Précis
তোমরা Précis লিখতে ভয় পাও, তাই না ? এর প্রধান কারণ Practice বা অনুশীলনের অভাব। আর এই Practice করতে গেলে ইংরেজী ভাষা শুদ্ধ রূপে লিখতে পারা চাই। তার জন্য দরকার Grammar জানা এবং লেখার মধ্য দিয়ে সেই জ্ঞানের বাস্তব প্রয়োগ। এগুলো তোমরা Class-এ এবং বাড়ীতে নিয়মিত করবে। ভয় পেলে চলবে না।
Try
and Try again. Boys (also girls),
You
will succeed at last.
তবু আমি তোমাদের কিছু মামুলি নিয়মকানুন বলছি। কিছু Passage-এর Model উত্তর করে দেখাচ্ছি, আর তোমাদের
Practice এর জন্য দিচ্ছি কিছু Model Passage. তোমরা পড়বে এবং লিখবে। তোমাদের সার্থক শিক্ষাই আমাদের কাম্য।
‘Precis'
শব্দের অর্থ হ’ল কোন বক্তব্য বা লেখার মূল কথাকে ছোট করে (এক-তৃতীয়াংশ) লেখা। অপ্রয়োজনীয় কথা, ব্যাখ্যা, উদাহরণ প্রভৃতি বাদ দিতে হবে। সব শেষে Precis টির একটা উপযুক্ত title দিতে হবে।
Precis-
Passage descriptive, narrative reflective হতে পারে।
Passage-টি (বাড়ীতে Practice করার সময়) বহুবার পড়বে। প্রথম প্রথম শক্ত শব্দের অর্থ Dictionary-তে দেখবে। যতক্ষণ না main idea ধরতে পারবে, ততক্ষণ Passage-টা পড়বে। তারপর main idea বা মূল বক্তব্য points এর আকারে লিখবে। Pointগুলোকে এইবার simple sentence এ নিজের ভাষায় লিখবে। এটা যেন মূল Passage এর one third হয়। তার জন্য দরকার হলে একাধিকবার লিখবে। সব শেষে এমন একটা tittle দেবে যার মধ্য দিয়ে Passage-এর মূল বক্তব্য প্রতিফলিত হয়। এই রকম অনেকদিন Practice করলে পরীক্ষার হলে আর কোন অসুবিধা হবে না। দু'একটা শব্দের অর্থ বুঝতে না পারলেও থেমে যাবে না। Passage টা বারবার পড়বে। তা হলে main idea নিশ্চয়ই ধরতে পারবে। সাহস অবং আত্মবিশ্বাসই সফলতার মূল কথা।
Ten Rules of Précis Writing
1. Title: Every précis shall have a title. Even if no title is
specifically wanted, a title has to be added indicating the topic in hand. The
title should include only the most salient points.
2. Length: A précis differs from a substance mainly in its
length. A précis has a stricter word limit. It generally does not exceed
one-third the length of the original passage. Sometimes, however, the required
length or word limit is clearly specified. In such cases, the précis has to
follow the direction strictly. It is a good practice to indicate the number of
words actually used in a précis within brackets at the end.
3. Reported Speech: A précis is essential to the nature of a report. It
is customary, therefore, to write a précis in the third person, no matter in
what form the original passage is written. Dialogues are reduced to the
indirect form of narration. The précis of imperative sentences may be written
in the first person.
4. Uses of Tense: In the case of descriptive (describing objects,
natural scenes, places, etc.) and reflective (containing reflections on
abstract things) passages, normally the present tense is used, except for the
cases of past description. In the narrative (narrating events or stories)
passages generally the past tense is used. As a rule, the general trend in the
use of tenses in the passages concerned may be followed.
5. One Paragraph: The précis of a passage is normally contained in one
single paragraph. It is good to begin the paragraph with an introductory
statement a short sentence introducing the topic of giving the context of the
whole matter.
6. No Comment: The writer of a précis has to go by the given matter.
He is not permitted to make any comment or criticism of his own. He must deal
with the passage as it is. He must not add any moral or draw any conclusion of
his own. The précis must be objective.
7. No Addition: The arguments or ideas of the original passage have to
be retained in the précis in a concise form. They must, on no account, be
distorted. No idea or argument which is not in the original passage should be
added. The précis-writer's position is always that of an unbiased, factual
reporter. Similarly, if there is any definite conclusion in the original, that,
too, should be retained in a terse form.
8. No Rhetoric: The terseness of a précis precludes all uses of
rhetorical or literary embellishment. Figurative language like metaphor has no
place in a précis. The language of a précis must always be simple, direct, and
logical.
9. No Language of the Original: A précis is not just a reduced copy
of the original with omissions here and there. It is a fresh composition. So
copying out the language of the original is to be avoided as far as
practicable.
10. Technical Terms,
Dates and References to be Retained: The
technical or scientific terms, relevant dates and references, legal phrases,
personal or place names, etc. must, however, be retained.
প্রেসিতৈরির দশটি নিয়ম:
১। চাওয়া হোক বা না হোক, প্রেসি’র মাথায় একটি উপযুক্ত শিরোনাম (টাইটেল) অবশ্যই দিতে হবে। শিরোনাম ছাড়া প্রেসি' হয় না, শিরোনামহীন 'প্রেসি' অচল।
২) 'প্রেসি' মূল রচনার এক-তৃতীয়াংশ মতো হবে।
৩। প্রেসি’তে উদ্ধৃতি চিহ্নযুক্ত কোন বাক্য ব্যবহৃত হবে না। কারণ প্রেসি'মাত্রই রিপোর্টের আকারে
পরিবেশিত হয়ে থাকে।
৪। মূলে যে tense থাকবে, প্রেসি'তে সাধারণত তা ব্যবহার করতে হবে। ভাবপ্রধান, প্রবন্ধ জাতীয় অনুচ্ছেদের ক্ষেত্রে প্রেসি’তে বর্তমানকাল ব্যবহৃত হবে। বর্ণনা প্রধান অনুচ্ছেদের ক্ষেত্রেও তাই, তবে ঘটনা-প্রধান অনুচ্ছেদের প্রেসি’তে সাধারণভাবে অতীতকাল ব্যবহৃত হবে।
৫। সমগ্র ‘প্রেসি' একটিমাত্র অনুচ্ছেদে বা প্যারাগ্রাফে সম্পূর্ণ হবে।
৬। প্রেসিতে ‘প্রেসি' লেখকের কোন মন্তব্য বা সমালোচনা থাকবে না। ৭। মূলে নেই এমন কোন ভাব বা যুক্তি ‘প্রেসি’তে দেওয়া চলবে না। মূলের যুক্তি বা সিদ্ধান্তই ‘প্রেসি’তে পরিবেশন করতে হবে।
৮। “প্রেসি”তে অলঙ্কার বহুল ভাষা, উপমা, অনাবশ্যক বিশেষণ ইত্যাদি বর্জন করতে হবে।
৯। মূলের ভাষা বা শব্দ যথাসম্ভব পরিহার করে প্রেসি' নিজের ভাষায় লিখতে হবে।
১০। মূলের সন, তারিখ, বাক্তি বা স্থানের নাম, পারিভাষিক শব্দ ইত্যাদি ‘প্রেসি' তে অপরিবর্তিত থাকবে।
Precis লেখার জন্য জানতে হবে Word-compression বা শব্দ-সংক্ষেপণ। কিছু কিছু উদাহরণ দেওয়া হলঃ
Autobiography : story of one's life written by oneself.
Simultaneous : happening at the same time
Illegible : difficult or impossible to
read.
Soon : in no time.
Now : at the present moment.
Cannibal : person who eats human flesh.
Amphibious : living both on land and in
water.
Optimist : one who looks upon the bright
side of things.
Pessimist : one who looks upon the dark side
of things.
Contemporary : belonging to the same period of time.
Obsolete : no longer in use.
Extempore : spoken or done with our previous
thought or preparation.
Debut : first appearance
at social events or on public stage.
Antonym : word opposite in meaning.
Intolerable that cannot be tolerated.
Inevitable : that cannot be avoided
Supernatural : which cannot be controlled
or explained by physical laws.
Posthumous : happening or coming after
death.
Cosmopolitan : of or from different parts of the world.
Eradicate : pull up by the roots or put an
end to.
এইভাবে তোমরা Dectionary-র সাহায্যে stock of words বাড়াবে। এইবার দেখ কিভাবে Precis লিখতে হয়।
Passages worked out
Passage 1: While wealth is a great factor for ensuring the
happiness of human life, it is easily liable to be employed by one set of
people against others. Besides, wealth has a tendency to concentrate in the
hands of a few with the result that the rich become richer and the poor,
poorer. In the existing conditions of society, we find that there are classes of
people who are miserable and unhappy, while there are others who are rich,
well-fed, and comfortable. Such differences in economic conditions are mainly
due to the maldistribution of wealth in society. It is generally maintained
that in a capitalistic society maldistribution of wealth is inevitable. The
question is, therefore, raised whether in the capitalistic society wealth
conduces to maximum human welfare. In abscessing the welfare of society we must
not refer to individual fortune or condition of life. By human welfare, we are
to man the greatest good of the greatest number. (158 words)
Points:
(i)
Misuse of wealth
and its concentration in a few hands.
(ii)
Result-economic
differences.
(iii)
Maldistribution
of wealth in a capitalistic society.
(iv)
The welfare
society-the greatest good of the greatest number.
Précis: Wealth is
necessary for happiness. But it is often misused, and concentrated in a few
hands. Consequently, there are growing economic differences between the rich
and the poor. The maldistribution of wealth, inevitable in the capitalistic
society, is responsible for it. It cannot lead to human welfare which means happiness
of the majority. (54 words).
Title: Maldistribution of
Wealth.
Passages 2: Nepoleon ever regarded his mother with profound
respect and affection. He repeatedly declared that the family was entirely
indebted to her for that physical, intellectual, and moral training which
prepared them to end the lofty summits of power to which they finally
attained. He was so deeply impressed with the sense of these obligations that
he often said. "My opinion is that the future good or bad conduct of a
child depends entirely upon its mother." One of his first acts on
attaining power was to surround his mother with every luxury that wealth could
furnish. And when placed at the head of the government of France he immediately
and energetically established schools for female education, remarking that
France needed nothing so much to promote its regeneration as good mothers. [130
words]
Points
(i)
Napoleon's
devotion for his mother
(ii)
Indebted to her
for the family's highest attainments
(iii)
Made his mother
happy on attaining power and established schools for female education.
Précis: Napoleon
had great devotion for his mother and considered the whole family indebted to
her for their highest attainments. He emphasized her role in molding the child
and made his mother happy while in power. The French emperor spread female
education for France's regeneration. [44 words.]
Title : Napoleon's Attitude to Mother.
Passage 3: The two great epics of ancient India the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata-probably took shape in the course of several hundred years and
even subsequently additions were made to them. They deal with the early days of
the Indo-Aryans, their conquests, and civil wars when they were expanding and
consolidating themselves, but they were composed and compiled later. I do not
know any books anywhere which have exercised such a continuous and pervasive
influence on the mass mind as these two. Dating back to remote antiquity,
they are still a living force in the life of the Indian people. Not in the
original Sanskrit language, except for a few intellectuals, but in translations
and adaptations, and in these innumerable ways in which tradition and legend
spread, they became a part of the lecture of a people's life. They represent the
typical Indian method of catering all together for various degrees of cultural
development, from the highest intellectual to the simple unread and taught
villager. [165 words.]
Points:
(i)
Ramayana and
Mahabharata-composition and contents
(ii)
Their
influence-part of our life
(iii)
All pervasive
influence from the intellectual to the simple folk
Précis: The
Ramayana and the Mahabharata, composed and interpolated through ages, deal with
the early life and activities of the Indo-Aryans. They have become an integral
part of our life and inspire us even today. The original texts with
translations and all forms of modification have an all-pervasive influence upon
the intellectual as well as the toiling masses. [57 words].
Title : The two great epics of India.
Passage 4: Walter
Scott, "is that which he gives to himself." The education received at
school or college is but a beginning and is valuable chiefly because it trains
the mind and makes it accustomed to continuous application and study. That
which is put into use by others is always far fess ours than that which we
acquire by our own efforts. Knowledge conquered by labour becomes a possession-a
property entirely, our own. Our active effort is the essential thing, and no
facilities, no books, no teachers, no amount of lessons learned by rote will
enable us to do without it.
Title : Education is self-development
Précis: Education
usually means the lessons taught in schools or colleges. We become educated by
what we learn by our own effort and not by what we are taught in the
institutions. Education is self-development. Knowledge acquired by our own
effort becomes an asset wholly our own.
Self-education is the best education.
Passage 5: Sir
Philip Sydney, at the battle near Zutphen, was wounded by a musket ball that
broke the bone of his thigh. He was carried to the camp which was about a mile
and a half distant. Being faint with the loss of blood and probably parched
with thirst through the heat
of
the weather, he called for a drink. It was immediately brought to him, but as he
was putting the vessel to his mouth, a poor wounded soldier who happened at
that instant to be carried past him looked up to it with wistful eyes. The
gallant and generous Sydney took the bottle from his mouth and delivered it to
the soldier, saying. "They necessity is yet greater than mine."
Title: The Generous Sydney
Précis: Wounded
Sydney was carried to the camp and he called for a drink. As he was putting the
vessel to his mouth, a poor wounded soldier looked up to it with wistful eyes.
Sydney gave him the battle as the soldier's necessity was urgent.
Passage 6: Iswar
Chandra Vidyasagar was a man of great charity. Here is an instance. One day on
his way home he came across a Brahmin who seemed to be in great distress. He
was so struck with his appearance of sorrow that he asked him what the matter
was. At first, the Brahmin would say nothing. But on being repeatedly pressed,
he, at last, said that he had borrowed some money for his daughter's marriage. As
he had not been able to repay the loan on the due date, the lender had filed. a
case against him. He would soon he turned out of his home. Vidyasagar asked the
Brahmin's name and all about the case against him, and then went away, Next day
Vidyasagar went to the Court, made inquiries, and paid down the whole amount,
asking the judge not to tell his name. How great must have been the Brahmin's
joy when he came to know this. How he must have blessed his unknown benefactor!
Title: Kind-hearted Vidyasagar
Précis: Once
Vidyasagar met a Brahmin who had borrowed some money for his daughter's
marriage. The Brahmin was about to be turned from his house by the lender for
non-payment of debt. Hearing this Vidyasagar paid up the debt and requested the
judge not to disclose his identity. Being relieved, the Brahmin must have
blessed the unknown benefactor.
Passage 7: We
cannot doubt that if men lived the kind of life which all great teachers urged
them to live, the world would be much better and happier, and at least a more
civilized place than it is or ever has been. Unfortunately, their teachings
have been usually found to be too difficult for people to follow, though there
is no reason why they should not try to follow them.
All
the great religious teachers have insisted on this; that man ought not to live
for themselves alone. We ought not, they have said, to spend all our time and
energy in getting just what we want for ourselves, power and money and
importance in the world. We ought to serve something greater than ourselves
whether a God or a cause or our fellow men. It is by serving something greater
than men will forget themselves, and so achieve happiness. This or something
like this is what the great religious teachers have taught and it is one of the
most important things that civilization means.
Title: Religious Teachers and their Teachings
Précis: Men can
lead better and happier lives if they could follow the teachings of the great
religious teachers of the world. They all peach that men should ignore selfishness
to serve a cause greater than themselves. This is the royal road to attain
happiness. It is also an important feature of civilization.
Passage 8: As daylight can be seen through very small
holes, so little things will illustrate a person's character. Indeed character
consists in little acts, well and honorably performed in our daily life. One of
the most marked tests of character is the manner in which we conduct ourselves
towards others. A graceful behaviour towards superiors, inferiors, and equals is
a constant source of pleasure. It pleases others because it indicated respect
for their personality, but it gives tenfold pleasure to ourselves. Every man may,
to a great extent, be a self-educator in good behaviour, as in everything else.
He can be civil and kind, if he will, though he may not have a penny in his
purse. Even a kind look will give pleasure and confer happiness. Gentleness in
society is like a silent influence of light, which gives color to all nature.
It is powerful than the loudness of force and far more fruitful.
Title: Features of good character
Précis: Day to
day conduct of life illustrates a man's character. It is in the little incidents
of behaviour with others that reveal one's nature. Respectful and graceful
behaviour with each and every people can please both the receiver and the
giver. It is instructive too. Gentility has a great influence than the use of
force.
