英语写作三大注意事项

1、英语写作三大注意事项1. 尤其在商业上,报章杂志或公文书信上,尽量不用难字(big word 或过时的字眼(old-fashioned word例如:Many people feel that moral education is the infrastructure ofhigher learning. (许多人认为道德教育是高等知识的基础 (如果用 foundation 或 basis 代替 infrastructure 就更明白 Three hundred acres of land is the parameter of ouruniversity,s expansion (growt

2、h. (三百英亩的土地是本大学发展的限度 (如果用limit代替parameter,会更简单易懂。This news has been disseminated all over the U.S. (这消息已散布到全美各地 (如果用spread取代disseminated,不更简单? (动词时态是:spread, spread, spreadThe president of this college is not diminutive in size. (这大学的校长个子不小 (假如用small代替diminutive,不更明白吗?I have to elucidate this docume

3、nt to my staff. (我要向我的员工解释这份文件 (如用explain代替elucidate,也许更明白。Mr. A will endeavor to be a physician. (A 先生想尝试当个医生 (如果用try代替endeavor,会更浅白。 (Endeavour = endeavorWe hope to visualize world peace in the future. (我们希望将来看到世界和平(如果用see 代替visualize,也许更简单!The charitable organization solicits for our annual donat

4、ion. (慈善机构要求我们一年一度乐捐(假如用 ask 代替 solicit,更浅白易懂。(solicitation是名词We don't know what may transpire when we have a new boss. (当新老板来后,我们不知会有什么发生。 (如果用happen代替transpire,也许更明白。Please act as soon as possible on the aforementioned matter. (前面提过的事,请尽速办理。(如果用 previous 代替古字 aforementioned 不是更明白?这就像美国大文豪马克吐温

5、Mark Twain 也曾说过:我不愿在字典里找长字或难字,我绝不用metropolis这个字,因为我同样可以用city这个字来代替。罗斯福总统为了强调美国政府不会遗忘那些穷人,在一篇讲词里用了这么一句:We are endeavoring to construct a moreinclusive society.后来被人批评咬文嚼字,卖弄文笔。如果用浅白易懂的字眼写成:We aregoing to make this country in which no one is left out.或We are trying to make everyoneequal.也许更简单明白!2. 老外也主

6、张不写噜苏或绚丽的字眼(flowery or wordy,句子应该越短越好,一句能用两个字,绝不多加一个。例如:At this point in time, we should pull together for our goal. (现在我们应该为我们的目标团结一致(如果说:Now, we should pull.更简单。因为 at this point in time = now Despite the fact that my English is not very good, I am not discouraged. (虽然我的英语不好,但我不灰心。 (如果说:Although my

7、 English is not. 就更简短。因为despite the fact that=although = ThoughI am of the opinion that Mr. Lee should resign from this position. (我想李先生应该辞职 (假如说:Ithink Mr. Lee should.不是更简单吗?因为I am of the opinion = I thinkHe quitted the job due to the fact that he was sick. (他由于生病而辞职 (若说:He quitted the jobbecause h

8、e was sick. 更简单。因为 due to the fact that = becauseIn the majority of cases, he likes to ride bike to the office.(他通常喜欢骑单车到办公室 (如果说:Usually, he likes to ride. 更简单。因为 in the majority of cases = usually She shows a preference for tea rather than coffee. (她喜欢茶而不是咖啡 (若说:She prefers tearather.更简短清楚,因为 show

9、 a preference for = preferI will bring the matter to the attention of Mr. Wang. (我要通知王先生如果只说:I will tell Mr. Wang (about the matter. 不是更简单吗?因为 bring the matter to theattention of = tell = inform (句子最后面:about the matter可以省去; 同理,也要避免意义的重复或用字的多余(redundant; 例如:The consensus(of opinionis that we have to

10、act right away.(大家认为我们必须立即行动(ofopinion 可以省去,因为 consensus 的意思,就是大家的意见。The letter shows that the problem(continues toremain unsolved.(他的信显示问题尚未解决(continue to 是多余的字,因为 remain 已经有 continue 的含意。所以句子就成为: The lettershows that the problem remains unsolved.He has made his (final conclusion in his speech.(他在演

11、说里做出结论(final 是多余的字,因为conclusion 已经含有 final 的意思。He has had many years of (actual experience in business。(他有多年经商的经验 (actual 也是多余的字,因为 experience 已有 actual 的意味We assembled (together all the parts for our radio.(我们装好收音机的零件(因为 assemble 本身就有 together 的意思,所以 together 是多余的Enclosed (herewith please find the

12、report of the meeting.(herewith 是多余的字,因为 enclosed就有 herewith 的意思(即:附上会议报告,请查收写到这里,想起一位深受美国人民爱戴,一向主张不写长句、不噜苏的美国已故参议员 StephenYoung,他每次受邀参加会议、演讲、宴会时,他的回信只有三个字我会到(I'll bethere.。也有人打趣的说:讲演或写作的句子,就像穿迷你裙,愈短愈好。(Likewearing mini-skirt, sentences in speech or writing should be the shorter, the better .此外还

13、有:in reference to = about; draw to close = end; at an early date = soon等3.老外为了族群和谐相处,除不用歧视或偏见的字眼外,连男女性别,也要避免区别,以示平等。例如:Mankind are considered the smartest animals in the world。(人类是世上最聪明的动物 = Man is the smartest animal.。(如果改为:Human beings are considered the smartest animals. 就能包括男女。所以mankind = man =

14、human beings(注意:mankind 后面动词要用多数,而man 的后面动词,则用单数Manpower seems not strong enough in developing our economy here. (发展这里的经济,似乎缺乏人力资源。(如果说:Labor power seems not strong enough. 也就没有男性主义的感觉。可见manpower = labor power = work force = human resourcesThis small company hired a cleaning woman yesterday.(这个小公司昨天

15、请来一名清洁女工(如果说:This small company hired an office cleaner.也就没有男女之分了He (she has been a committee chairman (chairwoman since 1998. (自从1998年他就是委员会主席 (假如把chairman或chairwoman改为chairperson或chair,就没有男女之分。 (如指讨论会的主持人,也可称为moderator 或coordinator。Many businessmen (businesswomen feel their jobs are very stressful

16、.(许多商人觉得工作压力很大(如果把businessmen (businesswomen 改为business people 或business executives 或business managers 就可包括男女了(凡是单数man 或woman,其多数都是men 或women。Policemen (policewomen should treat citizens with courtesy.(警察对人民应该有礼貌(假如把policemen 或policewomen 改为police officers 就可避免男女性别 Congressmen (congresswomen should

17、speak up for their constitutes. (国会议员应该为其选民说话(constitute = voter (我们也可以把congressmen 或congresswomen 改为members of congress 或congressional representativesStewardesses for international regions may get jet lag sometimes.(国际航线的空中小姐有时会有时差疲惫的现象(如把stewardess 改为flight attendant,就能包括男女空中服务员。同理,我们可以把salesman 或

18、saleswoman 改为salesperson;把mailman 改为mail carrier 或postal worker;把foreman 改为supervisor 等等。当然,一些带有种族偏见的字眼,甚至有侮辱的味道(insulting words 或slur,也要尽量避免使用,以免闹出麻烦。例如:对黑人不要用Negro,更不能用Nigger(用Black 还可以,礼貌的说法是Afro-American 或African-American;对白人不要用Honky(这是黑人骂白人的用字,正确用法是Caucasian,或white people;对犹太人不要用Hymies,应该叫Jewish 或Jewish people;对越南人不要用Gook,要用Vietnamese;至于墨西哥人、西班牙人及中、南美洲人,包括Puerto Rico,正确的用法多是Hispanics 或Latins,不过据说西班牙人为了维护自己的文化,倒喜欢别人称为Spaniard。还有黑白结婚的孩子,也不可称为Oreo(Ore