0822 Brevity: Valuing Each Word－Answer and Explanation 簡潔準則：惜字如金 正確解答
2011-08-23
Answer: We believe the best revision is… “The prisoners in the most distant camps were mistreated by their guards and many of them starved to death.”
This sentence reduces the word count to 19 from 22 by substituting three words, “starved to death,” for six words, “expired from lack of physical sustenance.” There probably is little argument that the new rendering of the sentence is superior. Why, then, do writers often go the wordier route to make a point about death? They do so either to express the special significance of a particular death event—after all, death always is significant—or to express the thought in a way they believe is more memorable.
將原本 “expired from lack of physical sustenance”（ 因缺乏身體營養斷氣）換為 “starved to death”（餓死）後，句子字數由 22 個字縮短為 19 個字，新的句子無疑優於原句。說起來，為什麼許多作者提及死亡時多半文句冗長？因為他們想表達死亡這件事很重要，死亡意義更是重大，或者想用更令人難忘的方式表達。
Sometimes they succeed in this. Not this time. To say the prisoners “expired from lack of physical sustenance” is not pleasing or moving to read; “expired” and “physical sustenance” are stilted and colorless euphemisms. Writers also sometimes ignore simpler sentence construction or more direct language for another reason: They want to avoid repetitive use of words or phrases. While that is not a bad motive for a thoughtful writer, if the result is bloated or vapid expression, it is a bad choice.
有時這些表達確實令人印象深刻，但此句不然，描寫犯人 “expired from lack of physical sustenance”（因缺乏身體營養斷氣），讀來既不討喜也不感人，“expired”（斷氣）和 “physical sustenance”（身體營養）都是委婉語，聽來做作又無趣。此外，有時句構複雜、用字拐彎抹角，是為了避免用字重複。這麼想確實思慮周延，用意良好，但若造成字數浮濫、了無生氣，就不是理想作法。
Please note: To write “many of them starved,” rather than “many of them starved to death” does not work. The last two words are not redundant. Neglected and persecuted captives can be starved for years and yet emerge alive at the end of their captivity. Hunger is not a killer until a level of undernourishment actually shuts down body systems. In the same sense, writers should strive to write shortly and directly, but not so severely that pertinent information is sacrificed.
注意不要將 “starved to death”（ 餓死） 改為 “starved”（ 挨餓），“to death” 兩字是必要的。囚犯若受到忽視、迫害，可能挨餓多年，但刑期結束時仍能生還。飢餓不會致人於死，除非過度營養不良導致身體器官無法運作。寫作時要盡可能簡短直接，但不能因過於簡短而犧牲相關訊息。
This sentence reduces the word count to 19 from 22 by substituting three words, “starved to death,” for six words, “expired from lack of physical sustenance.” There probably is little argument that the new rendering of the sentence is superior. Why, then, do writers often go the wordier route to make a point about death? They do so either to express the special significance of a particular death event—after all, death always is significant—or to express the thought in a way they believe is more memorable.
將原本 “expired from lack of physical sustenance”（ 因缺乏身體營養斷氣）換為 “starved to death”（餓死）後，句子字數由 22 個字縮短為 19 個字，新的句子無疑優於原句。說起來，為什麼許多作者提及死亡時多半文句冗長？因為他們想表達死亡這件事很重要，死亡意義更是重大，或者想用更令人難忘的方式表達。
Sometimes they succeed in this. Not this time. To say the prisoners “expired from lack of physical sustenance” is not pleasing or moving to read; “expired” and “physical sustenance” are stilted and colorless euphemisms. Writers also sometimes ignore simpler sentence construction or more direct language for another reason: They want to avoid repetitive use of words or phrases. While that is not a bad motive for a thoughtful writer, if the result is bloated or vapid expression, it is a bad choice.
有時這些表達確實令人印象深刻，但此句不然，描寫犯人 “expired from lack of physical sustenance”（因缺乏身體營養斷氣），讀來既不討喜也不感人，“expired”（斷氣）和 “physical sustenance”（身體營養）都是委婉語，聽來做作又無趣。此外，有時句構複雜、用字拐彎抹角，是為了避免用字重複。這麼想確實思慮周延，用意良好，但若造成字數浮濫、了無生氣，就不是理想作法。
Please note: To write “many of them starved,” rather than “many of them starved to death” does not work. The last two words are not redundant. Neglected and persecuted captives can be starved for years and yet emerge alive at the end of their captivity. Hunger is not a killer until a level of undernourishment actually shuts down body systems. In the same sense, writers should strive to write shortly and directly, but not so severely that pertinent information is sacrificed.
注意不要將 “starved to death”（ 餓死） 改為 “starved”（ 挨餓），“to death” 兩字是必要的。囚犯若受到忽視、迫害，可能挨餓多年，但刑期結束時仍能生還。飢餓不會致人於死，除非過度營養不良導致身體器官無法運作。寫作時要盡可能簡短直接，但不能因過於簡短而犧牲相關訊息。
Last Update at 2011-08-23 AM 11:34 | 0 Comments
0822 Brevity: Valuing Each Word－Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 簡潔準則：惜字如金 有機會獲得價值200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2011-08-22
The best writing doesn’t waste words. It employs words efficiently. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence below as we believe it should be completed will win a NTD200 7-11 / Starbucks Gift Certificate. Another Starbucks certificate will be awarded to the first Fan to complete it in an alternate way that, in our estimation, also is effective. The explanation and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Each brevity rule is contained in 10 Ways to Shorten & Strengthen Your Academic Paper and will be posted on the TPS Fan page as introduced.
最佳的寫作，必須有效選用字句、惜字如金。TPS推出新專欄，請你寫出簡潔、流暢的詞彙/句子。題目刊登於下方，經TPS編輯教授評選為第1位最適解答的粉絲，可獲得統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元的購物禮券；增設特別獎1名，獎項給予提出符合句意又別具創意之解答的粉絲。解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS專頁。每一項簡潔準則，皆收錄於TPS新推出之「十大簡潔英文準則」，將定期刊登本專欄，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快。
Rule # 8: Use direct, simple language… An academic writer can tighten his paper, reduce word count, and connect more securely with a reader by opting for direct and simple language. In the sentence below, the writer did not write with directness. How can the sentence best be written shorter and stronger by using simpler language?
十大簡潔英文準則八：用字簡單，直截了當
寫作學術文章若用字簡單、直接，能使文章更簡潔、減少字數，讓讀者更容易理解。下列句子用字遣詞不夠直接，該如何使用更簡單的詞語，才能讓此句更精簡有力？
題目 Contest Sentence:
“The prisoners in the most distant camps were mistreated by their guards and many of them expired from lack of physical sustenance.”
最佳的寫作，必須有效選用字句、惜字如金。TPS推出新專欄，請你寫出簡潔、流暢的詞彙/句子。題目刊登於下方，經TPS編輯教授評選為第1位最適解答的粉絲，可獲得統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元的購物禮券；增設特別獎1名，獎項給予提出符合句意又別具創意之解答的粉絲。解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS專頁。每一項簡潔準則，皆收錄於TPS新推出之「十大簡潔英文準則」，將定期刊登本專欄，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快。
Rule # 8: Use direct, simple language… An academic writer can tighten his paper, reduce word count, and connect more securely with a reader by opting for direct and simple language. In the sentence below, the writer did not write with directness. How can the sentence best be written shorter and stronger by using simpler language?
十大簡潔英文準則八：用字簡單，直截了當
寫作學術文章若用字簡單、直接，能使文章更簡潔、減少字數，讓讀者更容易理解。下列句子用字遣詞不夠直接，該如何使用更簡單的詞語，才能讓此句更精簡有力？
題目 Contest Sentence:
“The prisoners in the most distant camps were mistreated by their guards and many of them expired from lack of physical sustenance.”
Last Update at 2011-08-22 AM 10:05 | 0 Comments
0815 TPS Spot the Error Contest－Answer and Explanation 你是挑錯的高手嗎? 正確解答
2011-08-16
Answer: “their” should be “his.”
“A stallion can sleep on its feet, but a human male cannot lock the joints of his knees and stay upright while in a sleep mode.”
Error: The writer was lulled, either by political correctness or by the plurality of surrounding words, and used the pronoun “their” instead of “his.” The phrase “the joints of their knees…” sounds grammatically correct by itself. But whose knees and joints are being discussed? Those of “a human male.” Hence, the knees are “his.” In recent decades, some linguists have tried to abandon “his” and “her” in some locutions so as not to offend the feminine gender, resulting in such awkward phrasing as, “A student typically learns from their own mistakes.” In such situations, the better idea is to rewrite a sentence inoffensively without violating grammatical rules.
作者可能為了維護政治正確而措詞用語稍加修正，或受到複數名詞的誤導，因此不用 “his” 而用 “their” 作代名詞。「他們的膝蓋關節」看來文法無誤，但他們究竟是誰？不就是「人類男性」(a human male) 嗎？所以應該用「他的」膝蓋關節才對。近數十年來，有些語言學家想廢除 “his” 與 “her” 兩種代名詞，以避免冒犯女性，卻使措辭顯得拙劣，例如：「一個學生通常從他們的錯誤中學習」。此時最好重寫句子，不違反文法規則，也避免冒犯他人。
“A stallion can sleep on its feet, but a human male cannot lock the joints of his knees and stay upright while in a sleep mode.”
Error: The writer was lulled, either by political correctness or by the plurality of surrounding words, and used the pronoun “their” instead of “his.” The phrase “the joints of their knees…” sounds grammatically correct by itself. But whose knees and joints are being discussed? Those of “a human male.” Hence, the knees are “his.” In recent decades, some linguists have tried to abandon “his” and “her” in some locutions so as not to offend the feminine gender, resulting in such awkward phrasing as, “A student typically learns from their own mistakes.” In such situations, the better idea is to rewrite a sentence inoffensively without violating grammatical rules.
作者可能為了維護政治正確而措詞用語稍加修正，或受到複數名詞的誤導，因此不用 “his” 而用 “their” 作代名詞。「他們的膝蓋關節」看來文法無誤，但他們究竟是誰？不就是「人類男性」(a human male) 嗎？所以應該用「他的」膝蓋關節才對。近數十年來，有些語言學家想廢除 “his” 與 “her” 兩種代名詞，以避免冒犯女性，卻使措辭顯得拙劣，例如：「一個學生通常從他們的錯誤中學習」。此時最好重寫句子，不違反文法規則，也避免冒犯他人。
Last Update at 2011-08-16 AM 10:31 | 0 Comments
0815 TPS Spot the Error Contest－Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你是挑錯的高手嗎? 有機會獲得200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2011-08-15
下列的句子中，包含了一個錯誤，可能是文法、拼法或是標點符號的錯誤。我們將提供統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元的購物禮券，給予今天前三名挑出正確錯誤、寫出正確答案的粉絲。正確的解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS的專頁。請將你的答案寫在下方，獲得免費購物禮券的幸運兒可能就是你哦!
The sentence below contains 1 grammatical, spelling and/or punctuation error. The first three (3) TPS Fans to respond with the corrected sentence will win a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate. The corrected sentence and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Please post your answers below. Good luck!
題目Contest Sentence:
“A stallion can sleep on its feet, but a human male cannot lock the joints of their knees and stay upright while in a sleep mode.”
The sentence below contains 1 grammatical, spelling and/or punctuation error. The first three (3) TPS Fans to respond with the corrected sentence will win a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate. The corrected sentence and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Please post your answers below. Good luck!
題目Contest Sentence:
“A stallion can sleep on its feet, but a human male cannot lock the joints of their knees and stay upright while in a sleep mode.”
Last Update at 2011-08-15 AM 10:30 | 0 Comments
What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2011-08-11
很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The guinea pigs, released from confinement at the end of the sixth hour, barreled through the gate and into the common area.”
天竺鼠在關了六個小時後被放出來，像圓桶滾動般擠出柵門，進入公共空間。
A barrel is a round container, longer than it is wide, usually bulging somewhat in the middle, with flat ends. When placed on its side, it will roll fairly easily because its bulging middle is mostly all that is in contact with the surface. However, for the same reason, a barrel rolls unsteadily and is susceptible to rocking from side to side, its path irregular. For all of these reasons, barrels on a roll are formidable objects—relatively heavy, erratic in their movement, and potentially damaging to any obstacles encountered.
圓桶是圓柱狀的長形容器，通常中間部分隆起，兩端較為窄平。側放時僅中央隆起處接觸地面，因此很容易滾動，但滾動時不平穩，搖搖晃晃，路徑不固定。所以，滾動中的圓桶既沉重且行動難以捉摸，物體遭碰撞時還可能受損傷，相當危險。
The author of the sentence described the movement of a group of excited guinea pigs in terms of barrel movement, saying the animals “barreled through the gate.” That is to say, the animals—which had been constrained—responded to freedom by rushing through a doorway into an open area in pell-mell fashion, moving hastily and in confusion. That they “barreled” their way suggests the animals bumped into one another, squeezed into and popped out the doorway, and crashed into barriers—all in a disorderly mass. Like barrels sent rolling downhill.
作者用滾動的圓桶形容一群亢奮的天竺鼠「像圓桶滾動般擠出柵門」(barreled through the gate)，這群動物原本被關著，一獲得自由，就一股腦兒的通過出入口，匆匆忙忙，一片混亂。「像圓桶滾動般」(barreled) 表示天竺鼠互相碰撞、在出入口推擠、碰撞到柵欄、凌亂失序，就像紛紛滾下坡的圓桶一樣。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The guinea pigs, released from confinement at the end of the sixth hour, barreled through the gate and into the common area.”
天竺鼠在關了六個小時後被放出來，像圓桶滾動般擠出柵門，進入公共空間。
A barrel is a round container, longer than it is wide, usually bulging somewhat in the middle, with flat ends. When placed on its side, it will roll fairly easily because its bulging middle is mostly all that is in contact with the surface. However, for the same reason, a barrel rolls unsteadily and is susceptible to rocking from side to side, its path irregular. For all of these reasons, barrels on a roll are formidable objects—relatively heavy, erratic in their movement, and potentially damaging to any obstacles encountered.
圓桶是圓柱狀的長形容器，通常中間部分隆起，兩端較為窄平。側放時僅中央隆起處接觸地面，因此很容易滾動，但滾動時不平穩，搖搖晃晃，路徑不固定。所以，滾動中的圓桶既沉重且行動難以捉摸，物體遭碰撞時還可能受損傷，相當危險。
The author of the sentence described the movement of a group of excited guinea pigs in terms of barrel movement, saying the animals “barreled through the gate.” That is to say, the animals—which had been constrained—responded to freedom by rushing through a doorway into an open area in pell-mell fashion, moving hastily and in confusion. That they “barreled” their way suggests the animals bumped into one another, squeezed into and popped out the doorway, and crashed into barriers—all in a disorderly mass. Like barrels sent rolling downhill.
作者用滾動的圓桶形容一群亢奮的天竺鼠「像圓桶滾動般擠出柵門」(barreled through the gate)，這群動物原本被關著，一獲得自由，就一股腦兒的通過出入口，匆匆忙忙，一片混亂。「像圓桶滾動般」(barreled) 表示天竺鼠互相碰撞、在出入口推擠、碰撞到柵欄、凌亂失序，就像紛紛滾下坡的圓桶一樣。
Last Update at 2011-08-11 PM 4:01 | 0 Comments
0808 Brevity: Valuing Each Word－Answer and Explanation 簡潔準則：惜字如金 正確解答
2011-08-09
Answer: We believe the best revision is…We believe the best revision is… “For 30 years, the U.S. space shuttle program gave American astronauts and scientists a reliable vehicle for conducting orbital explorations.”
我們相信最佳寫法應為We believe the best revision is… “For 30 years, the U.S. space shuttle program gave American astronauts and scientists a reliable vehicle for conducting orbital explorations.”
This suggested revision reduces the word count to 20 from 22, which doesn’t seem like much perhaps. However, it also reduces the character count to 120 from 133, which is nearly 10 percent lower. A 10 percent shorter paper is measurably and significantly more concise. While the worth of a paper is not measured in total characters or pages or pounds, neither is it characterized by verbosity, long words, or imprecise language. Brevity, in the end, is mostly measured in the satisfaction of reader and writer.
照著建議修改片語措辭後，字數由 22 個字降為 20 個字，看來或許不多，但字母數從 133 降為 120，減少將近百分之十。文章字數減少百分之十，顯然更為簡潔。雖然文章好壞不能從總字母數、頁數或書本重量衡量，但冗長、用字多而不精確，無法成就一篇好文章。用字是否簡潔，多半可從讀者與作者是否滿意文章看出來。
The sentence as originally written is accurate. To be exact, space shuttles roared into space for three decades, two months and 26 days, the last flight occurring in July of this year. Yet in the context of this sentence, such detail would serve no purpose. It is accurate enough to stipulate that the shuttles flew “for 30 years.” One of the judgments academic writers must make on every page of every paper they write is how to balance the amount of detail with the pace and flow of the narrative.
原本的句子沒有錯誤；精確來說，太空梭升空的歷史已經有三十年兩個月又二十六天，最近一次發射在今年七月。不過在本句中，這些細節並沒有意義，只需說明太空梭歷史有「三十年」就夠了。作者在寫作學術論文時，每一頁都得判斷如何平衡細節多寡與敘事的節奏與連貫。
The other element in precise phrasing is research. Research adds to knowledge of a subject and knowledge contributes to brevity. Were a paper referring to economic activity in Zhuhai, there would be no benefit in writing “on the southern coast of China north of Macau…” when research produces a pinpoint reference—“in Zhuhai” or “in Guangdong Province.” Imprecise phrases often are the result of inadequate or lazy research, which an alert professor will quickly pick up on and mark down.
想要精確使用片語/詞組必須先進行一番研究，以便更了解主題，讓用字更簡潔。例如文章若提到珠海的經濟活動，多作一些研究能讓寫作更精確，不必寫「在中國南岸、澳門北方…」，直接點出「在珠海」或「在廣東省」即可。片語/詞組用字的不精確，多半來自於研究不確實或馬虎，機敏的教授一眼就能看穿，直接記上一筆。
我們相信最佳寫法應為We believe the best revision is… “For 30 years, the U.S. space shuttle program gave American astronauts and scientists a reliable vehicle for conducting orbital explorations.”
This suggested revision reduces the word count to 20 from 22, which doesn’t seem like much perhaps. However, it also reduces the character count to 120 from 133, which is nearly 10 percent lower. A 10 percent shorter paper is measurably and significantly more concise. While the worth of a paper is not measured in total characters or pages or pounds, neither is it characterized by verbosity, long words, or imprecise language. Brevity, in the end, is mostly measured in the satisfaction of reader and writer.
照著建議修改片語措辭後，字數由 22 個字降為 20 個字，看來或許不多，但字母數從 133 降為 120，減少將近百分之十。文章字數減少百分之十，顯然更為簡潔。雖然文章好壞不能從總字母數、頁數或書本重量衡量，但冗長、用字多而不精確，無法成就一篇好文章。用字是否簡潔，多半可從讀者與作者是否滿意文章看出來。
The sentence as originally written is accurate. To be exact, space shuttles roared into space for three decades, two months and 26 days, the last flight occurring in July of this year. Yet in the context of this sentence, such detail would serve no purpose. It is accurate enough to stipulate that the shuttles flew “for 30 years.” One of the judgments academic writers must make on every page of every paper they write is how to balance the amount of detail with the pace and flow of the narrative.
原本的句子沒有錯誤；精確來說，太空梭升空的歷史已經有三十年兩個月又二十六天，最近一次發射在今年七月。不過在本句中，這些細節並沒有意義，只需說明太空梭歷史有「三十年」就夠了。作者在寫作學術論文時，每一頁都得判斷如何平衡細節多寡與敘事的節奏與連貫。
The other element in precise phrasing is research. Research adds to knowledge of a subject and knowledge contributes to brevity. Were a paper referring to economic activity in Zhuhai, there would be no benefit in writing “on the southern coast of China north of Macau…” when research produces a pinpoint reference—“in Zhuhai” or “in Guangdong Province.” Imprecise phrases often are the result of inadequate or lazy research, which an alert professor will quickly pick up on and mark down.
想要精確使用片語/詞組必須先進行一番研究，以便更了解主題，讓用字更簡潔。例如文章若提到珠海的經濟活動，多作一些研究能讓寫作更精確，不必寫「在中國南岸、澳門北方…」，直接點出「在珠海」或「在廣東省」即可。片語/詞組用字的不精確，多半來自於研究不確實或馬虎，機敏的教授一眼就能看穿，直接記上一筆。
Last Update at 2011-08-09 PM 2:58 | 0 Comments
0808 Brevity: Valuing Each Word－Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 簡潔準則：惜字如金 有機會獲得價值200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2011-08-08
The best writing doesn’t waste words. It employs words efficiently. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence below as we believe it should be completed will win a NTD200 7-11 / Starbucks Gift Certificate. Another Starbucks certificate will be awarded to the first Fan to complete it in an alternate way that, in our estimation, also is effective. The explanation and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Each brevity rule is contained in 10 Ways to Shorten & Strengthen Your Academic Paper and will be posted on the TPS Fan page as introduced.
最佳的寫作，必須有效選用字句、惜字如金。TPS推出新專欄，請你寫出簡潔、流暢的詞彙/句子。題目刊登於下方，經TPS編輯教授評選為第1位最適解答的粉絲，可獲得統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元的購物禮券；增設特別獎1名，獎項給予提出符合句意又別具創意之解答的粉絲。解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS專頁。每一項簡潔準則，皆收錄於TPS新推出之「十大簡潔英文準則」，將定期刊登本專欄，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快。
Rule # 7: Use precise phrases… An academic writer can tighten his paper, reduce word count, and connect more securely to a reader with phrasing that is appropriately exacting. In the sentence below, the writer was not precise in formulating a phrase about time. How can the sentence best be written shorter and stronger through more precise phrasing?
十大簡潔英文準則七：精確片語
寫作學術文章若能恰當使用精確的片語，能使文章更簡潔、減少字數，讓讀者更容易理解。下列句中時間片語並不精確，要如何精確使用片語，才能讓此句更精簡有力？
題目 Contest Sentence:
“For more than three decades, the U.S. space shuttle program gave American astronauts and scientists a reliable vehicle for conducting orbital explorations.”
最佳的寫作，必須有效選用字句、惜字如金。TPS推出新專欄，請你寫出簡潔、流暢的詞彙/句子。題目刊登於下方，經TPS編輯教授評選為第1位最適解答的粉絲，可獲得統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元的購物禮券；增設特別獎1名，獎項給予提出符合句意又別具創意之解答的粉絲。解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS專頁。每一項簡潔準則，皆收錄於TPS新推出之「十大簡潔英文準則」，將定期刊登本專欄，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快。
Rule # 7: Use precise phrases… An academic writer can tighten his paper, reduce word count, and connect more securely to a reader with phrasing that is appropriately exacting. In the sentence below, the writer was not precise in formulating a phrase about time. How can the sentence best be written shorter and stronger through more precise phrasing?
十大簡潔英文準則七：精確片語
寫作學術文章若能恰當使用精確的片語，能使文章更簡潔、減少字數，讓讀者更容易理解。下列句中時間片語並不精確，要如何精確使用片語，才能讓此句更精簡有力？
題目 Contest Sentence:
“For more than three decades, the U.S. space shuttle program gave American astronauts and scientists a reliable vehicle for conducting orbital explorations.”
Last Update at 2011-08-08 AM 9:57 | 0 Comments
TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest－Answer and Explanation你能找出混淆字嗎? 正確解答!
2011-08-02
Correct best answer: Replace “jousts” with “joists.”
“The floor joists of a mezzanine extend out only a short distance from surrounding walls, thereby framing a mini-floor that shares a ceiling with the floor below.”
Most people do not use the words “joust” and “joist” every day. As with other infrequently used and similar words—such as “craven” and “craving”—we can get our minds and tongues tangled and inadvertently use the wrong one. In this sentence, the writer used ”jousts,” which are contests between two knights on horseback trying to unseat one another with a lance. Obviously, nothing in the sentence corresponds to such activity. The desired word was “joists,” which are boards laid on edge as supports for, in this case, flooring. The only way to avoid such errors is to be aware of vocabulary limitations, use words carefully, and always re-read what has been written.
一般人平常很少使用 “joust” 與 “joist” 這兩個字，就像 “craven” 與 “craving” 等一般較少用而彼此字形類似的字，這些字很容易讓人腦筋、舌頭打結，一不小心就用錯字。本句用了 “jousts” 一字，該字意指兩騎士騎馬比賽，將對方用長矛擊落，顯然與本句無關。正確的字是 “joists”，在本句應指放在邊緣支撐地板的木條。要避免用字錯誤，必須多認識詞彙、注意用字，文章寫完務必再讀一次。
“The floor joists of a mezzanine extend out only a short distance from surrounding walls, thereby framing a mini-floor that shares a ceiling with the floor below.”
Most people do not use the words “joust” and “joist” every day. As with other infrequently used and similar words—such as “craven” and “craving”—we can get our minds and tongues tangled and inadvertently use the wrong one. In this sentence, the writer used ”jousts,” which are contests between two knights on horseback trying to unseat one another with a lance. Obviously, nothing in the sentence corresponds to such activity. The desired word was “joists,” which are boards laid on edge as supports for, in this case, flooring. The only way to avoid such errors is to be aware of vocabulary limitations, use words carefully, and always re-read what has been written.
一般人平常很少使用 “joust” 與 “joist” 這兩個字，就像 “craven” 與 “craving” 等一般較少用而彼此字形類似的字，這些字很容易讓人腦筋、舌頭打結，一不小心就用錯字。本句用了 “jousts” 一字，該字意指兩騎士騎馬比賽，將對方用長矛擊落，顯然與本句無關。正確的字是 “joists”，在本句應指放在邊緣支撐地板的木條。要避免用字錯誤，必須多認識詞彙、注意用字，文章寫完務必再讀一次。
Last Update at 2011-08-02 AM 10:14 | 0 Comments
0801 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest－Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你能找出混淆字嗎? 有機會獲得200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2011-08-01
撰寫學術文章時，每字每句都需要謹慎著墨。改變幾個字就會使完整的一句話變得令人摸不著頭緒。下列的句子中，為使這句話能完整且有意義的表達，請選出你認為會令人感到困惑的字，我們將提供統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元禮券，給予挑出混淆字，並寫出最佳替代字的第1位粉絲，最適的解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS的專頁。請將你的答案寫在下方，獲得免費購物禮券的幸運兒可能就是你哦!
Every word is important in a well-written academic paper. Changing just a word or two can turn a clear sentence into a confusing one. Tell us what word you would change in the following puzzling sentence to render it more meaningful. The first best answer will receive a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate.
題目Contest Sentence:
“The floor jousts of a mezzanine extend out only a short distance from surrounding walls, thereby framing a mini-floor that shares a ceiling with the floor below.”
Every word is important in a well-written academic paper. Changing just a word or two can turn a clear sentence into a confusing one. Tell us what word you would change in the following puzzling sentence to render it more meaningful. The first best answer will receive a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate.
題目Contest Sentence:
“The floor jousts of a mezzanine extend out only a short distance from surrounding walls, thereby framing a mini-floor that shares a ceiling with the floor below.”
Last Update at 2011-08-01 PM 8:22 | 0 Comments
What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2011-07-28
很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“African music continued to be heard, including the use of drums, rattles and contrapuntal vocals, with the musical influences swinging wide on the hinge of forced relocation.”
非洲音樂持續受到各界關注，包括鼓、搖鈴與對位聲樂的使用等，其音樂影響力隨著被迫遷徙而廣佈。
A “hinge” is the mechanism with pivot points that allows one plane to swing away from another without losing its other spatial orientation. A door is connected to a wall by hinges, which allows the door to open and close smoothly without losing its connection to the wall. Most hinges—which date back several thousand years—are comprised of two sets of short tubular fittings, each attached to a separate plane, which interlock and are joined by a hinge pin. The planes are connected yet move within a certain radius of each other, pivoting on the pin.
樞紐 (hinge) 是一種有軸點的機械裝置，讓平板可以朝一端開啟，但另一端保持固定。一扇門的門板是利用樞紐與牆相接，因而可順利開關，又不會從牆上脫離。樞紐可以追溯到數千年前，多數包含著兩組短管零件，每組接在不同平面上，兩組零件由樞紐插銷相連。在兩平面相連之下，於一段旋轉半徑內，藉由插銷的樞紐為中心轉動。
In writing about African music spreading in a non-African society, the writer employs the metaphor of the hinge to illustrate how the music’s influence was “swinging wide on the hinge of forced relocation.” In other words, the music of one place moved to another place when a slave was sold to another master, the music being carried with him to his new home. The “hinge” to the movement of the music was the practice of slaves being moved from place to place. That such movement occurred around the country resulted in the music’s “wide”-ranging influence.
作者使用樞紐的隱喻，敘述非洲音樂在非洲外流傳，說明非洲音樂的影響力如何隨著 (on the hinge of) 被迫遷徙而廣佈。也就是說，當非洲奴隸被賣給另一個主人，帶著音樂到新的住處，非洲音樂就從一地散佈到另一地。音樂移動的樞紐 (hinge) 就是奴隸從一地被移至另一地。這種移動發生在美國各地，使音樂影響「廣」佈，流傳於各地。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“African music continued to be heard, including the use of drums, rattles and contrapuntal vocals, with the musical influences swinging wide on the hinge of forced relocation.”
非洲音樂持續受到各界關注，包括鼓、搖鈴與對位聲樂的使用等，其音樂影響力隨著被迫遷徙而廣佈。
A “hinge” is the mechanism with pivot points that allows one plane to swing away from another without losing its other spatial orientation. A door is connected to a wall by hinges, which allows the door to open and close smoothly without losing its connection to the wall. Most hinges—which date back several thousand years—are comprised of two sets of short tubular fittings, each attached to a separate plane, which interlock and are joined by a hinge pin. The planes are connected yet move within a certain radius of each other, pivoting on the pin.
樞紐 (hinge) 是一種有軸點的機械裝置，讓平板可以朝一端開啟，但另一端保持固定。一扇門的門板是利用樞紐與牆相接，因而可順利開關，又不會從牆上脫離。樞紐可以追溯到數千年前，多數包含著兩組短管零件，每組接在不同平面上，兩組零件由樞紐插銷相連。在兩平面相連之下，於一段旋轉半徑內，藉由插銷的樞紐為中心轉動。
In writing about African music spreading in a non-African society, the writer employs the metaphor of the hinge to illustrate how the music’s influence was “swinging wide on the hinge of forced relocation.” In other words, the music of one place moved to another place when a slave was sold to another master, the music being carried with him to his new home. The “hinge” to the movement of the music was the practice of slaves being moved from place to place. That such movement occurred around the country resulted in the music’s “wide”-ranging influence.
作者使用樞紐的隱喻，敘述非洲音樂在非洲外流傳，說明非洲音樂的影響力如何隨著 (on the hinge of) 被迫遷徙而廣佈。也就是說，當非洲奴隸被賣給另一個主人，帶著音樂到新的住處，非洲音樂就從一地散佈到另一地。音樂移動的樞紐 (hinge) 就是奴隸從一地被移至另一地。這種移動發生在美國各地，使音樂影響「廣」佈，流傳於各地。
Last Update at 2011-07-28 PM 2:11 | 0 Comments
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