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昨天，营长分享了写作三要素：兴趣、素材、干货今天，我们继续来聊聊写作技巧！
以下转编自：外研社Unipus（ID:upipus）
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以下笔者将通过反省自己的写作经验，归纳几条具有可操作性的写作技巧。
一、主旨句和主题句帮助组织全文
几乎所有的写作老师都会教学生在开头段写主旨句（thesis statement），并在中间段开头写主题句（topic sentence）来概括该段的主要内容。在我的写作实践中，有部分的文章也会采用这种策略。
比如16年11月发表的Fine-tune E-health System that Shares Records of Patients in Hong Kong，开头段的最后一句便是典型的主旨句：
Despite its promise to enhance the efficiency of health care and promote collaboration, the system needs improvement in three major respects in order to realise its full potential.
这里的three major respects实际上概括了中间各段的主要内容，但是由于篇幅所限，并没有具体指出是哪些方面。而在这篇文章的中间段开头，并没有写出概括全段的主题句，比如中间第一段：
The current opt-in registration system must be replaced by an opt-out programme in order to sign up most Hong Kong residents. To join the current system, patients must register online and activate their e-health records by going to an eHR registration centre. Not many Hongkongers would take the trouble to do this. Only through a programme that automatically enrols all residents (except those who opt out) can the government monitor public health accurately and make informed health-related policy decisions accordingly.
而在17年6月发表的Trump"s Climate Change Accord Snub Will Hurt Future Generations一文中，虽然没在开头段末写典型的主旨句，但在中间段的开头却写了主题句作为概括，包括Withdrawing from the Paris agreement will leave the young and future generations in the US particularly vulnerable to climate change.和The decision to leave the Paris accord is also opposed by the US business community.
在我看来，主旨句和主题句的写作技巧并不一定要用在每篇文章的每段话上面，而需要根据具体的写作需要和情况来具体决定。但是，主旨句和主题句这两个技巧的意义并不仅仅在于指导我们具体如何写开头段的结尾和中间段的开头，而是引导我们在构思全文时尝试使用某种框架来给文章一个合理的结构。
比如Trump"s Climate Change Accord Snub Will Hurt Future Generations一文，主要从美国退出巴黎协定对年青一代以及美国商界的影响这两个角度论述，因此主题句的写作可以向读者明确的展示这两个角度所形成的论述框架。而Fine-tune E-Health System that Shares Records of Patients in Hong Kong一文里的主旨句中所提及的three major respects也是同样的效果。
所以，即使我们写的文章并不总有明显的主旨句和主题句，这种写作技巧背后对框架的强调对我们写作的指导意义还是很显著的。
二、他山之石可以攻玉
我的博士生导师Prof. John Flowerdew和大师姐Dr. Yongyan Li曾经在著名的语言学期刊 Applied Linguistics上发表过一篇论文：Language Re-use among Chinese Apprentice Scientists Writing for Publication，主要指出中国学者在写作英语科技论文时会借鉴和使用前人文献中的句子。
而事实上，在英语写作中，合理合法的借鉴不仅可以发生在语言层面上，在思想和内容的层面上也很普遍，因此也是值得向学生们推荐的写作技巧。
比如，在Fine-tune E-health System that Shares Records of Patients in Hong Kong提出应该用opt-out制度取代opt-in制度：The current opt-in registration system must be replaced by an opt-out programme in order to sign up most Hong Kong residents. 这两种制度我曾经在阅读器官捐赠相关文献里了解过，这里将器官捐赠的语境下的概念借用到电子健康记录的语境下，从而产生新的思想火花。
除了在思想层面上借鉴来自其他语境的概念，直接引用其他文献作为自己文章的论据则是更为常见的做法。
比如，在Drones Could Detect Illegal Parking Cases in Hong Kong一文中引述美国费城利用无人机抄牌的计划（Philadelphia, for example, announced a plan in 2015 to replace one-third of its parking enforcement staff with a new drone fleet. ）。
又如，在Warning Labels and Sugar Tax can Help us Make Healthy Choices一文中介绍英美等国已经采取相关政策（In the UK, a sugar tax has been proposed for soft drinks sold nationwide as well as in public hospital cafes. Health warning labels for sugary drinks will soon be obligatory in San Francisco）。
这些来自不同文献的资料都为文章的论述提供了有力的理据，也再次彰显在写作中查阅和引用相关资料的重要性。
三、历史的视角与洞见
◇ 历史使人明智，站在历史的高度去观察时事往往可以给我们难得的启发。
比如，在Trump"s Climate Change Accord Snub Will Hurt Future Generations的结尾处写到：
At the age of 71, Donald Trump may not witness the immense suffering of mankind caused by catastrophic climate change. Thanks to his administration’s decision on the Paris accord, however, he will most likely be remembered in history as an immature and incompetent demagogue whose climate policies threatened the livelihood of US citizens and people around the world.
这里我尝试从历史的眼光来考量和审判特朗普的气候政策，实现了对现任美国总统的当下权力的一种制衡。
而在Campaigns Opposing Genetically Modified Food are Misguided一文中再次开启历史视角，指出基因工程并不是现代科技，而是古已有之的生产技术：
Historically speaking, mankind has been genetically modifying crops for thousands of years since the advent of agriculture through breeding and crossbreeding different varieties to create plant species with faster growth, higher yields and sweeter fruits. Modern genetic engineering merely continues such a tradition with more advanced technologies for manipulating genes more precisely.
◇ 有些时候历史的视角需要作者对讨论的问题有较深入的了解。
比如在Octopus Needs to Join with Other Mobile Payment Vendors一文的最后，挖掘了八达通的发迹史，指出其和公共利益千丝万缕的联系，从而推导出它对香港的社会责任：
Nearly 20 years ago, Octopus cards were first introduced in Hong Kong through a joint venture of five major public transport operators. Given its strong ties with the public interest and the resulting natural monopoly, Octopus is socially responsible to advance mobile payment technologies and to ensure a level playing field for all mobile payment vendors in the city.
未完待续……
本文如果对你有帮助，请点赞收藏《英语作文不会写？一个问题 六种对策！（一）》，同时在此感谢原作者。
