筆記二：The Transaction部分精讀精析(1)

09-17

來自專欄馬拉松閱讀——英語原著精讀精析

下面，是對On Writing Well的The Transaction部分的精讀精析筆記的匯總，這部分內容較多，分成兩篇文章。因為我的閱讀目的是既要通過這本書了解一些寫作要注意的事項，同時也是想通過閱讀英語原著進一步的學習英語。所以，我會逐段解讀，並把閱讀筆記分成兩塊：內容方面的，語言方面的。先說內容，再解讀語言。這樣，書看完了，既能學到很多和寫作相關的知識，也能提升自己的英語能力。這種方法看起來很慢，可能一個月才能看完一本書。但很多時候，慢就是快。

【The Transaction第1段原文】開始作者個人的一段經歷：談一談寫作這個職業；但同時也有人要談談寫作這個業餘愛好。

A school in Connecticut once held "a day devoted to the arts," and I was asked if I would come and talk about writing as a vocation. When I arrived I found that a second speaker had been invited—Dr. Brock (as Ill call him), a surgeon who had recently begun to write and had sold some stories to magazines. He was going to talk about writing as an avocation. That made us a panel, and we sat down to face a crowd of students and teachers and parents, all eager to learn the secrets of our glamorous work.

【The Transaction第1段精讀】

A school in Connecticut康涅狄格州 once held "a day devoted to the arts," and I was asked if I would come and talk about writing as a vocation職業. When I arrived I found that a second speaker had been invited—Dr. Brock (as Ill call him), a surgeon外科醫生 who had recently begun to write and had sold some stories to magazines. He was going to talk about writing as an avocation業餘愛好. That made us a panel, and we sat down to face a crowd of students and teachers and parents, all eager渴望的 to learn the secrets of our glamorous富有魅力的 work.

【The Transaction第1段精析】

When I arrived I found that a second speaker had been invited
兩個人的介紹，通過這句話，就自然而然地說完了，沒有用到寫作中大多數人都用的並列邏輯銜接詞。

另外，是a second speaker, 而不是the second speaker。

That made us a panel
這裡panel不是其字面意思：

【The Transaction第2段原文】醫生作家說寫作很好玩，很容易；作者說寫作不好玩，不容易。

Dr. Brock was dressed in a bright red jacket, looking vaguely bohemian, as authors are supposed to look, and the first ques-tion went to him. What was it like to be a writer? He said it was tremendous fun. Coming home from an ardu-ous day at the hospital, he would go straight to his yellow pad and write his tensions away. The words just flowed. It was easy. I then said that writing wasnt easy and wasnt fun. It was hard and lonely, and the words seldom just flowed.

【The Transaction第2段精讀】

Dr. Brock was dressed in a bright red jacket, looking vaguely有點 bohemian放蕩不羈的, as authors are supposed to look, and the first question went to him. What was it like to be a writer? He said it was tremendous fun超級有趣. Coming home from an arduous辛勞的 day at the hospital, he would go straight to his yellow pad and write his tensions away通過寫作來放鬆. The words just flowed文如泉涌. It was easy. I then said that writing wasnt easy and wasnt fun. It was hard and lonely, and the words seldom just flowed.

【The Transaction第2段精析】

Dr. Brock was dressed in a bright red jacket, looking vaguely有點 bohemian放蕩不羈的
was dressed in這個搭配很多人都知道。但這種表達本身還是很多人寫作時會忘記寫be，因為漢語表達習慣的影響。
looking這裡是系動詞，旋元佑在《語法俱樂部》中說過，所有的系動詞都是be動詞的另一種表達方式。
are supposed to

這裡的are supposed to 換成should是不可以的，雖然兩者的語意類似，但這裡若換成should，讀起來會彆扭。
the first question went to him
主語物化是英語的一個特點，很多英語學習者不習慣這種表達，要特別注意。
seldom
seldom等否定副詞要注意，fail等否定動詞要注意。總之，不用no或not，卻表否定的所有詞或短語都要注意。

【The Transaction第3段原文】重寫是必須的，不可或缺的！

Next Dr. Brock was asked if it was important to rewrite. Absolutely not, he said. "Let it all hang out," he told us, and whatever form the sentences take will reflect the writer at his most natural. I then said that rewriting is the essence of writing. I pointed out that professional writers rewrite their sentences over and over and then rewrite what they have rewritten.

【The Transaction第3段精讀】

Next Dr. Brock was asked if it was important to rewrite重寫. Absolutely絕對not,he said. "Let it all hang out," he told us, and whatever form形式 the sentences take will reflect the writer at his most natural. I then said that rewriting is the essence of writing. I pointed out that professional writers rewrite their sentencesover and over多次 and then rewrite what they have rewritten.

【The Transaction第3段精析】

Absolutely絕對 not
這是在引用別人的原話，但沒加雙引號，其後的則加了雙引號，但之後的原話又沒加雙引號。為什麼？
Let it all hang out
很地道的一個短語，在不同的語境中有不同的翻譯。值得注意，但實在想不到怎麼翻譯，大家可以在留言里試譯一下。

whatever form形式 the sentences take
這部分在句中是主語從句。其中form是名詞，而不是動詞。

提示：很多時候我們看一句話中的所有單詞都認識，但句意卻無法理解，其中一個原因就是對認識的單詞認識的不夠全面。很多單詞不僅有多重詞意，而且也有不止一種詞性。
rewriting is the essence of writing
重寫是寫作的本質！！好東西，都需要一點點打磨出來。欲速則不達啊more haste less speed
I pointed out that
在雅思寫作中，point out可用在讓步反駁段：However，some people may point out that.....

【The Transaction第4段原文】寫作是門手藝，不是藝術。

"What do you do on days when it isnt going well? Dr. Brock was asked. He said he just stopped writing and put the work aside for a day when it would go better. I then said that the pro-fessional writer must establish a daily schedule and stick to it. I said that writing is a craft, not an art, and that the man who runs away from his craft because he lacks inspiration is fooling him-self. He is also going broke.

【The Transaction第4段精讀】好作家不是有好靈感，而是有安排好的計劃，並堅持執行。

"What do you do on days when it isnt going well? Dr. Brock was asked. He said he just stopped writing and put the work aside for a day when it would go better. I then said that the professional writer must establish a daily schedule建立日程安排 and stick to it堅持執行. I said that writing is a craft手藝, not an art, and that the man who runs away from his craft because he lacks inspiration靈感 isfooling himself自欺欺人. He is also going broke破產、玩完.

【The Transaction第4段精析】

on days when
留意：這裡是介詞on，而不是in；另外，when引導的是定語從句，而不是時間狀語從句，因為when前是名詞days，when從句在其後，是定語從句充當後置定語。
put the work aside
之前曾說過，英語的一個特點是主語物化。這裡再說一個：就是抽象名詞的物化。這個短語就是很好的體現：put……aside將……放在一邊。放下或拿起的一般都是具體的事物。但卻可以和看不見摸不著，只能感受的工作等抽象名詞搭配使用，這一點要特別注意。
go better
這裡的go是系動詞。一說系動詞，很多同學只能想到be，become（配圖中羅列的12個英語系動詞，看看你知道幾個）。對於像go做系動詞如何用卻不知道了（能怎麼用，像be做系動詞一樣使用唄）

professional writer must establish a daily schedule建立日程安排 and stick to it堅持執行.
這句話可以說是放之四海而皆準了。寫作如此，做任何事情都應如此。
writing is a craft手藝, not an art, and that the man who runs away from his craft because he lacks inspiration靈感 is fooling himself自欺欺人. He is also going broke破產、玩完.
寫作是門手藝，而不是藝術。關鍵不是有沒有靈感，關鍵是練習手藝的方法對不對，關鍵是是否能一直堅持練下去。

【The Transaction第5段原文】把寫作當作是一份工作，並敬重這份工作。

What if如果...將會怎麼樣youre feeling depressed消沉的 or unhappy?" a student asked. "Wont that affect your writing?" Probably it will, Dr. Brock replied. Go fishing. Take a walk. Probably it wont, I said. If your job is to write every day, you learn to do it like any other job.

What if
這裡，what if可以理解為：what will you do if....

If your job is to write every day, you learn to do it like any other job.

對待寫作就像對待工作一樣。對寫作的敬重是寫作的基本道德素養。