大家好,我是英语干货君,马拉松阅读的发起者,精读精析自学英语的实践者。
之后的每篇文章将分享值得熟记的名言一则,封面配图也会选用该名言。
今天是On Writing Well马拉松阅读的第16天,开始精读精析第三章Clutter。这次对精读精析的方式进行了一些调整。另外,以后在精读精析时,会选择相关的英语学习书籍分享给大家。

这篇精读中的内容,建议熟记以下内容:
  • Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing.

【原文通读】
建议先通读一遍,了解大意,看哪些表达会让你心存疑惑,或想深入探究。
Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing. Even before John Dean, people and businesses had stopped saying "now." They were saying "currently" ("all our operators are currently busy"), or "at the present time," or "presently" (which means "soon"). Yet the idea can always be expressed by "now" to mean the immediate moment ("Now I can see him"), or by "today" to mean the historical present ("Today prices are high"), or simply by the verb "to be" ("It is raining"). There's no need to say, "At the present time we are experiencing precipitation." 
"Experiencing" is one of the ultimate clutterers. Even your dentist will ask if you are experiencing any pain. If he had his own kid in the chair he would say, "Does it hurt?" He would, in short, be himself. By using a more pompous phrase in his professional role he not only sounds more important; he blunts the painful edge of truth. It's the language of the flight attendant demonstrating the oxygen mask that will drop down if the plane should run out of air. "In the unlikely possibility that the air-craft should experience such an eventuality," she begins—a phrase so oxygen-depriving in itself that we are prepared for any disaster. 

【原文精读】
精读提示:加粗为需要注意的表达,会给出参考翻译;其后若有(),则括号里的内容是对该表达进行解读,字体为红色标记为绿色的为建议熟记的内容;另外,为了阅读的流畅,会把要深入探究的内容标记为橙色背景,放在文章最后统一进行梳理。
Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing. Even before John Dean, people and businesses had stopped saying "now." They were saying "currently" ("all our operators are currently busy"), or "at the present time," or "presently" (which means "soon"). Yet the idea can always be expressed by "now" to mean the immediate moment ("Now I can see him"), or by "today" to mean the historical present ("Today prices are high"), or simply by the verb "to be" ("It is raining"). There's no need to say, "At the present time we are experiencing precipitation.
【表达梳理&解读】
  1. the laborious phrase that 让人费解的说法 (注意这里的phrase对应的就是clutter则一个单词!而phrase最常用的词意是词组!)
  2. pushed out 排除
  3. short word 短的用词
  4. people and businesses 个人和企业
  5. the idea 这个意思
  6. the immediate moment 即刻
  7. the historical present 指用一般现在时表述过去的事
  8. prices are high 价格挺高 
  9. there`s no need to say... 没有必要说……
  10. precipitation 降水

"Experiencing" is one of the ultimate clutterers. Even your dentist will ask if you are experiencing any pain. If he had his own kid in the chair he would say, "Does it hurt?" He would, in short, be himself. By using a more pompous phrase in his professional role he not only sounds more important; he blunts the painful edge of truth. It's the language of the flight attendant demonstrating the oxygen mask that will drop down if the plane should run out of air. "In the unlikely possibility that the aircraft should experience such an eventuality," she begins—a phrase so oxygen-depriving in itself that we are prepared for any disaster
【表达梳理&解读】
  1. one of the ultimate clutterers 表达最不简明的一个用词(注意这里ultimate表最高级!像这种没用最高级,但表达的却是最高级的用词要特别注意!)
  2. dentist 牙医
  3. had his own kid in the chair 他自己的孩子坐在椅子上 (注意坐在椅子上,要根据椅子的不同选择不同的介词。一般有扶手的,用in)
  4. he would, in short, be himself. 简而言之,他会显得更加自我一些(注意in short这些插入语的使用!很多人对待插入语的态度,就像对待连字符构成的词汇的态度,觉得这样表达不正式、不常用。其实,在真实的英语口头或书面表达时,插入语的使用频率是很高的。)
  5. By using a more pompous phrase in his professional role 通过使用对应他专业角色的一个更华丽的措辞(pompous:华丽的)
  6. sounds more important 听起来更显重要
  7. blunts the painful edge of truth 使得真话不会那么伤(这个表达暗含隐喻:即有些truth会让人疼!凡是含有隐喻等修辞格的表达尽量都注意一下)
  8. the flight attendant 空姐
  9. the oxygen mask 氧气面罩
  10. drop down 掉下来
  11. run out of air 没气
  12. in the unlikely possibility that... …可能性是既不可能的
  13. eventuality 不测事件
  14. a phrase so oxygen-depriving in itself 这说法本身就让人感觉喘不上气来(oxygen-depriving,这个形容词很给力,必须记住!)
  15. we are prepared for any disaster. 我们准备好了应对一切灾难(注意,是are prepared, 而不是主动prepare)

【深入探究】
  • 没用最高级,但表达的却是最高级的用词
    内容较多,不具体展开了,想具体了解的,请点击链接:https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/46045120

最后,如果手里没有On Writing Well这本书,可以在公众号里回复:On Writing Well(不是留言!)获取该书电子版的下载链接。这本书是最好的英语写作指导书之一,条件允许的话,建议入手一本。
On Writing Well在豆瓣读书的评分:

    On  Writing Well京东购买链接:

最后,再回顾下这篇精读中建议熟记的内容(建议选择其中至少一个,翻译并留言,这样可以加深印象,也能一起学习!)
  • Clutter is the laborious phrase that has pushed out the short word that means the same thing.
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