SAT閱讀低調陳述修辭方法介紹
Understatement
Understatement的意思是：a statement that is not strong enough to express facts or feelings with full force。A Dictionary of Literary Terms 所給的解釋是：A figure of speech which contains an understatement of emphasis， and therefore the opposite of hyperbole. Often used in everyday speech and usually with laconic or ironic intentions.也就說，這種修辭格式故意使用有節制的修辭來陳述事實，故意清描淡寫，借低調與弱化語言形式來表示強調。所以Understatement故意采取低調，化大為小，是deliberately minimize the importance 和play down。一般說來，英語Understatement并無固定格式，通常可以通過詞典和語法手段體現。
1 用詞匯手段來體現
According to the newspaper， the driver， who was returning from a wedding， seemed puzzled. I only had two bottle of beer and a cocktail.
據報道，那位參加完一個婚禮后往回趕的司機一臉迷惑地說：我只不過喝了兩瓶啤酒，一杯雞尾酒罷了。
此句話中的seemd puzzled 以及only 把酒后駕車司機的那種不負責任的態度刻畫的淋漓盡致，令人厭惡。
2 用語法手段來體現
Dont you figure out that I might have had something to do with it? said Soapy， not without sarcasm， but friendly， as one greets good fortune.
難道你看不出我可能跟這件事有關嗎? 蘇比說，口氣不是沒有譏諷，但態度卻友好，仿佛一個要交好運的人。
此例是以雙重否定體現understatement， not without sarcasm 就是with sarcasm。
簡而言之，understatement的要點就是清描淡寫地陳述一種想法。
真題
Questions 7-19 are based on the following passage.
The following passage is from a 1979 essay by a Native American writer.
Before she had finished her sentence the beaver had flipped over in the water and dragged himself onto the bank， where he lay half dead. The porcupine woman managed to make the shore too. and climbed up onto a bear path. When she had caught her breath， she turned on the beaver and quilled him to death.The Tanaina live in an environment that could euphe-mistically be described as difficult. Survival， especially in the wild， is always precarious. Further， they were， in the prccontact period， a nonlitcrate people.
11. The sentence in which difficult appears indicates that the author considers the word to be
an exaggeration
an estimate
an understatement
a contradiction
a preconception
題干分析：作者認為54-55行所描述的困難一詞是什么。有原文分析可知：T所在的環境可以被委婉的描述成困難。并且聯系下文Survival， especially in the wild， is always precarious.由此判斷這里明顯非常困難，而原文委婉說困難。此句中情態動詞的表達could euphe-mistically be 體現了understatement的運用。
此題并不是一個修辭題的考題，但是考點涉及到修辭中understatement的運用。
修辭手法題很容易和其他的題型混在一塊考。這也是為什么有些題干會明顯有rhetorical device 的提示詞，如真題2009年1月的題目：the quotation in lines 10-12 contains an example of which rhetorical device ? 而有的題干沒有rhetorical device 的提示詞，但是選項中又有修辭格。如真題2009年1月的題目：In lines 9-11 ， the author makes use of which of the following? 其實那是因為選項中涉及部分的修辭手法，還涉及部分的寫作手法。寫作手法的講解會在該題型講解中詳述。在這里就不多講了。
通過講解Understatement修辭手法在SAT閱讀中的運用，筆者希望考生能足夠重視到深層挖掘考題背后的核心思維，有以不變應萬變的能力，才能夠攻克SAT閱讀難關，才是得高分的舉措。
Understatement
Understatement的意思是：a statement that is not strong enough to express facts or feelings with full force。A Dictionary of Literary Terms 所給的解釋是：A figure of speech which contains an understatement of emphasis， and therefore the opposite of hyperbole. Often used in everyday speech and usually with laconic or ironic intentions.也就說，這種修辭格式故意使用有節制的修辭來陳述事實，故意清描淡寫，借低調與弱化語言形式來表示強調。所以Understatement故意采取低調，化大為小，是deliberately minimize the importance 和play down。一般說來，英語Understatement并無固定格式，通常可以通過詞典和語法手段體現。
1 用詞匯手段來體現
According to the newspaper， the driver， who was returning from a wedding， seemed puzzled. I only had two bottle of beer and a cocktail.
據報道，那位參加完一個婚禮后往回趕的司機一臉迷惑地說：我只不過喝了兩瓶啤酒，一杯雞尾酒罷了。
此句話中的seemd puzzled 以及only 把酒后駕車司機的那種不負責任的態度刻畫的淋漓盡致，令人厭惡。
2 用語法手段來體現
Dont you figure out that I might have had something to do with it? said Soapy， not without sarcasm， but friendly， as one greets good fortune.
難道你看不出我可能跟這件事有關嗎? 蘇比說，口氣不是沒有譏諷，但態度卻友好，仿佛一個要交好運的人。
此例是以雙重否定體現understatement， not without sarcasm 就是with sarcasm。
簡而言之，understatement的要點就是清描淡寫地陳述一種想法。
真題
Questions 7-19 are based on the following passage.
The following passage is from a 1979 essay by a Native American writer.
Before she had finished her sentence the beaver had flipped over in the water and dragged himself onto the bank， where he lay half dead. The porcupine woman managed to make the shore too. and climbed up onto a bear path. When she had caught her breath， she turned on the beaver and quilled him to death.The Tanaina live in an environment that could euphe-mistically be described as difficult. Survival， especially in the wild， is always precarious. Further， they were， in the prccontact period， a nonlitcrate people.
11. The sentence in which difficult appears indicates that the author considers the word to be
an exaggeration
an estimate
an understatement
a contradiction
a preconception
題干分析：作者認為54-55行所描述的困難一詞是什么。有原文分析可知：T所在的環境可以被委婉的描述成困難。并且聯系下文Survival， especially in the wild， is always precarious.由此判斷這里明顯非常困難，而原文委婉說困難。此句中情態動詞的表達could euphe-mistically be 體現了understatement的運用。
此題并不是一個修辭題的考題，但是考點涉及到修辭中understatement的運用。
修辭手法題很容易和其他的題型混在一塊考。這也是為什么有些題干會明顯有rhetorical device 的提示詞，如真題2009年1月的題目：the quotation in lines 10-12 contains an example of which rhetorical device ? 而有的題干沒有rhetorical device 的提示詞，但是選項中又有修辭格。如真題2009年1月的題目：In lines 9-11 ， the author makes use of which of the following? 其實那是因為選項中涉及部分的修辭手法，還涉及部分的寫作手法。寫作手法的講解會在該題型講解中詳述。在這里就不多講了。
通過講解Understatement修辭手法在SAT閱讀中的運用，筆者希望考生能足夠重視到深層挖掘考題背后的核心思維，有以不變應萬變的能力，才能夠攻克SAT閱讀難關，才是得高分的舉措。
