写作方法2020jvns.ca编辑精选
如何写出简单易懂又不显得居高临下的解释？
How do you write simple explanations without sounding condescending?
导读
这是 Julia Evans 博客里的一篇讨论：怎样把复杂的东西讲得简单，又不让读者觉得被当成笨蛋。对写说明文、教程和技术文章的人来说很实用——它把"语气"问题拆成了具体可操作的写法，评论区还补充了动机、读者定位和搭桥比喻等技巧。
可以直接用的写作要点
- 01
别替读者下判断：不写"这很简单""轻松就能搞定"，难易让读者自己体会，否则他们卡住时只会觉得自己笨。
- 02
动笔前先估摸读者现在懂什么、你想让他们懂什么，再画出从 A 到 B 的路径，只补真正的缺口。
- 03
用比喻把新知识挂到读者已有的知识框架上，通常比从第一原理重新搭一遍省力得多。
- 04
少用"你""大家"这类泛化人称、少下没有证据支撑的主观判断，让说明保持非私人化（除非本就该私人化）。
HN 评论精选
去掉"简单""轻松"这类主观断言和泛化人称，把难易判断权交还读者。
我写说明时尽量避免用"你""大家"这类词，这样说明不会显得太私人化（除非本来就该私人化）。我也尽量避免没有证据支撑的主观判断。至少对我来说，读到作者说某件事"很简单"、说你能"快速轻松地做 X"，而我并不觉得简单、也没能轻松做成 X 时，会很受挫。让读者自己判断简不简单，别替他们下结论，因为如果他们觉得不简单，就会觉得自己很笨。
dx87查看英文原文
I try to avoid using words like "you", "people", etc., when writing explanations because it keeps the explanation from feeling personal (unless it's supposed to be personal). I also try to leave out any subjective statements without supporting evidence. At least to me, it can be discouraging when reading about a subject and the author talks about how "simple" something is, or allows you to "quickly and easily do X", but I don't find it simple, and struggle to use it to do X. Let the reader decide if it's simple, don't tell them it's simple because it could make them feel stupid if they don't find it simple.
语气问题的根源是动机：先想清楚自己是在分享还是在炫耀。
我认为意图很重要。如果你心里有优越感，无论用什么文风大概都会流露出来。所以对我来说，重点不在于"听起来不说教"，而在于反思自己解释某事的动机：是纯粹的（分享信息、帮忙）还是不纯的（炫耀、贬低别人）。
joubert查看英文原文
I think one’s intent matters. If you feel superior, it is likely to come across regardless of style. So, for me, it isn’t so much about not sounding condescending as much as it is to reflect on my motivation for explaining something: is my intent pure (share information, help, etc.) or impure (show off, diminish, etc.)
先确认对方想听，别条件反射地解释没人问的事。
另外要确认：你解释的对象真的想听你解释。专业知识多的人往往有个习惯，会条件反射地去解释没人问过的东西。
zero_deg_kevin查看英文原文
Also, make sure the person you're talking to is interested in the explanation. People with lots of specialized knowledge tend to also have the habit of reflexively explaining things that nobody asked about.
先定位读者起点，再用比喻从已知搭桥到未知，顺带解决居高临下的问题。
传达信息本质上是搞清楚读者现在懂什么、你想让他们懂什么，然后画出从 A 到 B 的路径。所以第一步是先摸清读者当前的位置（能直接问就问，不能就尽量猜），然后设身处地，倒过来问自己"为什么 X 到现在还说不通"，找出需要补的缺口。更具体地说：比喻和搭桥到已有知识是很有力的解释工具。如果你要解释 X，而读者对 Y 已有心智框架、Y 与 X 有共同点，从 Y 搭桥到 X 比从第一原理重建 X 对双方都轻松得多。除了沟通效果，这种做法也有助于解决"居高临下"的问题：让人觉得愚蠢或被轻视，主要原因之一就是你把他们已经知道的东西当成他们不知道来讲。所以先摸清对方的起点，能确保你只讲他们还不知道的。
brundolf查看英文原文
Conveying information is a matter of figuring out what your audience currently understands, and what you want them to understand, and then charting a path from A to B. So the first thing I do is get a feel for where the audience is right now (by asking directly if possible, or making a best guess if not). Then I place myself in their shoes, and work backwards asking myself "why doesn't X makes sense yet?" to figure out which gaps need to be filled in. To get more concrete: leveraging metaphors and bridging existing knowledge is a powerful explanation tool. If you're trying to explain X, and the audience already has a mental framework for Y which has some things in common with X, it can be much easier for both parties if you bridge from Y to X instead of constructing X from first principles. Beyond just effectiveness of communication, this approach helps with the "condescension" factor too. One of the main things that makes someone feel stupid or belittled is when you explain something that they already know as if they didn't. So doing the up-front step of getting a good grasp on their starting point helps ensure that you're only telling them things they don't know already.
同类还值得读
被低估的工程技能：把文章写好
Undervalued Engineering Skills: Writing Well
这篇文章讨论为什么“写得好”是被低估的工程能力，以及它如何在团队协作、系统设计和职业发展中持续带来回报。
写作方法2019 · 1,109 分 · 371 评4 条写作要点编辑精选每行只写一句话：让写作和修改都更轻松的排版法
Writing one sentence per line
这是 Derek Sivers 的一篇短文，主张写作时每行只放一个句子，而不是按段落排版。
写作方法2022 · 849 分 · 297 评4 条写作要点编辑精选书面沟通是远程工作的超级能力
Written communication is remote work super power
这篇文章讨论远程工作中书面沟通的价值，评论区则补充了异步与同步沟通的适用场景，并提醒读者：备忘录、结论先行、结构化命令格式等书面沟通传统早已有之。
写作方法2020 · 831 分 · 190 评4 条写作要点编辑精选如何写出有用的文字
How to Write Usefully
保罗·格雷厄姆在这篇文章里给"有用的写作"下了一个可操作的公式：有用≈重要×新颖×正确×清楚，任一项为零，整篇文章就等于零；他还主张敢下确定判断、删掉让自己心虚的句子。
写作方法2020 · 821 分 · 285 评4 条写作要点编辑精选如何写得更清楚、想得更清楚，并学会复杂材料（PDF）
How to write more clearly, think more clearly, and learn complex material [pdf]
这份 PDF 讨论如何把文章写清楚、把思路理清楚，并用写作来学习复杂材料。
写作方法2022 · 779 分 · 153 评4 条写作要点编辑精选