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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，將獲得兩百元統一超商／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:

“The creeping Isuzu truck, its bed overflowing with scruffy, shirtless men in pajamas, shuddered to a stop in the plaza and disgorged its load like ____ ____ ____ ____ ____.”

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

“Archaeologists long have deemed lower Central America to have a cultural history quite separate from the so-called “higher civilizations” of adjacent Mesoamerica and South America. This is partly because of geographic factors and partly because the neighboring civilizations were superior. This professional view of the region’s inferior status is changing as new archaeological research reveals the internal cultural forces that shaped the region as much as did external threats. Furthermore, lower Central America’s geological parentage as a volcanic region seems to have both frustrated and enhanced its development, periodically blasting it apart, but also creating fertile soils.”

This paragraph from a paper about the archaeology of a region suffers from poor word choices. In two instances, the choices are judgmental: Neighboring civilizations are called “superior” when in fact they were just “more dominant,” and the region’s status is called “inferior” when in fact it was “subordinate.” Also, the use of “so-called” is unnecessary to describe “higher civilizations,” since the latter already is in quotes. The writer is at least partially inaccurate to refer to external “threats” of the region’s neighbors when in some cases it probably was external “influences” that came into play. Finally, writing about volcanoes “blasting it apart” is colorful imagery but less accurate than writing “erupting and killing.” What else do you see?
本段文章討論中南美洲考古學，遣字用字不慎理想。文章中兩個用字帶有評斷意味，一是描寫鄰近地區的文化更 “superior”（優越），但實際上只是 “more dominant” （較為主要）而已，而當地的文化也並非較 “inferior”（低劣），應說 “subordinate” （較為次要）。此外，“higher civilizations” （更優越的文明）已經用引號括起，所以前面也不需要加 “so-called”（所謂的）幾個字。作者說鄰近區域造成外來的 “threats”（威脅）也不盡正確，因為有時候應是造成外來的 “influences”（影響）。最後，描寫火山 “blasting it apart”（爆裂）很生動，但不如 “erupting and killing” （爆發並造成死亡）來得正確。你還找得到其他錯誤嗎？

Acceptable 認可的文章

“Archaeologists have long deemed lower Central America to have a cultural history incidental to the “higher civilizations” of adjacent Mesoamerica and South America. This is partly attributed to difficult geography and partly to more dominant neighboring civilizations. Now this view of the region’s subordinate status is changing as new research reveals internal cultural forces that shaped the region as much as did external influences. Furthermore, lower Central America’s geological parentage as a volcanic region seems to have both inhibited and enhanced its development, periodically erupting and killing, but also creating fertile volcanic ash soils.”

在學術寫作中，「完美」是相對的，但也是我們追求的理想。想寫出完美的研究報告，首先選擇題目必須明智。本次學術專欄特別推出「完美撰題八大原則」，為大家介紹選擇題目的原則，每項原則將定期刊登於TPS專頁。
“Perfect” is a relative term in academic writing, but it always is the ideal. The first rule in the pursuit of perfection in a paper is to choose a topic wisely. This essay introduces and explains one guide in selecting a topic. Each guide is contained in “8 Guides in Choosing a Perfect Research Paper Topic” and will be posted on the TPS Fan page as introduced.

# 3 – Be alert to potential topics in course material and elsewhere
原則三 留意潛藏在教材與其他地方的研究主題

Sometimes the perfect topic is perfectly hidden … right under your nose. When an assignment is given in a class, the tendency is to focus on the assignment as if it exists separate from the rest of your intellectual activity. Not true. Assignments do not occur in vacuums. They are part of what is going on around you in the class—and outside the class. All knowledge is part of the same intellectual continuum; the sooner this is understood, the fuller a learning experience becomes.
有時候最棒的研究題目藏在最意想不到的地方－就藏在你的眼皮底下。一般人常把教授出的作業和其他研究分開來看，殊不知作業並不是單獨存在。作業不僅與課堂上的一切有關，也與課堂外的一切有關。所有學問都屬於一個連續的知識體系，早點明白這個道理，才能讓所學更為完整。

So the first place to begin a search for a topic is in the class material itself. Lectures. Textbooks. Laboratory or field experiences. Even conversations with classmates contain the seeds of ideas. This might seem to be a superfluous suggestion, yet too many students turn off their minds when the class bell rings, or a formal discussion period ends. Learning to listen engagingly at unstructured times and to critically explore material in depth will help the topic search.
因此，首先可以從課堂教材尋找研究主題，無論是授課內容、教科書、實驗或研究過程都能多加探索，班上同學的對話討論也可能成為靈感來源。這個建議聽起來或許有點多餘，但許多學生往往下課鈴一響，正式討論時間一結束，就把研究心思關起來。如果能學會在平日就積極聆聽，認真、深入探索教材內容，對尋找研究題目一定助益良多。

The other great place to look for topical revelation is in wholly unrelated reading material. Almost regardless of how specialized a research assignment is, valuable insight can be gleaned from general circulation publications. Sometimes a popular writer’s approach to a completely different subject can suggest a new academic approach. Or a word might jump out that sparks fresh thinking. The world is awash with ideas. Splash around in it and see what you can find.
與研究無關的讀物是另一個尋找研究題目的好地方；不論研究領域多專門，幾乎都可以在一般讀物裡尋獲寶貴的洞見。有時發現暢銷作家處理完全不同主體的方法，可進而助於找出新的學術研究方法；有時某個詞彙突然跳出來，也能激發新鮮的想法。世上充斥著各式各樣的想法，探索世界，你一定能有所收穫。

Dear Fans,

Are you enjoying the short holiday from researching and writing? We hope you are being recharged. We are. Look here tomorrow for more guidance on picking the topic of a research paper.
See you then!


TPS Team

Dear Fans,

We are going to take a short break from the TPS Fan Page on Double Ten Day next Monday and do our part to celebrate an important moment in our common history. We’ll be back October 11 with another feature on research and writing. See you then!

TPS Team

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.

“Thoroughbreds are beneficiaries of hundreds of years of exquisite breeding that has produced horses of great speed, strong spirit, and a puzzling capacity for galloping misfortune.”
「由於數百年來精湛的育種法，純種馬速度極快、性情強健，還有疾馳的厄運這項令人不解的特色。」

“Galloping” is a gait usually associated with horses and is characterized by rapid movement, both of the legs and of the entire body of the horse as it is propelled forward. It is the fastest mode of running for a horse, the slower modes being walk, trot, and canter. Race horses usually are walked to the starting gate, but once the gates are sprung open, galloping immediately ensues. Thoroughbred horses are primarily bred for racing, with their large chests, powerful leg muscles, and delicate hooves cleaving the air at speeds up to 55 mph as they gallop.
“Galloping”（疾馳）通常指馬的步伐，馬匹向前疾馳時，腿部和整個身軀都迅速地運動。馬匹奔跑以疾馳的速度最快，步行、小跑、慢跑則較慢。賽馬時，騎師一般先騎馬走到柵門口，柵門一彈開，馬匹隨即撒腿疾馳。純種馬一般用來競賽，有寬闊的胸肌、強壯的腿部肌肉，以及構造精巧的馬蹄，疾馳時馬蹄劃破空氣，時速可達 55 英里。

The author of the sentence used the phrase “galloping misfortune” as something of a double entendre. It alludes to the tendency of thoroughbreds to break down for no apparent reason, with legs fracturing, lungs issuing blood, and undersized hearts pumping too little blood for the needs of the large animals. The “galloping” adjective also infers that the health crises can occur suddenly, often while the horses are speeding along the inside rail of a track. The phrase “galloping misfortune” neatly ties together the breed’s chief characteristic and its chief hazard.
“Galloping misfortune”（疾馳的厄運） 是雙關語，暗指純種馬有時莫名其妙就倒下了，可能腿部骨折、肺出血，或是心臟太小，打出的血液不夠馬匹龐大的身軀使用。“Galloping”（疾馳）也用來形容馬匹身體健康突然發生問題，通常發生在馬匹沿著跑道內圈加速時。“Galloping misfortune”「疾馳的厄運」巧妙連結了純種馬的主要特徵與主要問題。

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 sometimes am frustrated—maybe even peeved—by the disinterest shown my research by scholars in other disciplines. For various reasons, I would feel more fulfilled if they showed more interest in my work. What can I do to elicit their interest?
有時候，其他領域的研究者對我的研究沒興趣，會讓我很沮喪，甚至不太高興。基於種種理由，我很希望不同領域的研究者能注意我的研究。怎麼做才能引起其他研究者的興趣呢？

It is interesting to me that you want your peers in other scholarly disciplines to show interest in your work. I mean, if you have a particular peer in mind, possibly the one with the dimpled smile and terrific hair, well, yes, I understand that and offer a one-word piece of advice: flirt. However, if your concern is more general in scope and intellectual in nature, your dilemma is much more interesting to me. Let me note that some scholars simply confine themselves to notoriously narrow fields of interest. Don’t take it as a personal affront that they don’t have time for you.
你希望其他學術領域的研究者關注你的研究，讓我覺得很有趣。如果你只想讓某一位學者注意你的研究，特別是那位笑起來有酒窩、頭髮光滑迷人的學者……好吧，那我了解，我的建議很簡單：放電吧。不過，如果你的重點是想讓更多人關注學術研究，那就更有意思了。我知道有些學者把注意力集中在極為狹窄的範疇裡，所以如果他們沒有時間關注你的研究，並不是特別針對你。

Still, there is much to be said for interdisciplinary fraternization as an intellectual exercise. While the aforementioned scholar who becomes a mental hermit can be applauded for his intense focus, approval is given with a caveat: Such narrow vision is unlikely to produce anything of broad significance. Academic research and writing always are deeper than they are wide, but both research and writing fall short of excellence when they lack context. Context is the “outside” information that gives a paper parallel meaning. Hermit-scholars often lack such perspective.
跨領域學術交流確實大有可為；過度專精於自己領域的學者專注力驚人，這點固然令人欽佩，但也應心存警惕－如果視野狹隘，所作的研究就沒有重要的影響力。學術研究與寫作多半務求精深，不以廣博見長，但若缺乏脈絡，兩者都無法卓然有成。脈絡是外在的資訊，讓研究得以與其他事物互相呼應。過於專注在自己所屬領域的學者，通常無法洞察這一點。

Your sense of wanting to interact with scholars across disciplines is a good one. The benefits of doing so are mutual. I would suggest that the surest way to attract the interest of such academic researchers is to demonstrate genuine interest in their research. Not only will you then win their interest in your work, you will likely come away with some arcane tidbit discovered by them in the course of their work. It is interesting how such esoteric knowledge can spur fresh thinking in an entirely unrelated field. Good luck with encouraging your peers to open their minds to you.
想與其他領域的學者交流是個很好的想法，雙方都能從中受益。我認為要吸引那些學者的注意，最有效的方法就是對他們的研究領域展現真誠的興趣。如此一來，不僅能讓他們關注你的研究，你或許也能發現對方研究的吉光片羽。某個領域的專業知識，能在完全不相干的領域中，激起富有新意的想法，讓人覺得很有意思。祝你能順利打開同事的心。

Correct best answer: Replace “excepted” with “accepted.”

“The publication of a book by a new author is a noteworthy event, because the odds of having a manuscript accepted are tantamount to winning a lottery… twice.”

Simple slip-ups can be simply excruciating to read. The writer of this passage unwittingly substituted “excepted” for “accepted” and turned the sentence upside down. Instead of a new book being welcomed by a publisher, it was excluded. Errant substitution of one word for another also injures the writing when the words are similar but different; in that case, the reader takes away a similar but different meaning than was intended. The solution always is to re-read a paper critically and, when possible, to have someone else read the paper, too. Better that a peer find an incorrect word than that a professor discover it. Friends don’t use red pencils.
一個小小的筆誤可能讓文章變得不忍卒睹。作者無意間把 “accepted” 寫成 “excepted”，結果意思完全相反，原本想說新書受到出版社賞識，卻變成被出版社拒絕。有時，如果用了一個相似但不完全相同的詞彙，讀者理解的語意也會與原本的意思有點不同。解決之道就是仔細重讀自己的文章，也可以請另一個人再讀一次。錯字被朋友找出來，總比被教授挑出來好得多，起碼朋友不會用紅筆改你的錯字。

撰寫學術文章時，每字每句都需要謹慎著墨。改變幾個字就會使完整的一句話變得令人摸不著頭緒。下列的句子中，為使這句話能完整且有意義的表達，請選出你認為會令人感到困惑的字，我們將提供統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元禮券，給予挑出混淆字，並寫出最佳替代字的第1位粉絲，最適的解答與獲獎的粉絲姓名，將於明天公佈於本TPS的專頁。請將你的答案寫在下方，獲得免費購物禮券的幸運兒可能就是你哦!
Every word is important in a well-written academic paper. Changing just a word or two can turn a clear sentence into a confusing one. Tell us what word you would change in the following puzzling sentence to render it more meaningful. The first best answer will receive a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate.

題目Contest Sentence:
“The publication of a book by a new author is a noteworthy event, because the odds of having a manuscript excepted are tantamount to winning a lottery… twice.”

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

“Two pragmatic books on political life often compared are the ‘Arthashastra’ of ancient India and ‘The Prince’ of early 16th-century Italy. While each is a coldly calculating text for preserving a tyrant’s reign, the Indian writings are especially cold-blooded in their recommended use of extreme violence to eliminate inside and outside threats to a seat of power. Suggested measures to hang on to power include the rationale for a king killing his own family members to lessen the political threat, and the case for torture as a political weapon. The influence of these soulless propositions on the course of political history are hotly debated.”

A professor reading the passage critically would find numerous faults. The writer repeatedly is incautious about use of adjectives. Examples: Describing a reign as a “tyrant’s” reign could be disputed by a historian who considered it benevolent. Violence is needlessly characterized as “extreme.” Propositions are described as “soulless,” which invites all kinds of conjecture. On the other hand, a missing adjective hurts the writing: internal and external “threats” apparently are deemed to be real because the writer doesn’t modify them with the word “perceived.” Other failings: “Hang on to power” is colloquial expression at best; in the last sentence, the singular subject “influence” was mistakenly given a plural verb, “are.” What other weaknesses do you see?
如果教授仔細讀這篇文章，就會發現好幾個問題。作者好幾次使用形容詞都不太謹慎，例如，歷史學家可能會認為以 “tyrant’s”（暴君式）來形容政權太「悲天憫人」，此外，也不需要用 “extreme” （極端）來形容暴力；以 “soulless” （沒有靈魂／無血無淚）形容書中的建議會引發不實臆測。另一方面，缺乏必要的形容詞也讓文章有瑕疵，例如，因為沒有形容詞 “perceived” （感覺到的）修飾來自內外的 “threats” （威脅），讀者可能以為威脅確實存在，而 “hang on to power” （抓著權力不放）頂多只能算是口語的說法；且最後一句單數主詞 “influence” 誤用了複數動詞 “are”。你還看得出其他缺點嗎？

Acceptable 認可的文章

“Two pragmatic sets of writing on political life often compared are the ‘Arthashastra’ treatise of ancient India and ‘The Prince’ of early 16th-century Italy. While each stridently calculates how to preserve a reign at any cost, the Indian writings are especially conscience-less in recommending use of violence to eliminate perceived internal and external threats to a seat of power. Suggested measures to maintain power include a rationale for a king killing his own family members to lessen the political threat, and the justification for torture as a political tool. The influence of these radical propositions on the course of political history still is debated.”