葛传椝英语写作

读完本书，对我有用的两大启发： 1.四大基本品质 A good sentence is said to have four qualities: unity, coherence, emphasis, and euphony. Unity demands that the sentence shall express one and only one complete thought. Coherence demands that the arrangement of words, phrases, and clauses in the sentence shall be unmistakably clear. Emphasis demands that the sentence shall give the leader a strong impression. Euphony demands that the sentence shall read naturally and smoothly. （一个好的句子被认为具备四种品质：统一性、连贯性、强调性和音韵和谐。统一性要求句子表达且只表达一个完整的思想；连贯性要求句子中单词、短语和从句的排列必须清晰无误；强调性要求句子给读者留下强烈的印象；音韵和谐则要求句子读起来自然流畅。） Unity： ❌： The library was crowded, for it was deadline day, therefore I searched half an hour, and I finally found a seat. ✅： The library was crowded on deadline day. After searching half an hour, I finally found a seat. Coherence： ❌： The window had at least opened eight inches, and the man partly stood in the aperture. ✅： The window had at least opened eight inches, and the man partly stood in the aperture. Emphasis： I always destroy charity appeals that come by post.（宾语在句尾） Charity appeals that come by post I always destroy. （宾语倒装至句首，突出强调） Euphony： On my way back from school I met an old friend, and we stopped and talked, but it rained and we said goodbye. （连词堆砌，节奏破碎） After a year apart, a chance meeting on my way home led to a roadside chat, cut short by sudden rain. （紧凑连贯，一气呵成） Unity means stick to one point. Coherence means keep modifiers close. Emphasis means put key words at the start or end. Euphony means make it flow when you read it aloud. 统一性：一个中心 连贯性：修饰挨对 强调性：首尾突出 音韵和谐：节奏自然 2.什么是优美的语言 What is Beautiful Language?Beautiful language, as I have just said. is not the same thing as “fine writing”. It consists rather in the use of plain words that create vivid images. When I say “plain words”, I do not mean that figurative language is not beautiful. Figurative language is of great value in artistic description; but then good figurative language comes of the felicitous use of plain rather than pretentious words. When a plain word is so well chosen as to create a vivid image, it is beautiful, be it figurative or not. （优美语言，正如我方才所言，并不等同于“华丽的文笔”。它更多地在于运用平实的词语来创造生动的意象。当我说“平实的词语”时，我并非指比喻性语言不优美。比喻性语言在艺术描写中极具价值；但好的比喻性语言，恰恰来源于对平实而非矫饰词语的巧妙运用。当一个平实的词语被选取得如此精妙，以至于能创造出鲜活的画面时，它就是优美的——无论它是否属于比喻。） descriptive sentence does not need to contain many such words to be beautiful. Very often the beauty or a sentence depends upon the use of a single words aptly chosen for vividness. （描写性句子不需要包含很多这样的词才能变得优美。句子的美感，往往取决于一个词的精当选用以营造生动效果。） Example： （1）In a morning 「sharp with dew」 and bright with sunshine, I had climbed to a great undulating heath, a 「rolling sea of copper-coloured bracken」 that spread like a double tide to either margin of the moorland road and 「foamed about the feet」 of sombre firs which dotted the heath with rare islands. —— sharp with dew（露水是“刺”的）、rolling sea of bracken（蕨类是“翻滚的海”）、foamed about the feet（蕨类“泡沫般涌到脚边”） （2）Jane wore garments which were a somewhat confused 「compromise」 between afternoon and evening dress. （3）And, instantly, at the sound of his voice, her joy 「died」, the light was out. （4）He stood still in the middle of the room, 「frozen」 by a sudden thought. （5）Emma Snow was 「house-proud」. （6）There were geese 「marching」. (2) compromise （妥协）让一件衣服有了尴尬的人格和故事。 (3) died 让喜悦有了生命和死亡，当场暴毙，暗示着打击。 (4) frozen 同时写生理和心理——身体像被低温凝固，思维也同时卡住。 (5) house-proud 写出爱干净、以家为荣、把毕生心血投入家庭的心理。 (6) marching 用军事动词写家禽，有庄重和滑稽之感。 Beautiful Language = concrete nouns × precise verbs/adjectives (unexpected yet accurate collocations), with the optional addition—when appropriate—of figurative devices, euphony, emphasis, and other rhetorical techniques. 优美语言 = 具体物名 × 精准动词/形容词（出乎意料但准确的搭配），如果适合，再加上比喻、音韵、强调等修辞。

我觉得葛老关于英语学习的方法已在《对英语学习者讲话》里写得很清楚了，而此书更多关于语法的注意点，加上大量的练习和词的辨析。我细读了前三分之一的内容；后面的内容就快速翻阅或者直接跳过，因为这些内容现在都能快速查阅得到。总体来说，更推荐讲话更本书。