0114 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest－Answer and Explanation你能找出混淆字嗎? 正確解答!
2013-01-15
Correct best answer: Replace “scents” with “sense.”
“The new perfume formula made no sense to the lab assistant, who experimented with several fragrant oils before finding the correct combination.”
Working in an olfactory factory must be overpowering at times. The nose can only take on so many fragrances before the brain protests at the smell overkill. In this sentence, the writer seems to have lost his “sense” in describing a chemistry assistant’s confusion about a formula. By substituting “scents” for “sense,” the writer confused readers. In fact, he might have utterly interrupted their concentration by introducing what appears to be a pun. Punning is not acceptable in academic writing. More likely, in this case the writer simply was thinking of fragrances and accidentally wrote “scents.” So the error was inadvertent, rather than egregious.
在香水工廠中行走，一定會不時覺得相當刺鼻。我們的鼻子在承受太多不同的氣味時，大腦很快就會抱怨氣味超載。本句當中，在描述化學助理對於配方感到困惑時，作者似乎失去了使用「sense」（判斷力）來描述的能力。作者以「scent」（氣味）取代「sense」一字，讓讀者感到困惑。事實上，作者雖使用了雙關語，這樣的寫作手法卻可能打斷讀者對於文章的專注。雙關語在學術文章的撰寫上是不被允許的。在此情況下，多半作者只是簡單地想到香味就寫出了「scent」這個字。所以這也只能算是無心之過，不算錯得太過分。
“The new perfume formula made no sense to the lab assistant, who experimented with several fragrant oils before finding the correct combination.”
Working in an olfactory factory must be overpowering at times. The nose can only take on so many fragrances before the brain protests at the smell overkill. In this sentence, the writer seems to have lost his “sense” in describing a chemistry assistant’s confusion about a formula. By substituting “scents” for “sense,” the writer confused readers. In fact, he might have utterly interrupted their concentration by introducing what appears to be a pun. Punning is not acceptable in academic writing. More likely, in this case the writer simply was thinking of fragrances and accidentally wrote “scents.” So the error was inadvertent, rather than egregious.
在香水工廠中行走，一定會不時覺得相當刺鼻。我們的鼻子在承受太多不同的氣味時，大腦很快就會抱怨氣味超載。本句當中，在描述化學助理對於配方感到困惑時，作者似乎失去了使用「sense」（判斷力）來描述的能力。作者以「scent」（氣味）取代「sense」一字，讓讀者感到困惑。事實上，作者雖使用了雙關語，這樣的寫作手法卻可能打斷讀者對於文章的專注。雙關語在學術文章的撰寫上是不被允許的。在此情況下，多半作者只是簡單地想到香味就寫出了「scent」這個字。所以這也只能算是無心之過，不算錯得太過分。
Last Update at 2013-01-22 AM 11:04 | 0 Comments
0114 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7-11/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2013-01-14
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7-11/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 new perfume formula made no scents to the lab assistant, who experimented with several fragrant oils before finding the correct combination.”
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 new perfume formula made no scents to the lab assistant, who experimented with several fragrant oils before finding the correct combination.”
Last Update at 2013-01-22 AM 11:03 | 0 Comments
What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2013-01-10
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 word or set of words is called a “figure of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the word or phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“In stalking the white-tailed deer, the hunter becomes a throwback to an era when only four-legged predators walked the earth.”
「跟蹤白尾鹿時，獵人好像回到過去只有四肢食肉動物橫行地球的時代。」
A throwback is a return to a precedent. When an entrepreneur moves from assembling his product one at a time to setting up an assembly line to mass produce the product, the advanced process can said to be a throwback to Henry Ford, who introduced mass production. Most animate and inanimate activities are recurring—instincts and scientific principles are timeless—but only when an activity alludes to a precedent set several generations previously is it considered a throwback.
回到過去是指回到先前的狀態。譬如，有位企業家從一次組裝一個產品進步到設立大量生產產品的組裝線時，我們可說這樣的進步過程是「throwback」到Henry Ford的時代，因為他是第一個介紹大量生產概念的人。大部分生命和無生命的活動是反覆發生的－像是永恆不變的天性和科學原理－因此只有提到世代以前的先例時，一項活動才能被稱為「throwback」。
In saying the hunter becomes a throwback, the writer refers to the history of predatory activity. Before there was man, let alone manmade weapons, there were predators stalking their next meal. They did so using the same tactics used by hunters today, such as remaining unmoving for long periods of time and scanning an area, or moving quietly and pausing to listen for sounds of approaching game. Human hunters and leopards are of the same long and lethal lineage.
描寫獵人回到過去，作者提到了過去動物捕食的活動。在人類出現以前，更別提人造武器出現前，掠食性動物總是虎視眈眈地盯著下一餐。牠們和現今獵人使用的手法相同，例如長時間不動，悄悄地移動，或是在獵物接近時暫停動作並仔細聆聽。獵人和獵豹都屬於這類存在已久的獵取手法。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed word or set of words is called a “figure of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the word or phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“In stalking the white-tailed deer, the hunter becomes a throwback to an era when only four-legged predators walked the earth.”
「跟蹤白尾鹿時，獵人好像回到過去只有四肢食肉動物橫行地球的時代。」
A throwback is a return to a precedent. When an entrepreneur moves from assembling his product one at a time to setting up an assembly line to mass produce the product, the advanced process can said to be a throwback to Henry Ford, who introduced mass production. Most animate and inanimate activities are recurring—instincts and scientific principles are timeless—but only when an activity alludes to a precedent set several generations previously is it considered a throwback.
回到過去是指回到先前的狀態。譬如，有位企業家從一次組裝一個產品進步到設立大量生產產品的組裝線時，我們可說這樣的進步過程是「throwback」到Henry Ford的時代，因為他是第一個介紹大量生產概念的人。大部分生命和無生命的活動是反覆發生的－像是永恆不變的天性和科學原理－因此只有提到世代以前的先例時，一項活動才能被稱為「throwback」。
In saying the hunter becomes a throwback, the writer refers to the history of predatory activity. Before there was man, let alone manmade weapons, there were predators stalking their next meal. They did so using the same tactics used by hunters today, such as remaining unmoving for long periods of time and scanning an area, or moving quietly and pausing to listen for sounds of approaching game. Human hunters and leopards are of the same long and lethal lineage.
描寫獵人回到過去，作者提到了過去動物捕食的活動。在人類出現以前，更別提人造武器出現前，掠食性動物總是虎視眈眈地盯著下一餐。牠們和現今獵人使用的手法相同，例如長時間不動，悄悄地移動，或是在獵物接近時暫停動作並仔細聆聽。獵人和獵豹都屬於這類存在已久的獵取手法。
Last Update at 2013-01-11 PM 2:14 | 0 Comments
0107 TPS Finish the Sentence Contest－Answer and Explanation你是接龍的高手嗎? 正確解答!
2013-01-08
Answer: We believe the sentence is best completed this way:
“When the theater began to shake, startled students looked up from their scripts and bounced to their feet like jerked marionettes.”
Nothing causes a sudden shift in emotions and activity like an earthquake. When a person standing on the ground or—on a floor that previously exhibited rock-solid characteristics— suddenly senses movement under his feet, reaction is usually swift, if shaky. In this sentence, when a tremor struck the theater, the students immediately “bounced” up as if jerked skyward by a puppeteer. By comparing the students’ abrupt movement to that of a marionette on a string, the writer not only conveys the suddenness of the scramble but ties it in with the students being in a theater, where puppetry often is staged. Descriptions that honor an entire sentence satisfy.
沒有任何情況能如地震般地給予人在情緒和行動上的立即轉變。當某人站在地面或看似堅若磐石的地板上時，對於腳下突然的劇烈震動，他通常能立即作出反應。本句描寫地震襲擊劇院時，學生們「bounced」（彈起），就像操偶師猛然將木偶向上提拉一般。將學生突發的動作比喻成被細繩操縱的木偶，這裡作者不光是傳達了動作的倉促，也成功將學生動作位置與經常上演木偶劇的劇院做連結。如此的敘述手法才能替整個句子增色並讓人滿意。
“When the theater began to shake, startled students looked up from their scripts and bounced to their feet like jerked marionettes.”
Nothing causes a sudden shift in emotions and activity like an earthquake. When a person standing on the ground or—on a floor that previously exhibited rock-solid characteristics— suddenly senses movement under his feet, reaction is usually swift, if shaky. In this sentence, when a tremor struck the theater, the students immediately “bounced” up as if jerked skyward by a puppeteer. By comparing the students’ abrupt movement to that of a marionette on a string, the writer not only conveys the suddenness of the scramble but ties it in with the students being in a theater, where puppetry often is staged. Descriptions that honor an entire sentence satisfy.
沒有任何情況能如地震般地給予人在情緒和行動上的立即轉變。當某人站在地面或看似堅若磐石的地板上時，對於腳下突然的劇烈震動，他通常能立即作出反應。本句描寫地震襲擊劇院時，學生們「bounced」（彈起），就像操偶師猛然將木偶向上提拉一般。將學生突發的動作比喻成被細繩操縱的木偶，這裡作者不光是傳達了動作的倉促，也成功將學生動作位置與經常上演木偶劇的劇院做連結。如此的敘述手法才能替整個句子增色並讓人滿意。
Last Update at 2013-01-08 AM 10:21 | 0 Comments
0107 TPS Finish the Sentence Contest－Win Your NTD200 Eslite Bookstore and Shopping Mall Gift Certificate! 你是接龍的高手嗎? 有機會獲得200元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷！
2013-01-07
怎麼寫出好句子沒有標準答案，不過起碼我們知道，優秀的句子每個環節都很完美。下面有一句未完成的句子，請用五個字以內完成句子接龍，寫出完整的句子。最先完成句子，並寫出最佳解答的一位TPS 粉絲，將獲得兩百元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷；另增設特別獎一名，頒給符合文意又別具創意的粉絲。接龍解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快！
No formula exists for the writing of a superior sentence, but this much is known: The best sentence has no weak part. The following sentence is incomplete. In five or fewer words, complete the sentence in a way that strengthens the whole of it. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence as we believe it is best completed will win a NTD200 Eslite Bookstore and Shopping Mall Gift Certificate. Another Eslite 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.
題目Contest Sentence:
“When the theater began to shake, startled students looked up from their scripts and bounced to their feet like ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”
No formula exists for the writing of a superior sentence, but this much is known: The best sentence has no weak part. The following sentence is incomplete. In five or fewer words, complete the sentence in a way that strengthens the whole of it. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence as we believe it is best completed will win a NTD200 Eslite Bookstore and Shopping Mall Gift Certificate. Another Eslite 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.
題目Contest Sentence:
“When the theater began to shake, startled students looked up from their scripts and bounced to their feet like ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”
Last Update at 2013-01-07 PM 3:26 | 0 Comments
This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的
2013-01-03
並非所有與學術議題相關的文章，就能稱之為「學術文章」。本篇專欄將節錄不同學術議題的內容，分析常見的寫作錯誤，並分享潤修與寫作的技巧。
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. This column examines short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and to explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“Researchers found the stillness of the forest disconcerting. Typically buzzing with sounds, the vast forest seemed deathly silent. Nothing tweeted or even hooted. Nothing rustled anywhere or creaked. Where scampering squirrels once chatted, leafless tree branches now poked out at all angles into the April air like skeletal skyscrapers. The research team set up its equipment in an area without trees. Teams of bird and insect specialists surveyed the property and began to methodically investigate the natural disaster. They worked with the silent dedication of true scientists determined to show the world how the enormous power of nature can destroy.”
This introductory paragraph about a scientific field trip tries to establish a setting in introducing readers to the examination of a natural disaster. Unfortunately, it does so in language that interferes with the mood setting. The first sentence is too passive. The second sentence talks about the absence of “buzzing” forest sounds, then goes on to enumerate sounds that don’t buzz at all. Imagined squirrels “chat” instead of chatter. Wordiness permeates the paragraph, with leafless branches unnecessarily identified as “tree” branches, for example. Scientific specialties are not properly identified. And what is a “true” scientist? The writing is weakened by such sloppiness.
此篇為科學實地考察的介紹文，目的在於向讀者介紹自然災害研究。不過，作者使用的文字和語氣有所抵觸。文章的首句語氣過於被動。第二句則提到森林裡的「buzzing」（嘈雜聲）消失，接著竟然描寫根本就不算嘈雜的聲音。作者想像松鼠「chat」（談天）而非「chattered」（吱吱叫）。過度雕琢的用字也貫穿全文，譬如用無葉的枝條描寫「樹枝」。至於科學專業部分也未明確寫出。還有何謂「true」（真正的）科學家呢？這樣草率的寫作自然減弱了文章的張力。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“Researchers were disconcerted by the stillness of the forest. Normally resplendent with sound, the vast acreage of trees seemed a cocoon of quietness. Nothing buzzed or twirped or hooted. Nothing rustled or creaked. Where red squirrels once chattered, leafless branches now poked disconsolately into the April air like unfinished skyscrapers. The research team set up its equipment in a clearing. Teams of ornithologists and entomologists platted the property and began to methodically chronicle the depth of the natural disaster. They worked with the hushed resolve of scientists determined to bear witness to the destructive power of nature.”
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. This column examines short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and to explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“Researchers found the stillness of the forest disconcerting. Typically buzzing with sounds, the vast forest seemed deathly silent. Nothing tweeted or even hooted. Nothing rustled anywhere or creaked. Where scampering squirrels once chatted, leafless tree branches now poked out at all angles into the April air like skeletal skyscrapers. The research team set up its equipment in an area without trees. Teams of bird and insect specialists surveyed the property and began to methodically investigate the natural disaster. They worked with the silent dedication of true scientists determined to show the world how the enormous power of nature can destroy.”
This introductory paragraph about a scientific field trip tries to establish a setting in introducing readers to the examination of a natural disaster. Unfortunately, it does so in language that interferes with the mood setting. The first sentence is too passive. The second sentence talks about the absence of “buzzing” forest sounds, then goes on to enumerate sounds that don’t buzz at all. Imagined squirrels “chat” instead of chatter. Wordiness permeates the paragraph, with leafless branches unnecessarily identified as “tree” branches, for example. Scientific specialties are not properly identified. And what is a “true” scientist? The writing is weakened by such sloppiness.
此篇為科學實地考察的介紹文，目的在於向讀者介紹自然災害研究。不過，作者使用的文字和語氣有所抵觸。文章的首句語氣過於被動。第二句則提到森林裡的「buzzing」（嘈雜聲）消失，接著竟然描寫根本就不算嘈雜的聲音。作者想像松鼠「chat」（談天）而非「chattered」（吱吱叫）。過度雕琢的用字也貫穿全文，譬如用無葉的枝條描寫「樹枝」。至於科學專業部分也未明確寫出。還有何謂「true」（真正的）科學家呢？這樣草率的寫作自然減弱了文章的張力。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“Researchers were disconcerted by the stillness of the forest. Normally resplendent with sound, the vast acreage of trees seemed a cocoon of quietness. Nothing buzzed or twirped or hooted. Nothing rustled or creaked. Where red squirrels once chattered, leafless branches now poked disconsolately into the April air like unfinished skyscrapers. The research team set up its equipment in a clearing. Teams of ornithologists and entomologists platted the property and began to methodically chronicle the depth of the natural disaster. They worked with the hushed resolve of scientists determined to bear witness to the destructive power of nature.”
Last Update at 2013-01-07 PM 3:24 | 0 Comments
What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2012-12-27
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 word or set of words is called a “figure of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the word or phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The moth fluttered from elsewhere in the darkened room and danced around the lamp’s bulb until the annoyed student swatted it.”
「不知從何而來的飛蛾在黑暗的房間裡鼓動翅膀，圍繞燈泡飛舞，直到不耐煩的學生用力撲打飛蛾為止。」
Dancing is one of the universal attributes of man and really needs no explanation. It is a common human response to rhythmic sound produced by musicians or, in some cases, by machinery or nature. The impulse to move in concert with the percussive noise or music produces dancing, which harmonizes with the accompanying sound and is appealing to the eyes of those witnessing it. Dancing can be subdued or performed with virtual abandonment, and is identifiably different from other human movement because of the coordinated grace with which a dancer moves.
不需多說，我們都知道舞蹈是人的天性，會對音樂家創作的節奏或是機器、自然的聲音產生反應。像是在音樂會時，聽見嘈雜的噪音或音樂會有股衝動，想與音律和諧共舞，而觀者也無一不受到吸引。跳舞可以是低調的，也能奔放不已；而舞蹈和一般的人類動作不同，是因為舞者的動作蘊涵魅力。
By saying the moth “danced” around the light source, the writer is commenting on two qualities of the movement. First, it is uninterrupted. A dancer typically does not stop dancing until the music ends. In the same way, a moth begins to “dance” at the sight of the light and continues until a light is shut off, the moth simply becomes exhausted, or its flight is terminated for it. And, like a dancer, the moth’s movement is lively. Even slow dancers move in a way that is enlivened by simple grace. Of course, it also is true that they can move slowly without fear of being swatted.
作者提到蛾圍繞光源「danced」(飛舞)，用意是描寫動作的兩個特點。首先是連續不間斷的動作。舞者通常是音樂結束才會停止動作。同樣地，蛾在看到光線的一剎那開始「飛舞」，一直持續到光線滅了或是蛾累了才會停下。飛蛾的動作是靈活生動的，就像舞者一樣，就連慢舞時，舞步也蘊含優雅與生氣。當然，這也是因為舞者不需戰戰兢兢的跳舞或是害怕被人撲打。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed word or set of words is called a “figure of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the word or phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The moth fluttered from elsewhere in the darkened room and danced around the lamp’s bulb until the annoyed student swatted it.”
「不知從何而來的飛蛾在黑暗的房間裡鼓動翅膀，圍繞燈泡飛舞，直到不耐煩的學生用力撲打飛蛾為止。」
Dancing is one of the universal attributes of man and really needs no explanation. It is a common human response to rhythmic sound produced by musicians or, in some cases, by machinery or nature. The impulse to move in concert with the percussive noise or music produces dancing, which harmonizes with the accompanying sound and is appealing to the eyes of those witnessing it. Dancing can be subdued or performed with virtual abandonment, and is identifiably different from other human movement because of the coordinated grace with which a dancer moves.
不需多說，我們都知道舞蹈是人的天性，會對音樂家創作的節奏或是機器、自然的聲音產生反應。像是在音樂會時，聽見嘈雜的噪音或音樂會有股衝動，想與音律和諧共舞，而觀者也無一不受到吸引。跳舞可以是低調的，也能奔放不已；而舞蹈和一般的人類動作不同，是因為舞者的動作蘊涵魅力。
By saying the moth “danced” around the light source, the writer is commenting on two qualities of the movement. First, it is uninterrupted. A dancer typically does not stop dancing until the music ends. In the same way, a moth begins to “dance” at the sight of the light and continues until a light is shut off, the moth simply becomes exhausted, or its flight is terminated for it. And, like a dancer, the moth’s movement is lively. Even slow dancers move in a way that is enlivened by simple grace. Of course, it also is true that they can move slowly without fear of being swatted.
作者提到蛾圍繞光源「danced」(飛舞)，用意是描寫動作的兩個特點。首先是連續不間斷的動作。舞者通常是音樂結束才會停止動作。同樣地，蛾在看到光線的一剎那開始「飛舞」，一直持續到光線滅了或是蛾累了才會停下。飛蛾的動作是靈活生動的，就像舞者一樣，就連慢舞時，舞步也蘊含優雅與生氣。當然，這也是因為舞者不需戰戰兢兢的跳舞或是害怕被人撲打。
Last Update at 2012-12-28 PM 1:55 | 0 Comments
1224 TPS Verbalize Contest－Answer and Explanation你能找出關鍵的動詞嗎？ 正確解答!
2012-12-25
Suggested answer: “The gasoline engine rumbled and shook as the spark plugs explosively awakened the machine for another work day.”
The sentence speaks of a machine that is at rest and then abruptly running on all its cylinders. The transition was sudden, touched off by spark plugs that caused fuel to burn in a burst of energy. So what happened here? The machine was “awakened” from stillness. It was a violent awakening and only the integrity of the machined parts kept it from flying apart. “Awakened” would not be a good choice of words in this case were it not paired with the adverb “explosively.” Together the words paint a picture of a machine, as if it were a person, shoved violently from slumber to frantic activity. Other “a” words that could be used include activated, actuated, perhaps accelerated, yet none of those create the interesting image of harshly interrupted sleep.
這個句子描寫一個原本處於靜止狀態的機器突然全速運轉。這個轉變是突然的，起因是火星塞的觸發，使爆發的能量引起燃料燃燒。因此導致了什麼事件呢？原來是機器從靜止的狀態中「被喚醒」（awakened）了。這麼猛烈的動作，原是靠著機件的組合才不至於讓機器四散。在這種情況下，「awakened」並不是個恰當的用字，這個形容詞和副詞「explosively」（爆發地）其實並不搭。不過這樣的用字描繪出一個畫面，形容機器就像人一樣，猛然地自沈睡狀態中醒來，然後瘋狂地投入工作。其他以「a」為字首的字包括：activated（活動起來）、actuated（開動機器）或者是accelerated（加速），不過這些字都不足以描繪出當睡眠被粗暴打斷的有趣情境。
The sentence speaks of a machine that is at rest and then abruptly running on all its cylinders. The transition was sudden, touched off by spark plugs that caused fuel to burn in a burst of energy. So what happened here? The machine was “awakened” from stillness. It was a violent awakening and only the integrity of the machined parts kept it from flying apart. “Awakened” would not be a good choice of words in this case were it not paired with the adverb “explosively.” Together the words paint a picture of a machine, as if it were a person, shoved violently from slumber to frantic activity. Other “a” words that could be used include activated, actuated, perhaps accelerated, yet none of those create the interesting image of harshly interrupted sleep.
這個句子描寫一個原本處於靜止狀態的機器突然全速運轉。這個轉變是突然的，起因是火星塞的觸發，使爆發的能量引起燃料燃燒。因此導致了什麼事件呢？原來是機器從靜止的狀態中「被喚醒」（awakened）了。這麼猛烈的動作，原是靠著機件的組合才不至於讓機器四散。在這種情況下，「awakened」並不是個恰當的用字，這個形容詞和副詞「explosively」（爆發地）其實並不搭。不過這樣的用字描繪出一個畫面，形容機器就像人一樣，猛然地自沈睡狀態中醒來，然後瘋狂地投入工作。其他以「a」為字首的字包括：activated（活動起來）、actuated（開動機器）或者是accelerated（加速），不過這些字都不足以描繪出當睡眠被粗暴打斷的有趣情境。
Last Update at 2012-12-25 AM 10:45 | 0 Comments
1224 TPS Verbalize Contest－Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你能找出關鍵的動詞嗎？有機會獲得200元 7-11/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2012-12-24
The sentence below is missing a verb. However, the first letter of the verb is provided. Insert a word that starts with the given first letter and best fits the tenor of the sentence, and then defend your word choice in five or fewer words. The first TPS Fan to respond with the judge’s choice of verb—or the most effective alternate verb— will win a ¬¬¬NTD 200 Starbucks Gift Certificate. The name of the winner will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Good luck!
以下句子缺少動詞，請加入一個最符合句子意思且符合空格開頭字母的動詞，以及五個字以內的理由，我們將提供7-11／星巴克咖啡禮券兩百元，頒給第一位想出最佳解答或是最佳替代字的第1位粉絲。解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁。請將答案寫在下方，幸運兒可能就是你！
題目Contest Sentence:
“The gasoline engine rumbled and shook as the spark plugs explosively a_____ the machine for another work day.”
以下句子缺少動詞，請加入一個最符合句子意思且符合空格開頭字母的動詞，以及五個字以內的理由，我們將提供7-11／星巴克咖啡禮券兩百元，頒給第一位想出最佳解答或是最佳替代字的第1位粉絲。解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁。請將答案寫在下方，幸運兒可能就是你！
題目Contest Sentence:
“The gasoline engine rumbled and shook as the spark plugs explosively a_____ the machine for another work day.”
Last Update at 2012-12-25 AM 10:43 | 0 Comments
This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的
2012-12-20
並非所有與學術議題相關的文章，就能稱之為「學術文章」。本篇專欄將節錄不同學術議題的內容，分析常見的寫作錯誤，並分享潤修與寫作的技巧。
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. This column examines short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and to explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“The morning walk was brightly lit, with sunlight shining through limbs stripped of leaves by the previous week’s wind and freezing temperatures. Shifting his bag higher on his shoulder, the naturalist shuffled through a veritable ocean of leaves and dried grasses. His eyes constantly peered around as he walked, looking for all the signs of biological life that a field biologist can identify and appreciate. Occasionally he looked up in a tree in the direction of a chirp or trill that sparked a bird’s image in his mind, causing him to want to identify the singing feathered friend.”
This paragraph contains some bad examples of writing: Wordiness…”brightly lit” instead of “bright.” Imprecision… A bag probably wasn’t shifted higher on a shoulder; the straps of the bag were. Over-the-top description…”veritable ocean of leaves” instead of, for example, a “thick mat of leaves.” Redundancy… “biological life” instead of just “life.” Cliché… “singing feathered friend” instead of “singing fowl.” Other sentences are weakened by unimaginative word choices. Good writers are separated from less-good writers by careful avoidance of some of these errors. A reader always can tell the difference.
本段出現一些寫作上的錯誤：像是贅詞，作者寫了「 brightly lit」（明亮地點亮），而不是「 bright」（明快）。還有不精確，被移到肩膀上方的不應該是包包，而是肩帶才對。過度描述，像是「 veritable ocean of leaves」（名副其實的葉子海洋）應該以「 thick mat of leaves」（葉子鋪成的厚墊）取代。作者也犯了冗長的毛病，寫了「 biological life」（生物的生命），而非「 life」（生命）。最後是陳詞濫調，應該以「 singing fowl」（在歌唱的禽鳥）代替「 singing feathered friend」（在歌唱的有羽類朋友）。至於其他句子，則是被毫無想像力的用詞給削弱力度了。好的寫作和不好的寫作，差別在作者能否細心避開上述錯誤。對讀者來說，這些錯誤是顯而易見的。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“The morning walk was bright, with sunlight shining through limbs denuded of leaves by the previous week’s wind and cold. Shifting the straps of his bag higher on his shoulder, the naturalist shuffled through the thick mat of leaves and dried grasses. His eyes constantly scanned the ground as he walked, looking for all the signs of life that a field biologist can identify and appreciate. Occasionally he looked up in a tree in response to a chirp or trill that sparked an image in his mind along with the impulsive need to spot and confirm the species of the singing fowl.”
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. This column examines short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and to explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“The morning walk was brightly lit, with sunlight shining through limbs stripped of leaves by the previous week’s wind and freezing temperatures. Shifting his bag higher on his shoulder, the naturalist shuffled through a veritable ocean of leaves and dried grasses. His eyes constantly peered around as he walked, looking for all the signs of biological life that a field biologist can identify and appreciate. Occasionally he looked up in a tree in the direction of a chirp or trill that sparked a bird’s image in his mind, causing him to want to identify the singing feathered friend.”
This paragraph contains some bad examples of writing: Wordiness…”brightly lit” instead of “bright.” Imprecision… A bag probably wasn’t shifted higher on a shoulder; the straps of the bag were. Over-the-top description…”veritable ocean of leaves” instead of, for example, a “thick mat of leaves.” Redundancy… “biological life” instead of just “life.” Cliché… “singing feathered friend” instead of “singing fowl.” Other sentences are weakened by unimaginative word choices. Good writers are separated from less-good writers by careful avoidance of some of these errors. A reader always can tell the difference.
本段出現一些寫作上的錯誤：像是贅詞，作者寫了「 brightly lit」（明亮地點亮），而不是「 bright」（明快）。還有不精確，被移到肩膀上方的不應該是包包，而是肩帶才對。過度描述，像是「 veritable ocean of leaves」（名副其實的葉子海洋）應該以「 thick mat of leaves」（葉子鋪成的厚墊）取代。作者也犯了冗長的毛病，寫了「 biological life」（生物的生命），而非「 life」（生命）。最後是陳詞濫調，應該以「 singing fowl」（在歌唱的禽鳥）代替「 singing feathered friend」（在歌唱的有羽類朋友）。至於其他句子，則是被毫無想像力的用詞給削弱力度了。好的寫作和不好的寫作，差別在作者能否細心避開上述錯誤。對讀者來說，這些錯誤是顯而易見的。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“The morning walk was bright, with sunlight shining through limbs denuded of leaves by the previous week’s wind and cold. Shifting the straps of his bag higher on his shoulder, the naturalist shuffled through the thick mat of leaves and dried grasses. His eyes constantly scanned the ground as he walked, looking for all the signs of life that a field biologist can identify and appreciate. Occasionally he looked up in a tree in response to a chirp or trill that sparked an image in his mind along with the impulsive need to spot and confirm the species of the singing fowl.”
Last Update at 2012-12-20 AM 10:22 | 0 Comments
最新回應