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从这本写作圣经中学点英文

2017-07-10 我和女儿学英文

William Strunk Jr. 和 E.B. White合著得分The Elements of Style早已“封神”,这本小书不足百页,想提升写作(中英文都可以)以及语言赏析能力的朋友可以读一读。



我从书中摘录了5句话,一起学点英文。



1⃣️  Use a singular verb form after each, either, everyone, everybody, neither, nobody, someone


singular是“单数”,“复数”怎么说?


2⃣️  None are so fallible as those who are sure they are right.


fallible是“可能会出错的”,反义词infallible是“永无过失的”,类似的表达还有foolproof.


3⃣️  Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, noncommittal language. Use the word “not” as a means of denial or in antithesis, never as a means of evasion.


He was not very often on time. ❌

He usually came late. ✅


4⃣️  The proper place in the sentence for the word or gorup of words that the write desires to make most prominent is usually the end.


Humanity has hardly advanced in fortitude since that time, though it has advanced in many other ways. ❌


Since that time, humanity has advanced in many ways, but it has hardly advanced in fortitude. ✅


5⃣️ Clarity, clarity, clarity. When you become hopelessly mired in a sentence, it is best to start fresh; do not try to fight your way through against the terrible odds of syntax.


mire常用作名词,表示“沼泽”,也常用来比喻糟糕的情境,例如The economy is sinking deeper into the mire. [=the economy is bad and getting worse]。这里的mire用作了动词,名词动词化也是英语语言中的一个趋势。

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