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 love academics. I crave intellectual stimulation. However, I do not like writing academic papers and the subsequent publishing scene. How do I learn to embrace a part of the academic life that frankly doesn’t interest me?
我喜歡學術，我渴求學術智識上的刺激，但是我不喜歡寫學術文章，以及學術發表場面。坦白說我一點也不喜歡這部分，但我要怎麼學會接受它？
Your frankness is refreshing, if somewhat disturbing. You seem committed to a profession while rejecting one of its principal tenets—sharing knowledge gleaned from research. The tension inherent in that dichotomy does not bode well for your career in academia. It is not unlike the young person who wants to be a champion swimmer yet is fearful of water. One cannot win a breaststroke contest standing beside the pool. In the same way, achieving satisfaction as a scholar is not likely unless your aversion to writing is overcome.
你的坦白很新鮮，不過有點令人擔心。你似乎專心致志於一項專業，卻又不接受這項專業的主要原則－分享研究中獲取的知識。這種分裂造成的拉鋸，對你的學術生涯不是個好預兆。年輕人想當游泳冠軍，可不能怕水，只站在池邊是贏不了蛙式比賽的。同樣地，不能克服對寫作的反感，也無法在學術上成功。
How do you learn to at least like writing in a scholarly vein? You learn the same way the erstwhile reluctant swimmer learns to accommodate full-body immersion in water: You jump in. First you must decide scholarship and academia are your best vocational choice. Then you must commit to the joys and challenges of the profession. You already evidently embrace the joyous parts of the scholarly life; getting your arms around the part that challenges you is the remaining task. You may never love writing, but you would be wise to learn to like it. It isn’t going away.
該怎麼學會至少「不討厭」學術寫作？就像以前不敢游泳的人一樣：跳下去，整個人浸入水裡。首先你得確定要選擇學術研究為業，接著你得為其中的快樂與挑戰付出。顯然你已經擁抱學術生涯中快樂的部分了，剩下來就是對挑戰展開雙臂了。你可能永遠不會喜歡寫作，但你會懂得不討厭寫作。寫作的問題不會自己解決。
To help yourself, you should determine just what it is you deplore about writing academic literature. Is it grammar that defeats you? Put in the time to master it. Is it a failure of imagination, an inability to clearly project an original thought onto a written page? Is it impatience, an unwillingness to sit at a keyboard for the duration of a writing project? These are mechanical issues that someone with a true love of learning ought to be able to successfully address. You are on the right track by admitting your hang-up. Now you must get rid of it.
要解決問題，你應該找出自己究竟討厭學術寫作的哪部分。困擾你的是文法嗎？多花時間熟悉文法。或者你缺少想像力，難以把獨創的想法清楚表達在紙上？還是缺乏耐力，不願意坐在鍵盤前寫作？如果你對學習有熱情，一定能順利處理這些技術問題。能承認自己的寫作問題已經是成功的第一步了，現在該想方法解決問題了。
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 love academics. I crave intellectual stimulation. However, I do not like writing academic papers and the subsequent publishing scene. How do I learn to embrace a part of the academic life that frankly doesn’t interest me?
我喜歡學術，我渴求學術智識上的刺激，但是我不喜歡寫學術文章，以及學術發表場面。坦白說我一點也不喜歡這部分，但我要怎麼學會接受它？
Your frankness is refreshing, if somewhat disturbing. You seem committed to a profession while rejecting one of its principal tenets—sharing knowledge gleaned from research. The tension inherent in that dichotomy does not bode well for your career in academia. It is not unlike the young person who wants to be a champion swimmer yet is fearful of water. One cannot win a breaststroke contest standing beside the pool. In the same way, achieving satisfaction as a scholar is not likely unless your aversion to writing is overcome.
你的坦白很新鮮，不過有點令人擔心。你似乎專心致志於一項專業，卻又不接受這項專業的主要原則－分享研究中獲取的知識。這種分裂造成的拉鋸，對你的學術生涯不是個好預兆。年輕人想當游泳冠軍，可不能怕水，只站在池邊是贏不了蛙式比賽的。同樣地，不能克服對寫作的反感，也無法在學術上成功。
How do you learn to at least like writing in a scholarly vein? You learn the same way the erstwhile reluctant swimmer learns to accommodate full-body immersion in water: You jump in. First you must decide scholarship and academia are your best vocational choice. Then you must commit to the joys and challenges of the profession. You already evidently embrace the joyous parts of the scholarly life; getting your arms around the part that challenges you is the remaining task. You may never love writing, but you would be wise to learn to like it. It isn’t going away.
該怎麼學會至少「不討厭」學術寫作？就像以前不敢游泳的人一樣：跳下去，整個人浸入水裡。首先你得確定要選擇學術研究為業，接著你得為其中的快樂與挑戰付出。顯然你已經擁抱學術生涯中快樂的部分了，剩下來就是對挑戰展開雙臂了。你可能永遠不會喜歡寫作，但你會懂得不討厭寫作。寫作的問題不會自己解決。
To help yourself, you should determine just what it is you deplore about writing academic literature. Is it grammar that defeats you? Put in the time to master it. Is it a failure of imagination, an inability to clearly project an original thought onto a written page? Is it impatience, an unwillingness to sit at a keyboard for the duration of a writing project? These are mechanical issues that someone with a true love of learning ought to be able to successfully address. You are on the right track by admitting your hang-up. Now you must get rid of it.
要解決問題，你應該找出自己究竟討厭學術寫作的哪部分。困擾你的是文法嗎？多花時間熟悉文法。或者你缺少想像力，難以把獨創的想法清楚表達在紙上？還是缺乏耐力，不願意坐在鍵盤前寫作？如果你對學習有熱情，一定能順利處理這些技術問題。能承認自己的寫作問題已經是成功的第一步了，現在該想方法解決問題了。
Posted at 2012-09-07 11:12:34
最新回應