0214 TPS Spot the Error Contest-Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你是挑錯的高手嗎? 有機會獲得200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!

2011-02-14
下列的句子中,包含了一個錯誤,可能是文法、拼法或是標點符號的錯誤。我們將提供統一超商/星巴克咖啡NTD200元的購物禮券,給予今天前三名挑出正確錯誤、寫出正確答案的粉絲。正確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!
The sentence below contains 1 grammatical, spelling and/or punctuation error. The first three (3) TPS Fans to respond with the corrected sentence will win a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate. The corrected sentence and the names of the winners will be published tomorrow on this TPS Fans page. Please post your answers below. Good luck!

題目Contest Sentence:

“The poetess’s asymmetrical allusions to God—she seems unwilling to directly concede God’s presence in her heart and mind—is a failure of poetcraft as well as conscience.”


Last Update at 2012-04-03 AM 10:24 | 0 Comments

This is not academic writing 學術文章不是這麼寫的

2011-02-11
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

“Social scientists have come up with conflict theories to explain how social order and disorder are related to drug use. The theories aren’t amazingly original. The scientists blame stress, tension and just plain being without—conditions commonly found in bad communities, or in poor and downtrodden regions. Sick to death of it all or afraid of dying, residents of such areas push what sometimes are called their ‘life chances.”

The previous paragraph contains language that is not appropriate in an academic setting: (1) It communicates imprecisely and informally; (2) Its conversational phrases are objectionable—phrases such as “come up with” and “sick to death.” That is lounge talk; (3) “Aren’t” is an inadvisable contraction; (4) Vague adjectives such as “bad” and “poor” and “downtrodden” weaken sentences by muddying meaning; (5) One sentence—“The theories aren’t amazingly original”—is an unsubstantiated aside from the author; (6) Finally, the term “life chances” is not attributed to anyone even though it is quoted. This is a subpar effort. The correct version of the paper’s excerpt appears below.
這段文章之中,從學術文章的角度來看,出現許多不適宜的寫法: (1) 句中傳達的句意不精確且寫法不正式;(2) 口語化詞句,如 “come up with” 及“sick to death”,如此會話的口吻,無法為此篇文章產生任何正面評價;(3) 正式文章中不宜使用如“Aren’t”這樣的縮寫;(4) 模糊、抽象的形容詞,如 “bad”,“poor” 和 “downtrodden”,無法為句意增色,只是讓句意的表達更加混亂無章;(5) 此句“The theories aren’t amazingly original”,作者在文中並未提具事實根據;(6) 最後出現的詞組“life chances”,這個詞組並不是屬於任何人的,即便它是註有引號的"引言"。這篇文章的品質並不理想。此段文章編輯潤飾後內容,刊登如下。

Acceptable 認可的文章

“Social scientists have constructed conflict theories to explain how social order and disorder influence the rates of drug use. The pertinent theories are keyed to stress, tension and deprivation—conditions commonly found in dysfunctional communities, or in impoverished and politically repressed regions. Encumbered with despair or desperate to survive, residents of such areas tragically try to realize their ‘life chances,’ the phrase that German sociologist Max Weber used to describe a person’s individual opportunities.”

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 10:59 | 0 Comments

Welcome Greeting! 歡迎TPS粉絲回來!

2011-02-08
Dear TPS Fans,

We hope you enjoyed the New Year’s break from your academic routines and happily reunited with your family and friends. But admit it, you missed us! We certainly missed interacting with you! We have assembled some more brainteasers and thought-provoking language features to sharpen your skills as academic writers. We have a year’s worth of fun and engaging activities planned for the Fan Page this Year of the Rabbit. We’ll hop right to it … beginning tomorrow.





TPS Editorial Team

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 10:59 | 0 Comments

0124 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest-Answer and Explanation你能找出混淆字嗎? 正確解答!

2011-01-25
Correct Best Answer: Replace “desolation” with “isolation.”

“Some tribes living in the Amazon River Valley of South America are considered the last primitive people, living in isolation by utilizing the jungle’s resources.”

A desolate place has, by definition, no inhabitants. It is characterized by abandonment, joylessness and barrenness. Obviously, the tribes exist, for they have been photographed, and continue to multiply, so they are not barren. They may even be happy. Hence, they are not living in desolation. Rather, the tribes live in a place far removed from other people and from modernity itself. They are isolated. To say the Amazonian tribes live in isolation, then, is a correct statement.
'desolate'是荒涼的意思,沒有棲息居住的意涵,表示遭遺棄、無生氣、荒蕪之境。根據題目,很明顯的,曾有人拍攝到部落是存在的,且人數持續增長中,所以他們身處的不是荒廢的地方,甚至於他們應該是非常快樂的一群民族。因此,他們並非住在荒蕪之地,應該是說,部落位在很遠的地方,一般人無法輕易接近。他們是被隔離的。正確的說法應為 the Amazonian tribes live in isolation。

The winner of this week's prize is Tina Hsu who is the first fan to submit the best correct answer.
在第一時間指出混淆字並且寫出最佳替代字的粉絲,這次獲獎的粉絲是Jim Lee。恭禧Jim!

Thanks for everyone's participation in this week's One Word Away From Confusion Contest. Congratulations to all who wrestled with the sentence and learned something about the value of individual words.
謝謝所有粉絲們參與本周的「你能找出混淆字嗎?」活動,恭禧所有參與這次競賽題目的粉絲們,對於字彙本身的意義與價值有了更深一層瞭解與體會。

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 11:00 | 0 Comments

0124 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest-Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你能找出混淆字嗎? 有機會獲得200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!

2011-01-24
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:

“Some tribes living in the Amazon River Valley of South America are considered the last primitive people, living in desolation by utilizing the jungle’s resources.”

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 11:00 | 0 Comments

What does that mean? 你真的瞭解這個慣用語嗎?

2011-01-13
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.

“These findings suggested that the nerve fiber retracted after the traumatic blow, then rebounded within the nerve bundle like an uncoiling spring, and initiated new growth.”
經許多研究結果發現,當造成外傷時,神經纖維立即收縮,如同鬆開的彈簧般即時回應神經束,新纖維同時開始生成。

“Like an uncoiling spring” alludes to the expansion of a spiral coil of steel or plastic after a constriction is removed, allowing it to return to a pre-formed, unrepressed state. The change is sudden and energetic and, when occurring within range of another object, sometimes violent. The action is commonly described in the onomatopoeic word sproing!
「如同鬆開的彈簧般 (Like an uncoiling spring)」暗指當鐵製或塑膠製的線圈經過束緊纏繞變形,一旦鬆開後,線圈即刻向外彈開,使其回復到變形前的狀態。這樣突然且強烈的改變,尤其當它同時影響周圍物件時,改變所帶來的後果可能更加猛烈。一般會用擬聲字 "sproing" 來表達對這樣的動作反應。

As used in an academic paper about a biological condition, the simile denotes a marked change of status for a fibrous material. The material was deformed by an outside inhibiting influence and then suddenly regained its previous form and instigated biological change. The simile is used to convey the quickness of the biological expansion.
在學術文章中,多應用於生物現象,意思是「纖維物料狀態的明顯改變」。也就是說,當物料遭到外力壓迫影響而導致變形,而在一瞬間又立即回覆原本狀態並進而促使生物的進化與變化。這樣的用法一般是用來敘述特定生物現象的快速擴展。


Last Update at 2012-04-03 AM 10:30 | 0 Comments

12 Recommendations to Help you Submit a Conventional and Acceptable Paper Tip 3: Identify correct format and style for your paper 12個獲得學術認可的論文撰寫技巧之三:論文書寫格式與風格

2011-01-13
教授學者們通常會規範寫作標準,制定如何撰寫碩博士論文與學術文章以及格式要求。學術界所評定的標準植基於以何種撰寫方式會被認可,何種撰寫方式則會被拒絕。本專欄提出「12個獲得學術認可的論文撰寫技巧」,幫助你寫出符合規範與認可標準的文章。
The community of scholars has rules that govern how dissertations, theses and other academic papers are composed and formatted. Academic convention has established what is acceptable and what is not. Following is one of 12 recommendations to help you submit a conventional and acceptable paper.

Tip 3 –Identify correct format and style for your paper
技巧三:論文書寫格式與風格


Every academic writer hopes to have a paper published and widely read within the academic community. While that is a reasonable hope, it can be a distracting one during a paper’s planning and composition. A paper need satisfy just one reader for success: the classroom instructor who assigned the paper. Failure to pass the muster of that professor precludes broader acceptance.
每位作者都期望論文作品能成功刊登於國際期刊,並受到學界的廣泛閱覽。雖說這是一個合理的期望,在論文計畫與構思的過程中,它卻也容易分散你的注意力。其實,論文只需要滿足一位讀者就可視為成功,那位讀者就是:給予你論文題目的課堂教授。教授通常會整理出論文不被接受的普遍原則,以自身經驗告訴你,你的論文可被接受或是會被拒絕。

In terms of format and style, this is not as arbitrary as it sounds. The mechanical presentation of a paper is governed largely by universal sets of rules. Individual professors can, and do, slightly tweak the rules to satisfy professional preferences. However, the common rules work to the advantage of all writers by giving to each a uniform structure for presentation of material.
談到格式與風格,其實沒有字面上看來那麼嚴格。學界公認的法則規範了論文制式的呈現方式。教授不但可以,並且能夠微調規範,以表現該學術專業領域偏好的論文形式。然而,透過論文制式呈現的架構,的確讓許多作者獲得普遍正確書寫的原則與優勢。

So at the outset, the author of a paper must be certain about what format or style is required—not suggested—by the assigning professor. If the class instructor glances at a submitted paper and returns it to the author, it is certain the author has failed to follow a professor’s formatting and stylistic instructions. Before content can be evaluated, presentation of the material is evaluated.
所以一開始,論文作者必須瞭解課堂教授期望論文必備,非選備,的格式與風格。倘若教授對你遞交的論文一瞥後就直接退回,很明顯的,作者並未按照教授所要求的格式與風格來撰寫。在評論你的論文內容前,論文的呈現已第一步被打了分數。

Several styles are used across academia. Some familiar ones include the Modern Language Association (MLA), which is popular in liberal arts and humanities writing; the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago), which has more general usage; the American Psychological Association (APA), for social sciences; and the Council of Science Editors (CSE), for scientific papers.
寫作風格用於不同的學術領域。舉例來說,學界所熟悉的「美國現代語言學會寫作手冊」(Modern Language Association ,MLA)在人文學科領域廣泛採用;「芝加哥格式手冊」(Chicago Manual of Style, Chicago)詳述完整格式規範與細節;「美國心理學會寫作手冊」 (American Psychological Association, APA)是社會科學領域普遍採用的格式;「科學編輯委員會」(Council of Science Editors , CSE)主要用在科學領域。

The different styles can vary in their citation requirements and formatting. The writer of a paper must know which style is assigned. Example of differences: The MLA does not require a title page—but the professor might anyway; the APA generally requires a title page, which should be numbered 1; whereas in Chicago usage, if a title page is included, it should not be numbered 1.
不同寫作風格,引述與引用的條件與格式也不同,作者必須清楚自己遵循的是那一類風格。舉例來說,MLA不需要標題頁(封面)-不過,或許你的教授會需要;APA一般是需要標題頁,通常在第一頁;而Chicago若放標題頁,則大多不是第一頁。

In-text citations also vary. They range from MLA’s strict use of authors’ names and publication data in parenthesis to CSE’s less complicated use of numbers that link to a reference section. From an academic writer’s point of view, there is no best way to format and cite. There is only the required way, as assigned by an individual professor. Carefully heed such instructions.
引述與引用寫法也各異。MLA在引述作者與作品名稱方面相當嚴謹;CSE強調參考文獻數字需清楚明確標示等等。從論文作者的觀點來看,沒有完美的格式與寫法,只有被課堂教授需求、要求的寫法。作者們務必謹慎留心教授對文體格式的要求與期望。


Last Update at 2012-04-03 AM 10:30 | 0 Comments

0110 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest-Answer and Explanation你能找出混淆字嗎? 正確解答!

2011-01-11
Correct Best Answer: Replace “comity” with “tragedy.”

“In his epic play about two young lovers, Shakespeare alternates between comedy and tragedy to heighten dramatic tension.”

Comity is marked by friendliness and social harmony. To move from comedy to friendliness, as the errant sentence suggests, is not a stark enough change to create tension in an audience. But having characters move from comedy to tragedy does disrupt an audience’s emotional equilibrium, which is why Shakespeare penned it that way.
Comity有友善、社會和諧的意思。以原句喜劇(comedy)與友善(friendliness)的寫法,實無法產生足夠的閱讀張力以吸引讀者的目光。然而,當改為喜劇(comedy)與悲劇(tragedy)的寫法,則能引發讀者的對比情緒,這也是作者莎士比亞筆觸下的用意。

In the play in question, Shakespeare did not veer into “horror,” as one Fan suggested, though tragedies can be horrible. Other Fans got caught up in the similarity and alliteration of “comedy” and “comity” and simply substituted “c” words for comity, such as commodity and conformity. And one Fan changed two words in the sentence so that the phrase read: “…between comic and tragic…” Unfortunately, to successfully sub the adjectives (comic, tragic) for the nouns (comedy, tragedy) also requires that a writer add a third word, “scenes,” so that the sentence reads, “ …between comic and tragic scenes...”
粉絲的回答中,提出以"horror(可怕)"來替代用字,事實上,題目中莎士比亞並未提到這個面向;當然,tragedy(悲劇)的確極大可能是可怕的。相當多粉絲以意義相近的同義字及押頭韻"c"的"commodity(商品)"與"conformity(順從)"替代"comity"。粉絲中也有置換句中兩字詞性為形容詞"…between comic and tragic…",然而,欲以形容詞(comic, tragic)表達出完整句意,作者必須再加上名詞“scenes” , 即該句應為"...between comic and tragic scenes",才算完整。

The winner of this week's prize is Tina Hsu who is the first fan to submit the best correct answer.
在第一時間指出混淆字並且寫出最佳替代字的粉絲,經評估後,這次獲獎的粉絲是Tina Hsu。恭禧Tina!

Thanks for everyone's participation in this week's One Word Away From Confusion Contest. Congratulations to all who wrestled with the sentence and learned something about the value of individual words.
謝謝所有粉絲們參與本周的「你能找出混淆字嗎?」活動,恭禧所有參與這次競賽題目的粉絲們,對於字彙本身的意義與價值有了更深一層瞭解與體會。

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 11:01 | 0 Comments

0110 TPS One Word Away From Confusion Contest-Win Your NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Prize! 你能找出混淆字嗎? 有機會獲得200元統一超商/星巴克咖啡禮券!

2011-01-10
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 best answer will receive a NTD200 7-11/Starbucks Gift Certificate.

題目Contest Sentence:

“In his epic play about two young lovers, Shakespeare alternates between comedy and comity to heighten dramatic tension.”

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 11:01 | 0 Comments

12 Recommendations to Help you Submit a Conventional and Acceptable Paper Tip 2: Research your topic 12個獲得學術認可的論文撰寫技巧之二:研究選定主題

2011-01-06
教授學者們通常會規範寫作標準,制定如何撰寫碩博士論文與學術文章以及格式要求。學術界所評定的標準植基於以何種撰寫方式會被認可,何種撰寫方式則會被拒絕。本專欄提出「12個獲得學術認可的論文撰寫技巧」,幫助你寫出符合規範與認可標準的文章。
The community of scholars has rules that govern how dissertations, theses and other academic papers are composed and formatted. Academic convention has established what is acceptable and what is not. Following is one of 12 recommendations to help you submit a conventional and acceptable paper.

Tip 2 – Research your topic
技巧二:研究選定主題


Papers written for university faculty members have a higher threshold for acceptance than do papers at lower levels. They must be more sophisticated in their approach to a topic, more complex in their argumentation, more convincing in their conclusion. Students comfortable with padding text, slyly using larger fonts, and cribbing the work of others should discard the tricks.
碩博士論文獲得認可的門檻比一般學術文章來得嚴格,包括精確的主題,細膩的論證,以及具說服力的結論等等。學生們必須摒除以往寫作的不良習慣,像是贅詞充斥、字體加大、節錄相關論文超量等等。

The place to start forming good habits in the writing of academic papers is before the writing begins. Exacting research is the foundation of an acceptable paper. It is in this process that the structure of an argument is gathered and the weight of evidence is toted up. Building anything—whether house or academic paper—is greatly facilitated by having the materials for building it.
開始論文寫作的第一步,是培養正確的寫作習慣。嚴謹的研究是學術論文的基礎,過程包括建立論點的架構以及引導論證的重要性。不論是建造房屋或是寫作論文,都必須具備好的建材與題材才能算是準備就緒。

This is not possible to do, however, if the author of the paper doesn’t leave enough time. A serious writer does not wait until the last moment to begin researching a paper. That is like waiting until a few days before a concert to rehearse the music. Sometimes the music is more difficult than anticipated—or a topic more complex than imagined. Leave time to do the work.
一旦沒有預留足夠的時間,是很難在短時間內成就一篇好的論文。負責任的作者不會等到最後一刻才開始花時間研究、尋找題材。就如同音樂會即將演奏之際才開始進行演練,其演出成果之拙劣恐難預料;對學術論文來說,主題的專業與複雜度更超乎一般人想像。所以,預留充裕時間撰寫論文,是很重要的。

Begin your exploration with focused intent, but an open mind. At the outset of your search, do not dismiss as unimportant any reasonably pertinent found information. Until the parameters of an argument have been firmly established, relevant material should be saved. Weeding of the information and categorizing of the best of it can follow as the focus of the paper sharpens.
研究主題時,除了專注,同時要保持開放態度。搜集資訊過程中,不要草率放棄任何相關主題的資訊。在論點尚未得到完整論據的支持作為後盾之前,相關資訊都應保留下來。當題材搜集就緒後,才進行資訊增刪分類、去蕪存菁的階段。

Be purposeful in conducting the research. The essential goal is to uncover substantive, factual material that affirms your argument. But material that undermines the argument also should be consciously noted so that it can be refuted or offset by other evidence. Always select sources that will withstand academic scrutiny, and always gather firm evidence that is difficult to dispute.
研究過程中需要果斷力。研究目的在於找出真憑實據以支持你的論點。當警覺到某個發現將削弱你的論點時,必須找出相對應的論據加以反駁。永遠記住對於搜尋的資訊要詳細的驗證,力求牢不可破的實據。

Take notes during a search that truly will inform on subsequent reading. Cryptic notes can later mislead or baffle the researcher. Double-check citations to ensure they are accurately recorded. Roughly categorize the material as it is collected for easier access when outlining the paper. Finally, step back, look for weak points and, if necessary, search for final, buttressing material.
勤作筆記能幫助閱讀大量搜集資訊時的資料彙整,但含糊的筆記將誤導、阻礙研究者的研究方向與成果。重覆檢查節錄的引言確保引據正確無誤;資訊概略的分類有助於勾勒論文綱要。最後,記得再次驗證薄弱的論點,有必要時,再搜證一次以獲得最完整的論據支持。

Last Update at 2012-04-06 AM 11:01 | 0 Comments