Chapter 1&2, 10.30

Vocabulary:

1. I was asked if I would come and talk about writing as a vocation职业.

He was going to talk about writing as an avocation业余爱好.

2. revelation: a surprising fact about someone or something that was previously secret and is now made known

动词：reveal

原文：It was a revelation to all of us.

造句：This book is a revelation on writing well to me.

3. fiddle with sth: to move part of a machine in order to make it work, without knowing exactly what you should do

原文：others can’t write the second paragraph until they have fiddled endlessly with the first.

造句：After fiddling with the essay, I finally finished it.

4. assail: if you are assailed by unpleasant thoughts or feelings, they worry or upset you

原文：a person assailed被困扰 by many forces competing for attention.

hassle: to annoy sb, especially by asking them many times to do

原文：He meant that the students had been hassling them about different things.

5. We are a society strangling扼杀，窒息，压制 in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous华而不实的 frills虚饰 and meaningless jargon行话.

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Reflection:

“Out of it come two of the most important qualities that this book will go in search of: humanity and warmth. ...Can such principles be taught? Maybe not. But most of them can be learned."

人性和热情。对呀，文字是写给人看的，自然要有人性，而文字是人写的自然每个人的文字都流淌着不同的血液，有不同的风情。像Dr. Brock和作者的那场访谈一样，两人对写作完全对立的见解却能给对方revelation，给观众带来不同的写作观念。写作也一样吧。

"The secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components...Writing is hard work. A clear sentence is no accident. "

郑板桥曾题书斋联：“删繁就简三秋树，领异标新二月花。”William Zinsser的这章也是同样道理。好奇本书后面是否会涉及领异标新。