Chapter 13 Writing about Places
Words
1.dismal
The dismal truth is that it's very hard.
1.ADJ-GRADED 能被表示程度的副词或介词词组修饰的形容词忧郁的;凄凉的;令人沮丧的 Something that is dismal is bad in a sad or depressing way.
My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal...
我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。
It was a dismal failure.这是个让人沮丧的失败。
dismally ;He failed dismally in his opening match.他在揭幕战中惨败。
仿： Failed of entering a promising university, he felt his future is dismal.
2.keep a tight rein on
As a writer your must keep a tight rein on your subjective self-the traveler touched by new sights and sounds and smells-and keep an objective eye on the reader.
to control something in a very strict way
例：The company needs to keep a tight hold on costs this month.
仿：He keeps a tight rein on his children.
3.strain
Also resist straining for the luminous lyrical phrase to describe the wondrous waterfall.
to try very hard to do something using all your strength or ability
搭配：strain (something) to do something／strain for
例：She was straining to keep her head above the water.
Bill choked and gasped, straining for air.
strain your ears/eyes (=try very hard to hear or see)
I strained my ears, listening for any sound in the silence of the cave.
仿：The drowning man strained to keep his head above the water.
4.ache
It makes you ache for the sight of a rebelliuos curve or the irregular
to want to do or have something very much
搭配 ache for／ache to do something
例：I’m aching for sleep.
He ached to reach out and hold her close.
仿：She is aching for the shopping spree's coming.
5.breed
One realizes there are two breeds in Turkey: those who carry and those who sit.
a particular kind of person or type of thing:
搭配：breed of a new breed of international criminal
例：Real cowboys are a dying breed (=not many exist anymore).
仿：Tesla is a new breed of electrical car.
Reflections:
描写一个地方，作者告诉我们需要遵循两个原则：style ，substance
我的理解这里的style是指在描写的时候不要用一些毫无新意的陈词滥调描写，而且最好形象的描写细节。
substance是指挑选那些有意思的东西描写。如果写大海你还是描写海浪拍打着沙滩，礁石散落在海边这种景象会让人觉得没意思，因为一提到大海，我们都能想到这些场景。那写什么呢？去年到新西兰的凯库拉，在一条海岸线边全是在休息的海狮，他们有的在晒太阳，有的在嬉戏，当我一步步靠近它们时，我完成成为了它们的焦点“这个往前走的东西是什么啊，她想干嘛呢”。当我停下来，它们又各玩各的。真是太有意思了，在这里完全是动物的天堂，它们无拘无束，自由自在。
所以应该写一些特别的，让人感兴趣的东西。后面也提到，写一个地方时如果把当地的人文和历史加进去也会有不错的效果。其实这和旅游一样，如果你对要去的地方多一分了解，会觉得更有意思。比如今年6月去台湾就带了《我们台湾这些年》，边游玩的时候边读着台湾的古往今来，让我在旅途中多了一份思考，旅程也变得更有滋有味。