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

“Many of the storefronts on Lake Garden Road are flower shops or bridal centers, as if bouquets and marriage partners are bound with the same ribbon.”

Streets develop their own character and the one written about here seems to have become a wedding way. Many of the stores on it cater to people in love, either contemplating marriage or in marriage, with roses and other petaled offerings being a common means of expressing lovely sentiment. In saying “bouquets and marriage partners are bound with the same ribbon,” we are distilling many natural qualities into one word, ribbon. A lover actually is bound by love for, desire of, and trust in another, and a bouquet of flowers is mostly about fragrance and beauty. But the characteristics are folded together in the heart so thoroughly that they become as one.
街道會發展出自己的特色，本句敘述的街道似乎是條結婚大道，許多商店專作打算結婚或正籌辦婚禮的情侶生意，玫瑰與各種鮮花充斥，用以表達愛意。句中說「花束與新人由同一條緞帶相繫」，運用「緞帶」一字聯繫許多基本的特質。情侶因彼此相戀、想與對方廝守、信賴對方而結合為夫婦，而花束通常因為香味與外型而搭配在一起，不過這些特色在本質上是非常緊密的，所以可以用緞帶聯繫在一起。

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 5 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 7-11 / Starbucks Gift Certificate. Another Starbucks 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7-11／星巴克禮券；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:

“Many of the storefronts on Lake Garden Road are flower shops or bridal centers, as if bouquets and marriages are ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.”

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.

“When the scientist returned home, his electric car purred into the driveway, a docile cat with so little snarl that the lightest sleeper in the house wasn’t disturbed.”
「科學家回到家，他駕駛的電動車發出輕微的呼嚕聲進入車道，就像溫馴的小貓，咆哮聲極低，屋裡的人即使剛睡著，也不會受打擾。」

Members of the cat family, large and small, are renowned for their quiet movement. Their padded feet and superb muscle structure let them leap and bound and run around without so much as a thump or a thud. They also are notably quiet at rest, with the most common resting sound being a vibration called purring. Scientists aren’t sure why cats purr. Regardless of why purring occurs, the sound is persistent and soft and identifiably feline in its origin. Cats also snarl, particularly before and during a fight, in a show of latent aggressiveness.
貓科動物無論體型大小，都以動作輕柔聞名，因為牠們腳上有肉墊，加上優異的肌肉結構，所以跑跳時不會砰砰作響。牠們靜止時也很安靜，休息經常發出一種震動聲，稱為呼嚕聲。科學家還不知道貓科動物為什麼會發出呼嚕聲，但不論原因為何，呼嚕聲是一種持續而輕柔的聲音，而且只有貓科動物才會發出這種聲音。貓科動物也會咆哮，特別是在打鬥之前與打鬥時，展現潛在的侵略攻勢。

Electric vehicles sometimes are compared to cars, as in this example, partly because they often are nimble and smaller than higher-powered vehicles. The sentence’s first allusion is to the relative quiet of the vehicle, its “purring.” This is opposed to the raucous sound made by a car powered by a V-8 engine with a glass-pack muffler. The writer goes on to metaphorically describe the car as “docile” (underpowered) with minimal “snarl” (loud engine emissions). Giving the car the characteristics of a cat gave readers a fresh image of the end of a typical day.
有時我們會把一般汽車和電動車互相比較，如例句的示範。相較於馬力較高的汽車，電動車比較敏捷靈巧，也比較迷你。句中首先以 “purring” （發出呼嚕聲）比喻，說明電動車比較安靜，不像配備玻璃絲消音器、以 V8 引擎驅動的汽車，會發出嘈雜的噪音。接下來句子繼續以其他比喻，暗喻電動車很 “docile”（溫馴），也就是動力較低，且 “snarl”（咆哮聲）極低，也就是引擎的轟隆聲極低。賦予電動車貓科動物的特性，可以讓讀者看完一般的句子後，留下新鮮的印象。

「我很努力要為論文寫出有趣的引言，但指導教授卻說我的引言只是「還可以」。有沒有什麼方法可以指引我寫出好的引言，吸引讀者？」

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 struggled to come up with an interesting introduction to my paper. My instructor said it was just “OK.” What guidelines are there for writing an introduction that will grab the reader?
我很努力要為論文寫出有趣的引言，但指導教授卻說我的引言只是「還可以」。有沒有什麼方法可以指引我寫出好的引言，吸引讀者？

Choose an interesting subject. Next question? Seriously, the hunt for an interesting introduction begins with choosing a subject worthy of a reader’s interest. Creating interest from a pile of boredom is a mighty labor indeed, so give yourself (and your readers) a break and choose your subject wisely. Now if your next question is, how do I choose an interesting subject, there might be no hope for you. The answer is, choose a subject that interests you. If you are interested, you will research and write with inspiration and zeal and it will show—including in the introduction.
選個有趣的題目。好，來看下一個問題……好吧，說真的，要寫出有趣的引言，一開始就該選個能引起讀者興趣的題目。要從滿紙無聊的內容中創造有趣的引言真的非常費事，所以就幫你自己（還有你的讀者）一個忙，好好選個題目吧。如果接下來你還要問，該怎麼選個有趣的題目？那你大概就沒救了。答案是，選個你自己有興趣的題目。如果你對題目有興趣，研究與寫作時自然就能發揮靈感，展現熱誠，這股熱情會展現在你的文章裡，包括展現在你的引言中。

As for the mechanics of creating an interesting introduction, several tools are recommended. One is to startle the reader with a piece of revelation—a fact you have unearthed, perhaps, or a fresh perspective that forces a reader to adjust his thinking so he can follow where you plan to take him. Imagine your reader blinking his eyes and saying under his breath, “Hmm. That’s interesting.” That’s what you are after. You can also accomplish this by posing one or two provocative questions, or by quoting a recognized authority, which lends immediate credibility.
實際寫作方面，有許多好方法可以運用。例如，寫出你出人意料的發現－可能是你的新發現，或是嶄新的觀點，讓讀者不得不調整自己的想法，才能順著你的文章讀下去。讀者或許會眨眨眼睛，心想：嗯，有意思。這就是你該追求的目標。此外，你也可以提出一兩個煽動性的問題，或引用權威作者的話，立刻創造可信度。

Hereafter, a word of caution: Don’t try for a zinger. The difference between a zinger and an interesting, even provocative, introduction is that a zinger tries too hard. It clearly exists only to shock, rather than to, as you say, “grab the reader.” Your goal is to grab someone, not to push him away. Examples: (1) “High fashion isn’t so new: A red dye for cosmetics dates to the Aztecs.” (Hmm. Interesting.) (2) “Crush the shell of a certain pregnant insect and you can color your lips red.” (Gross!) Know where the line is between interesting readers and insulting them.
之後，我想提出一個忠告－不要賣弄聰明。賣弄聰明和有趣、甚至煽動性的引言間，差別就在前者有點過頭，只會嚇到讀者，而不是如你所說，能「吸引讀者」。你的目標是吸引讀者，而不是把讀者嚇跑。舉個例子：(1)「高級時尚缺乏新意：化妝品紅色染料可追溯到阿茲提克帝國時代」（嗯，聽起來很有趣）。(2)「磨碎懷孕昆蟲的外殼，帶給你紅艷雙唇」（好噁心！）記得分清楚什麼會讓讀者覺得有趣，什麼會讓他們感覺受到侮辱。

親愛的TPS Facebook粉絲與電子報的訂閱讀者，您們好：

您仍埋首潛心於學術創作嗎？還是失去投稿熱情、裹足不前了呢？TPS新學術專欄「5 Benefits of Publication in an Academic Journal 投稿學術期刊的五大效益」將能助您一臂之力！

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中提早創造高峰。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，TPS接下來的新專欄將可讓您重振精力，蓄勢待發。自下周起，我們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。

「7 Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism 避免抄襲的七大方法」為期三個月的陸續分析與分享，已順利刊登完成，緊接著的，敬請期待TPS新學術專欄「5 Benefits of Publication in an Academic Journal 投稿學術期刊的五大效益」，讓您重新燃起對寫作投稿的熱情！

更多內容，請參閱TPS電子報、Facebook與 Blog的最新資訊。



TPS Team

Suggested answer: “The study habits of the foreign language student were not those of the mathematician, who divided each hour into tasks and seemed to multiply his minutes.”

Students come in various intellectual packages with different mental approaches to absorbing knowledge. They seem to be either artists or scientists in terms of their approach to learning. This sentence speaks of the more practical, calculating, systematic study methods of a mathematics major who “seemed” to get more from his study hour than the sum of the minutes. In a word, he appeared able to “multiply” them, an apt description. Other possible “m” words include master, manipulate, and massage. Choosing words carefully can keep a narrative clear.
每個學生的聰明才智不同，吸收知識的方法也不同，他們的學習方法可以分為藝術家型或科學家型兩種。本句討論主修數學的學生，學習時實事求是、精心計算、有條不紊，讀一小時的書，成果「似乎」超過一小時可以學到的內容。簡單來說，他似乎可以 “multiply”（加乘）學習效果。這個動詞用得很貼切。其他 M 開頭的答案還有 master、manipulate 和 massage。仔細挑選適當的字，可以讓描述更清晰。

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 study habits of the foreign language student were not those of the mathematician, who divided each hour into tasks and seemed to m_______ his minutes.”

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

“The behavior analyst looks at love as if it were a field crop—corn, perhaps. He walks into the field and selects a nice ear, plucks it, and inspects the whole, developed ear for any flaws before stripping away the husk. Exposing the silk beneath, he removes it and then digs out and tastes each delicious, tender kernel, savoring each. Satisfied that he knows the universal field crop as well as he ever will know it, he trashes the despoiled ear and writes his observations as if he has discovered something. The truth is, neither corn nor love is thus so easily understood.”

In a paper on clinical research into the emotional condition called love, this introductory paragraph uses simile and metaphor. The writer suggests the scientist rather ham-handedly goes through the exercise without learning much. It is an interesting way to define the nebulous challenge of quantifying psychological observations. This attempt would have been more effective had the writer more completely merged the physical and sensory allusions, as below. A writer cannot be timid if he hopes to bring a reader into his metaphorical world.
這篇文章討論對「愛」這種情感狀態的臨床研究，在前言中運用明喻及隱喻，暗指科學家懵懵懂懂地研究了一番，卻沒有學到什麼。心理學以量化方式觀察模糊的行為，這種方式並不容易，作者的說明相當有趣，但如果能更徹底地結合物體與感官的比喻，如下文的示範，效果會更理想。如果要讓讀者了解並沉浸在文章的隱喻中，寫作時就應該更大刀闊斧。

Acceptable 認可的文章

“The behavior analyst examines love as if it were a commodity—corn, perhaps. He walks into the field and selects a fulsome example, plucks it, and inspects the sheathed, immature ear for any observable irregularities before rather brutally shucking it. Exposing the delicate silk, he removes it strand by strand and tastes the exposed and milky kernels, savoring each as a succulent morsel. Satisfied that he knows the delicate creation as well as he ever might, he tosses aside the despoiled creation and solemnly writes his observations as if he has made a discovery.”

真正的學者不會竊取他人的想法，不過研究過程中，有時可能無意間侵占了其他研究者的想法或表達方式。本系列「避免抄襲的七大方法」提供訣竅，幫助你避免不小心冒用他人的心血結晶。每則訣竅將刊登在 TPS 專頁。
A true scholar is not a thief. Yet stealing another researcher’s ideas or method of expressing them sometimes happens inadvertently in the course of research. How to avoid accidentally passing off someone else’s work as your own is the subject of this series, “7 Tips for Avoiding Plagiarism.” Each of the tips will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled with the others as a series.

Tip # 7 – Do not steal ideas either.
方法七：剽竊想法亦不可取

The most common plagiarism is the verbatim copying of another person’s writings or recordings without crediting the original author. However, there is another dimension of plagiaristic practice that is even more fundamental: stealing a person’s ideas. This is a grayer area of theft because ideas exist as concepts, dreams, theories, and postulations. If recorded at all, they are skeletal. Nonetheless, they have been conceived by someone else and the conception should be honored.
最常見的剽竊是一字不差的照抄別人的文章或記錄，而且沒有註明原作者的名字。然而，還有一種剽竊涉及更根本的層次，就是竊取他人的想法。竊取想法屬於剽竊的灰色地帶，因為想法是一種概念、夢想、理論或假設，即使真有紀錄，也只略具雛形。然而，想法是他人構思出來的，應該尊重別人的思考結晶。

As in so many other cases, idea-stealing often is an accidental result of sloppy or casual research practices. It often happens when note-taking has mingled source material with some personal observations and sparked an epiphany. The problem is, the epiphany really is an axiomatic rendering of someone else’s formulations. The other person thought of it; you merely absorbed it into your thought process after reading his writings, and failed to attribute it to him in your notes.
許多情況下，剽竊想法通常是因為研究草率馬虎，不經意造成的結果，多半是作筆記時，混雜了資料來源和個人觀察，因此有了體悟。問題是，這種體悟不過是拾人牙慧。別人有了想法，你不過是讀了他的文章，把他的想法到納入自己的思維中，又忘了在筆記裡註明想法的起頭。

This happens easiest when a writer is dispositionally inclined to round corners. In other words, lazy and unconscionable writers will rationalize the similarity of their ideas and a predecessor’s. For such writers, there are no tips that will save them. For the great body of true academic researchers, however, it is enough to know that an idea is sacrosanct, and that honesty and accurate note-taking can preserve professional integrity as well as honor the work of others.
若寫作的人傾向得過且過，特別容易發生這種情況。換言之，懶惰的研究者若發現自己的想法和前人相同，會昧著良心將這點合理化。對這樣的人來說，什麼避免剽竊的方法都沒有用。不過，對大多數真正的學術研究者來說，想法是神聖不可侵犯的；做筆記時精密確實，能避免專業誠信毀於一旦，也能尊重他人的思考結晶。

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

“After conducting the test three times, the chemist felt assured his theorem was fact and his most vocal detractors were three-time losers.”

Creative tension is produced in a laboratory because of professional pride, peer pressure, and the tiny tolerances allowed for success. To succeed in such work naturally produces feelings of elation, particularly if professional colleagues have cast doubt on a process or outcome. Consequently, when the judgment of this chemist was repeatedly confirmed, he experienced two feelings: vindication for himself, and disdain for his critics. The writer might simply have said the critics were wrong, but because they had been proven invalid in three separate tests, they were gently belittled as “three-time losers.” Good writing is nuanced.
在實驗室，專業的自尊、同儕壓力，以及對成功不遺餘力的追求，會促成一股創意的張力。在這種工作中成功，自然會讓人得意洋洋，尤其是專業同僚對過程或結果感到懷疑時。所以，化學家的判斷反覆獲得證實後，他產生了兩種感覺，一是證明了自己，二是對懷疑他的人感到輕視。文章原本可以只簡單地說批評他的人錯了，但因為三次不同的測試都證明了批評站不住腳，所以作者稍微貶斥對方，稱他們是 “three-time losers”（錯了三次的輸家）。好文章總是描寫細膩。