早点完成第四部分,准备过节。
如果你的目标是写小说,应该看原版The Elements of Style (免费下载):
http://www.jlakes.org/ch/web/The-elements-of-style.pdf
为了“完整”性,我们继续用The Elements of Style 。不喜欢看英文原著的,凑合着看我的注解(不是翻译)。
有时,我会用Google Translate。GT现在还不成熟,你不要拿它当回事。
IV Words and Expressions Commonly Misused
第四部分(45-63页),我只挑其中一小部分注解一下,因为我们是学习科技英语写作。如果你“喜欢”另外一些词,请告诉我。我会考虑补充。
Meaningful. A bankrupt adjective. Choose another, or rephrase.
注解:原作者不喜欢这个词。科技英语可以用。
His was a meaningful contribution.
建议用:His contribution counted heavily.
Most. Not to be used for almostin formal composition.
注解:不要用most替换almost。
most everybody
应该是:almost everybody
most all the time
应该是:almost all the time
Nice. A shaggy, all-purpose word, to be used sparingly in formal composition.
Google Translate: 一个粗野的,多用途的词,在正式的构图中谨慎使用。
注解:原作者非常不喜欢这个词。
"I had a nice time."
"It was nice weather."
"She was so nice to her mother."
The meanings are indistinct. Niceis most useful in the sense of "precise" or "delicate": "a nice distinction."
Google Translate: 含义模糊不清。尼斯在“精确”或“精致”的意义上是最有用的:“一个很好的区别。”
注解:有意思,AI喜欢尼斯(Nice, 一个法国城市)。
Nor. Often used wrongly for or after negative expressions.
注解:常常用错。
错:He cannot eat nor sleep.
对:He cannot eat or sleep. (应该用or)
对:He can neither eat nor sleep. (neither… nor…)
对:He cannot eat nor can he sleep. (我觉得应该是: 逗号+nor )
Noun used as verb. Many nouns have lately been pressed into service as verbs. Not all are bad, but all are suspect.
Google Translate: 许多名词最近都被用作动词。并非所有都不好,但都是可疑的。
注解:现在不少名词被作为动词用。并不是完全不可以,但是,必须小心谨慎。
She headquarters in Newark.
建议用:She has headquarters in Newark.
[科技英语写作基础(系列):大纲(1)
http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=306792&do=blog&id=1146690
科技英语写作基础(系列):大纲(2)
http://blog.sciencenet.cn/home.php?mod=space&uid=306792&do=blog&id=1146716]
1. 语态(1)
2. 常用时态
3. 一些标点符号“规则”(句号、逗号,参考The Elements of Style Part I)
4. 一些语法“规则”(主语、谓语的一致性、变化多端的代词、分词短语的主人,参考The Elements of Style Part I)
5. 一些基本的写作“原则”(文章结构、段落、语态、简洁性等,参考The Elements of Style)
6. 一些容易用错的词和词组(参考The Elements of Style)
7. 修改、修改、再修改[简洁为上, see Chapter 7 Concision by Joseph/三种修饰语+两种“问题修饰语”,即悬空修饰语(p161)、错位修饰语/, see Chapter 8 Length by Joseph/逻辑性/一致性]
请大家多提意见。