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Professor Pedantic 教授的考究學問
【學術專欄】
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 struggled to come up with an interesting introduction to my paper. My instructor said it was just “OK.” What guidelines are there for writing an introduction that will grab the reader?
我很努力要為論文寫出有趣的引言，但指導教授卻說我的引言只是「還可以」。有沒有什麼方法可以指引我寫出好的引言，吸引讀者？
Choose an interesting subject. Next question? Seriously, the hunt for an interesting introduction begins with choosing a subject worthy of a reader’s interest. Creating interest from a pile of boredom is a mighty labor indeed, so give yourself (and your readers) a break and choose your subject wisely. Now if your next question is, how do I choose an interesting subject, there might be no hope for you. The answer is, choose a subject that interests you. If you are interested, you will research and write with inspiration and zeal and it will show—including in the introduction.
選個有趣的題目。好，來看下一個問題……好吧，說真的，要寫出有趣的引言，一開始就該選個能引起讀者興趣的題目。要從滿紙無聊的內容中創造有趣的引言真的非常費事，所以就幫你自己（還有你的讀者）一個忙，好好選個題目吧。如果接下來你還要問，該怎麼選個有趣的題目？那你大概就沒救了。答案是，選個你自己有興趣的題目。如果你對題目有興趣，研究與寫作時自然就能發揮靈感，展現熱誠，這股熱情會展現在你的文章裡，包括展現在你的引言中。
As for the mechanics of creating an interesting introduction, several tools are recommended. One is to startle the reader with a piece of revelation—a fact you have unearthed, perhaps, or a fresh perspective that forces a reader to adjust his thinking so he can follow where you plan to take him. Imagine your reader blinking his eyes and saying under his breath, “Hmm. That’s interesting.” That’s what you are after. You can also accomplish this by posing one or two provocative questions, or by quoting a recognized authority, which lends immediate credibility.
實際寫作方面，有許多好方法可以運用。例如，寫出你出人意料的發現－可能是你的新發現，或是嶄新的觀點，讓讀者不得不調整自己的想法，才能順著你的文章讀下去。讀者或許會眨眨眼睛，心想：嗯，有意思。這就是你該追求的目標。此外，你也可以提出一兩個煽動性的問題，或引用權威作者的話，立刻創造可信度。
Hereafter, a word of caution: Don’t try for a zinger. The difference between a zinger and an interesting, even provocative, introduction is that a zinger tries too hard. It clearly exists only to shock, rather than to, as you say, “grab the reader.” Your goal is to grab someone, not to push him away. Examples: (1) “High fashion isn’t so new: A red dye for cosmetics dates to the Aztecs.” (Hmm. Interesting.) (2) “Crush the shell of a certain pregnant insect and you can color your lips red.” (Gross!) Know where the line is between interesting readers and insulting them.
之後，我想提出一個忠告－不要賣弄聰明。賣弄聰明和有趣、甚至煽動性的引言間，差別就在前者有點過頭，只會嚇到讀者，而不是如你所說，能「吸引讀者」。你的目標是吸引讀者，而不是把讀者嚇跑。舉個例子：(1)「高級時尚缺乏新意：化妝品紅色染料可追溯到阿茲提克帝國時代」（嗯，聽起來很有趣）。(2)「磨碎懷孕昆蟲的外殼，帶給你紅艷雙唇」（好噁心！）記得分清楚什麼會讓讀者覺得有趣，什麼會讓他們感覺受到侮辱。
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 struggled to come up with an interesting introduction to my paper. My instructor said it was just “OK.” What guidelines are there for writing an introduction that will grab the reader?
我很努力要為論文寫出有趣的引言，但指導教授卻說我的引言只是「還可以」。有沒有什麼方法可以指引我寫出好的引言，吸引讀者？
Choose an interesting subject. Next question? Seriously, the hunt for an interesting introduction begins with choosing a subject worthy of a reader’s interest. Creating interest from a pile of boredom is a mighty labor indeed, so give yourself (and your readers) a break and choose your subject wisely. Now if your next question is, how do I choose an interesting subject, there might be no hope for you. The answer is, choose a subject that interests you. If you are interested, you will research and write with inspiration and zeal and it will show—including in the introduction.
選個有趣的題目。好，來看下一個問題……好吧，說真的，要寫出有趣的引言，一開始就該選個能引起讀者興趣的題目。要從滿紙無聊的內容中創造有趣的引言真的非常費事，所以就幫你自己（還有你的讀者）一個忙，好好選個題目吧。如果接下來你還要問，該怎麼選個有趣的題目？那你大概就沒救了。答案是，選個你自己有興趣的題目。如果你對題目有興趣，研究與寫作時自然就能發揮靈感，展現熱誠，這股熱情會展現在你的文章裡，包括展現在你的引言中。
As for the mechanics of creating an interesting introduction, several tools are recommended. One is to startle the reader with a piece of revelation—a fact you have unearthed, perhaps, or a fresh perspective that forces a reader to adjust his thinking so he can follow where you plan to take him. Imagine your reader blinking his eyes and saying under his breath, “Hmm. That’s interesting.” That’s what you are after. You can also accomplish this by posing one or two provocative questions, or by quoting a recognized authority, which lends immediate credibility.
實際寫作方面，有許多好方法可以運用。例如，寫出你出人意料的發現－可能是你的新發現，或是嶄新的觀點，讓讀者不得不調整自己的想法，才能順著你的文章讀下去。讀者或許會眨眨眼睛，心想：嗯，有意思。這就是你該追求的目標。此外，你也可以提出一兩個煽動性的問題，或引用權威作者的話，立刻創造可信度。
Hereafter, a word of caution: Don’t try for a zinger. The difference between a zinger and an interesting, even provocative, introduction is that a zinger tries too hard. It clearly exists only to shock, rather than to, as you say, “grab the reader.” Your goal is to grab someone, not to push him away. Examples: (1) “High fashion isn’t so new: A red dye for cosmetics dates to the Aztecs.” (Hmm. Interesting.) (2) “Crush the shell of a certain pregnant insect and you can color your lips red.” (Gross!) Know where the line is between interesting readers and insulting them.
之後，我想提出一個忠告－不要賣弄聰明。賣弄聰明和有趣、甚至煽動性的引言間，差別就在前者有點過頭，只會嚇到讀者，而不是如你所說，能「吸引讀者」。你的目標是吸引讀者，而不是把讀者嚇跑。舉個例子：(1)「高級時尚缺乏新意：化妝品紅色染料可追溯到阿茲提克帝國時代」（嗯，聽起來很有趣）。(2)「磨碎懷孕昆蟲的外殼，帶給你紅艷雙唇」（好噁心！）記得分清楚什麼會讓讀者覺得有趣，什麼會讓他們感覺受到侮辱。
