语言与文风2013bbc.co.uk编辑精选
为生僻词辩护
In defence of obscure words
导读
这篇 BBC 文章为生僻词辩护，讨论词汇量、查词习惯与沟通效果。对写作者而言，它提醒我们区分阅读趣味与写作目的：生僻词可增加质感，但不应牺牲清晰沟通；同时要警惕即时查词对主动词汇的侵蚀。
可以直接用的写作要点
- 01
把生僻词当作阅读中的小礼物，不必在写作中为了炫耀而使用。
- 02
写作前先问目的是沟通还是展示；生僻词若增加读者理解负担，就应换掉。
- 03
遇到想用的词先尝试主动回忆，再查证，避免即时搜索替代词汇提取练习。
- 04
互联网让词汇差异更显眼，不等于所有人词汇量都在下降；写作要针对具体读者群。
HN 评论精选
即时查词会削弱主动回忆词汇的能力，写作者应有意识地保留低层练习。
我是非母语者，95% 的英语接触都通过电脑。现在有“谷歌效应”：开新标签页、输入翻译网站、查词，几秒就有结果；过去上网受限，我用纸质词典，还会把词写下来以免忘记。我能不用词典表达自己，但常知道有更好的词，却不愿花一分钟回忆，而是几秒查到。查词成了习惯后，我的技能在变差；用纸质词典时，我得决定是否花时间研究。我该反制，但世界很忙，总找到别的事做。过去工人被迫用肌肉，现在有机器人，体力变得不那么重要；外语、基础算术等也一样。一方面我能专注高层任务，另一方面缺少低层练习让我实际上在变“残废”。有点讽刺的是，我是程序员，喜欢任务无需人工干预。
sold查看英文原文
I am a non-native speaker. 95% of my contact with English is via a computer. There's the google effect: I press Ctrl+T, type tr(anslate.google.com) -> enter and type the word to get an instant translation. In the old times I had very restricted access to the Internet. I used a paper dictionary and bothered to write the word down so I won't forget. I can express myself without a dictionary, but often I _know_ there is a better word and instead of attempting to recall it for a minute I can get it within seconds. My skills worsen as this lookup became a habit. It is a muscle reflex, with paper dictionaries I had to decide to spend the time to research. I should counteract this, but the world is busy and I keep finding other things to do. In the older times, workers were forced to use their muscles. Now they have robots and physical strength became less important. The same thing happens with foreign languages, basic arithmetic etc. On the one hand, I can focus on high-level tasks; on the other, with no low-level practice I am effectively becoming disabled. Simultaneously and bit ironically, I am a programmer and I love when a task can be done without human intervention.
网络只是让词汇差异更可见，未必能证明平均词汇量在下降。
到底是世界平均词汇量在下降，还是只是关心词汇的人更明显地看到大量用户不共享自己的词汇？互联网让事情比大众普及前明显得多。
yareally查看英文原文
Is it really that the average vocabulary of the world is decreasing or is it just more obvious to those that care that a large percentage of users do not share their vocabulary? The Internet makes things much more obvious to people than it used to before its mass adoption by the average human.
阅读中可以欣赏生僻词，写作和口语应以沟通为先，慎用生僻词。
我喜欢在书里遇到生僻词，它们像作者留给我拆开的小礼物。但当我写作或说话时，通常是想沟通；使用生僻词往往会妨碍沟通。
chrisbennet查看英文原文
I enjoy obscure words in the books I read. They are like small treats the author has left for me to unwrap. However, when I write or speak I'm usually trying to *communicate; the use of obscure words tends to work against that.
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