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身為一名學者及學術文章作者，有責任要以批判的角度進行閱讀。這對一個致力於學術研究的人來說並非難事，因為批判性思考是一項天賦。即便如此，有時候在閱讀與思考之間的界線還是有些模糊，甚至是最後寫作的部分。這兩項步驟是用來檢視如何將內心想法轉化為更有內容的學術文章。
As a scholar, an academic writer has a responsibility to read critically. This is not a difficult task for a person dedicated to scholarship; critical thinking comes naturally. Even so, sometimes there is a tenuous relationship between reading, thinking and, ultimately, writing. This 2-part series examines how mental activity translates into richer academic papers.

Part 2: Be a thinking writer
第二步：當個會思考的作者

Having developed skills as an engaged and reflective reader, an academic writer’s next step in enriching a paper is to become an engaged and reflective writer. By doing so, a scholar is able to critically analyze a subject and paper as a writing project proceeds. This leads to constant refinement of a paper. Status quo is not a mental condition that serves a scholar well. The better condition is progressive evaluation, in which a writer keeps an open mind to fleeting thoughts, tangential considerations, and nuanced angles. In this way, a writer can surprise even himself.
學會做一個積極閱讀的反思性讀者（reflective reader）後，學術寫作的下個步驟即是豐富文章內容，成為積極並具反思性的作家。只要做到這點，在寫作的過程中便能從批判的角度來分析主題和文章。要達到這個目的，必須不斷地精煉文章。作為一名學者，切忌安於現狀，最好是不斷檢討，並時時放開胸懷捕捉偶發想法、注意相關細節、見微知著，這樣一來，就連作家也會對自己的作品感到驚訝。

Where beginning writers sometimes go wrong in this is to become chronic in their open-mindedness. While an open mind assures that the topic of a paper is explored thoroughly, resulting in few if any gaping holes in logic or fact, only pure philosophers perched on mountaintops have the luxury of pondering endlessly. The rest of us must reach conclusions and, in respect to academic papers, express them conclusively. So at some point, exploration must cease. Shallow scholarship can occur from too much indecisive exploration just as it can from material-skimming.
初次嘗試撰寫學術性文章，常犯的錯誤即是習慣性地維持「心胸開闊」。雖然維持心胸開闊有助於深入探討文章主題，並減少邏輯或事實論據上的錯誤，不過只有純粹的哲學家才有那樣的餘裕來仔細琢磨深思。一般人只能總結文章，特別是學術文章方面，應盡力作出結論。因此，對主題的探究終須止息。不光是在學術方面的不足，淺薄的學術成就也一樣能在絮絮叨叨的探究下展現出來。

To avoid the embarrassment of being unable to sum up and finish a paper, a writer should be systematic in his exploration. Don’t just have a flash of insight, ponder it a moment, and work ahead with the good intention of returning to it. Rather, take time to write down the essence of the thought in a ledger. Then in a free moment, return to the noted thought and really examine it. Does it have sufficient merit to develop and include in the paper? Does it add value to the paper? If not, dismiss it. If it has possibilities, take time to explore it. Stay alert to insight; it can change a paper.
為了避免無法作出結論的尷尬，身為作者應當系統化其研究方式，避免在有寫作靈感後廢時思量，繼續埋頭苦幹。相反地，作者應當花時間記下重點看法，並於閒暇之時回顧，然後才檢討這些想法：是否值得在文章中發展討論呢？能替文章內容加分嗎？如果不行，就應當放棄。如果有發展的可能，花時間探討。只要維持警醒的洞察力，必能改變文章內容。

Suggested answer: “His son, tall and bulky, reminded him of a walrus, swaying through the crowd like a ponderous and graceful pendulum.”

Something “tall and bulky” doesn’t always bring to mind the adjective “graceful.” Yet the biggest animals on the planet, such as elephants and whales, move through their respective realms with amazing grace. The father watching his larger son move was taken by the slippery way his son made his way through oncoming walkers. In fact, “slipping” would not be a bad choice of verb. Yet “swaying” captures both the idea of unimpeded movement and the sideways motion of a blubbery animal undulating along, lifting and dropping its massive shoulders and dragging itself forward. Other possible “s” words in this situation are shifting and swerving.
談到「高大笨重」，一般可無法和「優雅」這個形容詞作出聯想。不過像是大象和鯨魚等地球上最大的生物，牠們在各自領域中的動作可謂優雅自得。句中父親觀看體型結實的兒子移動，非常驚訝他的兒子竟能在迎面而來的人潮中滑不溜丟地通過。事實上，「slipping」這個動詞頗為合適，不過卻不若「swaying」一般，能精確描寫流暢的動作，彷彿一隻肥碩的動物正左搖右晃，拖著龐大身軀前進。其他「s」開頭的適用字還有「shifting」和「swerving」。

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:

“His son, tall and bulky, reminded him of a walrus, s_____ through the crowd like a ponderous and graceful pendulum.”

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 word or set of words is called a “figure of speech.” For a figure of speech to be effective, however, a writer must first understand the original meaning of the word or phrase. The following sentence contains a common figure of speech. Its original meaning is explained.

“The screened-in sleeping hut still brimmed with comfort in November when insulated tarps were lowered to protect sleepers from cool winds.”
「 儘管時值十一月， 低放的防水布保護睡於小屋內的人免受冷風吹襲，讓受遮蔽的小木屋內充滿了舒適的氛圍。」

“Brim” is an upper or outer limit of something—of a container, an area, a structure—the opposite being a bottom or inner limit. Thus, there is the brim of a cup (the top of the surrounding sides) and the brim of a hat (the projecting outer rim that surrounds the crown). The top edge of a depression in the ground or of a bathtub also is referred to as a brim. A common phrase is “filled to the brim,” meaning filled to the top: “My tea cup was filled to the brim.” The person doesn’t actually mean that the cup is on the verge of spilling over, but that it is nominally full.
「Brim」（邊緣）意指超過某樣東西的限度之上或外在侷限，通常指容器、區域或者是結構體，相反的概念即是底部或者界線內。因此，我們可以說杯子的「brim」（杯子最上緣環狀的部分），也可以說帽子的「brim」（環繞頭部突出部分的外緣）。一個地面低窪處、或是浴缸的最頂端邊緣亦能以「brim」稱之。有個常聽到的用語「filled to the brim」，意思就是到頂為止。如果聽見有人說：「我的茶裝到滿」，說話的人並非指茶杯裡的茶真的都要灑出來了，只是形容很滿而已。

In saying that the novel sleepers’ building “brimmed with comfort,” the writer isn’t suggesting there was so much comfort poured into the building that it might spill out from under the eaves at any moment. Rather, the writer is suggesting that the closing off of the screened walls has sealed the interior so well that chilling winds cannot enter it. Therefore the comfort level is more than adequate; it is wholly comfortable. Brimming used in this sense always implies fullness… of comfort, of a beverage (tea), of a feeling (happiness), of credentials (authority), and so on.
回到文章，內容敘述就寢者的屋子內「充滿舒適的氛圍」。作者並非指有人將舒適灌注於屋內，並讓那份舒適多到從屋簷灑出來。相反地，作者是在描述屏蔽牆將冷風完全阻擋在外。所以，屋子內部的舒適度上升，變得相當舒服。「Brimming」在此情況下為充滿的意思，可用於描寫舒適感，或者是飲料（茶）、感覺（幸福感）、公信力（權威）等等。

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 have been told I write well in two languages, but I also have been told that my English writing runs too long. Is there a guideline that helps academic writers write succinctly in a second language?
曾經有人稱讚我使用兩種語言的書寫能力相當良好，但是也曾有人說過我的英文寫作內容過於冗長。請問是否有一些指導方向可以幫助學術文章撰寫者能夠以第二種語言寫文章寫得更簡潔？

First of all, never devalue in your own mind your ability to communicate in two languages. Many people around the world would like to express themselves in a second language and wouldn’t care one whit if they “ran long” in doing so. Your interest in refining your writing in a second language is an indication of your professionalism and ambition as a writer. Languages, as you know, don’t always translate exactly in terms of number of characters, imagery, and, yes, number of words. So first of all I would suggest that word count not be a deciding factor in a translation.
首先，永遠不要自我貶低你的雙語能力。這個世界上有許多人想要使用第二種語言來表達看法，並且絲毫不介意他們的敘述內容是否「冗長」。你想要精進第二語言寫作能力的想法充分地展現了一個作者應該有的專業以及野心。眾所周知，語言是無法精準地逐字或依樣畫葫蘆進行翻譯。所以，首先我認為字數並非是影響一篇翻譯最關鍵的因素。

The “length” standard in a translation or in an original language always is… however many words are needed to produce clarity. That might seem like an unhelpful guideline, but it is absolutely valid. A professor never will complain about wordiness if each word has value and helps express a thought. That might be two words or ten. The trick is to become proficient in choosing words so that excessive numbers of words are not employed. This is a skill that comes to a writer only one way: by writing and re-writing. Experience teaches a talented academic writer about succinctness.
談到翻譯文章或是原文「長度」的標準，可以有很多不同的答案。無論文章字數，都必須讓讀者們清晰明瞭文章內容。這句話聽起來可能很像廢話，但這是真的。如果你能做到字字珠璣，並善用文字表達想法，教授永遠不會抱怨你寫太多，不管是你只寫了兩個還是十個字。訣竅在於慎選用字，即可避免多餘的贅字。對於一名作者來說，唯一的金科玉律就是：寫跟重寫。一個厲害的學術文章撰寫者可以從經驗中學習如何言簡意賅。

The task is doubly difficult when a thought conceived in one language must be communicated in a second one. So I would suggest that little or no effort be made in a rough draft to write succinctly. The better course is to write an original draft freely, with little concern for numbers of words used to explore a thought or to express an argument. Second and, if necessary, third drafts are where tightening should occur. That is when you should look for extraneous language and other padding. After a while, lean writing will come naturally to you—in both languages.
不過當想法是由一種語言而生，卻必須以第二種語言加以溝通傳達時，要做到這點就特別困難。所以我會建議在擬定草稿時不要拘泥於維持文章簡潔的問題。最好就是隨心所欲的書寫，完全不需要擔心應該使用多少字來表達某個想法或者是論點。再者，如果有必要的話，於第三次的草稿加強內容。這就是你檢查是否有冗贅拖沓，或是殘缺脫漏等問題的時候。經過一段時間訓練，在兩種語言的文章寫作上，你都將句句鏗鏘、簡潔有力。

Corrected sentence:

The algorithm is simple enough. The difficulty lies in mastering it in the short time my reality-challenged professor allowed: He clearly doesn’t understand my frenetic, exhausting schedule.

These sentences are straight-forward explanations of a student’s lament. The capitalization gives all the clues one needs to know where the sentences break. The trick is to end the sentences correctly. The first sentence is not closely associated with the second sentence, so a period is the best punctuation mark. However, the second sentence and third sentence have a shared mission of explaining the student complaint, therefore a colon is the best choice to join them. The compound adjective “reality-challenged” needs a hyphen, and the two adjectives describing the student’s schedule should be separated by a comma. The sentences then become clear and readable.
這些句子直接了當地闡述了一個學生的悲嘆。大寫的部分讓讀者清楚知道斷句的位置。寫作的訣竅即是正確地結束每個句子。第一句並未與第二句緊密相關，所以在此使用句號是再好不過了。不過，第二句與第三句均在敘述該學生的抱怨，在此最好使用分號。複合形容詞「reality-challenged」中間需要連字符號連結，而用以形容這名學生行程表的兩個形容詞應該用逗號分開。如此一來，這些句子便能更加清晰及便於閱讀。

文字就像汽車，需要交通標誌與燈號才不會打結，標點符號可以釋放文字，讓字句能打動、指引、啟發讀者。以下範例可能標點符號不正確，或少了必需的標點符號。注意，句中可能不只有一個標點符號錯誤。最先改正錯誤，並寫出最佳解答的一位 TPS 粉絲，將能贏得兩百元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷。
Words, like motor vehicles, need signposts and signals to keep them from running together. Punctuation frees words to move readers, to instruct and inspire them. The following example of writing either contains inappropriate punctuation or lacks marks that are needed. Note: The example may contain more than one punctuation error. The first TPS Fan to correct the writing sample as we believe it should be corrected will win a NTD200 eslite bookstore and shopping mall Gift Certificate.

題目Contest Sentence:

The algorithm is simple enough; The difficulty lies in mastering it in the short time my reality challenged professor allowed; He clearly doesn’t understand my frenetic exhausting schedule.

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. This column examines short excerpts from academic texts to illustrate common writing errors and to explain how to correct them.

Unacceptable 不被認可的文章

“Setting up an observation post, the group of young scientists prepared to study the planet Saturn as it dramatically rose in the night’s sky. The person chosen to lead the group went out and carefully selected the night’s observation platform, which was a gently sloping cleared area in the Rocky Mountains in the vast interior of the United States. The scientists were extremely hopeful of capturing some crystal-clear shots of Saturn because the April sky was cloud-free and the clearing far enough from municipal lighting to escape its ugly glare. The last telescope had been set up and focused when someone shouted: “Oh, no! A cloud bank!”

This prelude to a report of an astronomy outing is appealing in its detail and drama. However, the writer lapsed into cliché and the writing falls well short of being smooth. It reads, in fact, like a draft rather than a final version of a paper. Scientists who study the stars and planets are astronomers, for example, yet they are never called such in this passage. The group has assembled to study “the planet Saturn,” which is wordy: “Saturn” says it all. That the planet “dramatically rose” is subjective and hackneyed phrasing and that it did so in “the night’s sky” is tongue-twisting; “nighttime sky” reads more comfortably. These are examples of marred writing.
在細節和戲劇性方面，作者拉開一趟天文郊遊序幕的寫作手法相當吸引人。然而，作者的失敗之處在於過度陳腔濫調以及寫作內容過短。事實上，閱讀起來就像是一篇草稿，而非完成作品。舉例而言，一般研究星星以及星球的科學家稱為天文學家，但這些專家在文章段落中卻不是這麼稱呼的。小組被指派研究的「土星星球」顯得太過累贅。直接寫「土星」即可。這句「星球戲劇性地升起」主觀且陳腔濫調，尤其後面接著寫「夜晚的星空」，念起來相當拗口。「夜空」應該較為恰當。這裡列舉的都是一些有缺陷的寫作例子。

Acceptable 認可的文章

“Setting up an observation post, the young astronomers prepared to study Saturn as it ascended in the nighttime sky. The designated field trip leader had carefully selected the observation platform—a gently sloped clearing in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains in the western United States. The scientists hoped to capture sharply defined photographs of Saturn because the April sky was crystalline and the mountain slope sufficiently distant from municipal lighting. The last telescope had been set up and calibrated when a cry went up: “Oh, no! A cloud bank!”

身為一名學者及學術文章作者，有責任要以批判的角度進行閱讀。這對一個致力於學術研究的人來說並非難事，因為批判性思考是一項天賦。即便如此，有時候在閱讀與思考之間的界線還是有些模糊，甚至是最後寫作的部分。這兩項步驟是用來檢視如何將內心想法轉化為更有內容的學術文章。
As a scholar, an academic writer has a responsibility to read critically. This is not a difficult task for a person dedicated to scholarship; critical thinking comes naturally. Even so, sometimes there is a tenuous relationship between reading, thinking and, ultimately, writing. This 2-part series examines how mental activity translates into richer academic papers.

Part 1: Be a thinking reader
第一步：當個會思考的讀者

Sometimes we sit and read for pure pleasure. The book being read often is escapist material of some sort—an adventure story, perhaps—and our conscious minds usually don’t play an active role in evaluating what we are reading. But when we research books and other materials in preparation for writing a paper, unthinking reading is verboten. A scholar collecting material must be fully engaged during his reading of relevant material to extract from it not only the facts, but the nuances, such as valuable contextual material and allusions to previously unknown sources.
有時候，坐下來閱讀純粹只為了享受。所讀的書，像是冒險小說等，通常是我們用以逃避現實的工具，而我們的理性邏輯思維並不會特別深究我們正在閱讀的題材。但是當我們為了寫報告而鑽研書籍以及其他素材時，未經思索的閱讀是不被允許的。當一名學者蒐集資料時，他必須完全置身於閱讀或是其他相關素材之中，以摘取枝微末節，像是有價值的上下文內容以及一些來源不明的典故。

Being fully engaged means more than following the gist of an author’s argument or report. That is important, of course; when we don’t understand what we are reading, we have a problem right from the start. Presuming we can follow the thread of an author’s writing, we have only begun our engagement with the author. A critical thinker is free to challenge a writer’s assertions, or question a premise. A scholar should not be a sponge reader, soaking up every word and opinion. Rather he should be a reflective reader, actively evaluating what he is taking into his head.
「完全置身其中」意指明白作者的論點或者報告綱領。這當然是相當重要的；如果我們不能明白正在閱讀的內容，那麼研究一開始就出問題了。假設我們能夠理解作者寫作的脈絡，就能與作者一同置身作品之中。具批判性的思考寫作有可能挑戰作者的主張，也可能質疑作者假設的論點。一個學者不能當一個只進不出的海綿，把每一個字或想法都吸收進去。相反地，他應該要當一個反思性讀者（reflective reader），能積極地評斷所獲得的想法。

Reflective reading is facilitated by reading with pen or pencil in hand. A sentence that seems brimming with truth or falsehood might be underlined. A conclusion that seems very awry might deserve a notation in the margins of the page. A phrase that stirs your emotions—negatively or positively—warrants underlining for later examination. This is how a thinking person explores research material. The fruit of it is better grounding in a subject, finer understanding of an author, and perhaps inspiration for a related academic paper that he didn’t even know he had in him.
閱讀時準備一支筆或是鉛筆以供書寫，能有助於反思性的閱讀。看起來不確定正確或錯誤的句子都可畫線註記，看似怪誕模糊的結論也可在頁面上加以註釋。遇到帶有情緒性字眼的片語，不論是正面或是負面的，都應當先畫線，待稍後回頭檢查。這就是一個會思考的讀者面對研究素材的態度。這麼做會建立更穩健的論點基礎，更瞭解作者，甚至透過這樣的啟發，進而讓自己撰寫出全新領域的學術文章。

Correct best answer: Replace “scents” with “sense.”

“The new perfume formula made no sense to the lab assistant, who experimented with several fragrant oils before finding the correct combination.”

Working in an olfactory factory must be overpowering at times. The nose can only take on so many fragrances before the brain protests at the smell overkill. In this sentence, the writer seems to have lost his “sense” in describing a chemistry assistant’s confusion about a formula. By substituting “scents” for “sense,” the writer confused readers. In fact, he might have utterly interrupted their concentration by introducing what appears to be a pun. Punning is not acceptable in academic writing. More likely, in this case the writer simply was thinking of fragrances and accidentally wrote “scents.” So the error was inadvertent, rather than egregious.
在香水工廠中行走，一定會不時覺得相當刺鼻。我們的鼻子在承受太多不同的氣味時，大腦很快就會抱怨氣味超載。本句當中，在描述化學助理對於配方感到困惑時，作者似乎失去了使用「sense」（判斷力）來描述的能力。作者以「scent」（氣味）取代「sense」一字，讓讀者感到困惑。事實上，作者雖使用了雙關語，這樣的寫作手法卻可能打斷讀者對於文章的專注。雙關語在學術文章的撰寫上是不被允許的。在此情況下，多半作者只是簡單地想到香味就寫出了「scent」這個字。所以這也只能算是無心之過，不算錯得太過分。