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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 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 moth fluttered from elsewhere in the darkened room and danced around the lamp’s bulb until the annoyed student swatted it.”
「不知從何而來的飛蛾在黑暗的房間裡鼓動翅膀，圍繞燈泡飛舞，直到不耐煩的學生用力撲打飛蛾為止。」

Dancing is one of the universal attributes of man and really needs no explanation. It is a common human response to rhythmic sound produced by musicians or, in some cases, by machinery or nature. The impulse to move in concert with the percussive noise or music produces dancing, which harmonizes with the accompanying sound and is appealing to the eyes of those witnessing it. Dancing can be subdued or performed with virtual abandonment, and is identifiably different from other human movement because of the coordinated grace with which a dancer moves.
不需多說，我們都知道舞蹈是人的天性，會對音樂家創作的節奏或是機器、自然的聲音產生反應。像是在音樂會時，聽見嘈雜的噪音或音樂會有股衝動，想與音律和諧共舞，而觀者也無一不受到吸引。跳舞可以是低調的，也能奔放不已；而舞蹈和一般的人類動作不同，是因為舞者的動作蘊涵魅力。

By saying the moth “danced” around the light source, the writer is commenting on two qualities of the movement. First, it is uninterrupted. A dancer typically does not stop dancing until the music ends. In the same way, a moth begins to “dance” at the sight of the light and continues until a light is shut off, the moth simply becomes exhausted, or its flight is terminated for it. And, like a dancer, the moth’s movement is lively. Even slow dancers move in a way that is enlivened by simple grace. Of course, it also is true that they can move slowly without fear of being swatted.
作者提到蛾圍繞光源「danced」(飛舞)，用意是描寫動作的兩個特點。首先是連續不間斷的動作。舞者通常是音樂結束才會停止動作。同樣地，蛾在看到光線的一剎那開始「飛舞」，一直持續到光線滅了或是蛾累了才會停下。飛蛾的動作是靈活生動的，就像舞者一樣，就連慢舞時，舞步也蘊含優雅與生氣。當然，這也是因為舞者不需戰戰兢兢的跳舞或是害怕被人撲打。

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 slipped up in my concluding section and used the pronoun “you” in describing the impact of a certain economic practice, saying “This will produce baleful consequences for you as a consumer.” My professor jumped on it and bumped my grade lower. Didn’t he overreact?
我不小心在結論的部份犯錯，用了「you」這個代名詞描述特定經濟實踐所帶來的影響。句子是這麼寫的：「This will produce baleful consequences for you as a consumer。」教授看了非常不滿意，把分數打得更低了。他是不是反應太過激烈了？

Far be it from me to know why your professor reacted as he did, particularly when I know so little about the paper. Was the inappropriate pronoun use an example of the academic paper’s weak structure generally? Has it been a problem that your professor has addressed at length previously? Sometimes even temperate instructors can lose their patience when it appears a student refuses to learn principles taught again and again. So without indicting your professor for reacting hastily, let’s simply revisit the general prohibition of 2nd person pronouns from academic writing.
我不知道你的教授為何反應這麼激烈，尤其是在對你的報告所知甚少的情況下。然而不當地使用代名詞，不正好是一般學術論文架構薄弱的例子嗎？你的教授以前是否曾談過這個問題？如果學生一再忘記教過的寫作原則，就連脾氣最好的教授也會感到不耐煩。所以，與其控訴教授反應過度激烈，倒不如重新溫習一般學術文章禁用的第二人稱代名詞。

In your example, “you” refers to the reader—your professor—as a consumer. Is that how you view your professor? Are your professor’s shopping habits applicable to the paper, and even if they are, is your purpose in writing the paper to advise him or her about how to shop? Of course not. Yet in dragging your professor into the paper by personalizing the reader with “you,” you have made him a conversation partner. Now instead of being just a reader, your professor feels some responsibility to contribute to the conversation, which he did by grading the paper lower!
在句子中，「you」將讀者－也就是你的教授－比喻成消費者。這真是你對教授的看法嗎？你的論文有談到教授的購物習慣嗎？還是論文的寫作目的是建議他如何購物呢？想當然爾，一定是否定答案。不過用「you」個人化讀者，除了把教授拖下水，也讓他成了你的談話夥伴。但他可不光是讀者而已，你的教授認為他對談話內容有責任，而他也確實把分數打低了。

You have unwittingly provided a perfect example of why maintaining academic distance in writing of papers is so important. This rule can be violated when a professor asks for such personalization. Some subjects, such as a first-person account of an expedition, erode the rule because the writer is of central importance and the writing can be consistently personal. Otherwise, for a writer to establish an “I-You” relationship with a reader is a failure of craft that leads to discomfort in a reader and, in some cases, to a disappointing grade for the writer.
在不知情的狀況下，你的句子成了個好例子，可用於說明撰寫學術文章時保持距離的重要性。這條規則只有在教授特別要求此類個人化的寫作才可違反。但有些主詞不在此限，像是以第一人稱記述的遠征故事；這是因為作者才是關鍵，而且一般文章也可維持一致的個人化。此外，試圖與讀者建立「I-You」的關係除了會讓讀者感到不快，在某些情況下，還會帶來令人失望的成績呢。

Suggested answer: “The gasoline engine rumbled and shook as the spark plugs explosively awakened the machine for another work day.”

The sentence speaks of a machine that is at rest and then abruptly running on all its cylinders. The transition was sudden, touched off by spark plugs that caused fuel to burn in a burst of energy. So what happened here? The machine was “awakened” from stillness. It was a violent awakening and only the integrity of the machined parts kept it from flying apart. “Awakened” would not be a good choice of words in this case were it not paired with the adverb “explosively.” Together the words paint a picture of a machine, as if it were a person, shoved violently from slumber to frantic activity. Other “a” words that could be used include activated, actuated, perhaps accelerated, yet none of those create the interesting image of harshly interrupted sleep.
這個句子描寫一個原本處於靜止狀態的機器突然全速運轉。這個轉變是突然的，起因是火星塞的觸發，使爆發的能量引起燃料燃燒。因此導致了什麼事件呢？原來是機器從靜止的狀態中「被喚醒」（awakened）了。這麼猛烈的動作，原是靠著機件的組合才不至於讓機器四散。在這種情況下，「awakened」並不是個恰當的用字，這個形容詞和副詞「explosively」（爆發地）其實並不搭。不過這樣的用字描繪出一個畫面，形容機器就像人一樣，猛然地自沈睡狀態中醒來，然後瘋狂地投入工作。其他以「a」為字首的字包括：activated（活動起來）、actuated（開動機器）或者是accelerated（加速），不過這些字都不足以描繪出當睡眠被粗暴打斷的有趣情境。

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 gasoline engine rumbled and shook as the spark plugs explosively a_____ the machine for another work day.”

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

“The morning walk was brightly lit, with sunlight shining through limbs stripped of leaves by the previous week’s wind and freezing temperatures. Shifting his bag higher on his shoulder, the naturalist shuffled through a veritable ocean of leaves and dried grasses. His eyes constantly peered around as he walked, looking for all the signs of biological life that a field biologist can identify and appreciate. Occasionally he looked up in a tree in the direction of a chirp or trill that sparked a bird’s image in his mind, causing him to want to identify the singing feathered friend.”

This paragraph contains some bad examples of writing: Wordiness…”brightly lit” instead of “bright.” Imprecision… A bag probably wasn’t shifted higher on a shoulder; the straps of the bag were. Over-the-top description…”veritable ocean of leaves” instead of, for example, a “thick mat of leaves.” Redundancy… “biological life” instead of just “life.” Cliché… “singing feathered friend” instead of “singing fowl.” Other sentences are weakened by unimaginative word choices. Good writers are separated from less-good writers by careful avoidance of some of these errors. A reader always can tell the difference.
本段出現一些寫作上的錯誤：像是贅詞，作者寫了「 brightly lit」（明亮地點亮），而不是「 bright」（明快）。還有不精確，被移到肩膀上方的不應該是包包，而是肩帶才對。過度描述，像是「 veritable ocean of leaves」（名副其實的葉子海洋）應該以「 thick mat of leaves」（葉子鋪成的厚墊）取代。作者也犯了冗長的毛病，寫了「 biological life」（生物的生命），而非「 life」（生命）。最後是陳詞濫調，應該以「 singing fowl」（在歌唱的禽鳥）代替「 singing feathered friend」（在歌唱的有羽類朋友）。至於其他句子，則是被毫無想像力的用詞給削弱力度了。好的寫作和不好的寫作，差別在作者能否細心避開上述錯誤。對讀者來說，這些錯誤是顯而易見的。

Acceptable 認可的文章

“The morning walk was bright, with sunlight shining through limbs denuded of leaves by the previous week’s wind and cold. Shifting the straps of his bag higher on his shoulder, the naturalist shuffled through the thick mat of leaves and dried grasses. His eyes constantly scanned the ground as he walked, looking for all the signs of life that a field biologist can identify and appreciate. Occasionally he looked up in a tree in response to a chirp or trill that sparked an image in his mind along with the impulsive need to spot and confirm the species of the singing fowl.”

不管是自己選擇或教授指定，若要寫作論說式學術文章，必須先做好心理準備。你必須說明個人意見，選定觀點也很重要，結構與表達尤其攸關文章成敗。本專欄介紹六大關鍵準則，讓你寫作時發揮說服力，每項準則都會刊登在 TPS 粉絲專頁，並在最後集結於 TPS 學術電子報。
Whether by choice or assignment, when an argumentative academic paper is the task at hand, the writer must approach it with an appropriate mindset. Subjective values come into play. Point of view becomes important. Organization and presentation become even more critical to success. The elements of successful persuasive writing are explained in this series, “6 Essential Rules for Persuasive Writing.” Each of the rules will be presented on the TPS Fan page before being compiled.

Rule # 5 – Anticipate and address objections
準則五：對相反論點的預測和應對

Knowing your argument and solidly making and supporting it are absolutely essential to successful persuasive writing. A writer cannot persuade another of something if the writer doesn’t believe it himself or doesn’t provide good reasons for his belief. Yet it is almost as important to understand an opposing position and to be able to express it in the course of disputing it. This is known as “straw man” rhetoric and if handled deftly can serve to buttress the writer’s position.
了解並紮紮實實地支持你的論點，對於撰寫成功的論說文而言是不可或缺的。如果作者本人都不相信自己的說法，或者是無法提供好的理由來使人信服，這樣的寫作可無法說服他人。另一方面，對於寫作同樣重要的是能了解反方意見，並成功地在論證過程中提出反對意見。這就是「稻草人修辭」（straw man rhetoric)，如果處理得當，能替作者的論點加分不少。

For example, if a writer’s position is that the sun rises in the east, he must acknowledge that some believe it rises in the west. He should state the opposing view without sarcasm or other pejorative language. To do otherwise is disrespectful and diminishes the writer’s own standing in the eyes of a reader. However, having given the alternate view, the writer then can pick it apart using whatever tools he has at his disposal—contrary evidence, witness testimony, scientific reports.
例如：如果一位作者的論點是「太陽自東邊升起」，這位作者也得知道有人認為太陽自西邊升起。所以在寫作的同時，他應該以不帶諷刺或輕蔑的語氣，來陳述相反論點。如果不這麼做，作者等於是犯了無禮的毛病，也降低了自己的論點吸引讀者注意力的機會。不過，在提出相反論點的同時，作者有權選擇採用任何方式──如援引相反證據、目擊證詞、科學報告等──來駁斥反面意見。

If the stature of an opposing argument is reduced this way, two goals are reached. First, the weakness of the opposing argument is exposed at the same time the strength of the writer’s position is highlighted. Two birds… one stone. Second, by anticipating and addressing objections, blowback is minimized. Opponents cannot effectively respond using rationale the writer has already addressed. They must come up with new arguments. That’s effective persuasive writing.
利用這種寫作手法來減弱相反論點的力度，會達到兩個目標。首先，在暴露出反方論點的弱點時，也同時強調了作者論點的力度。這可是投一石…得二鳥呢。另外，對反對意見作出預測和應對，能將反對的衝擊力降到最低，使得對手無法有效地利用已經被提出的反面論據，必須提出新的說法。這就是有力的論說文寫作。

Corrected sentence:

“And why should I listen to you?” the policeman asked Harry. Samuelson had seen enough of Harry for one night and walked away from the confrontation.”

These sentences convey two voices and two attitudes. The question is, whose voices are being expressed? By placing a question mark inside quotation marks before “the policeman,” it is clear the policeman is speaking to Harry. Putting a comma after “you,” and the question mark and quote mark after “policeman” makes Harry the speaker. Either decision can be justified. The other person is the observer, Samuelson, who is not impressed with Harry confronting the policeman. Therefore, a period must be placed after “asked Harry.” If the period instead is placed after “asked,” Harry Samuelson becomes both speaker and observer, which makes no sense. Another period is needed at the end of the second sentence. Sorting out sentences can be a challenge.
這些句子表達出兩個聲音、兩種態度。但問題是，發話者到底是誰呢？如果在「policeman」前面加上問號和引號，就會明白是警察在和Harry說話。但若在「you」後面加上逗點，然後在「policeman」後面加上引號，就變成是Harry在說話了。這兩種改法都行得通。句中出現的另外一個人Samuelson則是整件事的目擊者，他對Harry勇於對抗警察可絲毫不感興趣。所以應該在「asked Harry」後面加上句點。相反地，如果在「asked」後加上句點，Harry Samuelson就變成了說話者和目擊者，使句子變得毫無意義。另外，在第二個句子的最後，也應該要加上句點。看來句子的排列可真是一大挑戰呢。

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:

And why should I listen to you the policeman asked Harry Samuelson had seen enough of Harry for one night and walked away from the confrontation

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 river gorge cuts so deeply through South China that tourist boat passengers experience vertigo if they let their eyes race to the top of the canyon walls.”
「蜿流過中國南方的河谷切割甚深，讓搭乘觀光船的旅客猛地看向峭壁頂端時，會感到暈眩不已。」

“Race” used as a verb has only one essential meaning: to move rapidly. Cars race around tracks. Children race to the ice cream wagon. Commuters race home at the end of the day. Sometimes the racing is competitive, with one racer trying to cross a finish line before another racer. Sometimes the race is non-competitive and illustrates the generally rapid pace of a moving person or vehicle. In every instance, speed is the essence of the meaning. To race slowly is an oxymoron.
「Race」當動詞使用時，代表的意思為「迅速移動」。譬如賽車繞著軌道競速、孩子衝向冰淇淋車、或是通勤人士下班後趕著要搭車回家。這類迅速移動有時會帶有競賽意味，像是跑者奮力衝過終點線，打敗對手。反之，「race」也可能不具競賽意味，用來描寫移動中的人物快速的步伐。

In saying the eyes of the tourists “race” to the top, the writer obviously is not speaking literally. The tourists are not visually racing to see who can spot the top of the wall first, nor have their eyes somehow grown wings to fly up the canyon walls. Rather, their eye (and head) movement suddenly is heavenward. The single word “race” describes this movement. This act of abrupt vertical scanning, with heads thrown back, can unsettle the senses and bring on dizziness.
文中提到旅客的目光「猛地（race）」看向峭壁頂端，很顯然地並不是字面上的意思。旅客們並非在比賽，看誰能先看到峭壁頂上；他們也不是眼睛插了翅，能飛向頂端。相反地，「race」則是描述了旅客們的動作，說明他們的眼睛（和頭）突然向上望。而這種頭向後仰、猛然向上看的動作，造成一股混亂感，令人覺得暈眩。

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 cannot seem to choose words and terms that are correct for academic papers, though they work OK in other writing assignments. I guess I need help in identifying how academic writing differs from other communication. Can you help?
雖然寫其他類的作業都沒問題，但在撰寫學術文章時，我似乎沒辦法選用正確的文字或術語。我需要指導，瞭解學術文章和其他類文體有何不同。能幫幫我嗎？

First of all, the quality of ideas is paramount in any academic paper. If your thinking is clear and of sufficient weight—maybe even profound—the quality of your writing does not matter as much. Good writing can enhance your thinking, but it cannot substitute for weakness of thought. Even so, the basic tenor of your writing is important. If it is perceived as shallow or glib, as tossed off rather than carefully composed, its reception by your professor will not be pleasant. The correct tone of an academic paper is established through a certain style of writing. Call it… formal.
首先，撰寫學術文章最重要的就是想法的品質。如果你的概念夠清楚、夠穩固，甚至是頗具深度，那麼文筆的好壞反而沒那麼重要。好的文筆能替想法加分，但卻無法取代想法的弱點。即便如此，文章的基本意涵仍相當重要。假如教授認為你的文章內容淺薄、不經大腦，是隨隨便便交出而不是認真書寫的，那麼收到論文的他可不會太高興。學術文章的正確語調應遵循特定的寫作風格，也就是 —「正式」（formal）。

What is “formal” writing? It is formally structured writing. That is, academic writing has rules. They are not inflexible, but they are rigorously applied and serious scholars are expected to follow them. The rules can be found in any internet search of academic writing, though faculty in an institution might emphasize some rules more than others. Therefore, knowing what your professor expects in a paper is vital knowledge. Essentially, formal writing eschews informal phrasing, contractions, 2nd person pronouns (“you”), and anything else considered casual.
何謂「正式」的寫作呢？正式的寫作應當是正式架構的寫作手法，亦是撰寫學術文章必須遵守的規則。這些規則並非僵化不變，但也須嚴格遵守，而嚴謹的學者也應該遵循。在網路上搜尋就能找到這些規則的範例，而不同學術機構的教授著重的重點也有所差異。因此，你得知道教授對學生報告的期望。最重要的是，正式的寫作應當避開不正式的措辭、縮寫、第二人稱代名詞、還有其他過於輕鬆的用詞。

Having a structure actually is an advantage, because it lets a reader concentrate on the ideas being communicated rather than the style of writing employed to communicate them. Working within a “formal” framework also encourages serious, as opposed to flippant, writing. This is not to say that stilted or pompous language is the goal. Serious words and terms can also be lively. Example: “The subject manifested symptoms of throat spasm,” versus “The subject gagged.” Choosing words and terms for academic papers is writing formally, intelligently, clearly, and by the rules.
遵循一個寫作架構是有好處的，能讓讀者專注於作者傳達的想法，而不受寫作風格的影響。採用「正式」的架構能幫助維持寫作的嚴謹，避免出現草率的文章。這不代表寫作的目標就是採用誇張華麗的辭藻。嚴謹的用字遣詞也可以是活潑生動地。譬如：「這個主題呈現出喉痙攣的徵狀」與「主題哽到了」就不同。總之，學術文章的用字遣詞應當正式、清楚、聰明、並且遵循規則。