11.20-On Writing Well

20 The Sound of Your Voice

If you’re smitten by the urge to try the breezy style, read what you’ve written aloud and see if you like the sound of your voice.

smite的过去分词  smitten   1. ~ (with / by sb / sth) (especially humorous) suddenly feeling that you are in love with sb 突然爱上的

例From the moment they met, he was completely smitten by her.

从一见面的那一刻起,他就完全被她迷住了。

2. ~ with / by sth severely affected by a feeling, disease, etc. 痛感；备受…的煎熬

例He was smitten by deep remorse.他陷入深深的自责之中

But finally taste is a mixture of qualities that are beyond analyzing: an ear that can hear the difference between a sentence that limps and a sentence that lilts,

lilt  1. the pleasant way in which a person's voice rises and falls (说话声的)抑扬顿挫

»Her voice had a soft Welsh lilt to it.她讲话的声音柔和而抑扬顿挫,有些威尔士口音。

2. a regular rising and falling pattern in music, with a strong rhythm

节奏欢快的旋律；轻快活泼的曲调

Why are weexalted by the words of Wilbur Cross and anesthetized by the speeches of most politicians and public officials who ply us with oratorical ruffles and flourishes?

ply sb with sth    to offer or give (something) to (someone) repeatedly or constantly

»He plied me with questions from the moment he arrived.他一到就不断地向我提问题。

Thoughts

Don’t alter your voice to fit your subject.

Finding a voice that your readers will enjoy is largely a matter of taste.

Taste is an invisible current that runs through writing, and you should be aware of it.

Clichés are the enemy of taste.

Go with what seems inevitable in your own heritage. Embrace it and it may lead you to eloquence.

The Sound of Your Voice这一章的voice，taste这两个词出现最多了。

专门用了一章强调培养一种自己的好的风格和品味，举了各种正面和反面例子。还要多模仿好作家，不要担心模仿我们会令失去自己的声音。因为很快我们就会褪去模仿的痕迹，成为本应该成为的自己。文字依旧很好，用了各种修辞，尤其比喻拟人。不过这一章感觉又重复了以前的观点，我有点审美疲劳了...

同意作者说的，模仿对于学习任何一种arts或craft，都是创造过程的一部分。所以，保持阅读早先大师和优秀作家的作品。通过阅读模仿这些好作品，能提升自己对好文字好作品的品味。即使我们阅读了一些平庸甚至烂书，也不要紧，这样的经验会帮助我们改正自己——当这些东西出现在自已文章中的时候我们能有所识别，免得写成那样。

我们阅读还为了体验不同的写作风格。开始呢，先要尝试各种风格的阅读与写作。如果大概清楚了自己适合的风格，或是需要写某种风格，最好的方法是阅读那些写作风格相近的作家，并搞清楚他们是如何写出这些好文章作品的。

民国时期的很多大作家的散文就特别值得学习。比如梁实秋和汪曾祺写美食，平淡质朴，娓娓道来，却饱含普世的温情和独有的味道，甚至令人垂涎。张爱玲和钱钟书的散文读的不多，但是我每读一篇就喜欢一篇，他们都有着自己独特的风格，且饱含着深刻哲理。其他好作家不再举例了。

而读现在很多散文，很少读的觉得精彩的。有些好华丽侨情，有种刻意的人工感，有些质朴却质朴到只能说平淡乏味了。所以写好一篇精彩的散文很考验一个人的写作水平啊...

最后再说说：仿效他人的风格应该是很自然的，不要因为模仿失去了自己的味道。好的模仿可以帮助我们形成自己的表达方式。