waiting

 

 

   We hear a lot about style.  People say, “when will I find my style?  How can I develop a style?”  They think style is something they can go down to the mall and buy at the style store and 1)drape on their words.  There is no style store.  Style can't exist separately from who you are.  Your style is you.  When we say we like a writer’s style, what we mean is that we like the writer's personality as he or she projects it on paper.  We like the person.  All writing is a journey.  You the writer, are asking somebody to go on a trip with you, whether you're writing a book or an article or a business letter or a memo¹ or a marketing² analysis, whatever.  If it's a memo, you are asking somebody to come along on a trip in which you present your ideas on how you think something should be done and you hope the reader will find the trip clear and interesting and enjoyable.  The way to make it enjoyable is to sound like who you are, not to be ornate or pretentious³.  Don't ever try in your writing to be someone you're not.  How you write is how you define yourself.

   So, if your style is not true to who you are, you're violating not just your writing, you're violating yourself.  If what you write is 2)stiff and 3)pompous⁴, that's how you'll be perceived.  The reader has no other choice.  If you're the head of a company and what you write is stiff and pompous, that's how your company will be perceived.  The customer has no other choice.  Think of all the times when a piece of writing is your only chance to introduce yourself to someone whose business or money or goodwill⁵ or affection or trust you want.  Don't blow that chance.  Don't 4)squander your best asset, which is yourself.  Whenever you write anything, however anxious you may be that you won't get it right, remember your humanity and you really can’t go wrong.

  

写作指导

 

   我们常听到人们谈论风格。有人问：“我怎样才能找到我自己的风格？怎样才能形成自己的风格？”他们好像觉得可以到购物中心的风格商店里花钱买到风格，然后把自己的文字包装起来。这个世界上根本没有什么风格商店。风格与你自己的个性是密不可分的，你的风格就是你自己。当我们说我们喜欢某一位作家的风格，是指作家通过作品表现出来的个性。写作就像旅行一样，作为作者，不管你是在写一本书、一篇文章、一封商务信函、一份备忘录、一份市场分析等等，你是请你的读者与你一同上路。如果你写的是一份备忘录，你向你的读者表明你的想法，你认为对某件事应该采取的措施，你希望读者能清楚明白你的想法，关注你提出的问题并阅读愉快。使人从你的作品中得到享受的方法是做你自己，而不需要华丽的文体或矫揉造作。在写作时，切莫假装扮演不真实的你，你的作品表现的正是你的个性特色。

   因此，如果你的风格与你本人个性不符，你不仅亵渎了你的作品，也亵渎了你自己。如果你的作品生硬或夸大其辞，读者只好把你看成这样的人,他们别无选择。如果你是一个公司的领导，而你写的东西既生硬又夸大其辞，顾客就会认为这是公司的特点,他们同样也别无选择。在任何时候，你都要把你写的东西看作你需要他人的生意买卖、金钱、友善、喜爱或信任时，进行自我介绍的唯一机会。不要放过这次机会，不要浪费你最大的财富，这就是你自己。不管你在写什么，也无论你如何为不知自己写得好不好而发愁，记住人道二字(见26期《疯狂英语》)，那你就错不了。

 

1) drape  v.  装饰，包     

2) stiff  a. 生硬的，呆板的         

3) pompous  a. 夸大其辞的 

4) squander  v. 浪费，挥霍

1 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

2 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

3 pretentious   

adj.自命不凡的，自负的，炫耀的

参考例句：

• He is a talented but pretentious writer.他是一个有才华但自命不凡的作家。
• Speaking well of yourself would only make you appear conceited and pretentious.自夸只会使你显得自负和虚伪。

4 pompous   

adj.傲慢的，自大的；夸大的；豪华的

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities.他有点自大，自视甚高。
• He is a good man underneath his pompous appearance. 他的外表虽傲慢，其实是个好人。

5 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。