语言与文风2018newcriterion.com编辑精选
穿出风格：谈写作，也谈英语文风
Puttin' on the Style: On writing, and on English style
导读
这篇文章从英语写作风格谈起，借 Amis 对“Berks”（放任者，会让英语死于不纯）与“Wankers”（洁癖者，会让语言死于纯洁）的划分，讨论规定性语法与语言灵活性的拉锯；开篇以戏仿笔法入场，随后展开论述。对写作者值得一读：它提醒我们好风格既不是死守规则，也不是放任自流，而是在两者之间保持语言的活力与可理解性。
可以直接用的写作要点
- 01
把“不纯”当资源：英语靠吸收外来词和新用法保持活力，写作时不必为“不够正统”而焦虑，先看表达是否清楚有力。
- 02
避开两个极端：一味放任会让语言死于不纯（Berks），一味洁癖会让语言死于纯洁（Wankers）；修改时两种毛病都要自查。
- 03
对语法禁令先问一句“它妨碍理解吗”：分裂不定式之类的规定多是教条，理解无碍时不必削足适履。
- 04
开篇可以用戏仿或幽默抓人，但要尽快解释，让玩笑服务于后面的论点，而不是喧宾夺主。
HN 评论精选
英语无需学院守护，灵活与包容正是它作为通用语的优势；但要警惕“死于不纯”与“死于纯洁”两种极端。
我坚持读完了，也发现了一些精彩之处，但整体读来像一场令人不适的“海军式凝视”——其实是“盯肚脐”式的自省，只不过得吐出牙缝里的绳头，不然会噎着。开头几段是颇有趣的戏仿，随后很快作了解释。“英语不像法语，没有学院来守护它的美德”：谢天谢地——英语既无美德也无道德，它需要什么就拿什么，并以灵活回报。文中提到“Berks 与 Wankers 的游击小队”——我没读过 Amis，但看来得读了：“Berks……若交给他们，英语会死于不纯，像晚期拉丁语。”“Wankers……若交给他们，语言会死于纯洁，像中世纪拉丁语。”我也在英国德文郡的精英预备学校和牛津郡的精英公学（英国的“公学”其实是私立学校，我们确实有点怪）受过教育，也被教过“正确”用法，只不过学的是英式英语而非美式英语。我还留着那本《英语的使用与滥用》，也许该把里面的材料回收了。英语不需要“不朽学院”来照看；它是通用语的好选择，原因之一就是你怎么用、怎么滥用都还能被理解。
gerdesj查看英文原文
I stuck with it and found some gems but it comes across as a nasty case of naval gazing (similar to the navel version but you have to spit out the bits of rope stuck in your teeth, or choke) The initial paras are quite fun parodies and explained soon after. "English, unlike French, has no academy to protect its virtue": thank goodness - English has no virtue and no morals. It takes what it needs and returns the favour in flexibility. However, English spoken by a French person does sound rather lovely. "guerrilla outfits of Berks and Wankers" - I've never read Amis but it seems I might have to: "Berks ... Left to them the English language would die of impurity, like late Latin." "Wankers ... Left to them the language would die of purity, like medieval Latin." I too was educated at a posh prep. school (but in Devon, UK) and a posh public school in Oxon (public schools in the UK are private schools - we are a bit odd). I too was taught "correct" use of the language, except that I was taught en_GB rather than en_US. I still have my copy of "Use and abuse of the English language" somewhere. I should probably recycle its materials. English does not require an Academy of Immortals to look after it. There are a few good reasons why it is a good first and second choice for a Frankish Language, one of which is that you can use and abuse it and still be understood.
分裂不定式之争是规定性语法的典型例子，实际使用往往无碍理解，甚至成了文化标志。
我 1980 年代在澳大利亚上学，从小到大没听说过分裂不定式的争议；每当提到 Pinker 博士的名字，这似乎就成了热门话题。Roddenberry 的《星际迷航》似乎在不止一个方面开了先河：“大胆地分裂到没有规定主义者去过的地方！”
petecox查看英文原文
Schooled in 1980s Australia, I'd never heard of the split infinitive controversy growing up; it seems a popular topic whenever Dr Pinker's name is mentioned. Roddenberry's Star Trek seems to have been groundbreaking in more ways than one. To boldly split where no prescriptivist has gone before!
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