What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2012-06-14
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 sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The temporary result of the experiment was a loss of motor control, with the guinea pigs corkscrewing their way along the penned-in area.”
「試驗暫時的結果讓天竺鼠失去控制動作的能力，在柵欄裡曲折行進。」
A corkscrew is a piece of metallic wire or rod that is twisted into a tight spiral shape. It is sharpened at one end and fitted with a handle at the other. The sharp end is punched into a cork sealing a bottle and the handle then turned until the corkscrew digs into the cork and obtains a firm purchase. By pulling upward on the corkscrew, the cork can be popped free from the bottleneck. The device dates at least from the late 18th century, when variations of it began to be patented. Though popularly used on wine bottles, its use predates corking of bottled wine.
螺絲錐（corkscrew，即開瓶器）是一種金屬線或金屬桿，扭轉成緊密的螺旋形，一端磨尖，另一端安裝在把手裡；磨尖的一端可以刺進瓶塞，旋轉把手，讓螺絲錐鑽入瓶塞、緊緊卡住，接著將螺絲錐向上拔起，就能將瓶塞拔出瓶口。螺絲錐的歷史最晚可溯及十八世紀末期，當時許多不同種類的螺絲錐便已申請專利。雖然螺絲錐多用在開酒瓶，但它的歷史卻比酒瓶塞要早。
In describing the movement of the enfeebled animals as “corkscrewing,” the writer was not referring to the circular rotation of a corkscrew as it buries itself in a cork. Rather, the reference was to the side-to-side, anything-but-straight course the plane of a corkscrew follows. In the same way, the guinea pigs weaved back and forth as they tried to walk on legs that were betrayed by the affected nerves and muscle. The word conjures an image of lurching and stumbling animals winding their way forward, almost comically. In a word, “corkscrewing” says a lot.
本句話描述喪失動作控制能力的天竺鼠，以 “corkscrewing” 來描寫，並非指螺絲錐鑽入瓶蓋時螺旋狀打轉的動作，而是指其曲曲折折，歪歪扭扭的行進路線。同樣的，天竺鼠腿部的神經與肌肉因為試驗而不聽使喚，行進路線也是歪歪斜斜。這個字讓人聯想到步履蹣跚的天竺鼠曲折前進，感覺有點滑稽。“Corkscrewing” 簡單一個字就很生動。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The temporary result of the experiment was a loss of motor control, with the guinea pigs corkscrewing their way along the penned-in area.”
「試驗暫時的結果讓天竺鼠失去控制動作的能力，在柵欄裡曲折行進。」
A corkscrew is a piece of metallic wire or rod that is twisted into a tight spiral shape. It is sharpened at one end and fitted with a handle at the other. The sharp end is punched into a cork sealing a bottle and the handle then turned until the corkscrew digs into the cork and obtains a firm purchase. By pulling upward on the corkscrew, the cork can be popped free from the bottleneck. The device dates at least from the late 18th century, when variations of it began to be patented. Though popularly used on wine bottles, its use predates corking of bottled wine.
螺絲錐（corkscrew，即開瓶器）是一種金屬線或金屬桿，扭轉成緊密的螺旋形，一端磨尖，另一端安裝在把手裡；磨尖的一端可以刺進瓶塞，旋轉把手，讓螺絲錐鑽入瓶塞、緊緊卡住，接著將螺絲錐向上拔起，就能將瓶塞拔出瓶口。螺絲錐的歷史最晚可溯及十八世紀末期，當時許多不同種類的螺絲錐便已申請專利。雖然螺絲錐多用在開酒瓶，但它的歷史卻比酒瓶塞要早。
In describing the movement of the enfeebled animals as “corkscrewing,” the writer was not referring to the circular rotation of a corkscrew as it buries itself in a cork. Rather, the reference was to the side-to-side, anything-but-straight course the plane of a corkscrew follows. In the same way, the guinea pigs weaved back and forth as they tried to walk on legs that were betrayed by the affected nerves and muscle. The word conjures an image of lurching and stumbling animals winding their way forward, almost comically. In a word, “corkscrewing” says a lot.
本句話描述喪失動作控制能力的天竺鼠，以 “corkscrewing” 來描寫，並非指螺絲錐鑽入瓶蓋時螺旋狀打轉的動作，而是指其曲曲折折，歪歪扭扭的行進路線。同樣的，天竺鼠腿部的神經與肌肉因為試驗而不聽使喚，行進路線也是歪歪斜斜。這個字讓人聯想到步履蹣跚的天竺鼠曲折前進，感覺有點滑稽。“Corkscrewing” 簡單一個字就很生動。
Last Update at 2012-06-15 AM 10:17 | 0 Comments
0611 TPS Punctuation Mastery Contest－Answer and Explanation你是善用標點符號的高手嗎？ 正確解答！
2012-06-12
Corrected sentence:
“Something in the way the instructor stared at the rostrum told the class that he was bringing bad news; the testing obviously hadn’t gone well.”
These two sentences contain three punctuation errors. Placing a comma after “rostrum” is a case of a writer feeling a pause in his thinking and his writing, which usually indicates a change of direction or a parenthetical phrase (such as this one). In fact, there was no change of direction and no need for the comma. The period after “news” is incorrect, because the second sentence is closely related to the first one. A semicolon is the correct punctuation mark. The obvious clue to this error was the uncapitalized “the” at the beginning of the second sentence. Finally, the second declarative sentence is missing a period at the end. Reading the sentences is much easier when they are correctly punctuated.
這兩個句子包含三個標點符號錯誤。在 “rostrum” 後加逗號是因為作者覺得思慮或寫作產生停頓，通常表示句子方向改變，或接了在括號內的片語（就像這句）。但實際上，句子方向並沒有改變，也不需要逗號。“News” 後也不需要句號，因為第二句和第一句密切相關；分號才是正確的標點，第二句句首沒有大寫的 “the” 是很明顯的線索。最後，第二個陳述句結尾顯然少了句號。句子的標點正確，讀起來就容易多了。
“Something in the way the instructor stared at the rostrum told the class that he was bringing bad news; the testing obviously hadn’t gone well.”
These two sentences contain three punctuation errors. Placing a comma after “rostrum” is a case of a writer feeling a pause in his thinking and his writing, which usually indicates a change of direction or a parenthetical phrase (such as this one). In fact, there was no change of direction and no need for the comma. The period after “news” is incorrect, because the second sentence is closely related to the first one. A semicolon is the correct punctuation mark. The obvious clue to this error was the uncapitalized “the” at the beginning of the second sentence. Finally, the second declarative sentence is missing a period at the end. Reading the sentences is much easier when they are correctly punctuated.
這兩個句子包含三個標點符號錯誤。在 “rostrum” 後加逗號是因為作者覺得思慮或寫作產生停頓，通常表示句子方向改變，或接了在括號內的片語（就像這句）。但實際上，句子方向並沒有改變，也不需要逗號。“News” 後也不需要句號，因為第二句和第一句密切相關；分號才是正確的標點，第二句句首沒有大寫的 “the” 是很明顯的線索。最後，第二個陳述句結尾顯然少了句號。句子的標點正確，讀起來就容易多了。
Last Update at 2012-06-12 PM 5:12 | 0 Comments
0611 TPS Punctuation Mastery Contest－Win Your NTD200 eslite bookstore and shopping mall Gift Certificate! 你是善用標點符號的高手嗎？有機會獲得200元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷！
2012-06-11
Words, like motor vehicles, need signposts and signals to keep them from running together. Punctuation frees words to move readers, to instruct and inspire them. The following example of writing either contains inappropriate punctuation or lacks marks that are needed. Note: The example may contain more than one punctuation error. The first TPS Fan to correct the writing sample as we believe it should be corrected will win a NTD200 eslite bookstore and shopping mall Gift Certificate.
文字就像汽車，需要交通標誌與燈號才不會打結，標點符號可以釋放文字，讓字句能打動、指引、啟發讀者。以下範例可能標點符號不正確，或少了必需的標點符號。注意，句中可能不只有一個標點符號錯誤。最先改正錯誤，並寫出最佳解答的一位 TPS 粉絲，將能贏得兩百元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷。
題目Contest Sentence:
“Something in the way the instructor stared at the rostrum, told the class that he was bringing bad news. the testing obviously hadn’t gone well”
文字就像汽車，需要交通標誌與燈號才不會打結，標點符號可以釋放文字，讓字句能打動、指引、啟發讀者。以下範例可能標點符號不正確，或少了必需的標點符號。注意，句中可能不只有一個標點符號錯誤。最先改正錯誤，並寫出最佳解答的一位 TPS 粉絲，將能贏得兩百元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷。
題目Contest Sentence:
“Something in the way the instructor stared at the rostrum, told the class that he was bringing bad news. the testing obviously hadn’t gone well”
Last Update at 2012-06-12 PM 5:11 | 0 Comments
This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的
2012-06-07
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. In this "This is not academic writing" column we examine short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“Liaoning Province delivered up the remains of birds that flew around its skies more than a hundred million years ago. The birds were suffocated when ash filled the skies as area volcanoes erupted and their fallen bodies then were covered by the accumulating ash. The scientific findings in northeastern China were absolutely crucial to showing that birds and dinosaurs were related. Ornithologists had long speculated about there being a relationship, but never could prove it. The discoveries in Liaoning led the way to scientific acceptance of the relationship, and more bodies found later confirmed it.”
This piece of writing on the evolution of birds is loosely written. That is, it plays loosely with facts and with formal language. Consider one phrase: “… birds that flew around its skies more than a hundred million years ago.” Does that mean the birds avoided the ashy, sulfuric skies—flying “around” it—and, if so, why were they killed? Furthermore, how many “more” years than 100 million did they fly? Exactness is preferred, when possible. Why single out ornithologists more than, say, paleontologists? And scientists of any stripe don’t “speculate,” they study. All in all, the writing verges on glibness. A formal rewriting might save it.
這段文章討論鳥類的演化，寫作鬆散、事例舉證不夠嚴謹，遣詞用語不夠正式。例如下面這句：“… birds that flew around its skies more than a hundred million years ago”（一百多萬年以前，鳥類繞著天空飛翔），這句話的意思是，鳥類可以避開充滿塵埃與硫化物的天空嗎（「繞著」飛）？如果可以避開，牠們怎麼會因此而死？此外，一百「多」萬年前究竟是「多」幾年？訊息應該盡可能寫得精確。此外，為什麼特別強調鳥類學家的意見，而非其他學者的意見，例如古生物學家的意見？另外，不管是哪個領域的科學家，他們都不會只是 “speculate”「猜測」，他們會「研究」。整體而言，這段文章不夠嚴謹，需要改寫得更正式。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“Liaoning Province produced the remains of birds that flew its skies 125 million years ago. The birds apparently were first suffocated by ash during volcanic eruptions and then covered and preserved by the accumulating ash. The findings in northeastern China were crucial to establishing a link between birds and dinosaurs, which long was theorized but routinely was dismissed because of evidentiary weaknesses in the claim. The discoveries in Liaoning were the beginning of scientific acceptance of the relationship, with later evidence affirming it.”
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. In this "This is not academic writing" column we examine short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“Liaoning Province delivered up the remains of birds that flew around its skies more than a hundred million years ago. The birds were suffocated when ash filled the skies as area volcanoes erupted and their fallen bodies then were covered by the accumulating ash. The scientific findings in northeastern China were absolutely crucial to showing that birds and dinosaurs were related. Ornithologists had long speculated about there being a relationship, but never could prove it. The discoveries in Liaoning led the way to scientific acceptance of the relationship, and more bodies found later confirmed it.”
This piece of writing on the evolution of birds is loosely written. That is, it plays loosely with facts and with formal language. Consider one phrase: “… birds that flew around its skies more than a hundred million years ago.” Does that mean the birds avoided the ashy, sulfuric skies—flying “around” it—and, if so, why were they killed? Furthermore, how many “more” years than 100 million did they fly? Exactness is preferred, when possible. Why single out ornithologists more than, say, paleontologists? And scientists of any stripe don’t “speculate,” they study. All in all, the writing verges on glibness. A formal rewriting might save it.
這段文章討論鳥類的演化，寫作鬆散、事例舉證不夠嚴謹，遣詞用語不夠正式。例如下面這句：“… birds that flew around its skies more than a hundred million years ago”（一百多萬年以前，鳥類繞著天空飛翔），這句話的意思是，鳥類可以避開充滿塵埃與硫化物的天空嗎（「繞著」飛）？如果可以避開，牠們怎麼會因此而死？此外，一百「多」萬年前究竟是「多」幾年？訊息應該盡可能寫得精確。此外，為什麼特別強調鳥類學家的意見，而非其他學者的意見，例如古生物學家的意見？另外，不管是哪個領域的科學家，他們都不會只是 “speculate”「猜測」，他們會「研究」。整體而言，這段文章不夠嚴謹，需要改寫得更正式。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“Liaoning Province produced the remains of birds that flew its skies 125 million years ago. The birds apparently were first suffocated by ash during volcanic eruptions and then covered and preserved by the accumulating ash. The findings in northeastern China were crucial to establishing a link between birds and dinosaurs, which long was theorized but routinely was dismissed because of evidentiary weaknesses in the claim. The discoveries in Liaoning were the beginning of scientific acceptance of the relationship, with later evidence affirming it.”
Last Update at 2012-06-08 AM 10:21 | 0 Comments
0604 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest－Answer and Explanation你能找出混淆字嗎? 正確解答!
2012-06-05
Correct best answer: Replace “fiend” with “friend”
“The faithful Saint Bernard raised its head till its soulful eyes rested on me and I immediately knew I would not be able to euthanize this old friend.”
“Fiend” often is used ironically. Basically, a fiend is someone or something that is obsessed. The obsession can be either healthy or unhealthy, but always is immoderate. The devil can be said to be a fiend, but so can a golfer who hits the links every day. While it is possible the dog in this sentence was troublesome by fiendishly bounding after children who fell, wanting to rescue them, it is more likely the “faithful” animal with the “soulful” eyes was an old “friend.” The two words give the sentence two different feelings, one gently chiding, the other saddening.
“Fiend”（惡魔、著魔者、成癮者）經常用來表達諷刺之意，基本上是指著了迷或成癮的人或事物。癮頭可能健康、可能不健康，但必定放縱無節制。惡魔可以說是 “fiend”，每天揮桿的高爾夫球手也可以說是 “fiend”。雖然句子裡的狗可能愛惹麻煩，著魔似的跟在跌倒的孩子後面想要保護他們，但這隻有著 “soulful”（深情）雙眼、“faithful”（忠實）的動物比較像是 “friend”（朋友）。這兩個字給句子兩種不同的感覺，一種略帶斥責，一種哀痛悲傷。
“The faithful Saint Bernard raised its head till its soulful eyes rested on me and I immediately knew I would not be able to euthanize this old friend.”
“Fiend” often is used ironically. Basically, a fiend is someone or something that is obsessed. The obsession can be either healthy or unhealthy, but always is immoderate. The devil can be said to be a fiend, but so can a golfer who hits the links every day. While it is possible the dog in this sentence was troublesome by fiendishly bounding after children who fell, wanting to rescue them, it is more likely the “faithful” animal with the “soulful” eyes was an old “friend.” The two words give the sentence two different feelings, one gently chiding, the other saddening.
“Fiend”（惡魔、著魔者、成癮者）經常用來表達諷刺之意，基本上是指著了迷或成癮的人或事物。癮頭可能健康、可能不健康，但必定放縱無節制。惡魔可以說是 “fiend”，每天揮桿的高爾夫球手也可以說是 “fiend”。雖然句子裡的狗可能愛惹麻煩，著魔似的跟在跌倒的孩子後面想要保護他們，但這隻有著 “soulful”（深情）雙眼、“faithful”（忠實）的動物比較像是 “friend”（朋友）。這兩個字給句子兩種不同的感覺，一種略帶斥責，一種哀痛悲傷。
Last Update at 2012-06-05 AM 10:45 | 0 Comments
0604 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!
2012-06-04
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 faithful Saint Bernard raised its head till its soulful eyes rested on me and I immediately knew I would not be able to euthanize this old fiend.”
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 faithful Saint Bernard raised its head till its soulful eyes rested on me and I immediately knew I would not be able to euthanize this old fiend.”
Last Update at 2012-06-05 AM 10:45 | 0 Comments
What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2012-05-31
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 sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The bicyclist crossed through the chaotic traffic, weaving among the hurtling cars and trucks like a seamstress in search of a seam.”
「騎腳踏車的人穿越混亂的交通，穿梭在疾駛的汽車與卡車間，就像裁縫尋找接縫。」
The chaos of a busy street or a main artery during rush hours is a dangerous place for a person on two-wheel pedaler. The dangers are exacerbated when the biker is impatient. The peril comes at two critical times—when the bicyclist first enters a flow of traffic, forcing a motorist to yield and give up a lane, and when the biker is embedded in moving traffic and wishes to change lanes. The darting two-wheeled “vehicle” is no match for the heavy machines surrounding it. Ironically, the heavier the traffic, the safer for the biker because heavy traffic is slower.
在繁忙的街道或主要幹道上，尖峰時刻忙亂的交通，對腳踏雙輪的腳踏車騎士來說是很危險的，若騎腳踏車的是個急性子，就會更加危險。在兩個關鍵時刻最是危險，一是腳踏車剛騎進馬路，汽車不得不讓道時；一是腳踏車在車流中，想要變換車道時。雙輪的腳踏車騎得再快，也敵不過四周擁擠的車輛。諷刺的是，交通愈繁忙，車速就愈慢，腳踏車反而愈安全。
In comparing a bicyclist in traffic with a seamstress, the writer plays off the description of the biker “weaving” among cars. The image is of the bicycle changing lanes, establishing a pattern of movement across the traffic lanes, a thread of movement that the person pedaling has envisioned will connect point A and point B. In the same way, a seamstress envisions a path for her needle to join two pieces of cloth, a joining called a seam. The writer plays on the word “seam,” which also can mean a gap, something a biker loves to find in heavy traffic.
本句將騎腳踏車的人比擬為裁縫，刻意將腳踏車騎士的行為描述為在車陣中 “weaving”（穿梭），呈現出騎士變換車道，穿越車陣的固定行動模式，循著騎士眼中連結A點與B點的動線前進。同樣地，裁縫眼中也有一條途徑，針線依循途徑就能縫合兩片布料，縫合處就稱為接縫。作者刻意用 “seam”（接縫） 玩文字遊戲，這個字也有縫隙的意思，騎腳踏車的人在繁忙交通中，想找的就是縫隙。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.
“The bicyclist crossed through the chaotic traffic, weaving among the hurtling cars and trucks like a seamstress in search of a seam.”
「騎腳踏車的人穿越混亂的交通，穿梭在疾駛的汽車與卡車間，就像裁縫尋找接縫。」
The chaos of a busy street or a main artery during rush hours is a dangerous place for a person on two-wheel pedaler. The dangers are exacerbated when the biker is impatient. The peril comes at two critical times—when the bicyclist first enters a flow of traffic, forcing a motorist to yield and give up a lane, and when the biker is embedded in moving traffic and wishes to change lanes. The darting two-wheeled “vehicle” is no match for the heavy machines surrounding it. Ironically, the heavier the traffic, the safer for the biker because heavy traffic is slower.
在繁忙的街道或主要幹道上，尖峰時刻忙亂的交通，對腳踏雙輪的腳踏車騎士來說是很危險的，若騎腳踏車的是個急性子，就會更加危險。在兩個關鍵時刻最是危險，一是腳踏車剛騎進馬路，汽車不得不讓道時；一是腳踏車在車流中，想要變換車道時。雙輪的腳踏車騎得再快，也敵不過四周擁擠的車輛。諷刺的是，交通愈繁忙，車速就愈慢，腳踏車反而愈安全。
In comparing a bicyclist in traffic with a seamstress, the writer plays off the description of the biker “weaving” among cars. The image is of the bicycle changing lanes, establishing a pattern of movement across the traffic lanes, a thread of movement that the person pedaling has envisioned will connect point A and point B. In the same way, a seamstress envisions a path for her needle to join two pieces of cloth, a joining called a seam. The writer plays on the word “seam,” which also can mean a gap, something a biker loves to find in heavy traffic.
本句將騎腳踏車的人比擬為裁縫，刻意將腳踏車騎士的行為描述為在車陣中 “weaving”（穿梭），呈現出騎士變換車道，穿越車陣的固定行動模式，循著騎士眼中連結A點與B點的動線前進。同樣地，裁縫眼中也有一條途徑，針線依循途徑就能縫合兩片布料，縫合處就稱為接縫。作者刻意用 “seam”（接縫） 玩文字遊戲，這個字也有縫隙的意思，騎腳踏車的人在繁忙交通中，想找的就是縫隙。
Last Update at 2012-06-01 PM 3:09 | 0 Comments
0528 TPS Finish the Sentence Contest－Answer and Explanation你是接龍的高手嗎? 正確解答!
2012-05-29
Answer: We believe the sentence is best completed this way:
“Even though attentive citizens can distinguish between tyrants and democratic leaders, some authoritarian figures are so slick, lies don’t stick to them.”
Public-spirited leaders who are in public life to improve the lot of citizens are strikingly unlike dictators whose first priority is to maintain power and perks. Each is human, but the resemblance ends there. Yet some who deceitfully rise to the top of a political system demonstrate tremendous political instincts. They seem to know what to say when to placate and appease an oppressed population. In this sentence, “slick” leaders are said to slip away without having to account for their lies and deceptions, wording that completes the image of an oily-tongued politician.
熱心公益的領袖在位時會努力改善人民生活，獨裁者則將保有權力與福利擺在第一位，兩者同樣是人，除此外截然不同。另外，有些靠著欺騙手段掌權者，則展現了敏銳的政治直覺，知道用什麼說詞，去安撫、討好被壓迫的民眾。本句中，“slick”（狡猾）的執政者說謊欺騙，也能成功脫身、不必負責，描繪出油嘴滑舌的政客形象。
“Even though attentive citizens can distinguish between tyrants and democratic leaders, some authoritarian figures are so slick, lies don’t stick to them.”
Public-spirited leaders who are in public life to improve the lot of citizens are strikingly unlike dictators whose first priority is to maintain power and perks. Each is human, but the resemblance ends there. Yet some who deceitfully rise to the top of a political system demonstrate tremendous political instincts. They seem to know what to say when to placate and appease an oppressed population. In this sentence, “slick” leaders are said to slip away without having to account for their lies and deceptions, wording that completes the image of an oily-tongued politician.
熱心公益的領袖在位時會努力改善人民生活，獨裁者則將保有權力與福利擺在第一位，兩者同樣是人，除此外截然不同。另外，有些靠著欺騙手段掌權者，則展現了敏銳的政治直覺，知道用什麼說詞，去安撫、討好被壓迫的民眾。本句中，“slick”（狡猾）的執政者說謊欺騙，也能成功脫身、不必負責，描繪出油嘴滑舌的政客形象。
Last Update at 2012-05-29 AM 10:35 | 0 Comments
0528 TPS Finish the Sentence Contest－Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你是接龍的高手嗎? 有機會獲得價值200元7-11/星巴克咖啡禮券!
2012-05-28
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 5 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 7-11 / Starbucks Gift Certificate. Another Starbucks 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.
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7-11／星巴克禮券；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！
題目Contest Sentence:
“Even though attentive citizens can distinguish between tyrants and democratic leaders, some authoritarian figures are so slick, ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”
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7-11／星巴克禮券；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！
題目Contest Sentence:
“Even though attentive citizens can distinguish between tyrants and democratic leaders, some authoritarian figures are so slick, ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”
Last Update at 2012-05-29 AM 10:34 | 0 Comments
This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的
2012-05-24
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. In this "This is not academic writing" column we examine short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“Steven Chen represents today’s technology experts, who took their expertise into the brave new realm of the Internet and literally took it over. The Taiwan native was born a little more than a decade before the Worldwide Web was invented and grew up with the big, new medium. Unlike in some earlier industrial times, the vast majority of today’s young entrepreneurs and technologists were attracted to the Internet, where imaginations were allowed to roam free across its vast landscape. For Chen, this meant starring at PayPal and Facebook before co-founding an Internet dynasty, YouTube.”
This excerpt of a piece on technology deals with a successful Internet innovator and businessman. The piece is overwrought. The excess is in the writing, not the subject. It infers that Steven Chen is the representative of modern tech leadership, rather than just one of many, and was a star, rather than mere employee, at some leading Internet companies. Chen’s company does not just succeed, it is a “dynasty.” The writer also lapses into clichés, such as “brave new (world) realm,” and “vast majority.” The imprecision continues with the phrase, “a little more than a decade.” It is OK to give an exact number of years. What other weaknesses do you see?
本段文章摘要與科技有關，討論網路新創事業家，文章寫作（而非主題）過分雕琢。文中提到，陳士駿不僅是當代科技領袖的一位代表，而且是獨一無二的代表 (the representative)；他不只是幾家網路龍頭公司的員工，更是公司的巨星。陳士駿的公司不僅事業成功，更是營造了一個 “dynasty”（王朝）。作者甚至用了許多套語，像是 “brave new (world) realm”（美麗新境界，來自小說名《美麗新世界》）、“vast majority”（絕大多數）；另一個片語繼續這種印象：“a little more than a decade”（略多於十年）。寫出確切的時間沒有這麼困難吧。你還發現其他的問題嗎？
Acceptable 認可的文章
“Steven Chen is a representative of the modern era’s technology experts, who took their expertise into the emerging realm of the Internet and took it over. The Taiwan native was born 11 years before the birth of the Worldwide Web and grew up with the towering medium. Unlike in earlier manufacturing eras, many present-day entrepreneurs and technologists were attracted to the Internet, where their imaginations roamed free across its electronic landscape. For Chen, this meant apprenticing at PayPal and Facebook before co-founding the Internet staple, YouTube.”
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. In this "This is not academic writing" column we examine short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and explain how to correct them.
Unacceptable 不被認可的文章
“Steven Chen represents today’s technology experts, who took their expertise into the brave new realm of the Internet and literally took it over. The Taiwan native was born a little more than a decade before the Worldwide Web was invented and grew up with the big, new medium. Unlike in some earlier industrial times, the vast majority of today’s young entrepreneurs and technologists were attracted to the Internet, where imaginations were allowed to roam free across its vast landscape. For Chen, this meant starring at PayPal and Facebook before co-founding an Internet dynasty, YouTube.”
This excerpt of a piece on technology deals with a successful Internet innovator and businessman. The piece is overwrought. The excess is in the writing, not the subject. It infers that Steven Chen is the representative of modern tech leadership, rather than just one of many, and was a star, rather than mere employee, at some leading Internet companies. Chen’s company does not just succeed, it is a “dynasty.” The writer also lapses into clichés, such as “brave new (world) realm,” and “vast majority.” The imprecision continues with the phrase, “a little more than a decade.” It is OK to give an exact number of years. What other weaknesses do you see?
本段文章摘要與科技有關，討論網路新創事業家，文章寫作（而非主題）過分雕琢。文中提到，陳士駿不僅是當代科技領袖的一位代表，而且是獨一無二的代表 (the representative)；他不只是幾家網路龍頭公司的員工，更是公司的巨星。陳士駿的公司不僅事業成功，更是營造了一個 “dynasty”（王朝）。作者甚至用了許多套語，像是 “brave new (world) realm”（美麗新境界，來自小說名《美麗新世界》）、“vast majority”（絕大多數）；另一個片語繼續這種印象：“a little more than a decade”（略多於十年）。寫出確切的時間沒有這麼困難吧。你還發現其他的問題嗎？
Acceptable 認可的文章
“Steven Chen is a representative of the modern era’s technology experts, who took their expertise into the emerging realm of the Internet and took it over. The Taiwan native was born 11 years before the birth of the Worldwide Web and grew up with the towering medium. Unlike in earlier manufacturing eras, many present-day entrepreneurs and technologists were attracted to the Internet, where their imaginations roamed free across its electronic landscape. For Chen, this meant apprenticing at PayPal and Facebook before co-founding the Internet staple, YouTube.”
Last Update at 2012-05-25 PM 3:17 | 0 Comments
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