一. 感想
在第一部分"Principles"的最后一章，Zinsser谈到了应用。他一上来便抛出了这个问题：What is good usage?
为了说明这个问题，他接下来用了铺天盖地的实例，我尝试简单梳理一下：
首先，语言是在不断变化的。流行词汇、网络用语、外来用语等，逐渐被人们广泛接受并正常使用。正如科技在不断发展一样，语言也在更新迭代。有些旧有的词汇、用法慢慢就被淘汰了，同时又有新的词汇不断补充进来。因此，持续学习就成了跟上时代步伐的唯一办法，不进则退嘛。
第二，关于语言使用的分类，Zinsser的观点是这样的：
One helpful approach is to try to separate usage from jargon. I would suggest a similar guideline for separating good English from technical English.
也就是行话或科技类语言应该单独区分出来。我很认同这个观点，因为它们除了语言本身，还涉及到了很多其他方面的专业知识，或者说，同样的词汇在日常生活和专业领域中会呈现完全不同的含义。就像翻译（无论是笔译还是口译），除了语言的功底外，更重要的是背景知识的积累。
那么对于一些专业学科，非专业人士是很难对其有深入了解的，所以即便ta的外语非常棒，可若去口译专业领域的学术讲座或笔译著作，依然会漏洞百出。反而是本专业的人，即使ta的外语水平有限，却可以根据专业知识来较好地进行诠释。
此外，Zinsser认为语言的使用最重要的是，"Good usage, to me, consists of using good words if they already exist—as they almost always do—to express myself clearly and simply to someone else." 即选择合适的词，清楚明了地表达你的意思。
进入本书的第二部分"Methods"，Zissner首先强调了统一。文中分别谈到了人称、时态和风格的统一，这些因素保证了文章的前后一致性。当然，它确保读者可以更加清晰、了然地理解作者的本意。但在我看来，这些更是作者本人综合素质的外在呈现。我们常说文如其人、见微知著就是这个道理。
我之前看到过不止一篇关于中、英文标点如何正确使用的文章，我总在想，其实这些简单的小知识，我们只要稍加记忆便可很好掌握。而在日常生活中用好它们，从某种意义上讲，也是为自己加分的一张隐性名片。
当然，道理（理论）懂得再多，统统都还只能算作是知识储备，只有亲自在实践过程中不断地揣摩、体会、感悟和积累经验，这些储备才能变成自己的。用，才有用。
二. 字词
1. hassle
(1) 原文："Hassle" is both a verb and a noun, meaning to give somebody a hard time, or the act of being given a hard time.
(2) 字典解释：
n. something that is annoying, because it causes problems or is difficult to do
vt. to annoy someone, especially by asking them many times to do something
(3) 学到的表达：hassle free 没有任何麻烦的
(4) 造句：Our cooperation will be hassle free.
2. arduous
(1) 原文：Originally it was a Cape Dutch word applied to the Boers' arduous journey by ox wagon.
(2) 字典解释：involving a lot of strength and effort
(3) 造句：Although she haven't finished this arduous task yet, she is making arduous efforts.
3. jocular
(1) 原文：We voted heavily against "cohort" as a synonym for "colleague," except when the tone was jocular.
(2) 字典解释：joking or humorous
(3) 造句：He always likes to make some jocular comments.
4. picayune
(1) 原文：These may seem like picayune distinctions.
(2) 字典解释：small and unimportant
(3) 造句：This trouble is pretty picayune.
5. a tinge of
(1) 原文：It adds a tinge of sarcasm that otherwise wouldn't be there.
(2) 字典解释：a very small amount of a color, emotion, or quality
(3) 造句：There is a tinge of sadness in her singing.
6. cliché [kliː'ʃeɪ]
(1) 原文：Your style might still be full of clutter and clichés.
(2) 字典解释：an idea or phrase that has been used so much that it is not effective or does not have any meaning any longer
(3) 造句：That is a cliché, so I don't wanna hear it anymore.