中國學生英文寫作能力怎麽樣？文學教授談中國學生英文寫作

作為(wei) 一名擁有創意寫(xie) 作博士學位的職業(ye) 作家，作為(wei) 一名具備幾十年文學寫(xie) 作教學經驗的大學教授，作金牌寫(xie) 作導師，Eric給我們(men) 寫(xie) 來了一封長信，談談他對中國學生學習(xi) 英文寫(xie) 作的感想、意見和建議。相信家長們(men) 讀完後，一定會(hui) 大受觸動、受益匪淺。

I. Eric談寫(xie) 作

Good Day, Parents of my students ! I have been asked to write my ideas about the pupils I have mentored, past and present, since I started working with Chinese students several years ago. Specifically, I’ve been requested to go over some of the common errors, identify tendencies, and highlight my strongest impressions of these students. So for the next few pages I will do precisely that.

家長們(men) 好！我已經有很多年指導中國學生的經驗，現在他們(men) 讓我寫(xie) 寫(xie) 我這些年的體(ti) 會(hui) 。具體(ti) 來說，他們(men) 讓我指出一些（中國學生學英語的）常見錯誤，總結學生學習(xi) 特點，以及對中國學生印象最深刻的地方。我將在接下來的幾頁中，詳細談談。

The first thing that I should emphasize by way of introduction is that I have a PhD in creative writing from an American university and have published my work successfully.  In America as a graduate student (or student doing a ‘post-grad’, as they might put it in Europe), I went through the academic gristmill and produced (as required) plenty of ‘academic’ papers: Very bulky, abstruse, heavily-documented, stuffy, formalistic papers replete with academic jargon, no personal pronouns, no small talk, metaphors, or similes – just long documents stacked with assiduously arranged 2nd source add-ons, presented in stilted, humorless, mechanical prose.

首先做個(ge) 自我介紹。我擁有美國大學的創意寫(xie) 作博士學位，並且出版過書(shu) 。作為(wei) 一個(ge) 在美國獲得學曆的研究生，我經曆了學術上的嚴(yan) 格訓練，並（根據需要）製作了大量的“學術”論文：非常龐大、深奧、含有大量文檔、令人窒息的、形式主義(yi) 的論文，充滿了學術術語，沒有人稱代詞，沒有閑聊，隱喻或明喻– 隻是長長的文檔，堆放著精心安排的二手資料，以生硬、無幽默、機械的形式呈現。

Believe me when I say that the only people who read this turgid, quicksand-of-the imagination, tenure-track gobbledegook are other academics. I loathe it, and I feel that there is no surer way to make children HATE the writing process than to subject them to this sort of thing at an early age. A twelve year old kid should be encouraged to experiment, to get to know himself/herself, to be spontaneous without fear or harsh ‘feedback’, and to learn to (or exploit innate tendencies). Above all, to  love language.

相信我，閱讀這些膨脹的、毫無想象力的、堆砌著無用的專(zhuan) 業(ye) 詞匯的文章，往往是其他學者。我討厭這些，而且我覺得讓孩子們(men) 在很小的時候接觸這樣的文章非常糟糕，它會(hui) 讓孩子厭惡寫(xie) 作。我們(men) 應該鼓勵一個(ge) 12 歲的孩子去嚐試，去了解自己，他們(men) 不需要擔心刻薄苛刻的 “反饋” ，這樣才能自然自發的學習(xi) ，也就是說用最真摯的初心來寫(xie) 作。最重要的是，要培養(yang) 他們(men) 對語言的熱愛。

Here I will offer a couple of disclaimers. There are many disciplines and in the science areas international journals will only publish correct, well-researched, academic style Standard English. These periodicals are interested only in the results of painstaking research, and the style of writing necessarily reflects it. I regularly work with an elderly Russian geologist of considerable renown. Her English is not the best, not the worst, but we always struggle to get it into acceptable form. So far we are ‘batting 100%’ (an American baseball idiom which means we haven’t failed yet to produce acceptable papers). The bibliography reads like a Greater Manhattan Area phones book. Endless.  In Scientific research, the academic style is indispensable because they are dealing with empirical substance. The Humanities crowd try to copy it to validate their discipline as a ‘science’ – which it is not. The result is cadaver-cold and pretentious most of the time. And never anything less than politically correct.

在這裏，我有一些免責聲明。在自然科學領域，國際期刊隻會(hui) 發表正確的、經過充分研究的、學術風格的標準英語。這些期刊隻對潛心研究的結果感興(xing) 趣，而且文風必然反映了這一點。我經常與(yu) 一位頗有名氣的俄羅斯老年地質學家一起工作。她的英語不是很好，雖然也不是很差，但我們(men) 總能讓她的論文被期刊接受。到目前為(wei) 止，我們(men) 正在“100% 擊球”（這是一個(ge) 美國棒球成語，這意味著我們(men) 合作的論文還沒有被雜誌拒絕過）。

這些論文的參考文獻讀起來就像大曼哈頓地區的電話簿。沒完沒了。在自然科學研究中，這樣的學術風格是必須的，因為(wei) 它們(men) 處理的是觀察和實踐的內(nei) 容。但是人文學科的人試圖複製這樣的套路，以驗證他們(men) 的學科是一門“科學”——但事實並非如此。結果大多數時候他們(men) 寫(xie) 出來的東(dong) 西都是冷若冰霜，自命不凡，當然了，他們(men) 的文章也從(cong) 來沒有任何不符合政治正確的事情。

Therefore, it is extremely important that my students learn two things (whether they are primarily writing students or history students who are expected to do some writing). The first is of course, the basic, classic essay format, which consists of Introduction, Two or Three Body Paragraphs, and Conclusion. Now it is interesting that two of the Big Exams – TOEFL and IELTS – give only minimal attention to the intro and the ending. They focus almost entirely on the body paragraphs. Their requirements (this is true of the whole exam) is very formulaic; therefore, the exam itself must be studied. Just being at an advanced level in English is not enough; you can speak English like a native speaker in the Diplomatic Corps and still fail the exam.

因此，讓我的學生學習(xi) 兩(liang) 件事是極其重要的（無論他們(men) 是主修寫(xie) 作的學生還是需要寫(xie) 作的曆史學生）。第一個(ge) 當然是基本的，經典的論文格式，由引言、兩(liang) 個(ge) 或三個(ge) 正文段落和結論組成。

現在有趣的是，兩(liang) 大考試——托福和雅思——隻對開頭和結尾給予了極少的關(guan) 注。他們(men) 幾乎完全專(zhuan) 注於(yu) 正文段落。他們(men) 的要求（整個(ge) 考試都是如此）非常公式化；因此，必須我們(men) 必須對這些考試有所研究。僅(jin) 僅(jin) 在擁有高水平的英語水平還不夠；也許你可以像英語是母語的外交人士一樣說英語，但仍然無法通過考試。

In real writing, the classic model is alive and well, as it should be. I try to impress on my students that writing is not  a linear performance like a piano recital where everything is in its proper procession and if you make a mistake people know about it. Nor, in music, should you perform the 2nd Movement of the Concerto before the 1st. Everyone would be completely taken aback. WRITING, to use words I try not to use because they are over-repeated, is nonetheless something that should be thought of as ‘holistic’ and  ‘organic’. By this I mean that the best writing is rarely pre-planned. It simply grows out of itself. That’s why brainstorming and other thought-generating techniques are so valuable. Creative writers start with what I personally call a “guiding impulse’. That is, something arises in them that needs to get out, like a bat out of a cave or a bird out of a cage. (I, for one, believe that a lot is learned in the cave and the cage, then another force sets it free.) If you don’t believe me, parents, try it yourself. Imagine a school teacher you either liked a lot or didn’t like at all - but, either way, who stands out in your memory. Now think about that person and keep the thought going. Think not just with abstract memory but with your eyes. Recall their physical shape, typical clothing, and way of addressing the class. Soon you will start to recall secondary aspects of them: how their face had a nervous tic, how some had very large or very small hands, and certain favorite expressions they would use. Then stand back and survey that classroom of years ago, and you will be astonished how the lost faces come back to life. Imagine what the school looked like and the streets surrounding it, or the woods or the factory closeby. How the school hallway smelled of lysol and old lockers. How your books felt in your damp rucksack on a rainy day.

在真實的寫(xie) 作中，上述的經典模型依然非常有用。但是我總是試圖告訴我的學生，寫(xie) 作不是像鋼琴獨奏會(hui) 那樣的線性表演，一切都是安排好的，如果你犯了錯誤，人們(men) 就會(hui) 知道。在音樂(le) 表演裏，你也不應該在第一樂(le) 章之前演奏協奏曲的第二樂(le) 章，那樣的話所有人都會(hui) 非常震驚。而寫(xie) 作不一樣，它應該是“整體(ti) 的”和“有機的”。我的意思是，最好的作品很少是預先計劃好的。它常常是自發產(chan) 生的。這就是為(wei) 什麽(me) 頭腦風暴和其他能產(chan) 生思想碰撞的行為(wei) 如此有價(jia) 值。創意作家寫(xie) 作從(cong) 我個(ge) 人所說的“引導衝(chong) 動”開始。也就是說，他們(men) 有話要說，就像蝙蝠要從(cong) 洞穴出來，或鳥兒(er) 要飛出籠子。 （我相信它們(men) 在洞穴和籠子裏學到了很多東(dong) 西，但是有另一種力量讓它們(men) 找尋自由。）如果你不相信我，家長們(men) ，你自己試試吧。

想象一個(ge) 你非常喜歡或根本不喜歡的學校老師——誰在你的記憶中脫穎而出？現在想著那個(ge) 人並保持在他/她身上。不僅(jin) 用抽象記憶去思考，還要用眼睛去思考。回想一下他們(men) 的體(ti) 型、典型的著裝以及在課堂上講話的方式。很快你就會(hui) 開始回憶起他們(men) 的次要方麵：他們(men) 的臉是如何緊張抽搐的，他們(men) 的手也許很大或很小，以及他們(men) 的某些最喜歡的表情。然後退後一步，審視幾年前的那個(ge) 教室，你會(hui) 驚訝於(yu) 那些你以為(wei) 已經忘記的麵孔是如何複活的。想象一下學校的樣子和周圍的街道，或者附近的樹林或工廠。學校走廊如何充滿消毒水和舊儲(chu) 物櫃的味道。下雨天，你的書(shu) 在潮濕的背包裏感覺。

It will all come back to you. But not at first; rather, by association and patience, by letting the setting and its long-ago people recreate themselves right down to the most minute details. (I tell my students all the time that “the truth is in the details.”) Try it, and you will be amazed at how much you recall, and how much of it comes back of its own volition. The living and the dead, they are all in a bubble just waiting for you to think of them again. And, lo and behold, when you do so they pop out and join you.

你會(hui) 回想起很多東(dong) 西。但一開始不是；相反，通過聯想和耐心，讓環境和很久以前的人們(men) 重新匯合，直到最微小的細節。 （我一直告訴我的學生“真相在細節中”。）嚐試一下，你會(hui) 驚訝於(yu) 你能回憶起多少東(dong) 西，其中有多少是自然彈出的。活著的或者逝去的，都在泡沫中，靜靜等你再想起他們(men) 。你瞧，當你這樣做時，它們(men) 會(hui) 自發彈出並加入你。

I have just described the writing process to you. Or most of it. The part I am leaving out for now is the importance of Rewriting. Authors much more accomplished than me are in unanimous agreement: WRITING IS REWRITING. The overwhelming majority of my students, it must be said, just don’t do it. Probably they don’t have time. But in real (and, alas, unforgiving) terms the essays are invariably no more than half-finished. First drafts that have been abandoned. That’s why, to be blunt, some of the papers are a mess when they come to me: the student didn’t follow up. To become accomplished writers they absolutely must develop this sort of conscientiousness. There is no other way.

我剛剛向您描述了寫(xie) 作過程，或者其主要部分。我省略的部分是修改/重寫(xie) 的重要性。比我更有成就的作者一致同意：寫(xie) 作就是重寫(xie) 。必須說，我的絕大多數學生不會(hui) 這樣做。可能他們(men) 沒有時間。但實際上（恕我無情），這些文章總是隻完成了一半就已放棄的初稿。這就是為(wei) 什麽(me) ，坦率地說，有些文章來我這裏時是一團糟：學生沒有跟進，沒有修改重寫(xie) 。要成為(wei) 有成就的作家，絕對必須培養(yang) 不斷修改/重寫(xie) 的責任心。沒有其他辦法。

But in terms of creativity, why should writing be a locked-in, pre-planned linear frog march  carried out in the intellectual jailhouse of outline and rigorous formula? Only dull people do that, or those who dislike writing and just want to be ‘correct’ enough to muster a passing mark. Given that, why shouldn’t the Introduction be written last rather than first, considering that at first you really had no idea where the creative process was going to take you? What is stopping you? Think of writing like theater-in-the-round. Or like sculpture. The only thing that matters is the finished product and it doesn’t matter how chaotic the process might be. Like so many things in life, it’s the result that counts.

但就創意而言，寫(xie) 作為(wei) 什麽(me) 要像一場鎖定、預先計劃好的線性青蛙行軍(jun) ，在大綱和嚴(yan) 謹公式組成的的智力監獄進行？隻有不夠聰明的人才會(hui) 這樣做，或者那些不喜歡寫(xie) 作並且隻想“正確”到正好獲得及格分數的人。鑒於(yu) 此，如果一開始你真的不知道你的創意寫(xie) 作會(hui) 有什麽(me) 樣的走向，為(wei) 什麽(me) 不能最後寫(xie) 引言而不是先寫(xie) 呢？是什麽(me) 阻止了你？把寫(xie) 作想象成圓形劇場，或者像雕塑。唯一重要的是成品，而過程可能有多混亂(luan) 並不重要。就像生活中的許多事情一樣，重要的是結果。

Accordingly, the Introduction and Conclusion are the most important parts of the essay, not the least, and miscalculating this is an error in judgment that many young writers make. But my suggestion is logical when you stop and think about it, isn’t it? If you go to a party and see someone interesting (maybe a prospective ‘love’ interest, maybe a business opportunity) aren’t the First and Last Impressions the most important? In other words, the idea is to get noticed, to find a way in, and to do this you have to make yourself interesting. Likewise, as the first meeting draws to an end with the hopes of a 2nd one to follow, you can’t louse it up by doing something stupid or saying something banal or offputting.  Simply, you need to make a flourishing exit. So don’t start by saying “Do you come here often?” Or “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?”and don’t escape by saying,   “Well, here’s looking at you, kid!” Or (to the girl) “Can I please have a kiss before I go?”

相應的，引言和結論是文章最重要的部分，而不是最次要的部分，混淆這一點這是許多年輕作家的錯誤。但是當你仔細想一想，我的建議是合乎邏輯的，不是嗎？如果你去參加一個(ge) 聚會(hui) ，看到一個(ge) 有趣的人（可能是潛在的“愛情”，可能是商業(ye) 機會(hui) ），第一印象和最後印象難道不是最重要的嗎？換句話說，如果你想引起注意，找到參與(yu) 其中的契入點，你必須讓自己變得有趣。同樣，當第一次會(hui) 議結束你希望有第二次會(hui) 議時，你不能做一些愚蠢的事情或說一些平庸或令人反感的話而把事情搞砸。

簡而言之，這時候你需要一個(ge) 體(ti) 麵的退場。所以剛見麵不要就說“你經常來這裏嗎？”或者“我以前不是在什麽(me) 地方見過你嗎？”離開的時候也不要說，“ 你真好看（我真喜歡你）！”或者（對女孩）說“我可以在走之前親(qin) 一下嗎？”

Your essay is no different. First impressions (engaging the reader) and Last impression (giving the reader something to remember and think about) are critical. I have seen thousands of essays that began “In today’s fast-paced world” – and I can tell you that it is not only boring but infuriating, because it says that the student’s mind was too lame to think outside the box or just that they didn’t care what they said, it was merely an assignment. A torture to endure. Nor is a two sentence word-for-word repeat of a two sentence introduction going to score any points with  demanding readers. With IELTS maybe.  (Again, that’s ‘formula’, nothing more.  But not with real life writing, including the academic variety.)

你的文章也不例外。第一印象（吸引讀者）和最後印象（讓讀者記住和思考一些東(dong) 西）至關(guan) 重要。我看過成千上萬(wan) 篇以“在當今快節奏的世界”開頭的文章——我可以告訴你，這不僅(jin) 無聊而且令人生氣，因為(wei) 它說明學生的思想太蹩腳，無法跳出框框思考，或者隻是他們(men) 他們(men) 其實不在乎他們(men) 在說什麽(me) ，隻是在交差事。讀這樣的文章簡直是受折磨。苛刻的讀者也不會(hui) 喜歡結論隻是逐字重複引言的兩(liang) 句話。當然雅思考試這樣可能得分。 （但我再強調一次，那是“公式”，僅(jin) 此而已。但不是現實生活中的寫(xie) 作，包括學術多樣性。）

So, as I was saying, the work needs to be creative, and pre-written outlines may be helpful to some, but their worth is limited and they should not be followed rigidly if it gets in the way of some beautiful change of direction that the essay itself calls for (even beyond the conscious will of the writer). Form and Substance find each other in good writing. Writing is always a PROCESS. A journey, if you will. The destination is what you’re going for, naturally, but the journey determines what the outcome will be.This does NOT mean to proceed without discipline or direction.

所以，正如我所說，寫(xie) 作需要有創意，預先寫(xie) 好的大綱可能對某些人有幫助，但它們(men) 的價(jia) 值是有限的，如果它創作過程為(wei) 了更好的效果 （有時候甚至超出作者的自覺意願），有必要偏離大綱，就不應該死板地遵循它們(men) 。文章格式和寫(xie) 作實質應該相輔相成。寫(xie) 作永遠是一個(ge) 過程，或者叫旅程，如果你願意的話。目的地自然是你要去的地方，但旅程決(jue) 定了你能到何處。當然這並不意味著寫(xie) 作沒有紀律或指導方向。

I cannot of course speak for what goes on in the public schools across a nation of 1.4 billion people; however, it is indeed pleasant and a privilege to deal with youngsters who for the most part seem very much at home with the goals their parents have set for them, and who go about their work cheerfully and efficiently.

我當然不能代言一個(ge) 擁有 14 億(yi) 人口的國家的公立學校的教育。然而，與(yu) 這些大多數情況下對父母為(wei) 他們(men) 設定的目標非常接受，並且愉快而高效地工作的中國年輕人打交道確實是令人愉快和榮幸的。