写手要写出一篇专业老练的论文,不管你写的句子是有两个字还是两百个字,每句话都必须精明干练,充满思想。今天小编就给同学们分享在英文论文写作中如何做到“简洁写作”。
step 1
减少重复内容
相同的事情不要说两次,一个重复的短语比如:
True fact
Twelve noon
这种短语被称为赘语。
赘语是写作的坏习惯,将使你写出来的句子软弱无力。
例:Many uneducated citizens who have never attended school continue to vote for better schools.
step 2
从句减化为短语
短语减化为单词
我们可以简化句子至更简短的句子或短语。
Which引导的从句通常可以减化成一个简单的形容词(注意别因为过度减化导致失去必要的强调,有些时候“which”也在句中起关键的作用)
例如:
Smith College,which was founded in 1871,is the premier all-women's college in the United States.
Founded in 1871,Smith College is the premier all-women's college in the United States.
Citizens who knew what was going on voted him out of office.
Knowledgeable citizens voted him out of office.
同样地,短语能简化成一个单词。
Unencumbered by a sense of responsibility,Jasion left his wife with forty-nine kids and a can of beans.
Jasion irresponsibly left his wife with forty-nine kids and a can of beans.
(有些时候甚至可以去掉修饰,让读者自己体会。)
Step 3
减少无效语气词的使用
没必要时避免使用一些语气词,如:
really
very
quite
extremely
severely
比如说如果我们想表达工资涨得不够多,我们只要说the salary increase is inadequate就够了。
如果写成it is severely inadequate可能给人一种歇斯底里的感觉。
英文论文做到“简洁写作”没那么难!
当然不是说完全不应该使用这些词,但是有些时候少用反而可达到最佳的效果。
Step 4
避免虚词结构
避免“这样、那样做”听起来像是个政治家才需要做的事情。
英文论文做到“简洁写作”没那么难!
但事实是,以there is/are或it is做开头的虚词结构往往使句子弱化,中心主旨不突出。
例:
There are twenty-five students who have already expressed a desire to attend the program next summer.
It is they and their parents who stand to gain the most by the government grant.
Twenty-five students have already expressed a desire to attend the program next summer.They and their parents stand to gain the most by the government grant.
Step 5.
注意可以省略的短语
特别注意对句子的意思没有任何帮助的短语,这些短语会立即提醒读者作者是在夸大其词;更糟糕的是,它们让读者昏昏欲睡。
Step 6
消除陈词滥调和委婉语
“用烂了的套路”
陈词滥调曾经是一种独创又有才气的表达方式。第一个说出"She fell head over heels in love"或者"She's cool as a cucumber”的人是多么有才。可悲的是,这样的陈述方式最终不再惊艳,反而会变得陈腐甚至令人生厌。那些沉迷于陈旧语句的作家对读者是不尊重的,而读者最终都将不再注意这样的作者,转移去做些别的事情。
英文论文做到“简洁写作”没那么难!
尤其令人难堪的是当作家或演讲者凭着老套语言来创建各式各样的陈词滥调。曾经得克萨斯州奥斯汀市的一位市长演讲的内容,使当时每个人都感到困惑"I wanted all my ducks in a row,so if we did get into a posture,we could pretty much slam-dunk this thing and put it to bed."
你可以做的是留心日常交流和阅读中遇到的陈词滥述,建立一张自己的陈词滥述表,然后避免使用这些词。或者看电视广告和体育专栏的头条新闻,找出作家们当下使用的热词,把平庸的表达改编成有灵性的内容。
英文论文做到“简洁写作”没那么难!
委婉语是使用较含蓄的语言表达作者各种强烈的、冒犯的话语。当有人过世时,我们会说,他们已经“passed away”或“met their maker”或“gone to sleep”。
委婉语夸张地例子有说垃圾收集者是一名环卫工程师,看门人是个监护工程师。