Thinking… and Writing Part 1: Be a thinking reader 思考與寫作 第一步：當個會思考的讀者
身為一名學者及學術文章作者，有責任要以批判的角度進行閱讀。這對一個致力於學術研究的人來說並非難事，因為批判性思考是一項天賦。即便如此，有時候在閱讀與思考之間的界線還是有些模糊，甚至是最後寫作的部分。這兩項步驟是用來檢視如何將內心想法轉化為更有內容的學術文章。
As a scholar, an academic writer has a responsibility to read critically. This is not a difficult task for a person dedicated to scholarship; critical thinking comes naturally. Even so, sometimes there is a tenuous relationship between reading, thinking and, ultimately, writing. This 2-part series examines how mental activity translates into richer academic papers.
Part 1: Be a thinking reader
第一步：當個會思考的讀者
Sometimes we sit and read for pure pleasure. The book being read often is escapist material of some sort—an adventure story, perhaps—and our conscious minds usually don’t play an active role in evaluating what we are reading. But when we research books and other materials in preparation for writing a paper, unthinking reading is verboten. A scholar collecting material must be fully engaged during his reading of relevant material to extract from it not only the facts, but the nuances, such as valuable contextual material and allusions to previously unknown sources.
有時候，坐下來閱讀純粹只為了享受。所讀的書，像是冒險小說等，通常是我們用以逃避現實的工具，而我們的理性邏輯思維並不會特別深究我們正在閱讀的題材。但是當我們為了寫報告而鑽研書籍以及其他素材時，未經思索的閱讀是不被允許的。當一名學者蒐集資料時，他必須完全置身於閱讀或是其他相關素材之中，以摘取枝微末節，像是有價值的上下文內容以及一些來源不明的典故。
Being fully engaged means more than following the gist of an author’s argument or report. That is important, of course; when we don’t understand what we are reading, we have a problem right from the start. Presuming we can follow the thread of an author’s writing, we have only begun our engagement with the author. A critical thinker is free to challenge a writer’s assertions, or question a premise. A scholar should not be a sponge reader, soaking up every word and opinion. Rather he should be a reflective reader, actively evaluating what he is taking into his head.
「完全置身其中」意指明白作者的論點或者報告綱領。這當然是相當重要的；如果我們不能明白正在閱讀的內容，那麼研究一開始就出問題了。假設我們能夠理解作者寫作的脈絡，就能與作者一同置身作品之中。具批判性的思考寫作有可能挑戰作者的主張，也可能質疑作者假設的論點。一個學者不能當一個只進不出的海綿，把每一個字或想法都吸收進去。相反地，他應該要當一個反思性讀者（reflective reader），能積極地評斷所獲得的想法。
Reflective reading is facilitated by reading with pen or pencil in hand. A sentence that seems brimming with truth or falsehood might be underlined. A conclusion that seems very awry might deserve a notation in the margins of the page. A phrase that stirs your emotions—negatively or positively—warrants underlining for later examination. This is how a thinking person explores research material. The fruit of it is better grounding in a subject, finer understanding of an author, and perhaps inspiration for a related academic paper that he didn’t even know he had in him.
閱讀時準備一支筆或是鉛筆以供書寫，能有助於反思性的閱讀。看起來不確定正確或錯誤的句子都可畫線註記，看似怪誕模糊的結論也可在頁面上加以註釋。遇到帶有情緒性字眼的片語，不論是正面或是負面的，都應當先畫線，待稍後回頭檢查。這就是一個會思考的讀者面對研究素材的態度。這麼做會建立更穩健的論點基礎，更瞭解作者，甚至透過這樣的啟發，進而讓自己撰寫出全新領域的學術文章。
As a scholar, an academic writer has a responsibility to read critically. This is not a difficult task for a person dedicated to scholarship; critical thinking comes naturally. Even so, sometimes there is a tenuous relationship between reading, thinking and, ultimately, writing. This 2-part series examines how mental activity translates into richer academic papers.
Part 1: Be a thinking reader
第一步：當個會思考的讀者
Sometimes we sit and read for pure pleasure. The book being read often is escapist material of some sort—an adventure story, perhaps—and our conscious minds usually don’t play an active role in evaluating what we are reading. But when we research books and other materials in preparation for writing a paper, unthinking reading is verboten. A scholar collecting material must be fully engaged during his reading of relevant material to extract from it not only the facts, but the nuances, such as valuable contextual material and allusions to previously unknown sources.
有時候，坐下來閱讀純粹只為了享受。所讀的書，像是冒險小說等，通常是我們用以逃避現實的工具，而我們的理性邏輯思維並不會特別深究我們正在閱讀的題材。但是當我們為了寫報告而鑽研書籍以及其他素材時，未經思索的閱讀是不被允許的。當一名學者蒐集資料時，他必須完全置身於閱讀或是其他相關素材之中，以摘取枝微末節，像是有價值的上下文內容以及一些來源不明的典故。
Being fully engaged means more than following the gist of an author’s argument or report. That is important, of course; when we don’t understand what we are reading, we have a problem right from the start. Presuming we can follow the thread of an author’s writing, we have only begun our engagement with the author. A critical thinker is free to challenge a writer’s assertions, or question a premise. A scholar should not be a sponge reader, soaking up every word and opinion. Rather he should be a reflective reader, actively evaluating what he is taking into his head.
「完全置身其中」意指明白作者的論點或者報告綱領。這當然是相當重要的；如果我們不能明白正在閱讀的內容，那麼研究一開始就出問題了。假設我們能夠理解作者寫作的脈絡，就能與作者一同置身作品之中。具批判性的思考寫作有可能挑戰作者的主張，也可能質疑作者假設的論點。一個學者不能當一個只進不出的海綿，把每一個字或想法都吸收進去。相反地，他應該要當一個反思性讀者（reflective reader），能積極地評斷所獲得的想法。
Reflective reading is facilitated by reading with pen or pencil in hand. A sentence that seems brimming with truth or falsehood might be underlined. A conclusion that seems very awry might deserve a notation in the margins of the page. A phrase that stirs your emotions—negatively or positively—warrants underlining for later examination. This is how a thinking person explores research material. The fruit of it is better grounding in a subject, finer understanding of an author, and perhaps inspiration for a related academic paper that he didn’t even know he had in him.
閱讀時準備一支筆或是鉛筆以供書寫，能有助於反思性的閱讀。看起來不確定正確或錯誤的句子都可畫線註記，看似怪誕模糊的結論也可在頁面上加以註釋。遇到帶有情緒性字眼的片語，不論是正面或是負面的，都應當先畫線，待稍後回頭檢查。這就是一個會思考的讀者面對研究素材的態度。這麼做會建立更穩健的論點基礎，更瞭解作者，甚至透過這樣的啟發，進而讓自己撰寫出全新領域的學術文章。
Posted at 2013-01-22 11:06:44
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