图片来自原文

原文链接：The Two Minutes It Takes To Read This Will Improve Your Writing Forever

这篇文章几乎没有生词，很容易看懂，所以先贴上原文，后面有我的拙译。

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The Two Minutes It Takes To Read This Will Improve Your Writing Forever.

By Josh Spector

You're busy, so I'll keep this quick.

Following are the simplest tips I can give you to easily — and forever — improve the quality of your writing.

Delete the word "that."

At least 90% of the times you use the word "that" can be removed from your writing and it will instantly make your sentence stronger.

Example: "You believe that I' m lying, but I'm not." becomes "You believe I'm lying, but I'm not."

Delete the words"I think."

It adds nothing. Remove it to strengthen your point.

Example: "I think this is a good sentence." becomes "This is a good sentence."

Avoid words that end in "-ing."

In most cases, the "-ing" softens your word and adds no value. Your writing will read better if you avoid it.

Example: "The experiences we're seeking end up being underwhelming and even disappointing." becomes "The experiences we seek often underwhelm and disappoint."

Short sentences. Short paragraphs.

Most sentences can be cut in half. Don't be afraid to have a two or three word sentence.

Keep paragraphs to less than three sentences.

White space is your reader' s friend.

Shrink your opening sentence.

Make it compelling, but keep it short and conversational.

Example: "This is a post that' s going to help you become a better writer." becomes "I can help you."

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译文 | By Yammy

我知道你很忙，所以我动作会快一点。

以下是我能给你的一点小技巧，这些小技巧可以帮你轻松提高写作质量。

删掉“that”这个单词。

在你的写作中，'that'这个单词，至少90%的时候可以被删除，然后它会立刻让你的句子变得更加简练有力。

例如这句:"You believe that I' m lying, but I'm not." 就可以改成 "You believe I'm lying, but I'm not."。

删掉“I think”这句话。

它毫无用处。

删除它反而可以强化你要表达的观点。

例如: "I think this is a good sentence." 就可以把它改成 "This is a good sentence."

避免用现在分词的形式。

大多数情况下，现在分词的形式会弱化你的句子，并没有什么价值。如果避免它，你的句子会读起来更加顺畅。

示例:"The experiences we're seeking end up being underwhelming and even disappointing."就可以改成 "The experiences we seek often underwhelm and disappoint."。

用短句和短段落。

大多数的句子都可以减半，不要怕你的句子只有两三个单词。

让你的段落不要超过三句话。

空格更有利于读者的阅读。

缩短你的开头。

让开头吸引人的眼球，但要保持会话式的简短。

示例:"This is a post that' s going to help you become a better writer." 就可以改成 "I can help you."。

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我的评论：

很显然，作者是英文世界的人。

他针对英文写作给出了上面的五点小技巧。

但其实语音都是相通的，除了第一个删掉that的小技巧以外，其他四个建议同样也适用于中文。

特别要说的是短句和短段落，这确实很有效果。

你可以尝试一下，我保证你下次看到长而复杂的句子和段落，一定有点不适应。

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我是Yammy，一只深圳「上班猫」，「每天进步一丁点」官方带盐人。
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