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撰寫學術論文必須遵守某些特定風格和技巧的規範，雖然這些規範不至於讓創作學者寫得縛手縛腳，但某些經濟的寫作方式和表達法的限制向來被視為奉行不悖的圭臬。本專欄為撰寫學術論文的四大要訣，每項要訣都會刊登在TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers must conform to certain expectations about writing style and techniques. The rules are not so tight as to place a creative scholar in a straitjacket. However, certain economies of writing and constraints on expression are generally considered de rigueur. Following are four of the principal guidelines for writers of academic papers. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

4th Writing Guideline – Use Hedging Language
寫作要訣第四條：抽離

Hedging is a term that describes a writer distancing himself from what he writes. Wait a minute! That sounds a lot like imprecision! How can a writer concisely assert that a source or conclusion is valid and then vacillate about it? Strange as it sounds, this apparent dichotomy actually is quite complementary. A writer can, and should, make important points in a paper with both firmness and caution. After all, test results, experts and historical records often can be shown to produce opposite results, depending upon interpretation and circumstance. Writers need some cover.
抽離這個詞意指作者讓自己與所寫的文字保持距離。等等！這聽起來不就是不精確了嗎！作者怎麼可以簡要地主張一段出處或結論是站得住腳的，然後又自打嘴巴？聽起來很怪沒錯，但看似壁壘分明的作法其實非常相輔相成。作者可以、也應該在論文裡堅定且謹慎地闡述論點，但畢竟實驗結果、專家、過往紀錄往往都可能產生相反的結果，完全取決於不同的詮釋和情境，因此作者需要些防護措施。

Scholars produce papers for peer review and dialogue, so it is not necessary that a writer have the final word on a subject, in disciplines where finality on a subject actually is achievable. Rather, the purpose of writing an academic paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge. Therefore, a writer can assert a truth and base it on best available evidence, leaving the door open for other research on the subject. Hedging essentially invites observations on a topic and encourages additional research. Peers are not alienated by hedging, often joining in the discussion.
學者創作論文是為了接受學術圈同儕的檢視，引發討論，因此就算某些領域的某個主題最終真的可以達到共識，作者也不需要自己下最後結論。寫作學術論文的目的其實是為知識做出貢獻，因此作者可基於現有最好的證據主張某個真理，同時開放其他人針對同一主題做研究。自我抽離才能廣納更多的觀察，鼓勵後續研究。學術同儕也不會因為抽離而彼此疏遠，反而往往會一起參與討論。

Such dialogue is accomplished through phrasing. A writer displays professional humility in these phrases: “It may be possible to…” and “Such results suggest…” and “The probability is high that…” Compare those assertions to these more rigid declarations: “It proves that…” and “The results show…” and “There is little question that…” The standing of a scholar is not undermined when he uses more conciliatory language in a paper. The opposite is true. By hedging, a scholar demonstrates confidence in research and methodology—and conclusions speak for themselves.
這樣的溝通對話可以透過寫作的文字來傳達。例如作者在專業上想表達謙遜時，可以說：「或許…」、「這樣的結果意味著…」、「極有可能的是…」，相較這樣的語調與較強硬的宣稱「這證明了…」、「結果顯示…」、「幾乎可以肯定的是…」，在論文裡使用較低姿態的語氣絲毫不減損學者的身分地位，結果正好相反。藉由抽離自己，學者展現出對研究和方法論的信心，結論也就不言自明了。

撰寫學術論文必須遵守某些特定風格和技巧的規範，雖然這些規範不至於讓創作學者寫得縛手縛腳，但某些經濟的寫作方式和表達法的限制向來被視為奉行不悖的圭臬。本專欄為撰寫學術論文的四大要訣，每項要訣都會刊登在TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers must conform to certain expectations about writing style and techniques. The rules are not so tight as to place a creative scholar in a straitjacket. However, certain economies of writing and constraints on expression are generally considered de rigueur. Following are four of the principal guidelines for writers of academic papers. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

3rd Writing Guideline – Use Precise Language
寫作要訣第三條：精確

Precision in academic writing can take several forms, but each formulation contains this characteristic: exactness. For instance, an academic writer should be precise in describing research materials and methods. Doing so accomplishes more than one task. Here is an example: Saying that a chemist identified 14 compounds gives concrete evidence of his laboratory skills, whereas saying that a chemist’s work resulted in more than a dozen compounds leaves a reader guessing. Furthermore, “14” is shorter than “more than a dozen” and wordiness is not a virtue.
精確的學術寫作可以有好幾種形式，但每一種形式的共通點就是「是什麼就說什麼」。例如寫學術論文時，一定要精確描述研究材料和方法，這麼做的好處不只一個。舉個例子：一位化學家辨別出14種化合物，無疑證明了他高超的實驗技巧。但若寫成一位化學家的研究成果是找出了一打以上的化合物，讀者就得自己猜。況且「14」寫起來又比「一打以上」精簡，囉嗦在學術寫作裡絕不是美德。

Precision also refers to accuracy, which is a fundamental requisite of any celebrated academic paper. Inaccuracy leads to fallacy, misinformation, error and falsity. Can anything be more damaging to a paper and its author than to be described as wrong in its facts? In terms of language, inaccuracy misleads and confuses. For example, if a gathering of poets is called an “assembly,” one connotation is that formal rulemaking will occur. Calling it a “conference” suggests discussion. The words are not exactly interchangeable, and exactness matters.
精確也表示準確，這是任何好論文的基本要件。不準確就導致謬論、資訊不實、誤差、謊言，還有哪件事比起被指出事實有誤，更有損論文和作者的聲譽呢？而且不準確的用字還會誤導讀者、讓人困惑。舉個例子：如果一群詩人聚集的場合被稱為「集會(assembly)」，隱含的意思就是會有正式的決策，若稱為「會議(conference)」則表示歡迎大家討論。這兩個詞不見得可以互相替換，是什麼就說什麼相當重要。

Precision also is a virtue in terms of keeping a reader on track. When a reader experiences some confusion about a sequence of events or the thread of thought, a writer has failed to lead by not being explicit in his language. Such transition words and phrases as “consequently” and “in this way” help a reader stay on course. Similarly, clearly identifying a source rather than attributing it vaguely helps a reader weigh and sort complex information. Readers need help and precise verbal guideposts are helpful. A writer cannot be successful in an academic paper when readers get lost.
精確還有一個好處，就是引導讀者的思緒。當讀者對於一系列事件或思緒感到混亂時，表示作者使用的語言不夠明確，沒起到引導讀者的作用。「結果」、「如此一來」這些連接詞能幫助讀者順利地往下讀，同樣地，清楚指出出處而非模糊地指稱資料來源，也能幫助讀者判斷輕重，整理複雜的資訊。讀者需要幫助，精確的文字就像指路牌，非常有用。如果讀者在閱讀時迷失了，表示作者沒有寫出一篇成功的學術論文。

撰寫學術論文必須遵守某些特定風格和技巧的規範，雖然這些規範不至於讓創作學者寫得縛手縛腳，但某些經濟的寫作方式和表達法的限制向來被視為奉行不悖的圭臬。本專欄為撰寫學術論文的四大要訣，每項要訣都會刊登在TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers must conform to certain expectations about writing style and techniques. The rules are not so tight as to place a creative scholar in a straitjacket. However, certain economies of writing and constraints on expression are generally considered de rigueur. Following are four of the principal guidelines for writers of academic papers. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

2nd Writing Guideline – Use Objective Language
寫作要訣第二條：客觀

The opposite of objective language is subjective language. The first places emphasis on the topic of a paper. The second steals some of the emphasis and places it on the writer. An example of subjective writing is the following: “I closed the cage door and accidentally bumped the water dish, spilling the metered water.” The incident is expressed better without a writer reference: “The closing door bumped the water dish, spilling some water and spoiling the record.” Nothing is lost in the second telling. The water was spilled and the reader knows exactly who spilled it.
用字客觀的相反就是用字主觀。用字客觀就能強調出論文的主旨，用字主觀則減損了論文主旨的力道，反而凸顯作者本身。先舉個用字主觀的例子：「我正把籠子的門關上時，不小心碰倒了水盤，水濺了出來。」這樣的事件若不提及作者可以表達得更清楚：「正關上的門碰倒了水盤，濺出的水弄髒了紀錄。」第二種寫法保留了所有訊息，水濺了出來，而且讀者清楚知道是誰造成的。

So one reason to use objective language is to remove the writer from a reader’s train of thought. A reader can see on a title page the name of the person who authored a paper, and that’s sufficient credit. Objective language moves the narrative to a generally higher plain, where facts and clinical reportage reign. It is a level of discourse ruled by ordered thoughts and dispassionate explanation. Personal pronouns, opinions and other personal references spoil such prose and deflect the focus. Readers simply do not want to be interrupted by jarring allusions to self.
使用客觀文字的原因之一是將作者從讀者的思緒抽離。讀者可從論文標題頁知道作者的名字，這樣的信譽就足夠了。用字客觀能將論述提升到更高的層次，讓事實與觀察報導般的論述來主導，依賴的是有條理的思路和情感中立不偏私的解釋。人稱代名詞、個人意見、其他人的引述會破壞這樣的行文，偏離了焦點，讀者就是不想被東一句、西一句出自個人的典故震得頭昏腦脹。

Therefore, impersonal pronouns like “this” and “that” and “it” steadily carry a reader to a conclusion. Overall project references are impersonal as well—“the research,” for example, instead of “my research.” This writing style produces clean content that leads a reader unerringly from introduction to conclusion. This does not suggest that identifying characteristics of a writer be totally absent from a paper. But be careful. The word choices an author makes must, above all else, reflect the persona of a serious researcher whose sole intent is to nail his thesis to the wall.
所以「這」、「那」、「它」一類的不定代名詞能平穩地引導讀者讀至結論。整個研究的指稱也是不定的，例如要寫成「本研究」而非「我的研究」。這樣的寫作風格能創造出乾淨的內容，從前言到結論正確地引導讀者。但這並不表示論文中完全不能出現指涉作者特質的文字，只是要小心，作者選擇的字務必要能反映出認真做學的個性，唯一的意圖就是要把這篇論文從裡到外清楚地表達出來。

撰寫學術論文必須遵守某些特定風格和技巧的規範，雖然這些規範不至於讓創作學者寫得縛手縛腳，但某些經濟的寫作方式和表達法的限制向來被視為奉行不悖的圭臬。本專欄為撰寫學術論文的四大要訣，每項要訣都會刊登在TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers must conform to certain expectations about writing style and techniques. The rules are not so tight as to place a creative scholar in a straitjacket. However, certain economies of writing and constraints on expression are generally considered de rigueur. Following are four of the principal guidelines for writers of academic papers. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

1st Writing Guideline – Use Formal Language
寫作要訣第一條：正式

This is perhaps the most recognized guideline. Young scholars with any experience at all in crafting papers know about couching language formally. Unfortunately, some of their role models in the academic community only think they know about it: Their writing is more futile than formal and is an example of how not to write formally. Such academicians believe a long word in English always is better than a short one and that multiple syllables somehow give a word greater standing in academic circles. This is not formal writing, it is pretentious writing. Avoid it.
這大概是最廣受認同的要訣了。年輕學者不論寫論文的經驗多寡，都知道要字斟句酌地以正式的文字撰寫。不過有些學術圈前輩自認寫得很正式，但其實寫出來的文字與其說正式，不如說是無用，成為後生晚輩的負面教材。這些學者認為用冗長的英文字一定比短字好，有多音節的字在學術圈裡顯得更有份量。但這樣根本不是用語正式，而是自以為是，一定要避免。

In English, longer words tend to have roots in Latin or French, rather than Anglo-Saxon, so there is something of a haute couture factor in play: It is fashionable to dress up a paper in long words. Beware of such trends. What always is in fashion in English academic writing is clear language that communicates by melding long Latinate words and stubby Anglo expressions into a document of durable weight and significance. Hard and fast rules about word choices are not needed to accomplish this. Rather, a writer must develop good judgment about choosing words.
英文裡較長的字通常源自拉丁文或法文，而非源於盎格魯撒克遜文，用這些字就像自詡為學術圈的訂製高級時裝一樣，好似用長字替論文盛裝打扮是種時尚。務必小心這種潮流。在英文學術寫作裡永遠不退流行的，是混合長拉丁字和短小的盎格魯表達方式，寫成容易溝通的清楚文字，這樣的文章才有份量，經得起考驗。要做到這點，並不需硬性規定得選哪些字，但寫學術論文的人在選字時，一定要有好的判斷力。

Some choices are easy: Abbreviations should be avoided, for example; they are almost by definition informal. And colloquial words and phrases like “things” and “pretty much” have no place in formal writing. The same generally is true of combination phrases such as “lived-in” and “put off.” The tougher choices are between legitimate words such as “commence” and “begin,” “demonstrate” and “show,” or “reside” and “live.” Such words can add to the understanding of a paper in one usage, but detract in another. Judgment. Choosing words is an academic skill.
有時候選字很簡單，例如縮寫一定要避免，本質上縮寫就是不正式。另外，口語用的字詞或片語，像是「東西(things)」和「差不多(pretty much)」，是絕對不可出現在正式寫作裡的，「不錯(lived-in)」、「等一下(put off)」等組合型片語也都不適當。較難選擇的是一些正統用法，例如「開始」要用commence或是begin、「顯示」要用demonstrate或是show、「居住」要用reside或是live，這些字在某個用法下能讓論文變得更易懂，但用另一種用法可能反而有反效果。關鍵就在判斷力。選字是一項必備的學術技能。

每個寫作學術文章的人都是獨特的，他們研究的學科或許相同，但生活經歷、學術背景、個人目標都不一樣，這些獨特之處都應該在文章中表達出來。本專欄探討學者何以該找出個人的表達方式，又該如何進行。每項訣竅都會刊登在 TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers are individuals. Though they may pursue a common curricular discipline, they are different from one another in life experience, academic background, and personal goals. All of this should come through in their writing. This series explores why and how scholars can identify individual voices. The series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

Tip # 3 – Putting it to Work
訣竅三：實踐精進

Finding your voice is not just finding a writing identity. It is finding effective academic expression in terms that come naturally to you. This is important. Too often, writers who try to write outside themselves in the style of another academician encounter mental blocks. They get stuck and can’t proceed. Writers who have developed an individual voice navigate around these obstacles more easily because their thinking and writing are in harmony. While this advantage sometimes is underappreciated, writers who find their own voice know the difference.
尋找自己的表達方式不只是發展個人寫作特色，而是在寫學術文章時，用你自然想到的詞句，讓表達更簡潔有力。這一點很重要，常有人想以其他學者的風格寫作，結果妨礙了思考，讓自己困在原地無法繼續。如果能發展出自己的表達方式，代表思考與寫作風格能一致，如此就比較容易越過障礙。有些人無法了解其中的好處，但找到自己表達方式的人就知道箇中分別。

Whatever voice you have discovered as your own, continue to refine it as your academic career advances. If your voice is didactic—that is, instructive in tone and delivery—help it grow to where you smoothly lead your readers to a conclusion rather than harangue them. If it is vigorous in tone, make sure you don’t wear out your readers with uncontrolled energy. If it is vibrant in its language, guard against overpowering readers with too much imagery and color. Above all, keep your voice active, direct and purposeful. A passive voice will put a reader to sleep every time.
無論你發現自己屬於哪一種表達方式，記得在學術生涯中不斷精進表達。如果你的表達屬於教導式，也就是語調說法是在指導人怎麼做，要加強表達，將讀者自然導向結論，而不流於冗長的說教。如果你語調鏗鏘有力，切記不要過分熱切，讓人讀到疲乏。如果你的語言生動活潑，小心別使用過多意象與色彩，讓人讀到招架不住。最重要的是，表達方式要積極、直接、言之有物，消極被動的表達肯定會讓人讀到睡著。

A personal style of writing is the final piece in a well-organized, thoroughly researched and carefully cited paper. Academic writing is, of course, first “academic” and secondarily “writing.” In other words, a paper’s content, organization, citations, and originality constitute the critical mass in determining its success. Yet writing carries the biggest burden. It transcends all the rest. Writing that is effective and identifiably yours can partly mask a paper’s shortcomings in structure and sourcing, but only partly. Never rely on an authentic voice to sell a poor paper.
一篇論文如果結構嚴謹、研究透澈、引用清楚，再運用個人獨特的表達方式，就能畫龍點睛。學術寫作首要自然還是「學術」，其次才是「寫作」。換言之，一篇論文的內容、架構、引用、原創性最重要，決定了論文成敗。不過寫作凌駕其他部分，肩負表達文章主旨的大任。如果寫作清楚準確，並有你自己獨有的表達方式，可以掩蓋論文結構與引用資料的部分缺點，但也只是部份而已。千萬別想靠獨創的表達方式來掩蓋論文的拙劣。

每個寫作學術文章的人都是獨特的，他們研究的學科或許相同，但生活經歷、學術背景、個人目標都不一樣，這些獨特之處都應該在文章中表達出來。本專欄探討學者何以該找出個人的表達方式，又該如何進行。每項訣竅都會刊登在 TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers are individuals. Though they may pursue a common curricular discipline, they are different from one another in life experience, academic background, and personal goals. All of this should come through in their writing. This series explores why and how scholars can identify individual voices. The series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

Tip # 2 – In Search of the Genuine
訣竅二：找到自我

Scholars whose work generally is recognized as superior are confident people. They may be humble, but they are not awed by peers or predecessors. They have personal faith in the value of their own contributions to academic learning. In short, they believe in themselves. This self-esteem sustains them in their search for elusive truth or a critical source. It reassures them as they consider an approach to a subject or as they organize their material for coherent presentation. More to the point, it guides them as they express in their own words what they have discovered.
卓越的學者通常都是有自信的人。他們可能為人謙遜，但不會畏懼同儕或前輩，他們相信自己的貢獻對學術知識有價值。簡單來說，他們相信自己。自尊自重讓他們能堅持下去，尋求難以捉摸的真理或重要的資料來源，並讓他們在選擇研究方法，或組織材料、有條有理地表達時，能更有信心。更重要的是，自尊自重引導他們用自己的話說明研究發現。

How do they peel away self-deception and self-doubt and come to value themselves as valuable academic writers? They test themselves and evaluate the tests. To wit, they introduce metaphors in papers and learn which ones work, and which ones detract. They try various word patterns and phrasing and study the results purely through a reader’s eyes. They use jargon in a fresh way to see if it invigorates a sentence or deadens it. In short, through trial and error, they develop a writing style that is individual and effective as an academic instrument. They develop a voice.
他們怎麼避免矇騙或懷疑自己，最後看重自己的學術文章？答案是藉由一再測試，並評估測試結果。也就是說，他們會在論文中使用譬喻，了解哪些譬喻有用，哪些有害。他們嘗試各種遣詞用字與表達，並完全從讀者的角度出發，探討結果是否理想。他們以創新的方法運用術語，看句子是否更有活力，還是變得死氣沉沉。簡言之，他們反覆試驗，發展出個人獨特、有力的寫作風格，作為學術工具──他們發展出自己的表達方式。

Some of this development of an authentic writing voice is accomplished privately. But the ultimate test comes when a paper is submitted to an assigning professor. Besides commenting on topic and treatment, a professor evaluates the writing, and a self-assured writer learns from each evaluation. He may adjust his writing to accommodate criticisms. He will come to see which criticisms are valid and which are subjective and, therefore, less valid. After a few submitted papers, a writer will hit his stride and find his voice, his writing style, and perhaps his vocation.
雖然有些人是靠自己發展出獨特的表達方式，但論文交給教授後，才是最終的測試。教授除了針對主題與處理給予建議，也會對寫作良莠評價。有自信的作者能從每則評價中學習，也許會根據批評調整文章，並評估哪些評價有道理，哪些較主觀而不具參考價值。交過幾篇論文後，作者就能大步前進，找到自己的表達方式、自己的寫作風格、甚至找到自己的志業。

每個寫作學術文章的人都是獨特的，他們研究的學科或許相同，但生活經歷、學術背景、個人目標都不一樣，這些獨特之處都應該在文章中表達出來。本專欄探討學者何以該找出個人的表達方式，又該如何進行。每項訣竅都會刊登在 TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Academic writers are individuals. Though they may pursue a common curricular discipline, they are different from one another in life experience, academic background, and personal goals. All of this should come through in their writing. This series explores why and how scholars can identify individual voices. The series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

Tip # 1 – The Importance of You
訣竅一：知道自己的重要

Academia celebrates the great body of knowledge that has been accumulated through the centuries. A scholar’s twin mission is to recognize and access all of that knowledge—and to add to it. This is a grand work that can overwhelm a new scholar, who quite naturally is awed by the work of the many great academicians who preceded him. Consequently, some academic writers try to imitate the best of the writing styles they discover in their research. While emulating greatness is good, subverting one’s own identity in the process is not. You should write as you.
學術界龐大的整體知識，是基於數百年來的累積。每位學者都有兩項使命，一項是了解、運用學術知識，另一項是繼續累積新的知識。新手學者對第二項使命可能力有未逮，因為學術前輩留下的許多鉅作自然令人感到仰之彌高。因此，寫作學術文章時，有些人會模仿研究中發現最出色的寫作風格。仿效傑作固然不錯，寫作時卻不該放棄個人獨到之處。你應該用自己的表達方式寫作。

Why is this desirable? For one thing, you may be the next great academic writer, but the world will never know it if you don’t write as yourself! Recognizing greatness that emerged in the past does not preclude introducing greatness in the present. Nothing in the academic tradition requires today’s thinkers and writers to be obeisant to yesterday’s. Quite the opposite. Today’s scholars are expected to be stimulated by scholars of the past. As one of today’s scholars, you should use all of your faculties—including your writing intelligence—and become a bridge to the future.
為什麼要用自己的表達方式寫作？首先，你可能是學術寫作的下一個新星，但如果你不表現自我，沒有人會發現你的出色之處。了解過去的成就，不代表現在不能創造成就。學術傳統並未要求思想家或作者對前人恭順服從；剛好相反，如今的學者應該受到過去前輩鼓舞驅策。如今你身為學者，應該竭力發揮所能，運用自己的寫作技巧，成為通往未來的橋樑。

The fact is, if you imitate a favorite scholar-writer of yesteryear, you cannot do your best work. It is impossible to maximize your talent if a portion of it is left undeveloped. After all, it is your interests that lead you to an academic topic. Research progresses according to the values you place on the key elements of a paper. If you subsequently write in the style or voice of another person, the result will be an academic mish-mash because the writing is not congruent with the thinking behind it. A muddle results. You cannot effectively divorce yourself from your writing.
實際上，如果你一味模仿喜歡的學術前輩，就無法寫出最好的作品。如果有些才華受到壓抑，你就無法盡情發揮。畢竟，你是基於自己的興趣鑽研某個學術主題，並根據你自己重視的部分推動研究發展。如果你之後卻用另一個人的風格或表達方式寫文章，結果可能只得到一篇學術雜燴。如果文章無法貼合背後的思想，結果就是一團混亂。人的思考想法很難與文字脫節。

寫學術論文的人常聽說不要用幽默來表達觀點。雖然這個告誡用心良苦，但完全不用幽默又太過頭了。幽默是有效的溝通方法，而寫作學術論文本就該懂得運用各種溝通方法。本系列文章說明如何用適當的方式，在學術論文中有效運用幽默。文章將刊登在 TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於電子報。
Writers of academic papers are cautioned against employing humor to communicate their points. The caution is well-intentioned, but outright prohibition of lightly humorous material goes too far. Humor is a valid method of communication and authors of academic papers should have every method at their disposal. This series of columns will describe how humor can be effective and acceptable in scholarly writing. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

4th Humor Guideline – Use it Surprisingly
幽默守則第四條－幽默要出人意表

Comedians or naturally humorous people in social conversation are entertaining because they surprise listeners with something they say. When the mind is expecting to hear one thing and unexpectedly hears something else, it reacts. Researchers who explore how the brain reacts to unexpected stimuli affirm what lay observers already know to be true: Surprise stimulates learning by arousing the brain and drawing attention to a stimulus. Because humor surprises, academic writers should not forfeit it as a tool in stimulating and connecting with readers.
喜劇演員或有幽默天分的人平常聊天時很有趣，因為他們說的話讓人意想不到。如果心裡原本預期聽到某件事，但意外地聽到另一件事，便會有反應。有些研究人員探索大腦如何對意想不到的刺激反應，證實一般人都觀察到的事實：意外能激發大腦注意刺激，可促進學習。幽默讓人意想不到，因此寫作學術文章時，不應排斥用幽默來刺激讀者、和讀者交流。

On the other hand, people who reach for humor all the time in their communication injure their cause: They they accomplish just the opposite: They become too predictable. Surprise and predictability are communication opposites. When listeners or readers suspect that a punch line or a humorous twist is coming, they wait for it like vultures, ready to devour it if it isn’t lively. In the same way, academic writers who regularly inject humor set up themselves for failure. So, surprise readers. Deftly inject some well-chosen, amusing words at critical moments and win them over.
然而，有些人溝通時無時無刻都想表現幽默，反而會妨礙交流、適得其反，因為他們的行為太容易預料了。溝通時，「出人意表」和「不出所料」作用剛好相反，聽眾或讀者如果覺得接下來會出現詼諧笑料或風趣轉折，就會像禿鷲鷹一樣等著，如果幽默不夠活潑就會遭到吞噬。同樣的，寫學術文章一再固定表現幽默，那就是在自討苦吃。所以要出其不意，在關鍵時刻巧妙地加入幾句精心挑選、風趣詼諧的話，這樣就能收服讀者的心。

A professor or academic adviser will react appropriately to an amusing aside—that is, he will instantly become more engaged and more comfortable with the writer. This will happen if the surprise gently lifts his spirits, doesn’t detract from the point being made, and merges seamlessly with the sentences immediately preceding and following. The humor should seem to be natural expression and be thoroughly integrated into the serous flow of the paper. When this happens, a reader will be moved by the engaging sentence without pausing to consider just what moved him.
教授或指導教授讀到穿插的笑話會有適當的反應，讀起文章很快會更加投入、更輕鬆愉快。要有這種效果，幽默必須出乎意料、令人精神一振，也不會轉移讀者對觀點的注意力，並和前後文融合得天衣無縫。幽默要表達地自然，並徹底結合文章的走向脈絡。如此一來，讀者會受生動的文句打動，但不會停下來思索打動他的是什麼。

寫學術論文的人常聽說不要用幽默來表達觀點。雖然這個告誡用心良苦，但完全不用幽默又太過頭了。幽默是有效的溝通方法，而寫作學術論文本就該懂得運用各種溝通方法。本系列文章說明如何用適當的方式，在學術論文中有效運用幽默。文章將刊登在 TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於電子報。
Writers of academic papers are cautioned against employing humor to communicate their points. The caution is well-intentioned, but outright prohibition of lightly humorous material goes too far. Humor is a valid method of communication and authors of academic papers should have every method at their disposal. This series of columns will describe how humor can be effective and acceptable in scholarly writing. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

3rd Humor Guideline – Use it Sparingly
幽默守則第三條－幽默要節制使用

Humor in an academic paper is rare because it is virtually proscribed. Beginning writers are advised—make that… strictly warned—not to employ humor for the sensible reason that it is a difficult communication technique. Consequently, many beginning writers mature without ever having used an amusing aside or light touch. They simply do not use humor. That’s regrettable. Those willing to employ humor in a paper—in such light sprinklings that they almost honor the prohibition—can earn the respect of professors for communicating clearly and engagingly.
學術文章幾乎不許運用幽默，因此很少看到幽默。新手作者都聽過這個建議－應該說是嚴格的告誡－不要運用幽默，因為幽默是個困難的溝通技巧。這個理由很合理。因此許多新手作者在磨練成長中，從來不曾在文章裡穿插風趣或輕鬆幽默的文字，完全和幽默保持距離，實在很可惜。至於願意在論文裡運用幽默的人， 儘管只是輕描淡寫，好像也同意不該用幽默一樣，但卻因為表達清晰生動而能獲得教授青睞。

Here’s an example: In describing the reaction of a laboratory rodent, a writer might straight-forwardly observe, “The mouse smelled the tainted sugar, its nose reacting to the injected block, and returned to its cage.” That is a serviceable statement, but this is better: “The mouse sniffed at the sugar cube, sneezed, and turned tail on the treat.” Nothing in this recounting of the lab experience is frivolous, funny as such, or distracting. Yet the reader is given a gently arresting image that has the power to tease out a smile… that of a scampering, sneezing, retreating mouse.
舉例來說，描述實驗室裡老鼠的行為時可以平鋪直敘：「老鼠聞了加藥的糖，鼻子對注入藥物的方糖起反應，然後回到籠內」。這段描述還可以，但不如下面這段：「老鼠嗅了嗅方糖，打個噴嚏，轉身離開」。這段描述完全不輕浮、滑稽，也不會分散專注力，但意象能吸引讀者，呈現出一隻蹦蹦跳跳、打噴嚏、轉身跑掉的老鼠，讓人忍俊不禁。

A less disciplined writer might have gone overboard and written…”The mouse seemed to suspect the sugar contained a mickey, turned, and ran back to Minnie.” While this allusion to Disney characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse is cutely apt—a “mickey” is a secretly drugged drink or food—it tries too hard to incorporate them. The result is a tangent for a reader, a detour rather than continued forward movement of a narrative. Humor should not be used often, and never employed with a heavy hand, because the result is neither funny nor effective.
如果作者不夠嚴謹，可能會寫得太過火：「老鼠似乎懷疑糖裡藏了米奇，轉身，跑向米妮。」這個迪士尼卡通米奇米妮鼠的譬喻儘管可愛又機智，因為「米奇」（mickey）也指偷偷下了藥的食物飲料，但用在這裡卻斧鑿太深，結果讓讀者分心，干擾敘述而非讓敘述更流暢。幽默不該用得太頻繁，而且絕不能太過火，否則讀起來既不有趣也發揮不了作用。

寫學術論文的人常聽說不要用幽默來表達觀點。雖然這個告誡用心良苦，但完全不用幽默又太過頭了。幽默是有效的溝通方法，而寫作學術論文本就該懂得運用各種溝通方法。本系列文章說明如何用適當的方式，在學術論文中有效運用幽默。文章將刊登在 TPS 粉絲頁，最後集結於電子報。
Writers of academic papers are cautioned against employing humor to communicate their points. The caution is well-intentioned, but outright prohibition of lightly humorous material goes too far. Humor is a valid method of communication and authors of academic papers should have every method at their disposal. This series of columns will describe how humor can be effective and acceptable in scholarly writing. Each part in the series will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

2nd Humor Guideline – Use it Seriously
幽默守則第二條－幽默要慎重使用

Have you heard the one about the funnyman who became a surgeon? He left his patients in stitches. This joke might be amusing if the hearer of it is familiar with the colloquial phrase “in stitches,” which means laughing uncontrollably. If the phrase is unfamiliar, the stab at humor is only puzzling—and puzzlement is never a strength in an academic paper. Therefore, any writer making a comic allusion should be sure that the language of the humor is universal, or at least is in the vernacular of a grading professor. Puzzling humor is worse than leaden use of words.
你聽過一個笑話嗎？有個喜劇演員當了外科醫生，結果病人都笑得闔不攏嘴（譯註：這個笑話用了雙關語，原文 He left his patients in stitches，stitches 有縫線的意思，「in stitches」指笑得停不下來）。如果聽的人知道口語詞「in stitches」是讓人爆笑不止的意思，那這個笑話就很好笑。如果聽的人不知道，就會看不懂原本的幽默，而看不懂絕對算不上學術論文的優點。因此，寫作時如果要做幽默的比喻，要確定這種表達一般人都看得懂，或至少用的口語，打分數教授看得懂。看不懂的幽默，比沉悶的表達還糟糕。

More to the point, the insertion of a humorous aside or reflection always should help drive a narrative forward. It should help build momentum and add to a logical string. If it does none of that, it is doing the opposite—it is slowing and frustrating a reader. When a writer senses that his message is not crisp and lively, and chooses to be humorous in an effort to give it some “zip,” he has chosen unwisely. Reworking an entire body of writing to enliven it is always the best choice. Only if resorting to humor genuinely energizes a paper and advances a message is it acceptable.
更重要的是，穿插詼諧的題外話或意見時，一定要能加強敘述、產生動能，並增強邏輯。如果一項都做不到，就會造成反效果，讓人讀得慢且充滿挫折。如果作者發現內容不夠生動有力，決定運用幽默筆法好給文章一點活力，這個決定其實不太明智。最好的選擇應該是重寫整篇文章，讓文章更有生氣。幽默必須能同時讓文章更生動，並且能推展文章要旨。

Because humor has, by definition, a comic side, it must be used purposefully. Scholars are purposeful in their scholarship, all learning being a serious and gratifying undertaking. It is, in a phrase, no joking matter. Consequently, any humor that comes across as levity, or frivolous, is out of character with scholarly writing. Therefore, any writer who uses all proven communication techniques—including humor—indeed runs the risk of failing. However, if he succeeds, his reward is peer and professorial recognition as a disciplined, powerful communicator.
因為幽默本來就有滑稽好笑的一面，所以運用時必須深思熟慮。學者鑽研學問是很慎重的，做學問是件認真且有收穫的工作，簡單來說，不是件開玩笑的事。因此，幽默如果給人隨便或輕浮的印象，就不適合學術著作。寫作時運用幽默等各種有效的溝通技巧，的確有可能失敗。不過如果成功了，就能展現嫻熟有力的溝通能力，受同儕和教授稱道。