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Correct best answer: Replace “stooped” with “stopped.”

“When the class lecturer stopped in midsentence and began to gather her papers, we all looked at one another and shook our heads at her slavish regard for the clock.”

It is possible that the lecturer in question indeed “stooped” to gather her papers, but then she might have done so and continued to lecture. One action doesn’t preclude the other. That she notably did something “in midsentence” suggests it was more dramatic than just move. Quitting talking in midsentence is a far more startling turn of events. The writer might have intended to show the lecturer did both—stopped and stooped—but neglected to write that she did. This might also be a simple spelling error. In any event, the choice of words interrupts the flow of the sentence and confuses the picture. That surely was not the intent of the writer.
題目中的講師可能真的「彎下腰（stooped）」收拾報告，但是之後應當會繼續上課。合理的動作之間不應有所抵觸；很明顯地，那位講師在話說到「一半」時做了某件事，讓讀者知道接下來的動作應該更戲劇化。突然停止說話的動作可是相當驚人的轉折呢。或者作者想表達那位講師「停止說話」並且「彎下腰」，不過文句並未詳細說明這點。這也有可能是拼字上的錯誤造成的。總之，作者遣詞上的錯誤打斷了文章的流暢度，造成畫面上的混亂。這肯定不是作者的本意。

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7-11/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:
“When the class lecturer stooped in midsentence and began to gather her papers, we all looked at one another and shook our heads at her slavish regard for the clock.”

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

“Historic records show the hurricane pounded ashore nearly 200 miles further south than forecast, catching businesspeople unawares. Naked plate glass windows shattered when struck by 70 mph winds and airborne projectiles. Flying shards sliced into boxes and stuck in walls and display cabinets. Torrents whipped through the windows and ruined inventory and marketing materials. As in every catastrophe, irony showed its face. The owner of a store selling paper was relieved to find his windows unbroken, yet water ran out the door when he opened it: The violent storm had triggered the store’s sprinkler system and flooded the inside of the building.

The writer is guilty of questionable word choices and assumptions. The very first word in the excerpt is wrong. The records are not “historic,’’ that is, momentous in and of themselves; they are “historical,” meaning they contain history. “Further” does not specifically mean distance (it can also mean time), but “farther” does and would have been a better choice in this sentence. “Naked” plate glass windows? That is a stretch, when the intent of the usage is to show they are unprotected. “Flying shards” could mean shards of wood or brittle plastic; it should have been modified to mean broken glass. The same is true of “torrents” without the words “of water.” In short, the writer reached for brevity and sacrificed clarity in the doing, a bad bargain.
作者在文字的選擇和使用上犯了幾個錯誤，特別是節錄段落的第一個字就是錯的。記錄不該是「historic」；這裡應該將重點放在記錄本身，使用「historical」，表示這些記錄包括過去發生的事件。「Further」並不單指距離上的差異（這個詞也能用在時間上），但是「farther」卻僅能用於實際距離上。因此，這裡比較適合用「farther」這個字。另外，什麼是「naked」玻璃窗？作者應該是想要表示窗戶暴露在外未受到保護，卻誤用錯字。「Flying shards」可能是木頭或塑膠碎片，所以將這個部分加以改寫，強調是碎玻璃。同樣的情形也發生在「torrent」上，少了「of water」。總之,作者為了達到文章簡練而犧牲了文意清晰，可謂得不償失。

Acceptable 認可的文章

“Historical records show the hurricane surged ashore nearly 200 miles farther south than forecast, catching businesspeople unprepared. Unprotected plate glass windows shattered under the force of 70 mph winds and airborne projectiles. Flying shards of glass sliced into boxes and embedded themselves in walls and display cabinets. Torrents of rain whipped through the window openings and ruined inventory and marketing materials. As in every catastrophe, irony showed up. The owner of a paper goods store was relieved to find his windows intact, yet water ran out the door when he opened it: The storm had triggered the sprinkler system and flooded the building.

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 # 4 – Give proximate support to key points
準則四：盡力支持文章論點

Persuasion is not a function of volume. That is, he who speaks the loudest is not necessarily the most persuasive. While a loud would-be persuader commands attention, he does not usually command respect. Nor does his noise penetrate much beyond the ears to the heart and mind of those listening. In persuasive writing, the same principles apply: Success comes not in what you say, or how “loudly” or strenuously you say it; it comes in effectively supporting what you say.
要說服別人，可不是只有大聲就好。說話最大聲的，不見得就是最有說服力的人。當一個人提高音量，企圖引起他人注意時，他的行為通常不會得到別人的尊重，而他所說的話也不過是耳邊風，無法說到聽者的心坎裡。相同的原則也適用於撰寫論說文：寫作成功的要素不在於文章內容，也不是寫得多「大聲」或聲嘶力竭就行，而是要能充分支持你的論點。

A fundamental principle to follow in writing a persuasive paper is to support essential points in proximity to the points. What too often happens is that a writer makes a point and then pivots away to declare another truth, eager to reveal his full argument without interruption. Yet writers don’t have to worry about being interrupted. They need only hold a reader’s attention. When they spin away too fast, even to a parallel thought, they forfeit the chance to make a point indelible.
撰寫論說文時，所應遵循的基本原則為盡力支持文章論點。寫作常見的一個錯誤，就是在提出論點後，馬上偏離主題提出下一個論證，急著一口氣列出所有的論點。其實並不需要擔心行文停頓，而是要吸引讀者的注意力。如果行文過急，就算是對仗的結構也會失去論點讓人留下不可磨滅印象的機會。

It makes great sense sometimes to summarize the various points of an argument right up front, and then to summarize them again near the end. Yet in the body of the paper, the significant points stand along and each should be buttressed with evidence of its correctness. Often the weakest point needs the most supporting evidence to offset its intrinsic weakness. By supporting each point immediately after making it, readers will more likely be persuaded, one point at a time.
有個很好的撰寫方式，文章一開始即囊括各論點，然後在文末再次總結。但在內文部分得分別論述各個重點，同時輔以論據，證明作者看法的正確性。最弱的論點通常需要最具說服力的論證支持，以彌補論點本身的不足。倘若在提出論點後立即提出支持論證，將更容易逐點說服讀者。

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

“In the season’s sudden chill, the tin-paneled roof creaked like crackling vertebrae as the metal pieces contracted and snuggled up for the winter.”

Buildings, especially old buildings, react to cold and hot seasons like people do. They shiver and shrink, or sigh and relax as parts tighten or loosen when the metallurgy in the buildings reacts to temperature change. Couching the metal’s contraction in human terms, the action is compared to pieces that have “snuggled up for the winter.” In the same way, the writer describes the creaking of the roof panels in terms of the human backbone, comparing the occasional eruption of creaking to the sound of a backbone “crackling.” This effectively describes the muted noise. Giving inanimate objects human characteristics enlivens a subject by inviting a reader to identify with it.
建築物，特別是老舊房屋，就跟人一樣會對季節冷暖有所反應。房屋像人一般地發抖、收縮，甚至在金屬部份因氣溫變換而熱脹冷縮，跟著歎息、放鬆。文中將金屬收縮以擬人化表示，形容屋頂的金屬板「在冬天時相互依偎取暖」。作者也以相同手法描寫屋頂板偶爾發出的聲音，將其比喻為人的脊椎延展時出現的「劈裡啪啦聲」，而這個寫作手法也成功地描寫出微弱的聲音。寫作時若將無生命的物體賦予人的特性，會讓讀者產生共鳴，進而使得無生命的東西活躍起來。

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，將獲得兩百元誠品圖書商場購物禮卷；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！
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 five 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 Eslite Bookstore and Shopping Mall Gift Certificate. Another Eslite 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.

題目Contest Sentence:

“In the season’s sudden chill, the old, tin-paneled roof creaked like __ __ __ __ as the metal pieces contracted and snuggled up for the winter.”

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 branch’s grip on the river oak leaves was loosened by wind gusts, and first one, then 100, then 500 cartwheeled through the sky to smother the ground.”
「陣陣狂風把千頭木麻黃的葉片吹離枝頭，先是一片，接著一百、五百片葉子打著轉捲入空中，再厚厚覆蓋地面。」

Cartwheels are relatively tall, slender wheels with long, slender spokes emanating from the axle. When a cart moves forward, the wheels turned and the spokes rotated with increasing speed as the cart moved faster. This motion of revolving spokes is replicated by the arms and legs of children and acrobats who move laterally by alternately standing on their feet and then their hands and then their feet and so on. The circular sweep of the extended arms and legs catches the eye, just as the spokes of a wheel do, with the center part of the torso functioning as an axle.
車輪的形狀又高又窄，並從車軸向外輻射出細長的輻條；車子前進，車輪跟著轉動，車速愈快，輻條轉動的速度愈快。孩童與體操選手做側手翻時，手掌和腳輪流接觸地面，手臂和雙腿的動作就像輻條的轉動。做側手翻時手臂和雙腿伸直，揮動成迴圈，看起來就像車輪的輻條，而軀幹的作用就好比車軸。

By saying that the leaves “cartwheeled” to the ground, carried along by gusts of wind, the writer calls upon the image of spinning wheels (and similarly spinning acrobats). Many leaves float gently, rocking slightly from side to side, when they ride a gentle breeze to the turf below, a movement commonly described as “fluttering.” But when the leaves are yanked from a branch by a more violent wind, they often are seen spinning end over end, the stem acting like a single axle in its rotation. Choosing descriptive words carefully separates spirited writers from ho-hum ones.
本句形容樹葉被狂風捲起，「cartwheeled」（打著轉）捲到地面，就運用了車輪轉動的意象，以及類似的體操選手轉圈的意象。如果葉子乘著微風，多半輕飄飄地微微左右擺盪，落到地面草皮上，這種動作常稱為「fluttering」（飄盪）。但葉子如果讓狂風由枝頭扯下，多半會以葉柄為單一軸心，頭上腳下地打轉。精心選擇敘述的詞彙，能讓文章生氣勃勃，不再無精打采。

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: In writing papers on psychology, I often have to use terminology that is culturally exclusive. An English translation often does not convey the nuances of a Chinese term. How can I best translate smoothly across cultural boundaries without loss of meaning?
寫心理學方面的論文時，常遇到屬於特定文化的專有名詞，翻譯成英文無法完全表達出在中文裡微妙的意義。我該怎麼跨越文化的障礙，流暢地翻譯，並避免損及原意？

Being bilingual is a wonderful asset for a writer or anyone else. The door to the world is opened just a little wider for a person conversant in two languages. However, along with the benefits of knowing two or more languages come the frustrations of translating obscure meanings from one language to another. In conversations, help from a conversation partner and hand gestures generally can bridge the obstacles. But in an academic paper, none of those solutions is available. Therefore, the writer is given the wonderful challenge of communicating the incommunicable.
無論對寫作或其他方面來說，懂得兩種語言都是可貴的資產。能嫻熟使用兩種語言，通往世界的門就會更寬敞一點。不過，懂得多種語言固然有好處，但要將微妙的意思從一種語言翻譯到另一種語言，也難免遇到挫折。交談時其他人可以幫忙溝通，通常也可以用手勢克服障礙，但這兩種方法在學術論文都派不上用場。寫作時你必須傳達原本就難以表達的事，這是種很棒的挑戰。

This is especially the case when a word or phrase defines a cultural concept that is without its equal in a second culture. It is difficult enough when a base word in two languages has different meanings; it is much more difficult when a word in one language has no peer in a second. It is like building a bridge across a chasm with no access point on the other side. Still, engineers overcome such quandaries and so must writers. Once an incompatibility of terms is recognized, an academic writer has no other choice but to expand his capacity as a researcher and wordsmith.
如果詞彙或短句描述的是一個文化概念，而這個概念在另一種文化中又沒有對等的概念，就特別容易有這個問題。一個基詞在兩種語言中意思不同，已經很難翻譯了，如果在第二種語言裡又找不到這個詞，那更是難上加難了。這就像要搭橋跨越鴻溝，而橋的另一端卻沒有基地。不過，如果造橋的工程師能克服這種困境，寫作的人也該見賢思齊。寫作學術文章時，一旦發現術語沒有相配的譯詞，就該加強自己蒐集資料與鍛字鍊句的功夫。

First, the writer should thoroughly research the culturally unique term in question. Then words that definitively describe the term should be written down. These are the building blocks to communicate the term, piece by piece, to the new language. If a concept is particularly abstract, it can be described in terms of something similar and identifiable, using modifiers to explain any distinguishing features. If there is a term in a third language that bridges the gap, use it, again with modifiers as needed. Academic writers, like all writers, must develop their powers of description.
寫作時，先要徹底研究這個詞特殊的文化意涵，接著寫出所有能形容這個詞的字句，當作基本的磚瓦，一塊塊搭起，把這個詞引介到新的語言中。如果該詞彙的概念特別抽象，可以用相似的詞彙來修飾，解釋其特殊性質。也可以使用第三種語言的詞彙，解釋這個詞在兩種語言的不同，並同樣視需要運用修飾語。寫學術文章就像寫其他文章一樣，必須培養自己敘述的能力。

Suggested answer: “Penelope felt perturbed when she opened the assignment folder and learned that the professor had completely rejected her premise.”

The relationship between a student and a professor can sometimes be prickly. Often it is the fault of the professor when a nurturing relationship has failed to develop, but students also can be off-putting. Such failure to connect might explain the surprise Penelope experienced when she discovered her suggestion had been totally dismissed. She was “perturbed,” which is to say the rejection not only upset her, it worried her. Cultivating an open and healthy relationship is a plus, and to Penelope it appeared she and the instructor were seriously out of sync. Other acceptable “p” words in this instance include pressured, paralyzed, peeved, maybe even parboiled. But “perturbed” captures all the dissonance a person feels in such a tense situation.
教授和學生的關係有時不容易處理，建立關係時如果發展不順利，通常是教授的問題，但有時學生也會令人反感。本句中，或許就是因為師生交流不順利，所以 Penelop 發現教授完全拒絕她的提議時，才會這麼驚訝，覺得「perturbed」（心煩意亂）；這表示遭到否決讓她心煩又心慌。培養光明正大的良好關係對兩人都有好處，但看來 Penelope 和指導教授兩人關係非常不和睦。本句還可以填入其他「p」開頭的詞，例如 pressured（感到壓力）、paralyzed（全身無力）、peeved（氣惱），甚至 parboiled（煎熬），不過還是「perturbed」最能表達人在這種緊張關係下感受到的不融洽。

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:

“Penelope felt p_______ when she opened the assignment folder and learned that the professor had completely rejected her premise.”