诀窍型的英语写作用词

1．词语选择的重要性

在the right word at the right time的“序言”中，编者对词语选用的重要性作了一个很好的比喻“using the right word at theright time is rather like wearing appropriate clothing for theoccasion：it is a courtesy to others, and a favor to yourself—a matter of presenting yourself well in the eyes of the world.”

显然，说话或写文章时用词适当比穿着适当难度大得多，因而也具有更大的重要性。在我国，古人写文章时常为一个词语的选用具思苦想，因而有“语不惊人死不休”的说法。

2．词语选择的可能性

实际上，我们每个人的脑子里都有了一个或大或小的词库，只要我们肯去发掘，往往可以得到更好的表达方式。这是我们做好词语选用的主观条件。从客观条件广看，我们有各种类型的词典和参考书，只要我们平时多翻译、多阅读，写作时勤查考，就会在词语选用上不断进步。当然，一部好词典也不会毫无缺点，更难以面面俱到，因此在这里我们应牢牢记住著名英国作家、评论家和辞书编纂家johson的话：

dictionaries are like watches: the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected togo quite true.

3．词语选择的三项标准

关于择语标准，人们说法不一，但准确、鲜明、生动三项原则是公认的。当然，某词语用得是否符合要求，不可孤立地从词语本身的含义上着眼，还要看其具体使用场合，包括同其他词语搭配等。

1)择语的准确性

准确性，就是要根据使用场合选用确切的语言形式，正如有句英语俗语所言：

do not write so that your words may be undetstood, but write so that your words must beunderstood.

著名美国作家马克·吐温说：“用词准确与用词几乎准确，这两者之间的差异就如闪电与萤火虫之间的差异。”

(the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is as great as thatbetween lighting and the lighting bug．)

为了择语准确，必须熟悉词语的多义性。例如depression对心理学家、经济学家或地质学家来说，含义各不相同：

he is in a state of deep depression as a result of his setback latest experiment.

the depression first hit almost all the small and medium-sized enterprises.

transportation was at a standstill caused by the depressions in the highways after theearthquake in that area.

更多精彩就在。上海朗阁雅思，www.langgge.net