【经验谈】Avoid Wordiness
2020-05-21 本文已影响0人
Joy的未来十年
导言：前段，公司打算将所有手册宣传册翻译成日文，对外发包招标。深切地体会到“惜字如金”的重要性。结合以往的英文写作经验，给大家分享些避免啰说（Verbose）与重复（Redundancies) 的总结.
Tip: 非母语英文TW在日常写作时，必须把简明(clear and concise)记在心间，多花些功夫编辑修改。于我，每每写好的作品，第二天再拿出来，诵读编辑一番，总会发现可修可改可精炼之处。
Verbose Expression
The following table lists commonly used verbose expressions and their succinct equivalents.
| Avoid (verbose) | Use (succinct) |
|---|---|
| a great number of; a greater number of many; | more |
| a number of | many; several; [specific number] |
| as a result of | because |
| at a later date | later |
| at the present time; at this time | now |
| by means of | by |
| consequently | so; therefore |
| draws to a close | ends |
| during the time that | while |
| for a period of a month | for a month |
| for the purpose of | for |
| for the reason that | because |
| for the simple fact that | because |
| for this reason | so; therefore |
| give consideration to | consider |
| has the capability of | can |
| has an effect on | affects |
| in an effort to | to |
| in excess of | more than |
| in favor of | for |
| in order to | to |
| in regard to | about |
| in the case of; in the event of | if |
| it could be said that; it has been said that | [cut] |
| it's worth mentioning that | [cut] |
| is able to | can |
| lacks the ability to | cannot |
| on a daily (weekly, monthly, and so on) basis | daily (weekly, monthly, and so on) |
| on the grounds that | because |
| on the occasion of | when |
| take into consideration | consider |
| the majority of | most |
Redundancies
Avoid writing the same thing more than once.
Incorrect Enter the new name of the file you want to rename.
Correct Enter the new name of the file.
Incorrect Add additional features as needed.
Correct Add features as needed.
Correct Define additional features as needed.
The following table lists commonly used redundancies and their succinct equivalents.
| Avoid (redundant) | Use (succinct) |
|---|---|
| advance planning | planning |
| 7 A.M. in the morning | 7 A.M. |
| cancel out | cancel |
| each individual person | each person |
| end result | result |
| fewer in number | fewer |
| first began | began |
| future plans | plans |
| join together | join |
| large (small, and so on) in size | large (small, and so on) |
| major breakthrough | breakthrough |
| new innovation | innovation |
| past history | history |
| past record | record |
| period of time | period |
| personal friend | friend |
| pre-planning | planning |
| red in color | red |
| revert back | revert |
| still continues | continues |
| true facts | facts |
| 12 noon | noon |
| uniformly consistent | consistent |
