為什么寫作比口語難學(xué)？

苗淑華

For many English learners， learning to write well in English is much more difficult than learning to speak well. Even for high level learners， written communications can come much more slowly in English than spoken communications. There are a number of reasons for this：

對于很多英語學(xué)習(xí)者而言，學(xué)習(xí)用英語流暢地寫作比學(xué)習(xí)流利的口語要困難很多。即使是高水平的學(xué)習(xí)者，學(xué)習(xí)英文書面交流也比學(xué)習(xí)口語交流要慢得多。這有以下幾個(gè)原因：

Written Communication Is More Formal

書面交流更正式

Writing in English needs to follow rules of grammar much more closely than in spoken English.

英語寫作比口語更需要遵守語法規(guī)則。

For example， if someone says “Please borrow me your pen” in conversation， its clear from the context that the speaker intended to say“Please lend me your pen”. In written communication， words are even more important because they lack visual context. Especially if you are working in a business place， making mistakes can cause miscommunication which might lead to problems. In conversation， you can smile and make a good impression. With writing， all you have are your words.

例如，如果有人在對話中說“請借我你的筆”，從上下文就能明白說話者想說的是“請把你的筆借給我”。在書面交流中，因?yàn)槿鄙倏梢暤恼Z境，單詞則更加重要。尤其是如果你在一個(gè)商業(yè)環(huán)境工作的時(shí)候，犯錯(cuò)會引起溝通的障礙，可能導(dǎo)致很多問題。在對話中，你可以微笑，給對方一個(gè)好印象。而寫作的時(shí)候，你只能靠寫出的詞語了。

Spoken Communication Allows for More “Mistakes”

口頭交流允許出現(xiàn)更多的“錯(cuò)誤”

Imagine if youre at a party. You might have a conversation with someone and only understand a few words. However， because youre in the context of a party， you can make all the mistakes you want. It doesnt matter. Everyone is having fun. When it comes to writing， theres not so much room for error.

想象此刻你正身處一個(gè)派對。你可能和某人交談，而且只聽懂了幾個(gè)詞。然而，因?yàn)樵谂蓪@樣的語境下，你可以隨意犯錯(cuò)。沒關(guān)系，大家都是來玩的。但是在寫作的時(shí)候，就沒多少犯錯(cuò)的余地了。

Expectations Are Much Higher for Formal Written English

人們對正式文體的期望會高很多

We expect more of what we read. We expect it to be true， entertaining or informative. When theres expectation， theres pressure to perform well. With speaking， with the possible exception of giving a presentation， theres not nearly so much pressure—unless youre closing a business deal.

我們會對閱讀的東西有更多的期待。我們期待真實(shí)的、有娛樂性的或者有教育意義的內(nèi)容。當(dāng)有了期望，就有壓力好好寫。而口語中，除了需要作現(xiàn)場報(bào)告之類的可能發(fā)生的例外情況之外，就幾乎不會有這種壓力——除非你正在完成一項(xiàng)商業(yè)交易。

It is important when learning written English skills—especially for business English—to realize the challenges that you will face when learning to function in a written English environment.

在學(xué)習(xí)英語寫作技巧，尤其是商務(wù)英語時(shí)，意識到你在學(xué)習(xí)書面英語環(huán)境下的運(yùn)用時(shí)將會碰到挑戰(zhàn)，這點(diǎn)是很重要的。

Formal and Informal English Are Very Different

正式與非正式的英語有不小區(qū)別

Formal and informal English differ in word choice， word usage， and grammatical structures. Informal writing may sound more like conversation while formal writing may be more polished. An informal style may make listeners feel more comfortable when you are speaking， but a formal writing style can make a good impression.

正式英語與非正式英語主要在單詞的選擇、用法還有語法結(jié)構(gòu)等方面存在差別。非正式的寫作可能聽起來更像是對話，而正式的寫作需要更多的修飾。非正式的寫作風(fēng)格可能在講話時(shí)讓聽眾覺得更舒服，但是正式的寫作風(fēng)格則會給人留下一個(gè)好印象。

We use formal language in situations that are serious or that involve people we dont know well. Informal language is more commonly used in situations that are more relaxed and involve people we know well.

我們是在嚴(yán)肅的場合下，或者是在涉及到我們不太熟悉的人的情況下運(yùn)用正式語言。而非正式語言則通常在更輕松的氛圍下及和我們熟悉的人相關(guān)時(shí)使用。

Formal language is more common when we write； informal language is more common when we speak. Formal language and informal language are connected with the choices of grammar and vocabulary. Using formal language doesnt mean that you have to sound boring， you can still use words imaginatively in formal writing. There are some news reports using formal language， but the words are rich and stimulating to keep the audience interested.

正式語言在書寫的時(shí)候使用得比較多，非正式語言在口頭運(yùn)用得比較多。正式和非正式語言與語法及詞匯的選用有關(guān)系。使用正式語言并不意味著要聽起來很乏味。你可以發(fā)揮想象力運(yùn)用詞匯在正式書面語中。有些新聞報(bào)道中也運(yùn)用了正式語，但是其詞匯量豐富而風(fēng)趣，也能讓人們興趣持續(xù)不減。

Finding Right Word—The Hardest Trick in Writng

找到對的詞——最難掌握的寫作竅門

Another reason some individuals might find it difficult or impossible to write， is that written language takes on many different registers depending on the functions of the written words. Often， these functions are totally foreign to spoken language and then can be considered“not real” to the speakers. These functions are often only used in written speech and are even more abstract to some individuals.

另外一個(gè)有些人發(fā)現(xiàn)寫作難或?qū)懖怀鰜淼脑蚴?，書面語有自己的運(yùn)用領(lǐng)域，這取決于該書面詞語的功能。這些功能通常和口語不相干，對于說話者來說“不太真實(shí)”。這些功能通常只用于書面語言，對有些人而言太抽象了。