讓步狀語(yǔ)從句，是狀語(yǔ)從句中高頻出現(xiàn)的幾種關(guān)系之一。但是很少有人能解釋清楚“讓步”這個(gè)概念。因?yàn)榻忉尣磺宄?，所以?dǎo)致兩個(gè)后果：

　　一是混淆它和轉(zhuǎn)折關(guān)系有什么不同，所以會(huì)出現(xiàn)“雖然though”和“但是but”混用，其實(shí)并非中文影響那么簡(jiǎn)單；

　　二是導(dǎo)致一種簡(jiǎn)單粗暴的處理方式：讓步=“雖然”。那么“盡管（despite）”呢、“無(wú)論（however）”呢？就搞不清audience了。

　　在各種語(yǔ)法書(shū)里查找關(guān)于“讓步狀語(yǔ)”的定義，它們會(huì)告訴audience你：though、even though引導(dǎo)的狀語(yǔ)從句，那就是讓步狀語(yǔ)——這就好比說(shuō)：四條腿的就是狗。

　　那板凳呢？

　　所以要說(shuō)清楚“讓步狀語(yǔ)”，要先從“concession（讓步）”這個(gè)詞開(kāi)始。

　　所謂“讓步”，在論辯中，它就是一種以退為攻的修辭策略。即說(shuō)話者先承認(rèn)、或作出承認(rèn)對(duì)方正確的姿態(tài)。

　　CONCESSION IS AN ARGUMENTATIVESTRATEGYBY WHICH A SPEAKER OR WRITER AckNOWLEDGES (OR APPEARS TO AckNOWLEDGE) THE ValiDITYOFAN OPPONENT'S POINT.

　　修辭學(xué)家這樣說(shuō)“讓步”：使用讓步策略不是妥協(xié)，而是給人一個(gè)印象——audience我很大度、能夠接受你的部分觀點(diǎn)，這源于我對(duì)自己的自信。

　　"The audiencegets the impression that the person capable of making frank confessions and generous concessions are not only a good person but a person so confident of the strength of his or her position that he or she can afford to concede points to the opposition" (Edward P.J. Corbett, Classical Rhetoricfor the Modern Student, 1999).

　　以下是幾組比較好的定義。

　　"Concessive clauses indicate that the situation in the matrix clause is contrary to expectation in the light of what is said in the concessive clause" (A ComprehensiveGrammar of the English Language, 1985).

　　讓步狀語(yǔ)從句表示：我們根據(jù)從句內(nèi)容會(huì)產(chǎn)生一個(gè)預(yù)期，但是主句內(nèi)容卻與它相反。

　　例如：Thoughhe has tried his best, he lostthe game.（從句“盡了最大努力”，預(yù)期應(yīng)該是勝出；但結(jié)果卻與之相反：他輸了比賽）

　　Concessive clauses are adverbial clauses, so called because they admit or concede something, in spite of which the statement made in the main clause is and continues to be true. The truth of the main clause is being emphasized by contrast.

　　從句中承認(rèn)某種相反看法，但盡管有這個(gè)認(rèn)可，并不影響主句陳述內(nèi)容的正確性。事實(shí)上，主句陳述的正確性，正是通過(guò)這種對(duì)照得到了強(qiáng)調(diào)。

　　例如：We thoroughly understand each other, even if we don’t always agree.（彼此存在分歧，這是一個(gè)事實(shí)；但這并不影響我們互相理解對(duì)方。這句話恰恰是通過(guò)“分歧”來(lái)突出“理解”）

　　Concessive construction is another type of contrast, where the idea of one clause is in some way opposing the idea of the other, and which often expresses an element of surprise. For example, we may feel that it is surprising to pay a lot of money for a meal in a restaurant and to find that the food is awful, or to fail an exam after studying hard.

　　讓步結(jié)構(gòu)也是一種對(duì)比。從句內(nèi)容與主句內(nèi)容存在某種相反關(guān)系，主句呈現(xiàn)給我們的往往是預(yù)料之外的。例如：（雖然）我們發(fā)現(xiàn)餐館飯菜很糟糕，卻要付很多錢(qián)；（雖然）學(xué)習(xí)很努力，考試卻沒(méi)通過(guò)——后面主句的結(jié)果都是有些出乎意料（surprising）的。

　　因此我們可以得出這樣一個(gè)結(jié)論：

　　讓步狀語(yǔ)從句的話題，是給主句做鋪墊，為的是引出一個(gè)全新的、不同的話題。

　　簡(jiǎn)單一點(diǎn)理解，是否可以這樣說(shuō)：如果把though從句連詞換成because，主句改為否定，從句和主句就可能是因果關(guān)系？

　　例如：

　　Thoughthere were a number of online resources, our students used to learn vocabulary from textbooks.——

　　Becausethere were a number of online resources, our students usedn’t to learn vocabulary from textbooks.

　　Redmond continued to travel and investigate agriculture, thoughhe mostly stayed close to Augusta. ——

　　Redmond didn’tcontinueto travel and investigate agriculture, becausehe mostly stayed close to Augusta.

　　Even thoughEmma Joy did very well on her first standardized test, she still has a challenge to face. ——

　　Because Emma Joy did very well on her first standardized test, she doesn’thave a challenge to face.