简洁精练
<p>为避免句子冗长、乏味，措词必须简洁精练(<span word="terse">terse</span>)，文句必须直截了当，力求意赅文简，辞约事丰。</p><p>用词简练不仅能节省篇幅，更重要的是为了准确清晰地表达思想。废话赘言不仅使文章冗长，而且多余的词语会掩盖思想内容，使其变得朦胧含混，令人难以捉摸理解。因此，我们要尽量选用简洁精练、读者容易理解的词语，避免用浮夸的(<span word="pompous">pompous</span>)或所谓高级的(<span word="sophisticated">sophisticated</span>)词语。但有些学生喜欢用大词或冷僻的词，以为用华丽的词藻能写出不同凡响的佳作。其实，这样的效果往往不理想，措词显得不伦不类。例如：</p><p>原句：<span word="We">We</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="unable">unable</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="commence">commence</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="journey">journey</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="place">place</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="residence">residence</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="inclement">inclement</span> <span word="weather">weather</span> <span word="conditions">conditions</span>.</p><p>修改：<span word="We">We</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="come">come</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="snowing">snowing</span>.</p><p>一般来说，在写作中，尤其是普通的叙述文或短文，更应该选择简洁、朴实、准确的大众化词语，避免使用矫饰、复杂、故弄玄虚的词语，并且尽可能挑选积极的动词。一句话中最有份量的是动词，因为它传达的信息最多。例如<span word="A">A</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="dotted">dotted</span> <span word="thegreen">thegreen</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span>.要比<span word="A">A</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="red">red</span> <span word="flowers">flowers</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="green">green</span> <span word="leaves">leaves</span>.更简洁有力。</p><p>许多学习英语的人都喜欢吟诵培根(<span word="Francis">Francis</span> <span word="Bacon">Bacon</span>)的名篇《论学习》(<span word="Of">Of</span> <span word="Studies">Studies</span>)，原因之一就是作者的文笔简洁，鞭辟入里。例如：</p>
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