W4-C20 Reading Note

I.Words

…but in its avoidance of sounds that would cheapen its tone:breeziness and condescension and cliches.

1.breeziness

[n.]

- a mildly windy state of the air

- a breezy liveliness

>“It’s clear our current journalists are not the only ones fascinated by Australia’s mix of breeziness, intelligence and insecurity.”

2.condescension

[n.]

-the trait of displaying arrogance by patronizing those considered inferior

-a communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient

>"Millions of Americans enjoy our hunting heritage, and The Post should treat them with respect, not condescensionor condemnation."

I often wonder whether eloquence has vanished from American life,or whether we even still consider it a goal worth striving for.

3.eloquence

[n.]

-powerful and effective language

-study of the technique and rules for using language effectively (especially in public speaking)

-using language effectively to please or persuade

-high-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation

-loud and confused and empty talk.

4.lot

[v.]

-anything (straws or pebbles etc.) taken or chosen at random

[n.]

-your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)

“has a happy lot”=condition

-any collection in its entirety

-several things grouped together or considered as a whole=collectoon

-a parcel of land having fixed boundaries

-an extended area of land

>"walking in a parking lot."

- an unofficial association of people or groups

“they were an angry lot”

II.Excerpt

"But it never occurred to me to write one of them in sports English and the other in jazz English.I tried to write them both in the best English I could,in my usual style."

"A voice that's enjoyable not only in its musical line but in its avoidance of sounds that would cheapen its tone:breeziness and condescension and cliches."

"Finding a voice that your readers will enjoy is largely a matter of taste."

"Taste is an invisible current that runs through writing,and you should be aware of it."

"Find the best writers in the fields that insterest you and read their work aloud.Get their voice and their taste into your ear--their attitude toward language."

III.Review

本章的voice有两层意思，第一层让创作者写完后多读读句子，把握自己文章的节奏，作者还说，多去读读你喜欢的大师的作品，去感受他们作品中的韵律，可能就会有所感悟。这在前面也提到过。

第二层意思就是无论写什么题材，都要找好自己的风格，有自己的思想和品位，（其实这里taste我更愿意理解为style）让读者清楚感受到这些都是你的韵味，而不要根据题材的变化而让写作变得花样多变，也不要刻意去迎合市场需求，这也是之前的文本都提到过的。

我发现每一个章节提炼出来的中心思想都是这几个，要有自己的风格，和读者平等的交流，减少冗杂，让文字变得利落干练，多像大师学习（这一点从作者在文中不断举各种大师的范例可以清楚感受到了。每一章节都可以看成是所有中心思想的发散和延伸，这些中心思想，也就是我在这本书里学到最精髓的部分了。