中式英语之鉴Part One Ⅰ 读书笔记

Qyi

Reading through Part One Ⅰ has completely transformed my understanding of language clarity and precision. Before, I often thought that longer, more elaborate phrases made writing sound more formal or professional. But now I realize how redundant and confusing those extra words can be. It’s like when I see phrases like "make great efforts to" or "carry out the task of fighting"—they just feel unnecessarily wordy. Why not say "try hard" or "fight" directly? It’s so much clearer and more impactful.

At first, I felt a bit frustrated realizing how often I’ve used these redundant expressions without even noticing. But then I started feeling excited about how much simpler and more effective communication can be when we strip away the unnecessary words. It’s like a light bulb went off in my head—language doesn’t need to be complicated to be powerful. Instead, it needs to be precise and straightforward.

One part that really stuck with me was the discussion about "category nouns." Phrases like "the work of planning" or "to make an improvement" felt so familiar, but now I see how they just add unnecessary weight to a sentence. Why say "the work of planning" when "planning" alone does the job? Or why use "to make an improvement" when "to improve" is much more direct? It’s amazing how removing those extra words can make writing feel so much cleaner and more confident.

Overall, this reading has given me a new perspective on translation and writing. I used to think that being verbose was a sign of intelligence, but now I see it as a barrier to clear communication. The idea that "a sentence should contain no unnecessary words" has become my new mantra. It’s not just about language anymore—it’s about thinking more clearly and logically. I’m excited to apply this mindset to my future writing and translations, knowing that simplicity doesn’t mean weakness, but strength.