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很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.

“She became such a staunch advocate for her children that, when confronted with the prospect of their criminality, she was blinded by allegiance and couldn’t see the forest for the trees.”
「她堅定地支持自己的子女，即使他們犯罪的可能橫在眼前，她卻被情義蒙蔽，見樹不見林。」

Forests cover about a third of the world’s land mass, so most people know about them. Yet a forest seen from a distance is less than a full exposure to it. What passing motorists see of a forest is its canopy of green and occasional patches of undergrowth in areas of thinning tree stands. A whole different picture emerges when you walk in a forest and the dense undergrowth, including scrub bushes and stunted trees. It is this close-up view that can obscure the grandeur of unbroken square miles of tall and crowded timber. That overall view is blocked by the trees!
森林覆蓋世界約三分之一的土地，所以大多數人對森林都不陌生。不過從遠處看森林，了解的不如深入接觸來得多。駕車開過一片森林，只能看到綠色的樹冠，偶爾在草木稀疏的林地有幾片矮樹叢。但走入森林與濃密的樹叢中（包括矮小的灌木和樹木），眼前浮現的景象將完全不同。這種近距離的觀察，會遮蔽原本延綿不絕、高聳茂密的宏偉樹林，整體景觀將被眼前的樹木掩蓋。

In comparing immersion in a forest with deep involvement in the lives of children, the writer leans on what admittedly is a cliché about trees. The allusion really is about perspective, about how getting too close to someone can render one’s view of the person incomplete and distorted. Emotional attachment and a personal relationship begin to weigh more heavily in judgment of a situation than do fact and reality. The figure of speech about being able to “see” the forest is strengthened in this usage when the writer says the person is “blinded” by her loyalty.
本句用深入樹林，比喻母親陷入子女的人生，所用的固然是關於樹林的陳腔濫調，但實際上要談的是洞察力，說明與人過份親暱，會讓人的觀點殘缺而扭曲。判斷情勢時，情感依附與人際關係的影響，將大於事實真相的重要。這個譬喻提到能 “see”（看到）樹林，由於句中提到母親因對子女的情義所 “blinded”（蒙蔽），因此更加強了這個譬喻的效果。

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 am a slow, slow writer, or so people tell me. I admit I take longer than most people to complete a paper. It is because I try to choose each word rather than just to fill up a page with them. Isn’t it virtuous to select words carefully?
我寫論文的速度非常非常慢，至少其他人是這樣說的。我寫論文的時間確實比其他人久，但這是因為我仔細選擇每個詞彙，而非只是用詞彙塞滿頁面。仔細挑選詞彙應該是種優點吧？

An old maxim is, “Moderation in everything.” I don’t believe in it. (Is it better to swallow moderate amounts of water while swimming, or none?) But the saying does address the issue of being inflexible to the point of becoming an extremist. Most of us know where the line generally falls between being faithful to a principle and being obsessed by it. It really is a question of judgment. In regard to writing, while word choice indeed is a key ingredient in effective written communication, words ultimately must be chosen reasonably fast or nothing gets expressed.
有句古老的格言說：「凡事都要適量」，我並不同意（游泳時喝到「適量」的水就不是好事吧？）不過談到因為僵化而走極端，這句話說得倒也有道理。我們大多都知道遵守原則與過分執著的分界，重點在於你必須有判斷能力。在寫作方面，雖然遣詞用字對於有效的書面溝通的確很重要，但是最終選擇詞彙的速度還是必須合理，否則什麼都無法表達。

So, you are exactly right to care about each word. Such dedication is one mark of a good writer. If you are as careful in your research and attribution, you undoubtedly are producing scholarly papers to be admired. However, another virtue a writer should cultivate is efficiency. With notable exceptions, successful writers learn to write with certain dispatch, marshaling their thoughts and effectively matching the thoughts to words—and completing the creative exercise within a reasonable timeframe. This economy allows them to write at length in an allotted time.
所以，你注重每個詞彙的確很正確，這是好作家該有的特質，如果你在研究與推論時也一樣仔細，必定能寫出值得一讀的學術論文。不過，寫作時也該培養另一個優點，那就是有效率。除了幾個明顯的例子以外，好作家懂得以一定的步調寫作，引領他們的思緒，有效地將思想付諸文字－並且在合理的時間內，完成整個創作過程。有效率的寫作讓作家在有限的時間裡寫出許多內容。

The process is helped immeasurably by development of a vocabulary from which a writer can extract a perfect word. Reading, writing, thinking, and listening are tools that build vocabularies. A tool for learning to write more quickly is confidence. This comes into play in rewriting. A good writer can feel comfortable assembling words at a fast pace that captures fleeting thoughts, knowing that the wording can be revisited and revised as part of a general rewrite. A writer is freed from worrying over a first draft when he has an ample vocabulary and the rewriting habit.
充足的詞彙能讓寫作過程更有效率，有足夠的詞彙，寫作時就能想到最適當的字句。要增加詞彙，必須多讀、多寫、多想、多聽。要寫得更快，自信也是不可或缺的，能在修改時發揮作用。寫作技巧良好的人可以自在地快速組織詞彙，捕捉轉瞬即逝的想法，明白措辭可以在整體修改時，再重新審視和修訂。寫作時若詞彙充分，並養成修改的習慣，寫作初稿時便無須憂慮了。

Answer: We believe the sentence is best completed this way:

“The flower shop was up a short flight of stairs, above a butcher shop, so customers experienced a variety of aromas that ranged from roseate to roast.”

The sentence is about the unusual proximity of a flower shop and a meat-handling shop. One has to do with beauty and fragrance and the other with the dismantling of animals for eating. Both places of business have savory appeal, but the appetites involved are quite different. The finish of the sentence should reflect this dichotomy, this tension between base and exalted senses. To end it with “ranged from roseate to roast” incorporates some pleasing alliteration that also distinguishes neatly between a flower’s scent and the smell of raw meat.
本句說的是一家花店和一家肉店距離特別近，一家店美麗芬芳，另一家則專門支解動物以供食用。兩家店都有誘人的香味，但兩種味道大相逕庭；句子結尾應該反映這種截然不同的差異，表達基本與高級感官對照的張力。以 “ranged from roseate to roast” 結尾，不僅有巧妙的押韻，同時也清楚區別花香與生肉味的差別。

No formula exists for the writing of a superior sentence, but this much is known: The best sentence has no weak part. The following sentence is incomplete. In five or fewer words, complete the sentence in a way that strengthens the whole of it. The first TPS Fan to complete the sentence as we believe it is best completed will win a NTD200 Eslite Bookstore and Shopping Mall Gift Certificate. Another Eslite certificate will be awarded to the first Fan to complete it in an alternate way that, in our estimation, also is effective. The explanation and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page.
怎麼寫出好句子沒有標準答案，不過起碼我們知道，優秀的句子每個環節都很完美。下面有一句未完成的句子，請用五個字以內完成句子接龍，寫出完整的句子。最先完成句子，並寫出最佳解答的一位TPS 粉絲，將獲得兩百元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷；另增設特別獎一名，頒給符合文意又別具創意的粉絲。接龍解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁，敬請密切鎖定、先睹為快！

題目Contest Sentence:

“The flower shop was up a short flight of stairs, above a butcher shop, so customers experienced a variety of aromas that ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”

Dear TPS Fans,

Dragon Boat Festival is Saturday. Although the observance falls on the weekend this year, robbing us of extra holiday time from work, we still cherish the opportunity to be with family members as we join in festival activities.

We hope you enjoy the celebration, too. See you on Monday.


TPS Staff

並非所有與學術議題相關的文章，就能稱之為「學術文章」。本篇專欄將節錄不同學術議題的內容，分析常見的寫作錯誤，並分享潤修與寫作的技巧。
Not all articles written on academic topics are written in proper academic English. In this "This is not academic writing" column we examine short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and explain how to correct them.

Unacceptable 不被認可的文章

“When the ordinary fruit fly twists its body and changes its flight pattern in a virtual instant, the insect demonstrates the maneuverability that flight scientists are trying to duplicate in robot models. The design of the bug is being copied in very small radio-controlled machines whose overall dimensions are measured in bytes and centimeters. The miniaturized little machines will be employed to zip into emergency or combat situations way too dangerous for human personnel or way too difficult for larger machinery to enter.”

This passage on efforts to create tiny robots that perform like nature’s flies is interesting, but not exemplary in its word choices. Some of the weakness is in wordiness—“ordinary” in describing fruit flies is superfluous, unless mutant flies are the norm—and in clichés, such as “overall dimensions;” dimensions always are assumed to be the entirety of an object unless a particular segment is the focus. Some errors are more egregious, such as the use of “duplicate” instead of “replicate.” Were the engineers duplicating the fly, they would be trying to make it look, as well as perform, like the insect. What other poor word choices do you see?
這段文章討論科學家努力模仿自然界的果蠅，創造微型機器，內容很有意思，但選詞卻是不良示範。一項缺點是用字冗贅，例如用 “ordinary”（普通）形容果蠅純屬多餘，除非突變果蠅比較常見。另外還有陳腔濫調，例如 “overall dimensions”（整體尺寸），尺寸一般都是形容整個物體，除非特別強調某個部分。有些錯誤比較誇張，例如沒有用 “replicate” 而誤用 “duplicate”。“Duplicate” 一隻果蠅，表示科學家要創造外型與運作方式都像果蠅的機器。還有哪些詞彙選用不當呢？

Acceptable 認可的文章

“When the fruit fly torques its body and radically changes its flight pattern in an instant, the insect demonstrates the maneuverability that flight scientists are trying to replicate in robotic models. The architecture and performance of the fly is being mimicked in supra-compact radio-controlled machines whose dimensions are measured in bytes and centimeters. The miniaturized machinery will be employed to zip in and out of emergency or combat situations too dangerous for human personnel or too inaccessible for larger machinery.”

投稿學術期刊若不僅能獲得進步的動力，甚至還能發展為個人嗜好，就能讓學者在學術生涯提早創造高峰。發表文章不只是需求，更該是一種渴望。如果您缺乏投稿動力，或不確定自己是否該投稿，接下來的新專欄可讓您重振精力，蓄勢待發。本專欄將詳細介紹發表論文的五大效益，讓您重拾寫作動力，拓展自身實力。Scholars reach a point early in their careers when publication of their scholarly work becomes not only a key to advancement but a personal desire. The impulse to seek publication moves from need to want. For those not yet motivated to publish or who might be second-guessing a decision to do so, the following series might help refocus their energies. Each of the 5 benefits will be presented and explained on the TPS Fan page before being compiled as a series.

Benefit # 5 – Reach across disciplines and into lay audiences
效益五：跨越學科分際並和大眾溝通

Scholarly writings are usually narrow in their scope and deep in their treatment. They are not popular surveys drafted for a mass readership. The publications a serious writer will consider for submission of a significant paper will be respected within a specific area of intellectual discovery, but hardly will be coffee table fare. Still, the very seriousness of their content can recommend the publications to serious readers across a surprisingly wide spectrum.
學術文章通常針對精確的範圍作深入討論，並非為大眾寫的通俗概要。認真的學者要投稿重要的論文時考慮的那些刊物，會在特定的學術領域中受人敬重，但很難成為一般人的消遣讀物。不過，正因為這些刊物的內容重要，各領域認真的讀者也會重視這些刊物。

The first extra-discipline appeal is to scholars in other fields whose developed sense of inquiry leads them to explore subject matter outside their area of expertise. Clear, accessible writing enhances the prospects of these scholarly associates assimilating their academic colleague’s thinking. As a practical matter, then, the writer has extended his influence from a small discipline into a larger academic community. His standing as a scholar takes on an added dimension.
這些學術讀物首先會吸引的學者，可能屬於其他領域，極富求知精神，因此有意探索非自身專業領域的學識。顯然的，論文的寫作若讓人容易理解，這些學者就比較容易領會其他領域專家的思維。從實用的觀點來看，寫作論文的學者也能將自身的影響力跨越特定學科，觸及更多學術領域的讀者，擴展自身學術地位。

Additionally, the writer of a published paper that communicates clearly to readers in another academic realm sometimes attracts the attention of professional and popular media. This can mean a further distribution of a paper’s content, or excerpts thereof. More to the point, it means a widening of a writer’s influence. All of this extra recognition for a scholar is made possible by clear language that neither insults a core constituency nor panders to a peripheral one.
此外，學者發表論文，若能向其他領域學者清晰傳達觀點，有時會引來專業與大眾媒體關注，或許能讓論文或其要旨更廣為人知。更重要的是，論文作者的影響力會擴大。學者要獲得這些額外的認同，寫作表達必須清晰，既不負主要讀者的期望，也不隨意迎合次要讀者的喜好。

Suggested answer: “The campus was empty over the holiday, with faculty members closing their offices and the most resolute students temporarily shelving their quests for academic honors.”

Holidays alter routines. The sentence addresses the interruption of routine on a college campus, where a virtual exodus occurs over a national holiday. Professors close up shop. Campus stores hang “Closed” signs on doors. And students take a break from studies—they “shelve” their scholastic pursuit for the duration of the holiday. This is a good choice of verb for this sentence, because the reader can visualize students putting books on a shelf. Other word choices for the sentence include stopping, slowing, and staying, none of which specifically allude to students.
放假會改變日常工作，本句形容國定假日時，大學校園的例行工作中止，人人大撤退。教授打烊了，校園商店門口也掛上「休息中」的牌子，學生暫時放下學業，在放假期間 “shelve”（擱置）研究工作。這個動詞在這裡用的很好，讀者彷彿看到學生把書擱在書架上 (shelf)。其他動詞像是 stopping、slowing、staying 也可以，不過都不會特別讓人聯想到學生。

The sentence below is missing a verb. However, the first letter of the verb is provided. Insert a word that starts with the given first letter and best fits the tenor of the sentence, and then defend your word choice in five or fewer words. The first TPS Fan to respond with the judge’s choice of verb—or the most effective alternate verb— will win a ¬¬¬NTD 200 Starbucks Gift Certificate. The name of the winner will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Good luck!
以下句子缺少動詞，請加入一個最符合句子意思且符合空格開頭字母的動詞，以及五個字以內的理由，我們將提供7-11／星巴克咖啡禮券兩百元，頒給第一位想出最佳解答或是最佳替代字的第1位粉絲。解答與獲獎粉絲姓名將在明天公布於本 TPS 專頁。請將答案寫在下方，幸運兒可能就是你！

題目Contest Sentence:

“The campus was empty over the holiday, with faculty members closing their offices and the most resolute students temporarily s__________ their quests for academic honors.”

很多字詞並非表面所見的意思，字詞的組合會產生不同的解釋。這樣的慣用法，我們稱之為「比喻」。一個成功的比喻，作者本身必須相當瞭解字詞的源起。以下的句子為讀者介紹一個比喻及其來源。
Imagery buries itself in language and takes on new meaning. The transplanted and transformed sets of words are called “figures of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.

“The temporary result of the experiment was a loss of motor control, with the guinea pigs corkscrewing their way along the penned-in area.”
「試驗暫時的結果讓天竺鼠失去控制動作的能力，在柵欄裡曲折行進。」

A corkscrew is a piece of metallic wire or rod that is twisted into a tight spiral shape. It is sharpened at one end and fitted with a handle at the other. The sharp end is punched into a cork sealing a bottle and the handle then turned until the corkscrew digs into the cork and obtains a firm purchase. By pulling upward on the corkscrew, the cork can be popped free from the bottleneck. The device dates at least from the late 18th century, when variations of it began to be patented. Though popularly used on wine bottles, its use predates corking of bottled wine.
螺絲錐（corkscrew，即開瓶器）是一種金屬線或金屬桿，扭轉成緊密的螺旋形，一端磨尖，另一端安裝在把手裡；磨尖的一端可以刺進瓶塞，旋轉把手，讓螺絲錐鑽入瓶塞、緊緊卡住，接著將螺絲錐向上拔起，就能將瓶塞拔出瓶口。螺絲錐的歷史最晚可溯及十八世紀末期，當時許多不同種類的螺絲錐便已申請專利。雖然螺絲錐多用在開酒瓶，但它的歷史卻比酒瓶塞要早。

In describing the movement of the enfeebled animals as “corkscrewing,” the writer was not referring to the circular rotation of a corkscrew as it buries itself in a cork. Rather, the reference was to the side-to-side, anything-but-straight course the plane of a corkscrew follows. In the same way, the guinea pigs weaved back and forth as they tried to walk on legs that were betrayed by the affected nerves and muscle. The word conjures an image of lurching and stumbling animals winding their way forward, almost comically. In a word, “corkscrewing” says a lot.
本句話描述喪失動作控制能力的天竺鼠，以 “corkscrewing” 來描寫，並非指螺絲錐鑽入瓶蓋時螺旋狀打轉的動作，而是指其曲曲折折，歪歪扭扭的行進路線。同樣的，天竺鼠腿部的神經與肌肉因為試驗而不聽使喚，行進路線也是歪歪斜斜。這個字讓人聯想到步履蹣跚的天竺鼠曲折前進，感覺有點滑稽。“Corkscrewing” 簡單一個字就很生動。