《新编英语教程》6.10 Straight-A Illiteracy.ppt

Unit10Straight AIlliteracyJamesP Degnan TheAuthor sMessage Makeyouwritingclean clearandconcisebyavoidinghigh sounding elevatedlanguage CriteriaofGoodWriting AccuracyBrevityClarity Quotationsonconciseness IwriteasIwalkbecauseIwanttogetsomewhere andIwriteasstraightasIcanbecausethatisthebestwaytogetthere H G Wells 1866 1946 H G Wells 1866 1946 literaryoutputvastandextremelyvaried perhapsbestrememberedforhisscientificromances amongtheearliestproductsofthenewgenreofsciencefiction e g TheTimeMachine TheFirstMenintheMoon AModernUtopia IhavemadethisletterlongerthanusualbecauseIlackthetimetomakeitshorter Pascal ProvincialLetters 1657 BlaisePascal 1623 62 Frenchmathematician physicist andmoralist asgiftedinscienceasinletters literaryfamerestingontwoworks ProvincialLetters 1656 7 LesProvinciales Inordertospeakshortonanysubject thinklong Brackenbridge ModernChivalry 1792 HughHenryBrackenbridge 1748 1816 Americannovelist poet lawyer ModernChivalry 1792 satiricalnovel publishedininstallmentfrom1792 1815 givingagooddescriptionofmenandmannersduringtheearlydaysoftheAmericanrepublicandmanifestingBrackenbridgeallegiancetotherobusttraditionoftheEnglishnovelinSmollettandFielding IfI dhadmoretime I dhavewrittenashorterbook MarkTwain Themoreyousay thelesspeopleremember Thefewerthewords thegreatertheprofit Fenelon 1651 1725 Frenchtheologianandeducator TheAuthor sMessage Makeyouwritingclean clearandconcisebyavoidinghigh sounding elevatedlanguage ProfessionalViewsofGoodStyle PoliticsandtheEnglishLanguage GeorgeOrwell Specimensofbadwriting Iamnot indeed surewhetheritisnottruetosaythattheMiltonwhoonceseemednotunlikeaseventeenth centuryShelleyhadnotbecome outofanexperienceevermorebitterineachyear morealientothefounderofthatJesuitsectwhichnothingcouldinducehimtotolerate ProfessorHaroldLaski EssayinFreedomofExpression Specimensofbadwriting Ifanewspiritistobeinfusedintothisoldcountry thereisonethornyandcontentiousreformwhichmustbetackled andthatisthehumanizationandgalvanizationoftheB B C Timidityherewillbespeakcankerandatrophyofthesoul TheheartofBritainmaybesoundandofstrongbeat forinstance buttheBritishlion sroaratpresentislikethatofBottominShakespeare sMidsummerNight sDream asgentleasanysuckingdove LetterinTribune 1 Avoidhackneyedmetaphors asbusyasabeebyleapsandboundsasclearascrystalfacethemusicplaywithfireascoolasacucumber etc 2 Avoidclich s lastbutnotleastluckydog nopain nogainapieceofcakefromthebottomofmyheartfromeverywalkoflifetheothersideofthecoinfewandfarbetween etc 3 Avoidhigh soundingwords Becarefulaboutwordsthatsoundgrandbuthavevaguemeanings Avoidelevatedlanguageifyoucansaythesamethingclearlyandplainlywithoutit endeavor attempt try repercussions results effects transmit send materialize happen occur terminate end etc 4 Becarefulwhenusingjargons priorto before asper accordingto tofacilitatetheavailabilityoffunds tohelpgetmoney 5 Guardagainstlazywordiness Itisbelievedbyanumberofpersonsinthiscountrythattheyoungpeopleoftodaydonotassumeasmuchresponsibilitytowardsocietyasitmightbehopedthattheywould 33words Todaymanybelievethatouryoungpeopleassumetoolittleresponsibilitytowardsociety 13words 6 Avoidold fashionedexpressions Comparethefollowingpairsofexpressions ARCHAIC SIMPLE Thisistoacknowledgereceiptofyourletter Thankyouforyourletter Weareinreceiptofyourchequefor Wereceivedyourchequefor Wearecreditingyouraccountasperinstruction Asyouinstructed wearecrediting or Accordingtoyourwishes we Youwillhearfromusatanearlydate Iwillwriteyousoonabout Attachedheretoistheagreementforyoursignature Enclosedistheagreementfor or Pleasefindenclosedtheagreement ARCHAIC Ibegyourindulgenceinthismatter SIMPLE Ihopeyouwillgiveanextension Duetothefactthat Because Iamtakingthelibertyofsendingyou Iamsendingyou Thewriterwishestoacknowledgereceiptofthebook Thankyouforsendingmethebook Webegtoacknowledgereceiptofyourfavour Thankyourforyourletterof Languagepoints Theyliketobeflatteredandmadeafussof 喜欢受人呵护 tofussoversb sth topaytoomuchattentionorworryaboutthemtoomuche g Shewasinclinedtofussoverherhealth Afussypersonisonewhomakesalotofadoaboutunimportantthings overpopulate tohavetoolargeapopulation text theirnumberisverylarge plight difficultsituation fullofproblems e g theplightofthehandicapped Thechildrenwereinasorryplight tired lost andhungry asoftenasnot inroughlyhalftheinstances多半 往往atleasthalfthetime frequently interrogate questionsb closely thoroughly formally pry trytofindoutaboutsb else privateaffairs e g I mnottryingtopry Don tgopryingintomyaffairs probe askquestions makeinquiriesinto trytofindout e g toprobeforinformation toprobethemysteriesoftheuniverse exogenous growingororiginatingfromoutside Theperiodicsentence whenmostpeopleareworkingharderforless whenotherscannotworkatall whenthecostofhealthcaredevastatesfamiliesandthreatenstobankruptmanyofourenterprises greatandsmall whenfearofcrimerobslaw abidingcitizensoftheirfreedom andwhenmillionsofpoorchildrencannotevenimaginetheliveswearecallingthemtolead wehavenotmadechangeourfriend Clinton co linearity inlines becontingentupon dependupon bedecidedby coefficient math 系数e g 4x decode todecodeatelegram amessage tochangeitintoordinarylanguage fellowship moneygiventopostgraduatestudentstoallowthemtocontinuetheirstudiesatanadvancedlevel gibberish unintelligibleormeaninglessspeech nonsense i e containingmanyobscure pretentious ortechnicalwords meaninglessorunintelligible providential formal luckybecauseithappensattherighttime butwithoutbeingplanned 天缘巧合的 适时的 Aprovidentialwindcarriedtherafttotheshore providencen totrustindivineprovidence相信上帝 protect guard shelter screenfrom against eg MayGodprotectyoufromharm Youcan tprotecthimfromblameintheaccident ItishopelesstryingtoprotectyourchildfromtheharmfuleffectsofTVuntilthematerialimproves toprotectfromsuddenattacks afflict pain illness sorrow sb meanstoaffectthemandmakethemsuffereg sb beafflictedwithblindness text afflictionoftheBrightdisease entrepreneur apersonwhoundertakesanenterpriseorbusinesswiththechanceofprofitofloss filter aporousdeviceforremovingimpuritiesorsolidparticlesfromaliquidofgaspassedthroughit inexorable a relentlessb ofapersonorattribute thatcannotbepersuadedbyrequestorentreatyeg towagean struggleagainstfascism对 坚决的斗争 an law不可抗拒的法律 Historyis 历史是无情的 grapplewith a tofight strugglewithsb usu withone shandsb tostrugglewith dealwith adifficulty eg tograpplewithathief theenemy Itwilltakeabravepoliticiantograpplewiththeinequalitiesinthetaxlaws bulgewith befullofeg Hisstomachbulgedout 他大腹便便 Hispocketswerebulgingwithmoney 他口袋里的钱鼓鼓囊囊 exile 流放eg Insomeperiodsofhistory agovernmentcouldpunishacitizenbyexilinghim forcinghimtoleavethehomeland self exiledtoParis exiledthemselvestoParis banish forcibleremovaleg Thejudgeorderedthesuspectbanishedfromthecourtroom 带下去 押下去 TVcommercialsthatpromisetheirproductscanbanishwashdaydrudgery deport officialsendingawayofsomeonewhoisnotacitizen驱逐出境e g Whenagovernmentdeportsaforeigner heissentoutofthecountrybecausehehascommittedacrimeorhasnoofficialpermissiontostay expatriate itreferstothestrippingofcitizenshipfromsb eitherbyhisownchoiceorbythenation schoice expatriateoneself移居国外 放弃原国籍 extradite 引渡 eject a topush sendsth out usu withforceeg Themachineejectedahandfulofcigarettes b toejectsb fromaplace toforcehimtoleaveeg Wereservetherighttoejectawayobjectionableperson inaccessible a difficult impossibletoreacheg themostinaccessiblepartofthejungle b unabletounderstand appreciateeg ThemusicofBartokisconsideredinaccessiblebymanypeople cursory eg acursoryglance examination thatis abriefone notpayattentiontodetails bearout tosupport sb orthetruthofwhatsb says eg Theprisoner sstorywasborneoutbyhiswife IfItellthejudgethatIwasn tthere willyoubearmeout bearup a remainstrong braveeg Aliceboreupwellunderthenewsofherhusband sdeath b tohelpsb tocontinuelivinginatimeoftroubleeg HowcouldIhavelivedthroughMother sillnesswithoutyoutobearmeup stagnant business society economystagnant社会 经济 生意惨淡 secluded quiet private undisturbed secludedbeaches cornerofthegarden幽静的 motionless notmovingatall tositmotionless queuesofmotionlesscars comethro