支持这个主张,而这个主张为什么服务于论点?
- 两处连接,而多数薄弱文章两处都没写。
- 用你自己的话复述引文不是评述——那是穿着评述外衣的转述。
Turn a claim into a paragraph that argues · 把一个论点变成能论证的段落
A line of reasoning is an order of claims, and each paragraph has to earn its position. · 推理线是论点的排列,每一段都必须挣得自己的位置。
Select all · 所有 the links commentary must make. · 选出评述必须做出的所有连接。
The third is paraphrase wearing commentary's clothes. · 第三项是穿着评述外衣的转述。
If your paragraphs could be reordered with no loss, you have a list rather than a line of reasoning. The CED's word is sequence — the claims work together, in an order, and a claim that depends on an earlier one must follow it.
如果你的段落可以重新排序而毫无损失,你有的就是一份清单,而不是一条推理线索。CED 用的词是序列——这些主张是合力工作的,有先后顺序,而依赖于前一个的主张必须排在它之后。
If your body paragraphs could be shuffled with no loss, you have a line of reasoning. · 如果你的正文段落可以随意调换而毫无损失,你就有了一条推理线索。
You have a list. A line of reasoning is a sequence. · 你有的是一份清单。推理线索是一个序列。
Ordering the claims
- Because it is a sequence, ask what the reader must accept first.
- A claim that depends on an earlier one must come after it.
- If your paragraphs could be shuffled with no loss, you have a list, not a line.
给主张排序
- 因为它是一个序列,要问读者必须先接受什么。
- 依赖于前一个主张的主张,必须排在它之后。
- 如果你的段落可以随意调换而毫无损失,你手上的就是一份清单,不是一条线索。
Put the reasoning check in order. · 把推理检查排序。
Reading the claims alone is what exposes a list pretending to be a line. · 单独读那些主张,正是让冒充线索的清单露馅的办法。
A reasoning check
- Write your claims as a numbered list and read them without the evidence.
- Does each one need the one before it? Does each one serve the thesis?
- Then check that every paragraph contains a sentence doing each of the two links.
推理检查
- 把你的各个主张写成编号清单,撇开证据读一遍。
- 每一条是否需要它前面那一条?每一条是否服务于论点?
- 然后检查每一段是否都有句子在做那两处连接。
Thesis: remembering is paralysis in this novel. Claim 1: the most reliable memories belong to the character with the least power. Claim 2: because of that, every act of recall in the book postpones a decision. Claim 3: so the ending's forgetting is the only action available. Reorder them and claims 2 and 3 lose their because and so.
论点:*在这部小说中,记忆即瘫痪。*主张一:最可靠的记忆属于最没有权力的人物。主张二:正因如此,书中每一次回忆都推迟了一个决定。主张三:所以结尾处的遗忘,是唯一还剩下的行动。把它们重新排序,主张二和三就失去了各自的"正因如此"和"所以"。
A line of reasoning is the logical sequence of claims that work together to defend the thesis — sequence, together, defend. It is communicated through commentary that explains the relationship between thesis, claims and evidence. Commentary makes two links: evidence→claim and claim→thesis.
推理线索是一串合力捍卫论点的、合乎逻辑的主张——序列、合力、捍卫。它通过评述来传达,评述解释论点、主张与证据之间的关系。评述要做两处连接:证据→主张,以及主张→论点。