大家说英语 第628期:正式书面表达

Conversation A

对话A

Alex: Hmm.

阿莱克斯：嗯。

Rob¹: What are you reading, Alex?

罗布：阿莱克斯，你在看什么？

Alex: It's a letter from my bank.

阿莱克斯：这是我的银行寄来的一封信。

Rob: That sounds serious.

罗布：听起来很严肃。

Alex: Yes. I need to write them back. I should write a formal letter.

阿莱克斯：是啊，我必须回信，我应该写一封正式信函。

Rob: Yes, banks expect formal writing.

罗布：没错，银行会期待收到正式的写作方式。

Alex: Will you help me?

阿莱克斯：你愿意帮我吗？

Rob: Sure. You should write in complete sentences. Your grammar must be perfect, too.

罗布：没问题。你应该写出完整句子。语法也必须正确无误。

Conversation B

对话B

Alex: What else should I do?

阿莱克斯：我还应该做什么？

Rob: Well, don't use any contractions³. They make your language less formal.

罗布：这个嘛，不要使用缩略形式词语。那样会让你的语言显得比较不正式。

Alex: What's a contraction²?

阿莱克斯：缩略形式词语是什么呀？

Rob: You just used one. What's is a contraction of what is.

罗布：你刚刚就说了一个。what's是what is的缩略形式。

Alex: Oh, I understand. I should write you are, not you're.

阿莱克斯：哦，我懂了。我应该写you are，而不是you're。

Rob: Yes, and write cannot, not can't.

罗布：没错，而且也要写cannot，不要写can't。

Alex: Thanks, Rob. I'll write my reply now.

阿莱克斯：谢了，罗布。我现在就来写回信。

1 rob   

v.抢劫；vi.抢劫，盗窃；vt.非法剥夺，使丧失，抢劫

参考例句：

• Two men formed a plot to rob the bank.两人制定了抢劫那家银行的秘密计划。
• They were scheming to rob the bank.他们在密谋抢劫银行。

2 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

3 contractions   

n.收缩( contraction的名词复数 )；缩减；缩略词；（分娩时）子宫收缩

参考例句：

• Contractions are much more common in speech than in writing. 缩略词在口语里比在书写中常见得多。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Muscle contractions are powered by the chemical adenosine triphosphate(ATP ). 肌肉收缩是由化学物质三磷酸腺苷(ATP)提供动力的。 来自辞典例句