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: I nearly always open a paper by posing a question. Sometimes it is rhetorical, sometimes it is meant to be tantalizing. Either way, it is designed to get a reader’s attention. My professor suggests I try something else. But it if works, why do something different?
每次寫論文，我幾乎都用一道問題起頭，有時是個反詰問句，有時是為了讓人好奇，總之是為了引起讀者的興趣。但是教授卻建議我用別的開頭。問題是，如果這種方式有效，為什麼要換其他方式呢？
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—that’s your theory? And you are correct that abandoning a proven outline and writing style for no reason doesn’t make much sense. But in this case, there are reasons to change. There are, in fact, good reasons to substitute another introductory style for one of your choice that has worked in the past. The first good reason is: Your professor has suggested it. Unless you have some reason to believe he doesn’t have your best interests at heart, you would do well to accept his suggestion as a valid one. Why else would he suggest it?
東西沒壞就不必修理－這就是你的看法，對嗎？雖然無故放棄效果良好的提綱寫作風格，確實沒有道理，不過，從你的情況來看，你確實必須改變，以其他方式，取代過去成效良好的開頭。第一個理由是：你的教授建議你改變。除非你認為教授不是為你著想，不然你最好還是接受他的意見。若不是為你好，他為什麼會這樣建議？
Another reason to try another lead is that at some point in your writing career you are going to be assigned a subject that simply does not lend itself to introduction via a question. No matter how clever you might be, in that instance you will not be able to effectively start your paper by asking a question. When that occurs, you will wish you had developed several lead paragraph techniques from which to choose a best one—a startling declaration, perhaps… announcement of new evidence and findings… affirmation of an old truth. These, too, can capture reader interest.
嘗試另一種開頭的理由是，在寫作生涯中，到了某一個時間點，你的題目就是無法用一個問題開頭。不管你多聰明，你都無法有效地用一個問題為論文起頭。到那時候，你會希望自己多練習過幾個不同的開頭技巧，好從中選一個最恰當的來用。可能是宣稱一鳴驚人的論點、公佈新的證據與發現，或是證實過去的事實。這些技巧也都能抓住讀者的興趣。
Possibly the most important reason to develop a variety of paper introduction methods is that it stretches your brain and adds to your expertise as an academic writer. The desire to keep learning and growing as a scholar is intrinsic in every facet of your work. If you are complacent about learning—in this case, learning additional ways to start a paper—you are exhibiting a serious defect in your intellectual make-up. A better attitude would see you welcoming such suggestions from teaching staff and showing them you have it in you to try new things and be successful.
學習運用各種不同的方法為論文開場，最重要的原因或許是，它可以鍛鍊你的腦力、增進學術寫作的能力。你的工作成果應該在各方面展現持續學習與學術成長的渴望；若你在學習上志得意滿，以你的情況來說，就是不願意學習其他論文起頭的方式，則你的知識體系就會呈現嚴重的缺憾。比較良好的態度，應該是接受教授的建議，展現自己能虛心受教，願意嘗試新的寫作方式，才能寫出優異的論文。
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: I nearly always open a paper by posing a question. Sometimes it is rhetorical, sometimes it is meant to be tantalizing. Either way, it is designed to get a reader’s attention. My professor suggests I try something else. But it if works, why do something different?
每次寫論文，我幾乎都用一道問題起頭，有時是個反詰問句，有時是為了讓人好奇，總之是為了引起讀者的興趣。但是教授卻建議我用別的開頭。問題是，如果這種方式有效，為什麼要換其他方式呢？
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it—that’s your theory? And you are correct that abandoning a proven outline and writing style for no reason doesn’t make much sense. But in this case, there are reasons to change. There are, in fact, good reasons to substitute another introductory style for one of your choice that has worked in the past. The first good reason is: Your professor has suggested it. Unless you have some reason to believe he doesn’t have your best interests at heart, you would do well to accept his suggestion as a valid one. Why else would he suggest it?
東西沒壞就不必修理－這就是你的看法，對嗎？雖然無故放棄效果良好的提綱寫作風格，確實沒有道理，不過，從你的情況來看，你確實必須改變，以其他方式，取代過去成效良好的開頭。第一個理由是：你的教授建議你改變。除非你認為教授不是為你著想，不然你最好還是接受他的意見。若不是為你好，他為什麼會這樣建議？
Another reason to try another lead is that at some point in your writing career you are going to be assigned a subject that simply does not lend itself to introduction via a question. No matter how clever you might be, in that instance you will not be able to effectively start your paper by asking a question. When that occurs, you will wish you had developed several lead paragraph techniques from which to choose a best one—a startling declaration, perhaps… announcement of new evidence and findings… affirmation of an old truth. These, too, can capture reader interest.
嘗試另一種開頭的理由是，在寫作生涯中，到了某一個時間點，你的題目就是無法用一個問題開頭。不管你多聰明，你都無法有效地用一個問題為論文起頭。到那時候，你會希望自己多練習過幾個不同的開頭技巧，好從中選一個最恰當的來用。可能是宣稱一鳴驚人的論點、公佈新的證據與發現，或是證實過去的事實。這些技巧也都能抓住讀者的興趣。
Possibly the most important reason to develop a variety of paper introduction methods is that it stretches your brain and adds to your expertise as an academic writer. The desire to keep learning and growing as a scholar is intrinsic in every facet of your work. If you are complacent about learning—in this case, learning additional ways to start a paper—you are exhibiting a serious defect in your intellectual make-up. A better attitude would see you welcoming such suggestions from teaching staff and showing them you have it in you to try new things and be successful.
學習運用各種不同的方法為論文開場，最重要的原因或許是，它可以鍛鍊你的腦力、增進學術寫作的能力。你的工作成果應該在各方面展現持續學習與學術成長的渴望；若你在學習上志得意滿，以你的情況來說，就是不願意學習其他論文起頭的方式，則你的知識體系就會呈現嚴重的缺憾。比較良好的態度，應該是接受教授的建議，展現自己能虛心受教，願意嘗試新的寫作方式，才能寫出優異的論文。
Posted at 2012-07-17 11:01:08
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