What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2012-11-01
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.
“When the provocative suggestion was made a second time, the committee voted to sidestep the entire issue by leaving the matter to the discretion of the chairman.”
「當議會面臨某項具爭議性的提案第二次提出時，議會成員採取投票制來規避整個議題，將此事交由主席裁決。」
When an object too large to ignore suddenly appears in the path of a walking person, the person “sidesteps” it. Sometimes this movement necessarily occurs suddenly because the object—a rolling ball—appears without warning and the walker must dart to the side, as agile bodies are capable of doing. Sometimes the object has been there all along—say, a hole—but the person only notices it at the last minute and must step sideways to avoid it. The idea is to continue in the same general direction by momentarily changing direction in an evasive movement.
當行人在行走時，有個極其明顯的龐然大物擋在路中央，這時行人會「sidesteps」(繞道而行)。有時避開阻擋物的行為會不期然的發生。當有毫無預警出現的物體時，可能是顆滾球，行人只要夠敏捷，就可以閃到路旁；有時物體會一直存在路中央，可能就是個大洞，行人只能在最後一刻發現，然後趕緊閃到一旁避開。本句的概念就是持續往同方向前進，但會不期然的暫時改變行進方向。
When the writer refers to a committee that “sidesteps” an issue, he alludes to this physical act. The committee didn’t stand up from the boardroom table and in unison take a step to one side or the other. Rather, it figuratively avoided addressing an awkward matter by voting to go around it temporarily. The issue was handed (again, figuratively) to the committee chairman for resolution outside the meeting. The vote accomplished two things: (1) The committee was able to continue ahead with its discussion, and (2) the issue was addressed tangentially. Sidesteps are convenient.
作者提到議會成員「sidesteps」（避開）議題的這個行為，也就是倘若議會在討論時並未挺身而出，甚至全體避免傾向某個立場或選邊站，他們會象徵性的避免直接面對某項難決的議題，而是採取投票制來暫時避開此議題。這項議題又(再度象徵性的)回到主席身上，等待會議外來解決。投票的行為意味著兩件事: 1.議會可以繼續進行討論議程。2.這項議題被輕描淡寫的帶過。遇到難解的議題，先避開它是非常便利的手法。
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.
“When the provocative suggestion was made a second time, the committee voted to sidestep the entire issue by leaving the matter to the discretion of the chairman.”
「當議會面臨某項具爭議性的提案第二次提出時，議會成員採取投票制來規避整個議題，將此事交由主席裁決。」
When an object too large to ignore suddenly appears in the path of a walking person, the person “sidesteps” it. Sometimes this movement necessarily occurs suddenly because the object—a rolling ball—appears without warning and the walker must dart to the side, as agile bodies are capable of doing. Sometimes the object has been there all along—say, a hole—but the person only notices it at the last minute and must step sideways to avoid it. The idea is to continue in the same general direction by momentarily changing direction in an evasive movement.
當行人在行走時，有個極其明顯的龐然大物擋在路中央，這時行人會「sidesteps」(繞道而行)。有時避開阻擋物的行為會不期然的發生。當有毫無預警出現的物體時，可能是顆滾球，行人只要夠敏捷，就可以閃到路旁；有時物體會一直存在路中央，可能就是個大洞，行人只能在最後一刻發現，然後趕緊閃到一旁避開。本句的概念就是持續往同方向前進，但會不期然的暫時改變行進方向。
When the writer refers to a committee that “sidesteps” an issue, he alludes to this physical act. The committee didn’t stand up from the boardroom table and in unison take a step to one side or the other. Rather, it figuratively avoided addressing an awkward matter by voting to go around it temporarily. The issue was handed (again, figuratively) to the committee chairman for resolution outside the meeting. The vote accomplished two things: (1) The committee was able to continue ahead with its discussion, and (2) the issue was addressed tangentially. Sidesteps are convenient.
作者提到議會成員「sidesteps」（避開）議題的這個行為，也就是倘若議會在討論時並未挺身而出，甚至全體避免傾向某個立場或選邊站，他們會象徵性的避免直接面對某項難決的議題，而是採取投票制來暫時避開此議題。這項議題又(再度象徵性的)回到主席身上，等待會議外來解決。投票的行為意味著兩件事: 1.議會可以繼續進行討論議程。2.這項議題被輕描淡寫的帶過。遇到難解的議題，先避開它是非常便利的手法。
Last Update at 2012-11-02 AM 10:55 | 0 Comments
1029 TPS Verbalize Contest－Answer and Explanation你能找出關鍵的動詞嗎？ 正確解答!
2012-10-30
Answer: “When the children swing the jump rope to their left using their left hands, the central arc of the cord ripples more than when the rope is swung to the right using their right hands.”
Sometimes people have subtly different functional levels in left-side and right-side physical manipulation. In this instance, a jumping rope brought out some apparent differences in coordination of its handlers. In saying that the leftward rotation “ripples” the arc more than when the rope is rotated right, the writer describes a smooth path becoming a bucking one, like still water becoming choppy. Some other “r” verbs will work—such as ravels and ricochets. However, few other words describe as well the image of an arc, which by definition is smooth and unbroken, becoming irregular in its motion. The key word to consider then is arc, which is smooth. A rippled surface is not smooth. Superior sentences pull together all their elements.
有時候人身體左右的操控能力稍有不同，本句描寫擺動繩子的人顯然左右動作不協調，從轉動的跳繩就能看出。比起向右甩，向左甩時繩子的弧型「ripple」（起伏）更大，原本平順的弧型產生波折，就像平靜的水面起了波瀾。其他「r」開頭的動詞還有「ravel」（糾結）和「ricochet」（彈跳），但要恰當描寫原本平順、連續的弧型在運動時變得曲折不規律，適合的動詞並不多。此外還要考慮句中「arc」（弧形）一詞，弧形是平順的，表面起伏則代表不平順。要寫出優秀的句子，必須整合所有組成元素。
Sometimes people have subtly different functional levels in left-side and right-side physical manipulation. In this instance, a jumping rope brought out some apparent differences in coordination of its handlers. In saying that the leftward rotation “ripples” the arc more than when the rope is rotated right, the writer describes a smooth path becoming a bucking one, like still water becoming choppy. Some other “r” verbs will work—such as ravels and ricochets. However, few other words describe as well the image of an arc, which by definition is smooth and unbroken, becoming irregular in its motion. The key word to consider then is arc, which is smooth. A rippled surface is not smooth. Superior sentences pull together all their elements.
有時候人身體左右的操控能力稍有不同，本句描寫擺動繩子的人顯然左右動作不協調，從轉動的跳繩就能看出。比起向右甩，向左甩時繩子的弧型「ripple」（起伏）更大，原本平順的弧型產生波折，就像平靜的水面起了波瀾。其他「r」開頭的動詞還有「ravel」（糾結）和「ricochet」（彈跳），但要恰當描寫原本平順、連續的弧型在運動時變得曲折不規律，適合的動詞並不多。此外還要考慮句中「arc」（弧形）一詞，弧形是平順的，表面起伏則代表不平順。要寫出優秀的句子，必須整合所有組成元素。
Last Update at 2012-10-30 AM 11:06 | 0 Comments
1029 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!
2012-10-29
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:
“When the children swing the jump rope to their left using their left hands, the central arc of the cord r______ more than when the rope is swung to the right using their right hands.”
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:
“When the children swing the jump rope to their left using their left hands, the central arc of the cord r______ more than when the rope is swung to the right using their right hands.”
Last Update at 2012-10-30 AM 11:03 | 0 Comments
This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的
2012-10-25
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 old hound dog exhibited all the signs of old age, as any aging human watching him would agree. He sighed mightily after straggling to his feet from the sleeping pad on the floor, leaning forward and then backward to see if his backbone would support his old frame. An arthritic hip caused the old dog to wag his rear end as he moved shakily from his bed to his food dish. There the animal paused a moment to gently shake his head sideways as if he were saying, “OK, the neck works; now see if your jowls still work.” Lowering his old head to the hard food, the dog began to crunch his way through another day.”
Man’s best friend, as a dog often is called, is companionable and often nearly becomes part of a human family. Yet this does not excuse formally referring to an animal as “he” or “she” or some variation of the pronouns, as the writer does here. A dog is a non-human, animate object. Giving animals human pronouns is too chummy a reference in this genre of writing. Other than that, the writer made such common errors as choosing a nearly correct word instead of the correct word (“straggling” for “struggling”), overused the adjective “old,” and employed an appealing phrase (“wag his rear end”) that unfortunately in this context suggests happiness instead of physical disability. The writing would receive a “C” in the academic realm.
我們常說狗是人類最好的朋友，能與人為伴，常成為人類家庭的一份子。但狗畢竟不是人，而是有生命的物體，在學術寫作時不能像這段文章一樣，堂而皇之地用「he」、「she」一類的人稱代名詞來稱呼，否則口吻會顯得過度親暱。此外，這段文章還出現一些常見的錯誤，例如錯用相近的詞彙（「straggling」應改為「struggling」）、濫用形容詞「old」，而「wag his rear end」雖然很有感染力，可惜代表的意思是狗很高興，而不是不良於行。就學術寫作而言，這篇文章只能拿到「C」的分數。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“The hound dog exhibited all the characteristics of old age, as any aging human would attest. It sighed after struggling to its feet from the pad on the floor, leaning forward and backward to reacquaint its backbone with the idea of supporting its walking frame. An arthritic hip caused the dog to stumble as it moved unstably from its bed to its dish, where it paused to shake its head from side to side gently as if to say, “OK, the neck works; now see if your jowls still work.” Lowering its head to the hard food, the dog began to crunch its way through another day.”
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 old hound dog exhibited all the signs of old age, as any aging human watching him would agree. He sighed mightily after straggling to his feet from the sleeping pad on the floor, leaning forward and then backward to see if his backbone would support his old frame. An arthritic hip caused the old dog to wag his rear end as he moved shakily from his bed to his food dish. There the animal paused a moment to gently shake his head sideways as if he were saying, “OK, the neck works; now see if your jowls still work.” Lowering his old head to the hard food, the dog began to crunch his way through another day.”
Man’s best friend, as a dog often is called, is companionable and often nearly becomes part of a human family. Yet this does not excuse formally referring to an animal as “he” or “she” or some variation of the pronouns, as the writer does here. A dog is a non-human, animate object. Giving animals human pronouns is too chummy a reference in this genre of writing. Other than that, the writer made such common errors as choosing a nearly correct word instead of the correct word (“straggling” for “struggling”), overused the adjective “old,” and employed an appealing phrase (“wag his rear end”) that unfortunately in this context suggests happiness instead of physical disability. The writing would receive a “C” in the academic realm.
我們常說狗是人類最好的朋友，能與人為伴，常成為人類家庭的一份子。但狗畢竟不是人，而是有生命的物體，在學術寫作時不能像這段文章一樣，堂而皇之地用「he」、「she」一類的人稱代名詞來稱呼，否則口吻會顯得過度親暱。此外，這段文章還出現一些常見的錯誤，例如錯用相近的詞彙（「straggling」應改為「struggling」）、濫用形容詞「old」，而「wag his rear end」雖然很有感染力，可惜代表的意思是狗很高興，而不是不良於行。就學術寫作而言，這篇文章只能拿到「C」的分數。
Acceptable 認可的文章
“The hound dog exhibited all the characteristics of old age, as any aging human would attest. It sighed after struggling to its feet from the pad on the floor, leaning forward and backward to reacquaint its backbone with the idea of supporting its walking frame. An arthritic hip caused the dog to stumble as it moved unstably from its bed to its dish, where it paused to shake its head from side to side gently as if to say, “OK, the neck works; now see if your jowls still work.” Lowering its head to the hard food, the dog began to crunch its way through another day.”
Last Update at 2012-10-26 PM 12:52 | 0 Comments
1022 TPS Punctuation Mastery Contest－Answer and Explanation你是善用標點符號的高手嗎？ 正確解答！
2012-10-23
Corrected sentence:
“Then the medal-winning skiers turned away; down the hall in their stocking feet they crept, and flew out the lodge’s back door; like children at recess, they squealed.”
When punctuation is removed from a writing sample, it suddenly takes on new properties. Without the natural dividers—punctuation marks—words can be regrouped and meaning sometimes altered. In this example, six punctuation marks bring clarity. “Medal-winning” becomes a hyphenated compound modifier with the addition of a hyphen. A semicolon after “away” isolates the act of turning from the subsequent written passage about creeping down a hall and then flying out a door. A semicolon after “door” closes that scene. An apostrophe in “lodges” clarifies that it is one lodge the skiers are exiting. Finally, a comma after recess ties the squealing to child-like behavior. Other possible sentence groupings don’t work as well as this.
句子的標點如果刪除，會突然產生新的意思。少了標點這種自然的分隔，詞句會重新組合，意義有時也會改變。以上例句使用六個標點符號，能讓意思更清楚－「medal-winning」加上連字號後，成了複合修飾詞；「away」後加上分號，可以分隔「轉身離開」與接下來的「躡手躡腳經過走廊、飛奔出門」；「door」之後加上分號則為事件做結；「lodges」加上所有格符號，說明滑雪選手是從「一間」屋子離開。最後，「recess」之後的逗號則表明尖叫屬於一種幼稚的行為。如果以其他方式組合句子，意思就無法這麼清楚了。
“Then the medal-winning skiers turned away; down the hall in their stocking feet they crept, and flew out the lodge’s back door; like children at recess, they squealed.”
When punctuation is removed from a writing sample, it suddenly takes on new properties. Without the natural dividers—punctuation marks—words can be regrouped and meaning sometimes altered. In this example, six punctuation marks bring clarity. “Medal-winning” becomes a hyphenated compound modifier with the addition of a hyphen. A semicolon after “away” isolates the act of turning from the subsequent written passage about creeping down a hall and then flying out a door. A semicolon after “door” closes that scene. An apostrophe in “lodges” clarifies that it is one lodge the skiers are exiting. Finally, a comma after recess ties the squealing to child-like behavior. Other possible sentence groupings don’t work as well as this.
句子的標點如果刪除，會突然產生新的意思。少了標點這種自然的分隔，詞句會重新組合，意義有時也會改變。以上例句使用六個標點符號，能讓意思更清楚－「medal-winning」加上連字號後，成了複合修飾詞；「away」後加上分號，可以分隔「轉身離開」與接下來的「躡手躡腳經過走廊、飛奔出門」；「door」之後加上分號則為事件做結；「lodges」加上所有格符號，說明滑雪選手是從「一間」屋子離開。最後，「recess」之後的逗號則表明尖叫屬於一種幼稚的行為。如果以其他方式組合句子，意思就無法這麼清楚了。
Last Update at 2012-10-26 PM 12:46 | 0 Comments
1022 TPS Punctuation Mastery Contest－Win Your NTD200 eslite 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！
2012-10-22
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:
“Then the medal winning skiers turned away down the hall in their stocking feet they crept and flew out the lodges back door like children at recess they squealed.
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:
“Then the medal winning skiers turned away down the hall in their stocking feet they crept and flew out the lodges back door like children at recess they squealed.
Last Update at 2012-10-26 PM 12:44 | 0 Comments
What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?
2012-10-18
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.
“When the book-selection committee announced its choice, bitterly disappointed library staff members huddled around the Jotul stove, stoking their resentment.”
「書籍評委會公布書單後，失望的圖書館員圍在火爐旁，煽動不滿的情緒。」
Wildfires sweep across vast regions of open land without much encouragement, a small spark getting caught up in a wind and turning into a conflagration. But smaller, contained fires usually are not as spontaneous. They need nurturing. This is when a fire-tender “stokes” a fire. If the fire has died down, he stirs its red-hot embers until air can encircle them and cause them to flare again. Then he introduces new fuel that is small enough in diameter to be ignited by the embers and smoldering ash. In this way, a dying fire is given new life and heat again is produced.
野火無須煽動就能燎原，火星經風勢助長也會化成熊熊烈焰。但爐內微小的火焰通常不會自發性的燃燒，需要培育。因此顧火的人必須「stoke」（煽動）火焰。若火焰已經熄滅，就需翻動熾熱的餘燼，直到包圍的空氣讓火焰再度燃起。接著還要加入柴薪，柴薪必須夠細，才能讓餘燼點燃。這樣一來，即將熄滅的火焰就能復燃，再度發熱。
When the writer talks about a group of disappointed people “stoking their resentment,” he is using the fire-building metaphor. Singly, the individuals are smoldering with bad feeling. When they gather—symbolically around a wood-burning stove—they figuratively blow on each other’s embers until they together become a hot, open flame of dissatisfaction. The usual conclusion in such situations is that the disgruntlement consumes some of the people, just as a fire consumes a log, and they are destroyed by the experience. The metaphor works beautifully clear to the end.
文章寫到一群失望的人「煽動不滿的情緒」，使用了生火的比喻。個人不滿的情緒獨自鬱積，等他們聚集在一起，象徵性地圍繞著燒柴的火爐，每個人心中的不快受到比喻性的煽動，最後燒成不滿的怒火。在這種情況下，結局通常就像火焰燒掉柴薪，不滿也會「燒」掉、毀滅一些人。這個比喻直到最後都很貼切。
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.
“When the book-selection committee announced its choice, bitterly disappointed library staff members huddled around the Jotul stove, stoking their resentment.”
「書籍評委會公布書單後，失望的圖書館員圍在火爐旁，煽動不滿的情緒。」
Wildfires sweep across vast regions of open land without much encouragement, a small spark getting caught up in a wind and turning into a conflagration. But smaller, contained fires usually are not as spontaneous. They need nurturing. This is when a fire-tender “stokes” a fire. If the fire has died down, he stirs its red-hot embers until air can encircle them and cause them to flare again. Then he introduces new fuel that is small enough in diameter to be ignited by the embers and smoldering ash. In this way, a dying fire is given new life and heat again is produced.
野火無須煽動就能燎原，火星經風勢助長也會化成熊熊烈焰。但爐內微小的火焰通常不會自發性的燃燒，需要培育。因此顧火的人必須「stoke」（煽動）火焰。若火焰已經熄滅，就需翻動熾熱的餘燼，直到包圍的空氣讓火焰再度燃起。接著還要加入柴薪，柴薪必須夠細，才能讓餘燼點燃。這樣一來，即將熄滅的火焰就能復燃，再度發熱。
When the writer talks about a group of disappointed people “stoking their resentment,” he is using the fire-building metaphor. Singly, the individuals are smoldering with bad feeling. When they gather—symbolically around a wood-burning stove—they figuratively blow on each other’s embers until they together become a hot, open flame of dissatisfaction. The usual conclusion in such situations is that the disgruntlement consumes some of the people, just as a fire consumes a log, and they are destroyed by the experience. The metaphor works beautifully clear to the end.
文章寫到一群失望的人「煽動不滿的情緒」，使用了生火的比喻。個人不滿的情緒獨自鬱積，等他們聚集在一起，象徵性地圍繞著燒柴的火爐，每個人心中的不快受到比喻性的煽動，最後燒成不滿的怒火。在這種情況下，結局通常就像火焰燒掉柴薪，不滿也會「燒」掉、毀滅一些人。這個比喻直到最後都很貼切。
Last Update at 2012-10-19 AM 10:25 | 0 Comments
1015 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest－Answer and Explanation你能找出混淆字嗎? 正確解答!
2012-10-16
Correct best answer: Replace “prawns” with “fawns.”
“A doe and two spotted fawns played in the meadow near the house, but when the hunter walked over the hill, the animals froze and then bounded away.”
This classic mistake cannot be easily excused. It is not a typo, since two letters are substituted for one. It is not a totally nonsensical substitution, since prawns and fawns are both living things though unalike in most characteristics. It is a glaring error borne of tiredness or sloppiness or some other human weakness that has not been safeguarded against by proofreading or by letting someone else see it other than the writer. In the end, the writer will be embarrassed by the ensuing laughter, which may or may not be sufficient incentive to become more careful.
要為這個誇張的錯誤找藉口並不容易。這不是打錯字，因為有兩個字母被換成一個字母，這個字也不是完全沒有意義，「prawn」（明蝦）和「fawn」（小鹿）都是動物，只是彼此特性完全不同。或許是因為疲倦、馬虎或其他過失，又沒有校對或另一個人把關，才造成這個明顯的錯誤。這個好笑的錯誤肯定讓作者很尷尬，或許作者以後會知道要更小心一點。
“A doe and two spotted fawns played in the meadow near the house, but when the hunter walked over the hill, the animals froze and then bounded away.”
This classic mistake cannot be easily excused. It is not a typo, since two letters are substituted for one. It is not a totally nonsensical substitution, since prawns and fawns are both living things though unalike in most characteristics. It is a glaring error borne of tiredness or sloppiness or some other human weakness that has not been safeguarded against by proofreading or by letting someone else see it other than the writer. In the end, the writer will be embarrassed by the ensuing laughter, which may or may not be sufficient incentive to become more careful.
要為這個誇張的錯誤找藉口並不容易。這不是打錯字，因為有兩個字母被換成一個字母，這個字也不是完全沒有意義，「prawn」（明蝦）和「fawn」（小鹿）都是動物，只是彼此特性完全不同。或許是因為疲倦、馬虎或其他過失，又沒有校對或另一個人把關，才造成這個明顯的錯誤。這個好笑的錯誤肯定讓作者很尷尬，或許作者以後會知道要更小心一點。
Last Update at 2012-10-16 AM 11:14 | 0 Comments
1015 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!
2012-10-15
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:
“A doe and two spotted prawns played in the meadow near the house, but when the hunter walked over the hill, the animals froze and then bounded away.”
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:
“A doe and two spotted prawns played in the meadow near the house, but when the hunter walked over the hill, the animals froze and then bounded away.”
Last Update at 2012-10-16 AM 11:12 | 0 Comments
This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的
2012-10-11
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
“The thinking of a truly dedicated motorcyclist varies all over the place, with riders reflecting the riding environments surrounding them. Urban bikers, with machines most commonly in the 125-250-cc range, mostly believe their motorcycles are work vehicles and that’s all. They openly brag about a machine’s nimbleness when cars and truck press in on all sides and also brag about a motorcycle’s penny-pinching fuel consumption. On the other hand, motorcyclists with cross-country motorcycles powered by much larger engines—1,200 cubic centimeters and larger—often develop more deeply philosophical feelings for bikes. Completion of a motorcycle ride of a thousand miles can inspire in them Zen-like moods.”
This writer takes a fast subject and bogs it down in words. Too many words. Imprecise words. The second word, “thinking,” doesn’t even fully express the subject of the writing, which is a motorcyclist’s “psychology,” the thinking and behavior of a person. The writer’s worst offense is wordiness—“all over the place” instead of “widely,” “most” in front of “commonly,” “and that’s all” for no reason at all. “When cars and trucks press in on all sides” is a wholly unneeded phrase. The length of the piece can be sharply reduced through better word choices and elimination of unnecessary words. Do you see other examples of this problem?
本文描寫一項風馳電掣的主題，但用詞冗贅不精，使文氣凝滯而難以動彈。首先，第二個詞「thinking」並未充分表達寫作主題，也就是摩托車騎士的想法、行為等「psychology」（心理）。其次，這段文章最大的毛病就是太囉嗦，「all over the place」應該改為「widely」，「commonly」前不需要加「most」，「and that’s all」根本沒必要，「when cars and trucks press in on all sides」也完全多餘。若選詞更精當，並刪去不必要的辭彙，就可以大幅精簡這段冗長的文章。你是否還看到其他冗贅的用字？
Acceptable 認可的文章
“The psychology of a dedicated motorcyclist varies widely, with riders reflecting their riding environments. Urban bikers, with machines commonly in the 125-250-cc range, mostly treat a motorcycle like a utilitarian vehicle. They openly value a machine’s traffic nimbleness and its frugal fuel consumption. Motorcyclists with cross-country cruisers powered by larger engines—1,200 cubic centimeters and above—often develop more philosophical attachments to their bikes. Completion of a ride of a thousand miles can inspire Zen-like meditation.”
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
“The thinking of a truly dedicated motorcyclist varies all over the place, with riders reflecting the riding environments surrounding them. Urban bikers, with machines most commonly in the 125-250-cc range, mostly believe their motorcycles are work vehicles and that’s all. They openly brag about a machine’s nimbleness when cars and truck press in on all sides and also brag about a motorcycle’s penny-pinching fuel consumption. On the other hand, motorcyclists with cross-country motorcycles powered by much larger engines—1,200 cubic centimeters and larger—often develop more deeply philosophical feelings for bikes. Completion of a motorcycle ride of a thousand miles can inspire in them Zen-like moods.”
This writer takes a fast subject and bogs it down in words. Too many words. Imprecise words. The second word, “thinking,” doesn’t even fully express the subject of the writing, which is a motorcyclist’s “psychology,” the thinking and behavior of a person. The writer’s worst offense is wordiness—“all over the place” instead of “widely,” “most” in front of “commonly,” “and that’s all” for no reason at all. “When cars and trucks press in on all sides” is a wholly unneeded phrase. The length of the piece can be sharply reduced through better word choices and elimination of unnecessary words. Do you see other examples of this problem?
本文描寫一項風馳電掣的主題，但用詞冗贅不精，使文氣凝滯而難以動彈。首先，第二個詞「thinking」並未充分表達寫作主題，也就是摩托車騎士的想法、行為等「psychology」（心理）。其次，這段文章最大的毛病就是太囉嗦，「all over the place」應該改為「widely」，「commonly」前不需要加「most」，「and that’s all」根本沒必要，「when cars and trucks press in on all sides」也完全多餘。若選詞更精當，並刪去不必要的辭彙，就可以大幅精簡這段冗長的文章。你是否還看到其他冗贅的用字？
Acceptable 認可的文章
“The psychology of a dedicated motorcyclist varies widely, with riders reflecting their riding environments. Urban bikers, with machines commonly in the 125-250-cc range, mostly treat a motorcycle like a utilitarian vehicle. They openly value a machine’s traffic nimbleness and its frugal fuel consumption. Motorcyclists with cross-country cruisers powered by larger engines—1,200 cubic centimeters and above—often develop more philosophical attachments to their bikes. Completion of a ride of a thousand miles can inspire Zen-like meditation.”
Last Update at 2012-10-12 AM 10:47 | 0 Comments
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