Content:
Part I | Principles
1. The Transaction
2. Simplicity
3. Clutter (Writing clean English Sentence)
4. Style (Preserving your identity)
5. The audience (Who am I writing for)
6. Words (The only tools you’ve got)
7. Usage (What is good usage)
Part II | Methods
8. Unity (Anchor of good writing)
9. The lead and the ending
10. Bits and pieces
Part II | Forms
11. Nonfiction as Literature
12. Writing About People: The Interview
13. Writing About Places: The travel article
14. Writing About Yourself: The Memoir
15. Science and Technology
16. Business Writing:Writing in Your Job
17. Sports
18. Writing About the Arts Critics and Columnists
19. Humor
Part III | Attitudes
20.?The Sound of Your Voice
....
Words and Expressions:
1.?My commodity as a writer, whatever I’m writing about, is me. And your commodity is you.?
Commodity是可數(shù)名詞实蓬，本文中是第二個意思茸俭。
1 (economics)a product or a raw material that can be bought and sold
? ? ?rice, flour and other basic commodities
? ? ?a drop in commodity prices
? ? ?Crude oil is the world's most important commodity.
2 (formal) a thing that is useful or has a useful quality
? ? ?Water is a precious commodity that is often taken for granted in the West.
2.?I spent several days and nights in mid-September with an ailing pig.
ailing本意是sick， 也可以引申表示經(jīng)濟或者組織安皱。
ailing ★☆☆☆☆
1.ADJ 處境困難的;境況不佳的;衰退的
? ?An?ailing?organization or society is in difficulty and is becoming weaker.
【搭配模式】：usu ADJ n
? ?The rise in overseas sales is good news for the ailing American economy.
? ? 海外銷售額的上升對于不景氣的美國經(jīng)濟來說是個好消息调鬓。
2.ADJ 生病的；抱恙的酌伊；體衰的
? ?If someone is?ailing, they are ill and are not getting better.
【STYLE標簽】：OLD-FASHIONED 過時
? He is said to be ailing at his home in Washington.
? 據(jù)說他身體欠佳腾窝，正呆在華盛頓的家中。
3.?The writer sounds confident; he’s not trying to ingratiate himself with the reader.
VERB 使得到…的歡心;討好
If someone tries to?ingratiate themselves with?you, they do things to try and make you like them.
【語法信息】：V pron-refl with n
【語法信息】：Also V pron-refl
【語用信息】：disapproval
Many politicians are trying to ingratiate themselves with her.
許多政客都設(shè)法討她的歡心居砖。
4. One person’s beautiful object is somebody else’s kitsch.
kitsch?/k?t?/
1.N-UNCOUNT 庸俗的藝術(shù)作品虹脯；迎合低級趣味的拙劣作品
? You can refer to a work of art or an object as kitsch if it is showy and thought by some people to be in bad taste.
? ?...a hideous ballgown verging on the kitsch...
? ?近乎俗麗的難看的舞會禮服
? ? Collectors of Fifties kitsch should pop over to Brussels for the flea market.
? ? 50年代庸俗藝術(shù)作品的收藏者應(yīng)該到布魯塞爾的跳蚤市場去看看。
2. Kitsch?is also an adjective.
? ? Blue and green eye shadow has long been considered kitsch.
? ? 藍色和綠色的眼影一直被認為是俗氣的奏候。
? ? ...kitsch pop culture.
? ? 品位不高的通俗文化
5.?Every art form has a core of verities that survive the fickleness of time.
verity:
N-COUNT 真理;事實
The?verities?of something are all the things that are believed to be true about it.
【搭配模式】：usu pl
【語域標簽】：FORMAL 正式
...some verities of human nature.
人性中一些真實的東西
6. a world where people in authority are the top brass...
top?brass
N-SING-COLL 高級軍官;高管;要員
In the army or in other organizations,the top brass?are the people in the highest positions.
【搭配模式】：also no det
【語域標簽】：BRIT 英
【語域標簽】：INFORMAL 非正式
...a reshuffle of the army's top brass.
軍隊高級軍官的調(diào)整
…a press conference attended by top brass from Sony Records.
索尼唱片公司的高管參加的新聞發(fā)布會
7. So I studied Governor Cross’s words to see how they had weathered the passage of time.
weather做動詞有兩個含義循集，這里表示 “經(jīng)受住”。
1. V-ERG (使)風化;(使)褪色;(使)受到侵蝕
If something such as wood or rock?weathers?or?is weathered, it changes colour or shape as a result of the wind, sun, rain, or cold.
【語法信息】：V
【語法信息】：beV-ed
【語法信息】：Also V n
Unpainted wooden furniture weathers to a grey colour...
沒有上漆的木制家具會褪成灰色蔗草。
This rock has been weathered and eroded.
這塊巖石經(jīng)風吹日曬已被侵蝕咒彤。
weathered
The facade of the building was a little weathered...
樓正面有點兒斑駁。
The man had a worn,weathered face.
這個男人有張飽經(jīng)滄桑的臉咒精。
2.VERB 經(jīng)受住镶柱，渡過(難關(guān)等)
If you?weather?a difficult time or a difficult situation, you survive it and are able to continue normally after it has passed or ended. to?weather the storm→see:storm;
【語法信息】：V n
The company has weathered the recession...
這家公司從經(jīng)濟蕭條中挺了過來。
The government has weathered its worst political crisis.
政府平安度過了其最嚴重的政治危機模叙。
Thoughts:
我曾經(jīng)做過一個小實驗歇拆，用同事的郵箱發(fā)了一封郵件給另一個我們都認識的同事，點發(fā)送之前我讓同事先review一下，免得露出馬腳查吊。她說“這一看就不是我的風格...我不會用這樣的詞谐区，也不會用這樣的句型...” 結(jié)果證明，這的確是我的風格逻卖，即使用了別人的郵箱宋列，也會被接收方識破。
事后我問她 "你為什么不用這樣的詞和句型呢评也，很標準的用法啊”, 得到的反饋是“不為什么炼杖，不喜歡”。
你看盗迟，taste on writing 就是這么一件無奈的事情坤邪，我們必須學會面對它，接受它罚缕，改進它艇纺。
Taste is an invisible current that runs through writing, and you should be aware of it.
如何提高taste， zinser給出了非常實用的建議：
寫作是為了傳遞自己的聲音邮弹，而非迎合骏令。
