中新网北京4月10日电 (记者 周兆军)中央电视台日前接到有关部门通知，要求规避英文缩略词，如NBA、 CBA等。对此，国家语言文字工作委员会副主任、教育部语言文字信息管理司司长李宇明10日表示，国家语委对字母词的使用持比较谨慎的态度，希望能尽快汉语化，以符合中国人的表达习惯。

从这个月起，央视体育新闻已经在节目中开始规避“NBA”“CBA”“F1”等观众耳熟能详的缩略词，取而代之的是“美国职业篮球联赛”“中国男子篮球联赛”“一级方程式赛车锦标赛”等中文全称。7日，央视体育频道总监江和平接受采访时确认，广电总局上周下发了一道通知，要求在今后的电视节目中尽量屏蔽英文缩略词，转而使用中文全称。目前，央视、北京电视台等媒体的多档节目已就此进行整改。

以上两则新闻，第一则是关于语委的，第二则是关于广电总局的。新闻涉及的单位不同，但是目的大体一致，那就是封杀英语缩略语。而这次他们所打的旗号，仍旧是保护民族文字。我不得不说，他们的做法实在粗暴无稽，用行政手段强行抑制英语传播的做法是极其荒谬的。有必要继续使用英语缩略语，理由有三：

第一、必须承认到汉语的劣势。
由于汉语的特殊性，在当今的科技时代是极其落后的。英语能成为世界语言，也是由于其使用的方便，处理方法简单所致。而汉语始终无法解决编码等问题，即无法让汉语的编码同英语一样简捷。在实际使用过程中，汉语已经成为一种累赘。

第二、英语缩略语的使用有助于英语学习。
只有从英语的角度来理解每一个字母的含义，才能更容易的理解整个缩略语的含义。越多使用缩略语，你会越多的想了解缩略语背后所包含的意义。长期来说，某种程度上有助于英语的学习。

第三、阻碍英语的传播更是抑制国家的发展。
不得不承认，英语已经成为了最重要的语言，几乎任何一个领域中的有价值的信息多是用英语写成的。任何想阻止英语传播的行为是可笑的，抱着所谓的保护民族文化的旗号限制英语在中国的传播，永远让自己民族列入落后之林。

海纳百川，有容乃大。英语之所以灵活，是因为它吸收了很多其他语言。汉语在实际使用中夹杂一些英语缩略语，又有何不可？现在满街老太都明白NBA、MP3是什么意思，你非得要把NBA叫成“美国职业篮球联赛”，把MP3叫成“动态影像专家压缩标准音频层面3”？

继续阻止人们学习英语，继续让国人陷入愚昧的境地。

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数年之后，由于要准备TOEFL考试的教授演讲的段子，这才使我想起了绝佳的材料：TTC Course。又回头看了看TTC的介绍，VC上虽有，但是很不详细，也不愿上官方网站看过分粉饰的文字，便求助于老朋友维基百科。在维基上这个页面查到了相应的信息，便顺手翻译成了中文，希望能有更多的中国人能够了解这套学习资料，以下是我的翻译稿（时间仓促，纰漏很多，望贤者于此页面进行订正修补，不胜感谢！）：

The Teaching Company 是一家制造全国顶级教授演讲录音及录影的公司。这些教授在华盛顿特区外的一家特别的工作室录制这些课程，然后课程被转制成磁带、CD、DVD、MPEG-4、MP3等格式出售。

The Teaching Company公司由Thomas M. Rollins先生创建于1990年，Thomas M. Rollins先生是美国前参议院委员会劳工及人力资源首席顾问，毕业于哈佛大学法学院。他在学习过程中注意到，使用录像带学习的效率很低。于是他开始尝试发起一个政府项目，为公众制作磁带，但是由于法律的限制而无法实践。当他离任时，他抱着这个想法而开始搜寻顶级教授来制作课程，并且销售给公众。

截至2007年，这家公司共提供了超过260门课程，内容总时长达3000小时，跨越9门不同学科，分别是：商业学和经济学、艺术和音乐、古代史和中世纪史、近代史、文学和英语、哲学和思想史、宗教、科学和数学以及社会科学。

课程的目标是提供成人教育和终身教育，大学本科非专业的典型知识的教育；不仅如此，他还有一系列为高中生提供的课程。每一门课程都包括一些印有大纲、推荐书目、教授简介以及思考问题的补充小册子。此外，课程还提供全文的文本。

课程有多种不同的载体。起初，仅有磁带或是VHS录像带。后来，逐渐出现了CD及DVD版本，而现在也能下载到MP3版本。

2006年10月2日，这家公司被一家私募股权投资公司Brentwood Associates收购。

Emule的速度实在太慢，我只好先求助于BT，若没有再转向Emule下载。以“TTC”为关键字搜索，果不其然，可爱的mininova返回了很多条信息，筛选之后发现有几个种子不错，下载后查看Tracker信息，原来是Demonid上发布的。按图索骥，找到了原发布帖，竟然是2年前的！至今仍未断种，而且下载的人很多！看来共享能否源远流长，关键还要靠大家是否有分享的精神。虽然我承认Emule更适合保源散种，但是那些长效分享者（很多是外国人，鲜有中国人，虽然中国是一个Emule大国）的分享精神才是值得称道的。

值得注意的是，以上所说的种子并非包括TTC的全部课程，TTC的全部课程可以在TTC的官方网站查询，当然你也可以通过查看TTC的课程介绍再考虑是否要下载各门课程。当然，这几个种子是两年来陆续发布的种子，而最新的一个也是半年前发布的，自然会有很多难以包含的东西。更重要的是，TTC的很多视频课程体积都十分庞大，少说都有4G，如果靠单纯的BT，似乎很难存活下去，再说发布这种文件对发布者也是一个极大的考验。当然咯，如果能听完目前六个种子中的所有课程，你也是一个厉害的人了。要知道，听这些课程，至少比听那些到大学胡混的所谓的教授的课程要有意思得多……

另外，我又下载了一个List，是原发布者打包的。并将其抽取出来，整理成了Word文档（主要是方便大家筛选自己需要的课程，简单加亮即可）。现在一并将以上的种子、课程列表PDF版，以及我自己制作的课程列表Word版打包，希望能对各位有帮助。

–>请点我下载

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王尔德（Oscar Wilde，1854-1900）不仅是诗人、小说家，剧作家、批评家，而且是有史以来敢于承认自己是天才的天才之一。他在进纽约海关时对海关官员说：“除了天才之外，我没有什么可申报的。”（“I have nothing to declare except my genius.”）

A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. 愤世嫉俗者是一个知道所有东西的价格、却不知道它们的价值的人。

***

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. 梦想家只能在月光下找到自己的路，他的惩罚是第一个看见黎明。

***

A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. 不够真诚是危险的，太真诚则绝对是致命的。

***

A man can’t be too careful in the choice of his enemies. 一个人在选择他的敌人时，再小心也不为过。

***

A poet can survive everything but a misprint. 一个诗人什么都可以容忍，印刷错误除外。

***

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his. 所有女人都会变得像她们的母亲一样，这是女人的悲剧。但没有男人变得像他们的父亲，这是男人的悲剧。

***

Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so much. 永远要宽恕你的敌人。没有什么比这更能让他们心烦的了。

***

America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. 美国是唯一一个直接从野蛮进入颓废、中间没有经过文明阶段的社会。

***

Arguments are to be avoided; they are always vulgar and often convincing. 要避免争论，争论总是俗不可耐，而且常常令人信服。

***

As long as a woman can look ten years younger than her own daughter, she is perfectly satisfied. 只要一个女人看上去比她自己的女儿小十岁，她就一定会心满意足。

***

Bad artists always admire each other’s work. 糟糕的画家总是欣赏彼此的作品。

***

Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship. 男女之间不可能存在友谊，有的只是爱恨情仇。

***

Conscience and cowardice are really the same things. 良心和怯懦其实是一回事。 ***

Dammit sir, it’s your duty to get married. You can’t be always living for pleasure. 该死，先生，结婚是你的职责，你不能总是逍遥快活。

***

Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people. 民主就是指人民用人民的大头棒打击人民。

***

Don’t give a woman advice; one should never give a woman anything she can’t wear in the evening. 不要给女人忠告；决不要给女人任何她晚上不能穿戴的东西。

***

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. 教育是一件可敬的事，但要时刻牢记，没有什么值得知道的事是教得会的。

***

Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes. 经验是一个人给自己所犯的错误取的名字。

***

Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months. 时装丑陋得完全令人无法容忍，以至于我们必须每6个月就改变它的样式。

***

How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being. 女人如何能期望会从男人那里获得幸福，如果他坚持把她当作一个完全正常的人。

***

I adore political parties. They are the only place left to us where people don’t talk politics.

我喜欢政治晚会，这是唯一人们不谈政治的地方。

***

I am not young enough to know everything. 我还没有年轻到什么都懂的地步。

***

I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I’m saying. 我简直太聪明了，有时连我自己都不知道自己在说什么。

***

I can resist everything except temptation. 我可以抗拒一切，诱惑除外。

***

I have made an important discovery…that alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of intoxication. 我有一个重大发现——如果摄入足量酒精，就会产生各种陶醉的效果。

***

I like talking to a brick wall, it’s the only thing in the world that never contradicts me. 我喜欢对一堵墙说话，世界上只有它不会反驳我。

***

I love acting. It is so much more real than life. 我喜欢演戏。与人生相比，演戏更真实。

***

I often take exercise. Why only yesterday I had breakfast in bed. 我经常锻炼。只是昨天我是在床上吃的早饭。

***

I think that God, in creating Man, somewhat overestimated his ability. 我想，上帝在创造人类时高估了他的能力。

***

I was working on the proof of one of my poems all morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again. 我整个早上都在校对自己的一首诗，我去掉了一个逗号。下午我又把它加了上去。

***

Ignorance is like a delicate flower: touch it and the bloom is gone. 无知就像是一朵精致的花朵：摸一下，它就消失了。

***

In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.

世界上只有两种悲剧，一种是一个人没有得到他想要的，另一种是他得到了。

***

It is a very sad thing that nowadays there is so little useless information. 这是一件很悲哀的事——如今几乎没有无用的信息。

***

It is better to be beautiful than to be good, but it is better to be good than to be ugly.

美丽要比善良好，善良要比难看强。

***

It is characteristic of all deep human problems that they are not to be approached without some humor and some bewilderment. 所有人类的重大问题都有一个共同点：没有点幽默和疯狂是没办法解决的。 ***

It is only the intellectually lost who ever argue. 争论者损失的只是智力。

***

It is very easy to endure the difficulties of one’s enemies. It is the successes of one’s friends that are hard to bear. 来自敌人的困难可以忍，来自朋友的成功则无可忍。

***

Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.

人生就是一件蠢事追着另一件蠢事而来，而爱情则是两个蠢东西追来追去。

***

Like dear St Francis of Assisi I am wedded to Poverty: but in my case the marriage is not a success. 就像亲爱的圣芳济一样，我也和贫穷联姻，但我的婚姻并不成功。

***

Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience. 结婚是想象战胜了理智，再婚是希望战胜了经验。

***

Music makes one feel so romantic—at least it always gets on one’s nerves, which is the same thing nowadays. 音乐让人感觉非常浪漫，至少让人感觉不安，如今两者是一回事。

***

No woman should ever be quite accurate about her age. It looks so calculating. 没有女人应该对她的年龄十分准确。这显得有些精于算计。

***

One should never trust a woman who tells her real age. If she tells that, she’ll tell anything.

一个人决不应该相信说出自己真实年龄的女人。如果她把这都说出来了，那她什么都会说。

***

Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best. 请别开枪打死那个钢琴师，他已经尽力了。

***

Science is the record of dead religions. 科学是死去的宗教的记录。

***

Tell the cook of this restaurant with my compliments that these are the very worst sandwiches in the whole world, and that when I ask for a watercress sandwich I do not mean a loaf with a field in the middle of it. 请转告我对这家饭店厨师的赞誉，这是全世界最糟糕的三明治了，还有，我点的是豆瓣菜三明治，我并不是要面包片中夹一块菜田。

***

The basis of optimism is sheer terror. 乐观的基础完全是恐惧。

***

The Book of Life begins with a man and a woman in a garden…It ends with Revelations.

《生命之书》始于一座花园里的一男一女……它最后以《启示录》告终。

***

The difference between journalism and literature is that journalism is unreadable and literature is not read. 报纸和文学的区别是，报纸没法读，而文学则没人读。

***

The only difference between saints and sinners is that every saint has a past while every sinner has a future. 圣人和罪人的唯一区别是，每一个圣人都有过去，而每一个罪人都有未来。

***

The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself. 对于忠告，你所能做的，就是把它奉送给别人，忠告从来就不是给自己准备的。

***

The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it. 摆脱诱惑的唯一方法是屈服于它。

***

The play was a great success, but the audience was a disaster.

演出相当成功，但观众则是一场灾难。

***

The public is wonderfully tolerant. It forgives everything except genius. 公众极其宽容，他们可以宽容一切，天才除外。

***

There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about. 世界上只有一件比被人谈论更糟糕的事，那就是没人谈论你。

***

Thirty five is a very attractive age; London society is full of women who have of their own free choice remained thirty-five for years. 三十五岁是一个非常有吸引力的年龄；伦敦社交圈内满是这样好多年一直保持三十五岁的女人，她们可以自由地挑来选去。

***

This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last.

悬念是可怕的。我希望它一直延续下去。

***

Time is a waste of money. 时间是一种对金钱的浪费。

***

To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. 失去一个父母可以看成是一种不幸；失去双亲看上去就像是一种粗心了。

***

To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. 爱自己就是开始一场延续一生的罗曼史。

***

True friends stab you in the front. 当面扎刀的是真朋友。

***

When good Americans die they go to Paris. When bad Americans die they go to America. 当美国的好人死了，他们就去巴黎。当美国的坏蛋死了，他们就去美国。

***

All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling.

所有糟糕的诗歌都源于真情实感。

***

When I was young I used to think that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I am old, I know it is. 当我年轻时，我以为金钱是人生中最重要的东西。现在我老了，我知道这是真的。

***

When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers. 当天神想要惩罚我们，他们就答应我们的祈祷。

***

Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong. 每当人们赞同我时，我总希望自己一定是错了。

***

Women are never disarmed by compliments. Men always are. That is the difference between the sexes. 恭维话从来没有让女人缴械，但可以让男人缴械。这就是性别差异。

***

Women have a much better time than men in this world. There are far more things forbidden to them. 女人在世上的日子要比男人好过得多。她们有太多禁忌。

***

Women love men for their defects; if men have enough of them women will forgive them everything, even their gigantic intellects. 女人因为男人的缺点而爱男人；如果男人的缺点足够多，女人什么事都可以原谅他们，哪怕是他们的智力。

***

Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals. 女人代表着物质战胜了理智，正如男人代表着理智战胜了道德。

***

Young men want to be faithful, and are not; old men want to be faithless, and cannot.

年轻人想要有信仰，但他们却没有；老年人不想要有信仰，但却办不到。

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1974年8月8日，美国历史上一个悲剧性的时刻。

为了避免国会因“水门事件”对他的弹勀，尼克松总统向全国发表电视演讲，宣布他将在第二天中午在白宫辞去总统职务。他成了历史上唯一一个辞职的美国总统。

第二天的中午，在乘飞机离开之前，尼克松向白宫的工作人员发表告别演说。这是一篇即兴演说，没有讲稿，在整个演讲过程中，尼克松的情绪非常激动，以至说了很多破句，句子与句子之间意思也不是很连贯。这样的离开当然是很不体面的事情，但是他用这篇演讲为自己做最后的辩解。他要堂堂正正地离开白宫。

因为喜欢其中的一句话，我读了全文。读完后，感觉它不失为一篇有一定价值的历史文献。网上没有查到有中译，好在原文也不长，我就把它翻译了出来。

我特别喜欢的那句话，我用黑体标出来了。

==================

richard nixon’s farewell speech to white house staff

理查德·尼克松白宫告别演说

1974年8月9日

阮一峰 译

members of the cabinet, members of the white house staff, all of our friends here:

各位内阁成员，各位白宫的职员，所有在场的朋友：

i think the record should show that this is one of those spontaneous things that we always arrange whenever the president comes in to speak, and it will be so reported in the press, and we don’t mind because they have to call it as they see it. but on our part, believe me, it is spontaneous.

我想记录会表明，这只是一次自发的聚会。每当总统要发表演说时，都会有这样的场面。新闻媒体也会这样报道。我们不必担心这个问题，他们只要看到这个现场，自然就会这样报道。但是我们自己一定要很清楚，这确实是自发的聚会，相信我。

you are here to say good-bye to us, and we don’t have a good word for it in english. the best is au revoir. we will see you again. i just met with the members of the white house staff, you know, those who serve here in the white house day in and day out, and i asked them to do what i ask all of you to do to the extent that you can and, of course, are requested to do so: to serve our next president as you have served me and previous presidents — because many of you have been here for many years — with devotion and dedication, because this office, great as it is, can only be as great as the men and women who work for and with the president.

你们来到这里，同我们说再见。这种仪式在英语里没有特别好的名称，最好的说法是法语的au revoir（欢送会）。我们还会再相见的。我刚才已经接见过白宫的职员了，你们知道，他们天天都在白宫里提供服务，已经很多年了。我对他们的要求，同对你们的要求是一样的。我要求你们大家尽力，当然这本来就是你们的职责，为下一任总统服务，就像你们为我和为历任总统服务一样。你们中的很多人已经在这里工作多年，无比忠诚和具有奉献精神。你们要知道，这座楼之所以是一座伟大的楼，完全是因为那些和总统一起工作或者为总统工作的男男女女本身就同这幢楼一样伟大。

this house, for example, i was thinking of it as we walked down this hall, and i was comparing it to some of the great houses of the world that i have been in. this isn’t the biggest house. many, and most, in even smaller countries are much bigger. this isn’t the finest house. many in europe, particularly, and in china, asia, have paintings of great, great value, things that we just don’t have here, and probably will never have until we are 1,000 years old or older.

比如说，当我走过大厅的时候，我会想到这座楼，我会将它同另一些世界上我到过的伟大的楼做比较。它不是最大的楼，很多小国里有比它大得多的楼。它也不是最漂亮的楼。欧洲的许多楼，中国的许多楼，里面有价值连城的绘画，有许多我们这里没有的东西，再过1000年，我们这里也未必会有。

but this is the best house. it is the best house because it has something far more important than numbers of people who serve, far more important than numbers of rooms or how big it is, far more important than numbers of magnificent pieces of art.

但是，它是世界上最好的楼。因为它里面有一些东西，有一些比人员的数量、比房间的数目、比空间的大小、比艺术品的多寡更重要的东西。

this house has a great heart, and that heart comes from those who serve. i was rather sorry they didn’t come down. we said good-bye to them upstairs. but they are really great. and i recall after so many times i have made speeches, and some of them pretty tough, yet, i always come back, or after a hard day — and my days usually have run rather long — i would always get a lift from them because i might be a little down, but they always smiled.

这座楼有一颗伟大的心。这颗心来自于那些为这座楼工作的人们。我相当遗憾，他们没有下来。我们在楼上同他们道别了。但是，他们的伟大是的的确确的。回想起来，我曾经做过很多次演讲，有些还是难度很高的演讲，当演讲结束以后，经过劳累的一天，我回到这座楼里，通常我的工作时间是很长的，我也许有些疲惫不堪，但是我总是能从他们身上感到鼓励，他们总是对我微笑着。

and so it is with you. i look around here, and i see so many on this staff that, you know, i should have been by your offices and shaken hands, and i would love to have talked to you and found out how to run the world — everybody wants to tell the president what to do, and boy he needs to be told many times — but i just haven’t had the time. but i want you know that each and everyone of you, i know, is indispensable to this government. i am proud of this cabinet. i am proud of all the members who have served in our cabinet. i am proud of our sub-cabinet. i am proud of our white house staff. as i pointed out last night, sure we have done some things wrong in this administration, and the top man always takes the responsibility, and i have never ducked it. but i want to say one thing: we can be proud of it — 5 1/2 years. no man or no woman came into this administration and left it with more of this world’s goods than when he came in. no man or no woman ever profited at that public expense or the public till. that tells something about you.

现在，轮到在场的各位了，我看看周围，我看到那么多的工作人员。我本应该来到你们的办公室，同你们一一握手。我非常喜欢同你们交谈，同你们讨论如何让世界正常运作。每个人都喜欢告诉总统该做什么，总统就像一个小男孩，要听好多次人们的指点。但是，现在我没有这么多时间了。不过，我要你们知道，你们中的每一个人，对这个政府来说，都是不可缺少的。我为这一届的内阁感到自豪。我为所有在这一届内阁中工作过的人们感到自豪。我为我们的顾问委员会感到自豪。我为白宫的工作人员感到自豪。正如我昨天晚上所说的，在政府运作中，我们毫无疑问做错了一些事情。在这种情况下，负责人必须承担责任，我绝对不会推卸掉我的责任。但是，我要说一件事，一件足以让我们感到自豪的事情：五年半了，在这一届政府中工作的所有人中，没有一个人离开的时候比他来的时候多带走了任何东西。没有一个人从公共开支中获得私利或者贪污。这充分表明了你们的品质。

mistakes, yes. but for personal gain, never. you did what you believed in. sometimes right, sometimes wrong. and i only wish that i were a wealthy man — at the present time i have got to find a way to pay my taxes — [laughter] — and if i were, i would like to recompense you for the sacrifices that all have made to serve in government.

对，我们确实犯了错误，但是没有个人利益在里面。你们实践了自己的信仰。有时候，结果是对的，有时候结果是错的。此时此刻，我仅仅希望我要是一个富有的人该多好——可惜我不是，我还必须找到一些办法去付清我的税款（听众的笑声）——如果我有钱，我会补偿你们，为了你们在这一届政府里工作时所做出的奉献。

but you are getting something in government — and i want you to tell this to your children, and i hope the nation’s children will hear it, too — something in government service that is far more important than money. it is a cause bigger than yourself. it is the cause of making this the greatest nation in the world, the leader of the world, because without our leadership the world will know nothing but war, possible starvation, or worse, in the years ahead. with our leadership it will know peace, it will know plenty.

但是，你们也从政府得到了另一些东西。我要你们去告诉你们的孩子，我希望这个国家的其他孩子也能听到——在政府中工作，有一些东西是比金钱远远更重要的。那是一个比个人的生命更宏大的事业。这个事业就是创造一个世界上最伟大的国家，一个世界的领袖，因为如果我们没有在世界上的领导地位，这个世界就会发生战争，可能还有饥荒，或者未来的更糟糕的事情。只有在我们的领导下，世界才会有和平，才会有富裕。

we have been generous, and we will be more generous in the future as we are able to. but most important, we must be strong here, strong in our hearts, strong in our souls, strong in our belief, and strong in our willingness to sacrifice, as you have been willing to sacrifice, in a pecuniary way, to serve in government.

我们一直是慷慨的，在未来我们还将尽我们所能更加慷慨。但是最重要的事情是，我们必须是强大的，我们的心灵必须是强大的，我们的灵魂必须是强大的，我们的信念必须是强大的，我们奉献的意愿必须是强大的。你们一直以一种特别的方式，在做出牺牲，那就是在政府工作。

there is something else i would like for you to tell your young people. you know, people often come in and say, “what will i tell my kids?” they look at government and say it is sort of a rugged life, and they see the mistakes that are made. they get the impression that everybody is here for the purpose of feathering his nest. that is why i made this earlier point — not in this administration, no one single man or woman.

还有另一件事，我也要你们去告诉我们的孩子。你们知道，有些人会过来说：“我能跟自己的孩子说什么？”他们看着这一届政府，说这一届政府真是有点多灾多难。他们只看到了我们犯的错误。他们得到了一种印象，好像每个在这里的人都是为了私利而来政府工作的。这就是我为什么会说前面那段说话，我们这一届政府中没有这样的人，一个都没有。

and i say to them, “there are many fine careers. this country needs good farmers, good businessmen, good plumbers, good carpenters.” i remembered my old man. i think that they would have called him sort of a little man, common man. he didn’t consider himself that way. you know what he was? he was a streetcar motorman first, and the he was a farmer, and then he had a lemon ranch. it was the poorest lemon ranch in california, i can assure you. he sold it before they found oil on it. [laughter] and then he was a grocer. but he was a great man because he did his job, and every job counts up to the hilt, regardless of what happens.

我要这些人说，“世界上有很多好的职业。这个国家需要好的农民，好的商人，好的管子工，好的木匠。”我想起了我父亲。人们总是管他叫小老百姓。他自己并不这么想。你们知道他干过什么？一开始，他是一个电车司机，后来他是个农民，然后他自己有了一个种柠檬的大农场。那个农场是加州最差的种柠檬的农场。我向你们保证，他卖掉农场的时候，里面还没有被发现藏有石油。（听众的笑声）在那以后，他又开了一个杂货店。但是，他是一个伟大的人，因为他做好了自己的工作，不管发生什么，他干过的每一项职业无不精益求精。

nobody will ever write a book, probably, about my mother. well, i guess all of you would say this about your mother — my mother was a saint. and i think of her, two boys dying to tuberculosis, nursing four others in order that she could take care of my older brother for 3 years in arizona, and seeing each of them die, and when they died, it was like one of her own. yes, she will have no books written about her. but she was a saint.

关于我母亲，可能将来也不会有人为她写本书。不错，我想你们所有人都会用同样一句话，形容你们的母亲）——我的妈妈是个神圣的人。我回想她的一生，她有两个儿子死于肺结核，养大了其他四个。她在亚利桑那州照顾我的两个哥哥三年，看着他们接连死去。当他们死的时候，就像她自己死了一次一样。就是这样，没有一本书会写到她。但是，她是一个神圣的人。

now, however, we look to the future. i had a little quote in the speech last night from t.r. as you know, i kind of like to read books. i am not educated, but i do read books — [laughter] — and the t.r. quote was a pretty good one. here is another one i found as i was reading, my last night in the white house, and this quote is about a young man. he was a young lawyer in new york. he had married a beautiful girl, and they had a lovely daughter, and then suddenly she died, and this is what he wrote. this was in his diary.

好了，现在我们要看看未来了。昨天晚上的演讲中，我引用了西奥多?罗斯福的一句话。正如你们所知的，我还是很喜欢读书的。我没有受过良好的教育，但我确实读了不少书。（听众的笑声）西奥多?罗斯福的那句话说得很不错。下面是另外一句话，是我昨天晚上在白宫里读书的时候发现的，那句话说的是一个年轻人。他是一个纽约的年轻的律师。他娶了一个漂亮的姑娘，他们有一个可爱的女儿。突然之间，妻子死了。下面就是他写的一段话。他写在日记里。

he said: “she was beautiful in face and from and lovelier still in spirit. as a flower she grew and as a fair young flower she died. her life had been always in the sunshine. there had never come to her a single great sorrow. none ever knew her who did not love and revere her for her bright and sunny temper and her saintly unselfishness. fair, pure and joyous as a maiden, loving, tender and happy as a young wife. when she had just become a mother, when her life seemed to be just begun and when the years seemed so bright before her, then by a strange and terrible fare death came to her. and when my heart’s dearest died, the light went from my life forever.”

他写道：“她的脸和身体是那么美丽，她的灵魂更加美丽。她像一朵花那样来到人间，又像一朵花那样死去。她的生活总是处在阳光之中。她从来不会遇到巨大的悲伤。认识她的每一个人，没有不爱她的。她聪明，天性快乐，乐于助人，人人都喜欢她。作为少女，她端庄、纯洁又快乐；作为妻子，她深情、温和又幸福。当她刚成为母亲的时候，她的生活看上去才刚刚开始，未来还有无数美好的日子等待着她。但是突如其来，可怕的死亡就降临在她身上。我最亲爱的人死了，我生命中的光永久地熄灭了。”

that was t.r. in his twenties. he thought the light had gone from his life forever — but he went on. and he not only became president but, as an ex-president, he served his country always in the arena, tempestuous, strong, sometimes wrong, sometimes right, but he was a man.

这个年轻人就是西奥多?罗斯福。在他二十多岁的时候，他认为他的生活将永远地黑暗无光。但是，他没有消沉，继续向前走，后来成为了美国的总统。作为一个总统，他为他的国家服务，永远就像在竞技场上战斗，风云变幻，对手强大，有时他做了正确的事，有时他做了错误的事，但是他是一个真正的人。

and as i leave, let me say, that is an example i think all of us should remember. we think sometimes when things happen that don’t go the right way; we think that when you don’t pass the bar exam the first time — i happened to, but i was just lucky; i mean my writing was so poor that bar examiner said, “we have just got to let the guy through.” [laughter] we think that when someone dear to us dies, we think that when we lose an election, we think that when we suffer defeat, that all is ended. we think, as t.r. said, that the light had left his life forever.

现在，我即将离开，我想这是一个很好的例子，我们所有人都应该记住。有时，我们会觉得事情糟透了，比如你第一次的时候没有通过律师资格考试。我就是这样，但是我很幸运，我的意思是我的写作差极了，但是考官说：“我们让这个家伙通过算了。”（听众的笑声）当我们亲爱的人死去，我们会这样想，当我们输掉一次选举的时候，我们会这样想，当我们被击败的时候，我们会这样想。我们会想所有一切都完了。这正如西奥多?罗斯福所说的：“生命中的光永远地熄灭了。”

not true. it is only a beginning always. the young must know it; the old must know it. it must always sustain us because the greatness comes not when things go always good for you, but the greatness comes when you are really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes, because only if you have been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be at the highest mountain.

但是，这不是真的。它永远只是一个开始。年轻人一定要知道这一点，老年人也一定要知道这一点。我们必须永远都记得这一点，生命中的伟大时刻并不仅仅是那些成功的时刻，也包括那些考验你的时刻，打击你的时刻，你感到失望的时刻，你悲伤的时刻。因为只有当你身处最深的山谷，你才会知道在最高的山峰之上将是何等壮美。

and so i say to you on this occasion, as we leave, we leave proud of the people who have stood by us and worked for us and served this country. we want you to be proud of what you have done. we want you to continue to serve in government, if that is your wish. always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember other may hate you, but those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself.

所以，我要对你们这些在场的人说，我们就要走了，我们是带着骄傲离开的。我们为那些与我们站在一起的人们感到骄傲，他们为我们工作，为这个国家服务。我们要你们为自己所做过的事情感到骄傲。我们要你们继续在政府中服务，如果你们愿意的话。永远竭尽全力，永远不要失去勇气，永远不要成为心胸狭窄的人，永远要记得，可能有人会恨你，但是那些恨你的人不会赢，除非你也恨他们，那样的话，你就将毁了你自己。

and so, we leave with high hopes, in good spirit and with deep humility, and with very much gratefulness in our hearts. i can only say to each and every one of you, we come from many faiths, we pray perhaps to different gods, but really the same god in a sense, but i want to say for each and every one of you, not only will we always remember you, not only will we always be grateful to you but always you will be in our hearts and you will be in our prayers.

我们走了，带着巨大的希望，我们的精神是高昂的，我们的态度是非常谦卑的，我们的心中是满怀感激的。我对你们每一个人所能说的就是，我们也许有不同的信仰，我们也许向不同的神灵祈祷，但是在某种意义上，我们的神是一样的。我要对你们每一个人说，我们不仅会永远地记得你们，永远地感激你们，我们还会将你们放到我们的心上，每一次祈祷的时候，我们都将想到你们。

（2007年8月19日译）

link:察看原文

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这个游戏的关键就在于A这个回答者，它可以利用一切英语中的Pun，例如谐音等来产生幽默的效果。

You’ve got mail中用的是这个，和下面这个结构相同
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to open the door?
(Aren’t you going to open the door?)

通过Wikipedia我还了解到，这个小游戏在UK, Ireland, France, Australia, the U.S.A., Canada, and South Africa都是当地的风俗。
不过他们开始的方式不一样罢了，像一些非英语国家，如法国，他们以”Toc-Toc”开始游戏，而南非以”Klop-klop”开始游戏。

1953年Cape Town流行的Knock Knock游戏
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Delores
Delores who?
Delores my shepherd… .

法国版的Knock Knock
Toc Toc ! (Knock knock!)
Qui est là ? (Who’s there?)
Sheila
Sheila qui ? (Sheila who?)
Sheila lutte finale… . (a pun on “c’est la lutte finale” (It’s the final struggle), the opening line of The Internationale)(法国人喜欢用歌)

附上一些Samples

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Doris.
Doris who?
Doris open, I’m going to come in.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Dwayne.
Dwayne who?
Dwayne the bathtub, I’m dwowning.
(Drain the bathtub, I’m drowning.)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Cow go.
Cow go who?
Cow go moo!

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Amos.
Amos who?
A mosquito bit me.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Euripides.
Euripides who?
Euripides pants and I won’t make you another pair.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Keith.
Keith who?
Keith me, my thweet preenth.
(Kiss me, my sweet prince.)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
José
José who?
José can you see by the dawn’s early light?
(Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light? — first line of The Star-Spangled Banner)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Olive.
Olive who?
Olive you!
(I love you!)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Ross Perot.
Ross Perot who?
See how quick people forget?.
Puns on other words

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Alpaca.
Alpaca who?
Alpaca the trunk, you pack-a the suitcase.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Beets.
Beets who?
Beets me.
(Beats me.)

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you going to open the door?
(Aren’t you going to open the door?)

A similar joke expands the structure:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Banana.
Banana who?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Orange.
Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn’t say “banana”?
(Aren’t you glad I didn’t say “banana”?)
One of the more outrageous examples is a triple pun:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Eskimo Christian Italian.
Eskimo Christian Italian who?
Eskimo Christian Italian no lies.
(Ask me no questions, I’ll tell you no lies.)
Variations
Widespread knowledge of the knock-knock form gives rise to meta-jokes and other enjoyable perversions of the genre:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Boo.
Boo who? (Boo-hoo!)
Don’t cry; it’s only a knock-knock joke.
Or
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Atch.
Atch who?
God Bless You! (referring to sneezing sound,as in,”Achoo!”).
A few knock-knock jokes rely on elaborate setup, like this one:
Will you remember me in an hour?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a day?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a week?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a month?
Yes.
Will you remember me in a year?
Yes.
I think you won’t.
Yes, I will.
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
See? You’ve forgotten me already!
As in all comedy, timing can be an important skill:
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
Interrupting cow!
Interrupting co . . . (Cut off by next line)
Moooooooooo!
Many silly variations to the ‘interrupting’ knock-knock joke are possible:
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
An interrupting starfish!
An interrupting st . . . (Cut off by next line)
(The joketeller abruptly and obnoxiously jumps and extends his/her arms and legs to resemble a starfish)
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
an interrupting prune
an interrupting pr…
(Teller then scrunches up their face as much as possible to resemble a dried prune)
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
an interrupting moose
an interrupting…
MOOSE!
One more ‘interrupting’ version:
Knock, knock!!
Who’s there?
Soviet border police.
Soviet bo . . .(Cut off by next line)
Don’t ask questions!
Knock, knock!!
“Who’s there?”
Interrupting “Totally uncalled for”
Interrupting totally…
(slaps victim)
One that’s really a prank on the recipient.
I know a great knock-knock joke.
Ok, tell me.
All right. You start.
Ok, knock, knock!
Who’s there?
. . .
Another technique is to use a descriptor within the joke, with the clarification highlighting the joke
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Suspense!
Suspense who?
. . .

Some more scatalogical variants:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
I ate mop
I ate mop who?
That’s disgusting!
or
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
I dunnup
I dunnup who?
You should consult a doctor about your incontinence problem.
or
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Fork
Fork who?
My, such language!

The short film Po Mo Knock Knock is perhaps unique in that the entirety of the film’s subject matter is postmodern knock-knock jokes, as alluded to by the title. For example:

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Jacques Derrida
Jacques Derrida who?
Precisely
Sometimes knock-knock jokes involve a well-known celebrity. Here’s one about Brooke Shields with an added twist.

Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Brooke Shields.
Brooke Shields who?
Brooke shields herself from the brutal reality that is her life by finding solace in meaningless material goods and the never-ending pursuit of more and more wealth. But, little does she know, all the beachside condominiums and all-night free-for-all’s cannot ease the ever-growing pain she feels at the end of each pointless and purposeless day, a pain that will never be satisfied by her decadence, a pain that will remain until the day she dies.

A variation of the knock-knock joke that was made famous by the movie Catch Me if You Can goes:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Go fuck yourselves.
This is an example from Family Guy said by Stewie Griffin:
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Your friend, Stewie, and he’ll always be there for you.

Here’s an example of an interrupting celebrity joke involving (attempted) murderer Amy Fisher.
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Amy Fisher.
Amy Fish…
(Cutting off the answer) BANG!!
It is possible for the Antagonist to ruin the joke and turn it into a prank on the usual protagonist
Knock, knock!
Come in
. . .

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there are three words in the english language that end in -gry. one is hungry and another is angry. what is the third word? everyone uses this word every day; everyone knows what it means and what it stands for. if you’ve listened closely, i’ve already told you what the word is.

意思是，除了hungry和angry，你还能想出第三个以-gry结尾的单词吗？

先提示一下，这是一道脑筋急转弯的题目。

……

谜语的答案是“language”，关键就在第一句话里“there are three words in the english language that end in -gry.”，呵呵，没想到吧？

“think of words ending in ‘gry’. angry and hungry are two of them.” (the first two lines are a trick and mean nothing to the puzzle. )there are only three words in the english language. what is the third word? (the third word in “the english language” is language. )the word is something that everyone uses every day. (you use language every day if you talk. )if you have listened carefully, i have already told you what it is.” (the word language appears in the puzzle. )

事实上，英语里除了hungry和angry，还真没有第三个以-gry结尾的常用单词

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这种拼写法在正规的英语中是不允许的，但是在编程语言和商业活动中却大量使用。比如，sony公司的畅销游戏机playstation，play和station两个词的词首字母都是大写的。

它之所以被叫做“骆驼拼写法”，是因为大小写的区分使得复合词呈现“块状”（bump），看上去就像骆驼的驼峰（hump）。

“骆驼拼写法”又分为两种。第一个词的首字母小写，后面每个词的首字母大写，叫做“小骆驼拼写法”（lowercamelcase）；第一个词的首字母，以及后面每个词的首字母都大写，叫做“大骆驼拼写法”（uppercamelcase），又称“帕斯卡拼写法”（pascalcase）。

在历史上，“骆驼拼写法”早就存在。苏格兰人的姓名中的mac前缀就是一例，比如著名歌手paul maccartney的名字中，m和c都是大写的，如果将c小写就是错误的。另一个例子是，著名化学品公司杜邦公司的名字dupont。

但是，这种拼写法真正流行，还是在80年代以后，那时正是计算机语言开始兴起的时候。许多著名的计算机语言依靠单词不同的大小写来区分变量。在计算机语言中，还有一种“匈牙利拼写法”（hungarian type notation），变量中每个单词的首字母都大写，然后变量名的最前面再加一个小写字母，表示这个单词的数据类型。比如，imytestvalue这个变量名，就表示它是一个整数变量（integer）。据说，微软公司最喜欢使用“匈牙利拼写法”。

(本文转自阮一峰的博客 http://www.ruanyifeng.com/blog/2007/06/camelcase.html)

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人们经常是不讲道理的、没有逻辑的和以自我为中心的
不管怎样，你要原谅他们
people are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;
forgive them anyway.

即使你是友善的，人们可能还是会说你自私和动机不良
不管怎样，你还是要友善
if you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
be kind anyway.

当你功成名就，你会有一些虚假的朋友
和一些真实的敌人
不管怎样，你还是要取得成功
if you are successful, you will win some false friends
and some true enemies;
succeed anyway.

即使你是诚实的和率直的，人们可能还是会欺骗你
不管怎样，你还是要诚实和率直
if you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
be honest and frank anyway.

你多年来营造的东西
有人在一夜之间把它摧毁
不管怎样，你还是要去营造
what you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight;
build anyway.

如果你找到了平静和幸福，他们可能会嫉妒你
不管怎样，你还是要快乐
if you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
be happy anyway.

你今天做的善事，人们往往明天就会忘记
不管怎样，你还是要做善事
the good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
be good anyway.

即使把你最好的东西给了这个世界
也许这些东西永远都不够
不管怎样，把你最好的东西给这个世界
give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough;
give the world the best you have anyway.

你看，说到底，它是你和上帝之间的事
而决不是你和他人之间的事
you see, in the final analysis, it is between you and god;
it is never between you and them anyway.

德兰修女
from mother theresa

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Meaning

Okay. There are some late 20th century alternative meanings, limited to the USA, e.g. ‘absurd or ridiculous’ and ‘to swindle or deceive’.

Origin

This little phrase is a variant of okay. It is 20th century American and first appears in print in a 1932 edition of American Speech.

There are several alternative spellings – okay-doke, okey-doke, okee-doke, etc. In addition to these is the comic version that has brought the phrase back to popular attention in recent years – The Simpson’s Ned Flanders’ ‘okely-dokely’.

All of them are just a perky reduplicated variants of okay, utilizing that favourite device of two-word phrases – rhyming. As a reduplication it is properly spelled with a hyphen, although it is often given without.

Like okay, ‘okey-doke’ is used to indicate that all is well, e.g. ‘everything is okay here’, but may be used when responding positively to a request. That is exemplified in this piece from Colin MacInnes’ book City of Spades, 1957:

“One Guinness stout, right, I thank you, okey-doke, here it is.”

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清楚的文章

（香港大学经济金融学院院长 张五常）

前些时发表《古文今用》一文，说自己的中文水平有所不逮，于是套用少小时背诵下来的古文、诗、词以补不足，救了我。臧老兄文仲读该文后，不同意古文救了我的观点，但又大赞我的文章了得。臧老兄认为，我的中文可读是因为我的英文也可读之故。天下为文之道，殊途同归，这点我当然没有异议。我也同意臧老兄的论断：一个通双语的人，不可能一语写得好而另一语却一无是处。

我收到好些记者及读者的来信或电话，希望我能细说一下为文之道，以及介绍一下我提及过的 elements of style那本小书。

说实话，我的文章没有什么了不起，而唯一感到欣慰的，就是可以写得清楚明白。这”清楚明白”的一技之长，在国际学术界也算是略有小名的。但我却没有什么特别的天分–二十九岁之前，我喜欢卖弄文笔，文章写来九曲十三弯，使人读来有天旋地转之感。

是二十九岁某一天，我敬佩的老师艾智仁(armen alchian)召我到他的办公室去，对我说：”我们指(他和其他的老师)绝不怀疑你是可造之材，不过，你的文章不容易看得懂。为文之道只有一个重点，那就是要写得清楚明白。要记着，不管你的思想如何了得，文章不容易明白就不会有成功的机会。”

听后我想，艾老从来不召见学生，这次隆重其事地召见我，就只是说这几句话，秘笈无疑也。我当时又想，自己是中国人，二十多岁才开始认真地学英语，要成为一个英语文豪是不可能的了；不得已而求其次，单学写清楚明白的文字就算了。

决定了要做什么，就把心一横地去做，是我天生的个性吧。但要学写清楚明白的文章，可不是我事前所想像的那么简单。其中的一个困难，是要”戒除”自己历来为文的坏习惯。这些坏习惯倒非所我独有，虽然当年我有的可能特别多。于今回顾，我当时的坏习惯有下述五点。

其一是花拳绣腿，往往跳一下草裙舞。清楚明白的文章是要有话直说。从”花拳绣腿”改为”有话直说”，是困难的改进–即使到了今天，久不久我还是觉得自己有”花拳绣腿”之弊。

其二是喜欢用深字，比如几个有同样表达能力的字以供选择，我当年就喜欢选用较深的一个，以为(误以为)可以此而向读者表现一下自己是个读过书之人。自从决定写清楚的文章后，凡有字(或词)的选择，我就取其最浅的一个。

(话得说回来，有一些特别的文字–例如三次介绍弗里德曼–为了要加点学术气氛来过瘾一下，我就选用深字，花拳绣腿一番。这样做，听众或读者究竟明白与否–只要他们知道我是在大读弗老–则无伤大雅了。)

其三是用长句。清楚的文字要用短句。不仅句子要短，分段也要短。一句说完就用句号或分号；一个小小的论点，说完就要立刻分段。清楚的文字，是不能拖泥带水地写的。好些人像我当年那样，认为懂得用长句才算是文章高手。这是不对的。

其四是着重文法。我不是说文法不重要–更不是说英语的文法不重要–而是下笔写初稿时要置文法于度外。文法的对或错，是应该在有了初稿之后才修改的。

如果一下笔就重文法，分了心，”清楚”的问题就打了折扣。(是的，文法错了的文章有时也可能很清楚。即使在今天，我写英语文章的初稿，文法往往欠妥，而且错字连篇。自己时间不足，就乐得依美国的惯例，请他人代为改正。)

其五是以为读者可以明白。好些时，为了文字之美，我们会写些有欠清晰的、以为读者仔细阅读一下就会明白的文字。但我们却忽略了读者读文章不是下象棋，肯大费工夫研究你在说什么。行文之中，认为读者可能不明白的，就要修改、浅化。好些时，为了达意，宁可多用几个字，虽用得不大”美”，还是”化算”之举。

兹谨答覆读者问及 elements of style 一书之优点如下：这本小书摆明车马，一、二、三、四……列出规例，英语怎样写可取，怎样写不可取，不作解释，没有哲理。例如，小书上说，一句之中，重要的字要放在句首或句尾，不要放在中间。此规其妙无穷也。类似的规则，小书中凡数十，记着即可。对于像我这种懒得研究文字而又想文字写得像样的人来说，它是没有捷径的为文之道中的”捷径”了。

读书随记：《文体要素》

　　我们是怎样学习写作的？在学校里，我们主要是通过分析范文来学习。这能教给我们一些技巧。至于真正的写作能力却仍然象是一个黑盒子。如果我们留心一下书店里教人写作的书，最常见的都是《文章学》之类。这些书能给人很多知识，但要以此来提高写作能力，却恐怕是一种奢望。我们需要的，是一种指导原则，一种真正从实践中来的原则，它不是要以哗众取宠的名目来打动人心，而是真正对写作过程进行分析，得出必须遵守的原则，如果我们用这些简单的原则来指导自己、检查自己，就能得到切实的提高。但是，这样的书太少了。

　　由斯特伦克和怀特合著的《文体指南》（the elements of style)是能满足我们要求的一本书。这本小书，译成中文只有一百多页，却是一本经得起考验的书。我不知道为什么只有学英语的人才去看它。用英语写作和用汉语写作难道不都是在写作吗？文体上的要求，难道不是对汉语和英语都是同样的吗？因此，我相信，这本书，对于那些想要提高写作能力的人，不管是用英语还是汉语，都是非常有用的。

　　请看这几条原则（见原书第五章《文体初探》）：

不要有意显露自己。文章是用文字、思想打动人，而不是要把读者的注意力集中在自己身上。而我们现在不是正有很多人，不管做报告还是写文章，总是忘不了摆一下自己的资格吗？这不过是思想无力的表现。

多用名词和动词。名词和动词是真正有表现力的词，不管对英语还是汉语都一样。而我们现在不是老习惯于一种浮夸的风格，使用一大堆比喻，却不能传达出印象与观点。这种风格，在电视上见得最多了。而这种风格能够影响很多人，特别是青少年，正说明我们总体在文体上的教育是很不够的。

不要过甚其词。过分，似乎是现在中国人发议论的一个特点，似乎不如此就不足给人留下印象。这种例子在网上所见最多，往往抓住一二点，就觉得是独得之秘，可以解决一切问题了。这种耸人视听的议论，最终必定是成事不足，败事有余。

不要佯装谈笑风生。这恐怕是现在最常见的毛病了。语言的浮华更突出思想的贫乏。

　　这只是略举几条。其它，诸如“使用肯定、明确、具体的词语”、“省略不必要的词”这些，都是正中现在常见的文体的毛病的。

　　这本书的写作本身就是一个典范，是一个明确、有力、得体的典范。拥有一本这样的书，不断研究它所提的各个要点，是一定能够使你的文章涣然一新的，当然，你必须以原则来对自己的实践进行严格的检查，不断练习才能生效。这是一本真正称得上指南的书。中国现在所缺少的正是这一类真正能够触及要素（element)的书。

　　中国自古就非常重视文章。所谓“文以载道”。毛泽东在延安整风，三个内容之一就是“整顿文风”，这的确有着超凡的见识。文字是表达、传播思想的，如果一个时代文风浮夸，思想就必然是紊乱、萎靡的。中国自己也有非常优秀的文体传统，南北朝的刘勰就已经提出“风骨”作为标准，所谓“文明以健”，后来凡是大家，大体都是合乎这标准的。但到了现在，却是空言横行，萎靡成风，已经到了必须纠正的时候了。斯特伦克和怀特的这本小书，虽是“他山之石”，却的确“可以攻玉”。

《英文写作指南》　陈一鸣译　上海译文出版社　　原文书名为（the elements of style）我觉得直译为《文体要素》更好。

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