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《一本小小的红色写作书》原则 12 多用动词,少用名词2

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不要把动词和形容词名词化。

词语名词化在写作中是一个十分重要的概念,它描述的是动词和形容词转化成名词的过程。名词化在写作中会弱化文章内容的原因有很多,其中主要是因为它会使句子更长,使读者提取句子含义时更费力。下面是几个名词化的例子。

避免动词转化为名词

动词 名词

减少(reduce) 减少(reduction)

发展、制定(develop) 发展性、制定(development)

依靠(rely) 可靠性(reliability)

因此,“成本的减少(reduction of costs)”最好写作“减少成本(reduce costs)”,“5年计划的制定(development of a 5-year plan)”最好写作“制定5年计划(develop a 5-year plan)”,“数据的可靠性(reliability of the data)”最好写作“依靠数据(rely on the data)”。

避免形容词转化为名词

形容词 名词

精确的(precise) 精确性(precision)

创新的(creative) 创造性(creativity)

合理的(reasonable) 合理性(reasonableness)

因此,“测量的精确性(precision of measurements)”最好写作“精确的测量(precise measurements)”,“个体的创造性(creativity of inpiduals)”最好写作“创新的个体(creative inpiduals)”,“工作时间的合理性(reasonableness of working hours)”最好写作“合理的工作时间(reasonable working hours)”。

另外,任何英文动词加“ing”都可以转化为名词(称为动名词,例如speaking, carrying, engaging)。

例句

原句

学校里学生饮酒的行为是否被允许?

(Is the drinking of alcohol by students allowed on campus?)

较好

学生可以在学校饮酒吗?

(May students drink alcohol on campus?)

动名词“drinking”最好换成动词“drink”。

练习

重写下列句子,把名词换成动词或形容词。参考答案见第136页。

1.业余自行车手必须用心做好个人训练计划的制定。

(Amateur cyclists must work on the development of their own training programs.)

2.做决断的无能是军事领导人最隐秘的敌人。

(The inability to make decisions is a military leader's darkest enemy.)

3.专家组的最佳预测是,新的清洁大气法案的施行将带来20%的污染减少。

(The expert panel's best estimate includes a 20 percent reduction inpollution as a result of the implementation of the new clean air bill.)

4.大多数营养学家提倡,将减少高脂食物的食用和降低碳水化合物的摄入作为减肥的最佳方法。

(Most dietitians advocate cutting down on the eating of fatty foods and reducing the intake of carbohydrates as the best means of losing weight.)

5.通情达理和公正无私不在政治家的强项之列。

(Reasonableness and evenhandedness were not among the politician's strong suits.)

6.入学考试的标准化有益于保证学生平等申请大学和研究院项目。

(The standardization of entrance exams helps ensure that students can apply to college and graduate school programs on an equal footing.)

7.听名流人士在电视上大肆夸耀他们的政治观点不应视作行为的不得体。

(Hearing celebrities airing their political views on television should not be viewed as done in bad taste.)

8.在第一次网络萧条之前,使用传统核算公式对互联网公司进行估值的适用性从未受到投资人的真正质疑。

(The applicability of using traditional accounting formulas for the valuation of Internet companies was never seriously questioned byinvestors prior to the first dot-com bust.)

9.我们的主管做出同意解聘三名员工的决定。

(Our supervisor made a decision in favor of firing three employees.)

10.应当鼓励显示出创新性和自主性的个人追求他们的梦想。

(Inpiduals who exhibit creativity and spontaneity should be encouraged to follow their dreams.)