On Writing Well - CH14

一. 感想

关于自传的写作,Zinsser在这一章的开头、中间和结尾分别写了这样三句话:


Of all the subjects available to you as a writer, the one you know best is yourself.


If you're a writer, give yourself permission to tell us who you are.


The best gift you have to offer when you write personal history is the gift of yourself. Give yourself permission to write about yourself, and have a good time doing it.


Trevor Noah的传记"Born A Crime",就是一个极好的例子。Trevor用非常幽默、生动的语言,通过自己独特的经历和感受,活灵活现地讲述了一系列精彩的故事。看得我时而大笑、时而震惊、时而感动。

通过他的笔触,我们惊叹于南非由于种族隔离造成的种种社会问题,叹服与他妈妈的教育方式和先进理念,也动容于Trevor成长中的点点滴滴。我尤为喜欢这本书精彩绝伦的开头和结尾,套用Zinsser的理论,它真正做到了一上来用俏皮有趣的故事将读者快速带入其中,而结尾又让人在惊讶和感叹中意犹未尽。


二. 字词

1. existence

(1) 原文:So meager is their after-school existence, bounded largely by television and the mall, two artificial versions of reality.

(2) 字典解释:the type of life that someone has, especially when it is bad or unhappy

(3) 造句:Your after-work existence reflects your taste.

2. two-edged

(1) 原文:However, is a two-edged instrument, and nobody should use it without posting a surgeon general's warning.

(2) 解释:双刃

(3) 新概念中的句子:In fact, it would by an assistance to all carnivores though it would be a two-edged weapon when they fought each other.

(4) 造句:Everything is a two-edged / double-edged sword.

3. hazardous

(1) 原文:EXCESSIVE WRITING ABOUT YOURSELF CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO THE HEALTH OF THE WRITER AND THE READER.

(2) 字典解释:dangerous, especially to people's health or safety

(3) 造句:Smoking can be hazardous to health.

4. prattle

(1) 原文:Egotism, however, is a drag, and this chapter is not intended as a license to prattle just for therapy.

(2) 字典解释:to talk continuously about silly and unimportant things

(3) 造句:What are you prattling on about?

5. anecdote

(1) 原文:But see that all the details—people, places, events, anecdotes, ideas, emotions—are moving your story steadily along.

(2) 字典解释:a short story based on your personal experience

(3) 造句:This book is full of amazing anecdotes about his travel in Europe.

6. baffle

(1) 原文:I was unhappy, and ashamed of it; I was baffled by my life.

(2) 字典解释:if something baffles you, you cannot understand or explain it at all

(3) 造句:This problem baffled me.

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