Simple Guidelines to Good
Writing
Chapter 1
Say Goodbye to Wordiness
來幫胖胖句瘦身吧
寫好英文作文其實比你想像得要來得簡單。第一個要戒除的壞習慣就是使用冗長的句子。一個如迷宮一樣的句子，除了文字堆疊令人不耐之外，還容易造成誤解。中國人學英文作文，有幾個迷思。最常見的就是使用很長的句型。大多數的人心裡總是覺
得，句子寫長一點，可以多填點空間，看起來好像內容比較充實些，其實真正原因是腦袋裡實在想不出要寫什麼。另外一個迷思則是，難一點、長一點的句型，或是
艱澀一點的單字，才能顯示自己的英文不同凡響。
這年頭大家都忙，厚重冗長的句子已經沒人有耐心看。當代的英文寫作，自然也向時尚靠攏，大家看看，現在街上的女孩子，大多穿迷你裙跟短褲出門了，所以你的英文作文也要跟上潮流,，大熱天的不要長褲長袖讓人看了覺得好熱。Do yourself a favor, say no to wordiness.大家嘛幫幫忙，下回寫完作文或是任何英文文章之後，看看有沒有什麼可以砍一砍的，言簡意賅才是王道。
這年頭大家都忙，厚重冗長的句子已經沒人有耐心看。當代的英文寫作，自然也向時尚靠攏，大家看看，現在街上的女孩子，大多穿迷你裙跟短褲出門了，所以你的英文作文也要跟上潮流,，大熱天的不要長褲長袖讓人看了覺得好熱。Do yourself a favor, say no to wordiness.大家嘛幫幫忙，下回寫完作文或是任何英文文章之後，看看有沒有什麼可以砍一砍的，言簡意賅才是王道。
近年來英美流行的文章風格:
Conversational style = good writing.
瞎米？這樣會不會給他太隨便了？
當
然不會。各位去聽聽歐巴馬的演講，我肯定大家可以聽懂六成。現在所有的東西都講簡單明瞭，曲高和寡或是賣弄文字的東西早就被踢到一邊去涼快了。不過口說或
是會話形式的句子有一個缺點，那就是容易過於瑣碎。所以大家要把握一個大原則，就是簡單之外，不要瑣碎。不要把句子養胖了。上回我說舉過一個英文語病，那
就是to reuse it again and again。這是典型的口語贅字。因為要嘛你就說to reuse it(已經有again的意思了), 要嘛你就說to use it again and again.不要混在一起大鍋炒。如果句子太肥，記得給他油切一下。
下面是一些胖胖英文瘦身之後的德行
肥胖英文(減肥前)
|
油切英文 (減肥後)
|
…in regard to
|
…about
|
…in the event that
|
…if
|
…a sufficient number of
|
…enough
|
…in the vicinity of
|
…near
|
…were in agreement
|
…agreed
|
…on a daily basis
|
…daily
|
…were in attendance
|
…attended
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…on the occasion that
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…when
|
…at this point in time
|
…now
|
…are of the believe
|
…believe
|
現在一切講求環保，所以贅字我們不用，以免浪費資源。現在來示範句型油切要訣。
下面藍字圈出來的就是贅肉。
胖胖句
|
We are of the opinion that the school needs to make changes in its
new policies.
|
油切後
|
We think the school should
change its new policies.
|
胖胖句
|
Prior to moving to Taipei, I lived in the city of
Taichung.
|
油切後
|
I lived in Taichung before
moving to Taipei.
|
胖胖句
|
He enrolled in this class in
view of the fact that literature is a subject in which she takes an
interest.
|
油切後
|
He took this class because
Literature interests him.
|
胖胖句
|
The fact that she didn’t seek my advice subsequent to
the class makes me feel kind of disappointed.
|
油切後
|
I feel disappointed that she didn’t
seek my advice after class.
|
胖胖句
|
There were five or six people
on the committee who said that the companies who were bidding need to give
a demonstration of how the new software functions.
|
油切後
|
Several committee members said
the bidding companies should demonstrate the new software.
|
胖胖句
|
Some residents of
the suburb of Taipei have a tendency to consider the
neighborhood a noisy community
|
油切後
|
Some Taipei residents consider
it a noisy community.
|
胖胖句
|
There were
108 traffic accidents in the targeted area during the Chinese lunar new year holiday,
down from
145 during the same time period last year.
|
油切後
|
During the Chinese new year
holiday, the number of accidents in the targeted area fell to 108, down from
145 last year.
|
胖胖句
|
Teachers
need to have
knowledge and an understanding of their students.
|
油切後
|
Teachers should know and
understand their students.
|
胖胖句
|
As per our telephone
conversation, enclosed please find information on a new blocking device that prevents computer hackers from
gaining access to your computer equipment and records.
|
油切後
|
Here is the information on a
blocking device that can keep hackers out of your computer system.
|
胖胖句
|
The true facts of the matter
are that the
organization has
set a new record this year in receipt of
a lot of cash donations.
|
油切後
|
The organization has received record
cash donation this year.
|
看到了嗎？藍色圈出來的字就是肥肉。
肥肉吃太多血管會塞住，同樣的，
一個句子裡出現了兩個of(相當於中文的「的」，
就會讓閱讀的人感到混淆。
避開of跟in which這些又臭又老梗的說法，
換個簡單且直接了當的方式來表達，你的作文會脫胎換骨。
部分資料參考來源: The Book on Writing, by Paula LaRocque
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