The "three-pass" reading method of Mao Dun, a language learning method

Mao Dun's "three times" reading method

This is a combination of crude and fine, learning and use, and many repetitions of the reading method.

The literary giant Mao Dun summed up his "three-fold reading method" in 1942. He said: "To read a famous book at least three times, the first time it is best to read it quickly, which is like a bird's eye view of Guilin City on an airplane; The second is to read slowly, chew carefully, and notice the structure of each chapter and paragraph: the third time, we must read, understand, and apply it carefully paragraph by paragraph, and then pay attention to its refining of words and sentences. 》

It boils down to this: "three readings" works like this:

First time: Bird's Eye View. There are three main points to pay attention to: First, be fast, and read it in one breath. In this way, it is easy to generate a strong interest in reading and obtain a relatively complete impression. Second, we must be condescending to see the whole picture and have a comprehensive understanding of the main contents of the whole book. The third is coarse, for some difficulties or unfamiliarities in the book, you do not have to spend more effort, just make a mark, and leave it for later.

Second time: Intensive reading. On the basis of obtaining a preliminary impression, we will read it carefully and taste the beauty of the work. When intensively reading, we must pay attention to three points: First, we must be slow, we must study it word by word, section by section, chapter by chapter, and inquire and understand the texts and sentences we do not understand, and do not be afraid to work hard. The second is to be fine, to "chew carefully", not only to understand the literal meaning, but also to understand the meaning of the bottom of the word: not only to sort out the content, but also to analyze the techniques through which these contents are expressed; Not only to understand its writing in general, but also to compare it with other works to see its uniqueness. The third is deep, we must think deeply, dig deeply, summarize in depth, think about the meaning of the work from all angles, excavate the deep and ingenious skills of the work from all aspects, and summarize the success or inadequacy of the work from all levels.

Third time: Digestion. After intensive reading, I tasted the best of the work, but this is still the author's thing. To turn it into its own flesh and blood, it needs to be read a third time to absorb and digest its essence. This reading should focus on whether the content of the book can be used for oneself, from what angles, or used in speech, or in writing, or in learning, or in work. In short, it is to use it in every way to deepen the understanding of the work in the process of use.

Mao Dun said, "To read famous works at least three times," if you read them three times and still feel that the aftertaste is not exhausted, you can also repeat another cycle, or three or four times.

Reading in this way, there are steps, not clueless, there are points, each time there are clear requirements: there is repetition, not the pursuit of the plot, but the study of the work. First infected, then studied, and then absorbed. On the surface, it seems that the speed is slower, but in fact, reading a book has a reward. At the end of each year, the income is extraordinary.

Mao Dun's ability to write immortal masterpieces such as "Midnight" and "Lin JiaPuzi" is inseparable from his correct reading method.