Professor Pedantic 教授的考究學問
TPS的編輯教授在此歡迎關於學術文章的所有詢問，當然，其實他並沒有足夠的時間給你。他擁有終身教職的教授身份，也是著名的學術巨作作者。即便如此，他仍大方地接受你們的詢問。將關於學術方面的詢問寫在下方，你將獲得教授的親自指導，陶冶對學術的探索與啟發。
The professor awaits your query on academic writing, though in all honesty, he doesn’t have a lot of time for you. He is a tenured full professor and working on yet another magnificent academic tome. Even so, he has graciously consented to entertain your question. Submit it and prepare to be edified.
QUESTION: My instructor told me before I began my latest paper that this time I should try to avoid a weak conclusion, which he says is a habit of mine. I guess I don’t understand how to write a good conclusion. Can you help?
我最近要寫一篇論文，指導教授認為我的結論總是太無力，希望我改掉這個習慣。我不知道怎麼寫好結論，能給我些建議嗎？
I don’t know if I can help. Writing habits are tough to change. A writer becomes comfortable assembling words in a familiar way. When a different sentence structure is attempted, it produces discomfort. Because no one is comfortable being uncomfortable, an uneasy writer typically tries to regain writing comfort by returning to a habitual style. So, to change your habit of writing inconclusively, you will have to be OK with change. To overcome writing weak conclusions, you will have to learn to write strong ones.
我不知道能否幫上忙，寫作習慣很難改，寫作的人喜歡用自己熟悉的方式組織字句，如果改變句子結構，就會覺得很不自在。沒有人喜歡不自在，一旦感覺不對就會重回習慣的寫作方式。所以，要改變寫作習慣，讓結論更堅定，首先你必須樂意改變。想改掉無力的結論，你得先學會如何寫出有力的結論。
First, I suspect your problem is mostly about organizing and thinking, not writing. We’ll get to the words in a moment. A paper’s conclusion should reiterate, but not mindlessly list, the paper’s central points. It should distill the paper into its essence. The goal is to have a reader put down your paper with that essence of it in his frontal lobe and well on its way to becoming a long-term memory. A simple reiteration won’t do this. An essential summary will. So you see, writing skill is valuable in a paper clear to the end.
首先，我想你的問題主要不是寫作，而是組織與思考。我們待會兒再談寫作。結論應重申論點，但不是草草列出論點，應該強調重點；結論應該去蕪存菁，讓讀者看完後能抓到文章菁華，並久久不忘，為此，不能只是簡單列出論點，必須寫出重點摘要才能達到效果。可見，要讓論文內容自始至終都很清晰，寫作技巧非常重要。
One more tip: Let your conclusion partially be a bridge to future research or discovery. Position yourself as the bearer of new information without presuming to have the last word on the subject. Modesty is a virtue. As to the actual writing, don’t mince words. Boldly state the fruits of your research—as if you believe them! Be declarative, not mousy, in affirming the truth of the paper and the weight of its evidence. If you trust your work, be confident about where it took you. If you hedge, you will arouse skepticism.
寫作結論還有個技巧，即結論有一部分要能推展到後續研究或發現，文章應該傳遞新資訊，但不要妄自為該主題的研究下定論。謙虛是種美德，但實際寫作時，不要 拐彎抹角，果敢地說明研究成果，就像你衷心相信這些成果很重要。不要畏畏縮縮，大方肯定自己的研究發現與重要佐證。如果你相信自己的努力，說明努力的成果 時要有自信，閃爍其詞會讓人懷疑。
The professor awaits your query on academic writing, though in all honesty, he doesn’t have a lot of time for you. He is a tenured full professor and working on yet another magnificent academic tome. Even so, he has graciously consented to entertain your question. Submit it and prepare to be edified.
QUESTION: My instructor told me before I began my latest paper that this time I should try to avoid a weak conclusion, which he says is a habit of mine. I guess I don’t understand how to write a good conclusion. Can you help?
我最近要寫一篇論文，指導教授認為我的結論總是太無力，希望我改掉這個習慣。我不知道怎麼寫好結論，能給我些建議嗎？
I don’t know if I can help. Writing habits are tough to change. A writer becomes comfortable assembling words in a familiar way. When a different sentence structure is attempted, it produces discomfort. Because no one is comfortable being uncomfortable, an uneasy writer typically tries to regain writing comfort by returning to a habitual style. So, to change your habit of writing inconclusively, you will have to be OK with change. To overcome writing weak conclusions, you will have to learn to write strong ones.
我不知道能否幫上忙，寫作習慣很難改，寫作的人喜歡用自己熟悉的方式組織字句，如果改變句子結構，就會覺得很不自在。沒有人喜歡不自在，一旦感覺不對就會重回習慣的寫作方式。所以，要改變寫作習慣，讓結論更堅定，首先你必須樂意改變。想改掉無力的結論，你得先學會如何寫出有力的結論。
First, I suspect your problem is mostly about organizing and thinking, not writing. We’ll get to the words in a moment. A paper’s conclusion should reiterate, but not mindlessly list, the paper’s central points. It should distill the paper into its essence. The goal is to have a reader put down your paper with that essence of it in his frontal lobe and well on its way to becoming a long-term memory. A simple reiteration won’t do this. An essential summary will. So you see, writing skill is valuable in a paper clear to the end.
首先，我想你的問題主要不是寫作，而是組織與思考。我們待會兒再談寫作。結論應重申論點，但不是草草列出論點，應該強調重點；結論應該去蕪存菁，讓讀者看完後能抓到文章菁華，並久久不忘，為此，不能只是簡單列出論點，必須寫出重點摘要才能達到效果。可見，要讓論文內容自始至終都很清晰，寫作技巧非常重要。
One more tip: Let your conclusion partially be a bridge to future research or discovery. Position yourself as the bearer of new information without presuming to have the last word on the subject. Modesty is a virtue. As to the actual writing, don’t mince words. Boldly state the fruits of your research—as if you believe them! Be declarative, not mousy, in affirming the truth of the paper and the weight of its evidence. If you trust your work, be confident about where it took you. If you hedge, you will arouse skepticism.
寫作結論還有個技巧，即結論有一部分要能推展到後續研究或發現，文章應該傳遞新資訊，但不要妄自為該主題的研究下定論。謙虛是種美德，但實際寫作時，不要 拐彎抹角，果敢地說明研究成果，就像你衷心相信這些成果很重要。不要畏畏縮縮，大方肯定自己的研究發現與重要佐證。如果你相信自己的努力，說明努力的成果 時要有自信，閃爍其詞會讓人懷疑。
Posted at 2011-07-13 21:45:15
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