讀原著小說是語言學習的黃金方法,但很多人會覺得:「我單字都懂,怎麼還是看不懂?」其實,問題常常不在單字,而在於語言結構。歐洲共同語言參考架構(CEFR)將英語水平分成 A1、A2、B1、B2、C1、C2,而台灣人常用的能力檢定是 TOEIC 多益和 GEPT 全民英檢。
不同級別的重點在於能掌握的語言結構(grammar structures)和能處理的語境複雜度。
- A2:短句 + 常見字彙,建立信心。
- B1:學會處理從句,能理解更完整的描述。
- B2:進入抽象表達,能應付辯論與思辨。
- C1:感受修辭與哲理,像母語者一樣用英文思考。
A2 級別:簡單句與日常互動
- CEFR: A2
- TOEIC: 225–545
- GEPT: 初級
A2 的重點在於掌握基本句型(主詞 + 動詞 + 受詞)、簡單過去式與現在進行式,能描述日常生活。
例子(《消失的密室》:
- "Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door."
- "He was wearing his best suit."
- "It was a sunny day."
- "Ron was standing there, holding a stack of letters."
- "The cake exploded."
過渡到 B1 的關鍵: 學會用 連接詞(and, but, because) 把簡單句接起來。
B1 級別:連接與敘事
- CEFR: B1
- TOEIC: 550–780
- GEPT: 中級
B1 學習者能使用 複合句,表達原因、對比、條件,也能開始流暢敘事。
例子:
- "Harry tried to say something but his mouth wouldn’t work."
- "He couldn’t believe that Dobby had done it."
- "If only Dumbledore had been there!"
- "Ron was very pale and his freckles stood out."
- "Because Harry knew what was coming, he felt sick."
過渡到 B2 的關鍵: 學會更多 從句(時間、原因、讓步、條件),語法彈性更高。
B2 級別:複雜結構與抽象描述
- CEFR: B2
- TOEIC: 785–945
- GEPT: 中高級
B2 能處理長篇複句,表達意圖、假設、推測,並能應對抽象概念。
例子:
- "It was as though a hand of ice had closed over Harry’s heart."
- "The chamber had been opened before, and someone must have died."
- "He looked as if he’d just seen a ghost."
- "Harry wished he could vanish into the floor."
- "It was difficult to believe that he had been in the same place only hours before."
過渡到 C1 的關鍵: 學會 文學性語言、比喻、倒裝,提升表達精緻度。
C1 級別:文學風格與高級結構
- CEFR: C1
- TOEIC: 950+
- GEPT: 高級
C1 學習者能理解 細膩的文學描寫、複雜語法變化、修辭與語氣。
例子:
- "The silence was broken by a low, petrified whisper."
- "Never before had Harry felt so alone."
- "Had he only known what awaited him, he might not have entered the chamber."
- "The walls echoed with the chilling hiss of Parseltongue."
- "It seemed incredible that the school could go on as usual."
過渡到 C2 的方向: 熟悉修辭與文化背景,接近母語者的文學理解力。這時候,你不只是在「看懂英文」,而是開始「感受語言」和「吸收文化隱喻」。
Harry Potter 的語料量
「語料量」如果我們用客觀方式來衡量,可以拆成以下幾個指標:
- 總字數(word count)
從數字來看,這是非常龐大的語料庫,足以支撐完整的語言學習計畫。
全七部 Harry Potter 英文原著大約 1,084,170 字(超過一百萬字)。
Philosopher’s Stone:約 76,944 字
Chamber of Secrets:約 85,141 字
Prisoner of Azkaban:約 107,253 字
Goblet of Fire:約 190,637 字
Order of the Phoenix:約 257,045 字
Half-Blood Prince:約 168,923 字
Deathly Hallows:約 198,227 字
- 詞彙量(unique words)
整套 Harry Potter 系列使用的 獨特詞彙(unique words)約 30,000–32,000 個。
前兩本用詞較簡單(偏小學生),到後期會出現更多抽象詞與政治、心理描寫。
- 句型多樣性
從最簡單的敘述句(“Harry was a very unusual boy.”)
到複雜的多重從句(“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”)。
幾乎涵蓋從 A2 到 C1 級別的語言結構。
所以從「客觀」角度,Harry Potter 的語料量其實等同一個 超大型 graded reader(分級讀物)+ 文化百科。
結論:用小說跨越語言級別
- A2 → B1:從簡單句轉向連接,能說出「為什麼」。
- B1 → B2:進入抽象世界,用假設、推測與從句。
- B2 → C1:掌握文學風格,讀懂隱喻、倒裝與語氣。
《消失的密室》是一部充滿對話、動作和文學描寫的小說,非常適合做 語言結構分級訓練。只要有系統地觀察語料,就能把閱讀小說變成一次語言的「升級之旅」。