0.
了解大舟的同学都知道:我们(其实主要是 Allen)是极度反对替换英文高级词汇的。
但今天,我要来拆台了。
以下三种情况,请你一定要换词!换词!换词!
1.
表意更准确,换。
比如,要论述「博物馆是个有教育意义的好地方」,有同学可能会这么写:
Museums are great places of education thanks to the knowledge of their staff, their well cared-for things, and their rooms full of interesting items and pictures.
看起来没什么问题,中文意思就是:
博物馆是个有教育意义的好地方,这得益于他们工作人员的知识,他们把一切照顾得很好,以及他们有一个个充满了有趣的东西和图片的房间。
你会发现,即便把「博物馆」换成「学校」,这句话也毫不违和:
Schools are great places of education thanks to the knowledge of their staff, their well-cared-for things, and their rooms full of interesting items and pictures.
这段论述失败在于,如果一个论述换任何主题词都能用,那这个论述就是泛泛而谈,平平无奇,言之无物——因为它过于模糊。
而模糊,往往是因为
段落关键词模糊
。
博物馆的 staff,其实可能是 curator、collections managers、educators,或者 exhibit designers;
在博物馆被照顾得很好的东西,你我都知道,指的是保存完好的文物——文物,artifacts,保存完好呢?well-preserved;
「有趣」并不足以回应「教育人」这一主题,如果想表达这层意思,可以用 enlightening;
rooms full of interesting items and pictures,不够确切,在博物馆语境,满是展品的房间,或是 exhibitions,或是 galleries,这是博物馆的氛围。
于是句子就变成:
Museums are great places of education thanks to the knowledge of their curators, their well-preserved artifacts from previous time eras, and their enlightening exhibitions and galleries.
是不是足够确切、足够博物馆了?
你要知道,一只小龙虾最伤自尊的时候,就是你明明吃了它,却对别人说:
I had a bucket of little shrimps.
crayfish, please.
2.
句子更精简,换。
如果你要说:
Exercise makes your body stronger.
为什么不换成 strengthen your body 这样更强势的表达呢?
如果你要表达「科技使得金融大为改观」,也许你会写:
Technology has changed finance a lot.
但同样的意思,经济学人会写:
Technology has transformed finance.
因为 transform 就是 completely change sth, especially so that it is better。
这样一看,transform 不仅包含了「大变」的意味,还把 change 无法表达出的「改进」意思,也表达出来了。
同样,说「分歧」时:
The voting caused strong disagreement between them.
这样的句子没什么大问题,但如果你知道这一条:
If people divide over sth or if sth divides them, it causes strong disagreement between them.
你就可以写成:
The voting divided them.
力道如何?
3.
避免重复,换。
有时段落需要反复提到同一主题词,这时如果一个词说到底,容易显得单调沉闷,好的英文段落,也常会避开这一点;
另外,如果你是参加外语考试,一词到底,还可能会让阅卷者误会,你只掌握了这一个说法。
这时,如果简单词已经先行用完,你便可以换上别的说法,哪怕更复杂。比如经济学人之前有这么一段:
Honda
has announced that it will close its only European manufacturing facility, in the British town of Swindon, in 2021. Though
the Japanese firm
blamed an industry-wide move to electrification for its decision, worries over Brexit are undoubtedly a big factor.