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A POET IN THE THEATRE
Once a poet enjoyed a play in theatre；behind him sitting a spectator，patted on his shoulder and said，“Please，get your hat off！”
But，the poet did not mind.
Waiting a while，the man sitting behind him said again：“Please，get your hat off，my friend. ”
Still，the poet did not mind.
On the screen the picture was splendid and magnificent；however，to that man his eye-sight was mostly hindered by the hat. He could not，actually，endure any more thus did he say：“Do get your hat off！My eye-sight was entirely hindered. ”
The poet stretching out，therefore，his right hand took off it. Pop! The damned long and disorderly hair stood straight there just like a bundle of straws.
The back spectator felt the change，by no means，to be better after all.
“Sorry！Beg you put on it again！”
上面登的这篇文章是一个中学生写的。通篇没有什么语法上的错误，在现今的中学校里，能够写得出这样的英文作文来的人，已经算是很不容易了。
这篇文章的毛病，就在用词不当。许多词句都不合英美人的习惯用法，所以即令造句于语法虽无不合，它还是不能达意，作文不论中西，唯一的要点，不外是孔夫子说的“辞达而已矣”。要达意就非用词恰当不可。
现在逐一说明如下：
中文的“观赏”可以译作 enjoy，如“赏花”enjoy the flowers，“赏月”enjoy the moonlight，“赏雪”enjoy the snow 之类；但“观剧”的“观”字就不能用 enjoy 这个字，只可照字面译作 see，有时也可用 do，如 do a cinema（看电影），“观光”（sight seeing）也可以说 do a city，不过这是俗语的表现法。剧场的“观众”在英文中，只能说 audience（听众），至于 spectator 是街上看热闹的人，意思是“旁观者”，例如 He remained an unconcerned spectator of our struggle.（他对于我们的挣扎，抱着漠不关心的旁观态度。）但对于赛马、赛球一类的“观众”，却可以用这个词，例如 a crowd of spectators at football match.（一大群看赛球的人。）spectator 重在“看”，audience 重在“听”。在评剧的发源地，大家都说“听戏”，而不说“看戏”，与英文的 audience 实有一脉相通之处（拉丁文的 audire 即英文的 to hear，所以 audience= assembly of listeners）。play 是指 drama（剧本）或 dramatic performance（演剧），如说去观剧，可说 go to the play，即指我们现在说的“话剧”，以别于“平剧”（Chinese opera）或“电影”。电影在美国说 motion picture（口语说 movies），在英国说 cinema，如说去看电影，可说 go to the movies（美），go to the cinema（英）。但是 show 就无所谓，不仅话剧可用，电影可用，甚至广播剧（radio show）也可用，不论用什么方式，只要是表演或陈列出来给人看的东西都是 show 呢。
get off 意为“下车”、“下马”、“免除”等，“脱帽”的“脱”字，英文应说 remove。
拍某人的肩，英文的表现法要说“在那肩上拍某人”，先要把整个的对象说出来，然后才加说那些细节，即 pat a person on the shoulder（拍别人的肩），strike him on the head（敲他的头），take him by the hand（拿他的手），pull him by the sleeves（牵他的衣袖），kick him on the shin（踢他的脚胫），look him in the face（看他的脸，当面）等等。
mind 作动词用，是留心不要忘记的意思，如说“没有注意他说的话”，译作 did not mind what he said 尚可，但单用一个 mind 是不好的，因为 don’t mind 是对人家问你介意与否时的答词，是说明你不介意人家的话语。take notice（不注意）才是这里适当的字眼。
wait 作不及物动词用，通常后面应加一个 for，不过像 wait for a moment 中的 for, 在口语说时是可以省去的。
eye-sight 是“视力”，不是“视线”（the line of vision）。视力只有好坏（good or bad）或是衰退（failing），不说被阻住（hinder）。
no more 是表 measure（度量）的，要用 no longer 才可表 state（状态）。所以这儿的 not any more 应改为 not any longer。
Pop 是说爆发，此处应该用（Good）Heavens！
damned 是鄙野的字，宜尽量避免。
sorry 即 I am sorry 之略，意为“抱歉”或“惋惜”，用在此处之不当，是很容易看得出来的。
本文主要用得不妥当的词，都已指出来了。读者不难明白，写英文不仅是语法不错就够了的。用词的恰当与否，实极为重要，因为一词之差，意思大变，同时中国语法与英文语法也不大相同，不可就中文直译，一定要用英文的成语表现出来，才是好英文。
现在特就原文的意思，加以修正润色，使成为一篇像样的英文，即 make it readable，希望对于原作者及其他读者，有所助益。
A poet once went to see a show in a movie theatre. A man sitting behind him patted him on the shoulder and said,“I say, will you please remove your hat？”
But the poet did not take any notice of him.
Having waited for a while, the man sitting behind repeated the request. Still the poet did not move.
On the screen a very splendid and magnificent picture was being shown, but, to the regret of the man sitting behind, very little could be seen, as his view was mostly obstructed by the poet’s hat.
Being unable to endure any longer, he roared to the poet:“Can’t you remove your hat？”
At this, the poet took off his hat without saying a word. Heavens! What luxuriant and unkempt locks of hair that stood up straight on the poet’s head just like a bundle of straws!
The man behind the poet felt the change by no means better, so he said to the poet:
“If you don’t mind I would prefer that you put on your hat again. ”
MY BEST FRIEND
I knew a friend whom I became acquainted with firstly when I attend school. He went along my house and became my best friend. Since then, he and I have been going to school altogether rain or shine.
Not only he himself knows many things, but also he teaches other people who want to learn. He gives a whole book of knowledge to everybody, sometimes he explained very clear and sometimes he says things rather hard to understand.
He is speechless. I seldom hear his voice. Whenever I ask him questions he can not directly answer useful his mouth, but shows me the answers on his body.
All students and all people who learn are to be best friends with him. He is especially intimate with students who study hard in library, that is his office. He helped we learn many things of every side. If we have no him, we will be out of knowledge. You know my best friend’s name？I tell you. His Chinese name is“shu”, English name is“book”.
说到现在为止还认识的人，应该用完成式的 have known，以代替过去式的 knew。前面既用了 knew, 后面就不要再用 became acquainted with，因为这样就重复了。
attend 应该用过去时。
同去或前去，不应该用 went along，应说 came to。
altogether 和 together, 虽同是副词，但意义不同，前者作“总共”“全然”解，后者才是“共”“同”“互相”的意思。
not only 用在句首是加重的说法，应将谓语移到主语的前面，才合惯用语法。
a whole book of knowledge 嫌生硬，如用 from cover to cover 这个成语，则既含有书的意味（因 cover 是指书的封面），又作“充分”“透彻”解，可以双关。说 I know him from cover to cover，意即我充分地知道他。
things rather hard to understand 是通的，不过最好是把与书有关的成语嵌进去，所以不如改为 read between the lines（言外之意，弦外之音）。
speechless 意为“不能言的”“哑的”，未免说得太显明了，改用 quiet and gentle，要含蓄些。
answer useful his mouth 是不通的，至少也要说 answer with his mouth，但不如说 answer by word of mouth，系现成的字句。又 answer on his body 也是不通的，应以别的方法表出。
all students and all people who learn 意思是说在校的学生以及校外的学人，可说 every student in or out of school，因为 student 是 somebody who studies, 并不限于在校的学生，社会上的好学的人士都可以用此词。
He helped we learn 应说 He helped us to learn 才是。“各方面”应说 in every way，不要说 of every side。
If we have no him 不合英文语法，如说 But for him，既简单而又明了，实为最恰当的一个成语。
out of knowledge 为 in knowledge 之对，二者都不是这里所需要的，“无知”可说 ignorant，但“愚昧”“无学”就可说 benighted。
I tell you 应作 I’ll tell you 或 Let me tell you.
原作小部分是语法不通，大部分是不合惯用语法，所以批改时虽尽量想保存原文，但有时仍不得不将全句重新写过。作文最好充分利用成语，简明恰当，读时容易上口，而不至有中国英文的毛病。
I have known him since I first attended school. He came to my home with me and we made friends with each other. I have never been able to go to school without his company since the day we first met.
Not only does he possess profound knowledge but he imparts it to whoever wants it. He likes supplying everybody with useful information from cover to cover. Sometimes he tells things very explicitly；sometimes you have to read his messages between the lines.
He is very quiet and gentle. I have never heard him speak with a raised voice. As a matter of fact, he has never answered a question by word of mouth, but none the less he makes you understand just as well.
Every student in or out of school is on good terms with him. Those who study hard enjoy the closest intimacy with him and remain in his office—the library—all day long. He helps us in every way to improve in knowledge. But for him, we should have been benighted. Do you know what he is called？His name is“book”.
BUYING A NEW PAIR OF SHOES
My shoes was ragged. It looked ugly and unsuitable. My mother suggested that I should have a pair of new shoes instead of the old ones. I was very glad to hear that. But suddenly I felt sad because my mother told me that I could not buy them at once. She had no enough money in hand to go shopping. So I must wait till my father got his salary of the next month.
One month seemed to be a long time for me to wait for a pair of new shoes. I just dreamt day after day. What kind of shoes should I buy？Of what style and in what color？I hoped the day would come.
My dream became true after all. One day my father came home and handed to my mother his salary. I jumped up and ran to my mother. She patted my head and told me that I could buy my shoes immediately. I ran to wash my face, change clothes and comb my hair. All things delighted me. I got in the bus with my mother together.
We went from shop to shop and could not buy a pair of suitable shoes. We wanted to buy a pair of shoes which was cheaper and good looking. But what on earth could we buy the shoes？A person who is not rich, cannot buy things which are good and beautiful. we went along the street. At last we found out a shop. There was a pair of shoes in yellow color in the glass. They fitted my feet perfectly, but not the shoes I had dreamed to buy. My mother urged me to buy them. She consoled me that she would buy me a pair of much prettier shoes than this we had bought already. I said not thing. I felt tired when I returned home.
Now this pair of yellow shoes is on my feet. I like the shoes very much because they were bought by using my fathers salary.
“一双鞋”虽是说 a pair of shoes，但“一只鞋”却要说 a shoe，单说 shoes, 至少是一双，应该用复数。ragged 是说“衣衫褴褛”，不可用来说破鞋。ugly 是指人丑，鞋子的难看，应说 ungainly 或 unpresentable。这一段除第一句外，都没有语法上的错误，只是说出来的句子，不是嫌累赘，就是欠熟练，读起来不那么顺口，所以批改时，就不得不把某些句子颠倒换置，以符英美人造句的习惯。
在 seem 一词后，最普通是接不定词，例如 I seemed to hear a voice in the distance.（我好像听见远处有人声），不过不定词后如再有形容词时，就可把这不定词略去，如 He seems（to be）quite happy.（他好像很快乐。）“期待”应该说 expect，不要 hope。
“梦想实现”普通都说 My dream has come true，不说 become true。说“薪水袋”（pay-envelope）比直说“薪水”salary 来得含混一点。“拍我的头”与其直译为 patted my head，不如说 patted me on the head，比较更合乎英美语法。太琐碎的事如洗脸、梳头、更衣，一一说出来，颇嫌啰嗦，近乎写流水账，故改为 to get ready for going out（收拾好以便出去）。既已出门，又乘上公共汽车了，是应并入下一段才合适。
单说 suitable shoes 意思不完全，应改为“适合我穿的皮鞋”（shoes which suit me）。“比较便宜又好看”译成 cheaper and good looking, 未免太中国式了。“便宜”应该说 reasonable price，即合理的价钱。good-looking 或 bad-looking 都是指人的相貌而言，如 a good-looking person= a handsome person，one with a face that is admired。再说 She is not at all bad-looking. = She is rather pretty.（她一点也不难看，还相当漂亮。）我们到底能够买什么皮鞋呢？写成 But what on earth could we buy the shoes？有点词不达意，现连下一句（即没有钱的人买不到美好的东西）改为 what can you do with a light purse？因为上面已经说过要货色好，又要价钱便宜这是很难的。钱不够，当然买不到好的皮鞋。在玻璃窗中，不可说 in the glass，应说 in the show window。“我什么也没有说”不可说 I said not thing，应说 I said nothing。
“用我父亲的薪水买来”译成 bought by using my father’s salary 完全是中国语法，尤其是 by using one’s salary 用在这里很不习惯，use money 还可以说，use salary 就不大好说了。
My shoes were wearing out and looked so unpresentable that I was very happy when my mother suggested that I should buy another pair. But she told me that I had to wait till father got his next month’s pay as she had not ready money to buy them with.
One month seemed such a long time for me to wait. I dreamed of my new shoes every night. What kind of shoes should I buy？Of what style and color？I expected the day would come soon.
My dream came true at last. One day when father came home he handed his pay-envelope to mother. I jumped at the news and ran to my mother, who patted me on the head and consented to buy my shoes at once. I rushed to get ready for going out with mother.
The bus took us to the business quarter in less than half an hour. We went from shop to shop but could not get a pair of shoes which would suit me. We wanted to buy a pair of beautiful shoes at a reasonable price. But what can you do with a light purse？We walked along the street for a long time, and at length came to a shop, in whose show window we saw a pair of brown shoes. They fitted me so well that they seemed made to order. These, however, were not the shoes I had dreamed of. But my mother urged me to buy them, and promised to get me another pair later. So we went home with the pair of brown shoes. I felt very tired after that long walk.
Now I wear this pair of brown shoes everyday. I like them very much because they were bought with the hard-earned money of my father.
MEI-LI
It is the first anniversary of Mei-li’s death. She was a charming beautiful girl, she was bright and cheerful, lively and sweet. She was my neighbor. I have known her since my childhood.
We were friends from childhood. I worked, studied and played with her. She became a great friend of mine. Two years ago, in the summer, she left me and went to Taipei to study, so we sadly parted.
On her departure, I found her crying, she said nothing, I couldn’t say something consoling her. At last I bid her farewell reluctantly, and she went. It was sad.
I often wrote to her, and she often wrote to me, too. So long as we remain fast friendship between us, our spirits were close together.
Last winter she wrote me that she was sick, fearing that she would die of pneumonia, I wrote her for consolation, but I didn’t dare tell her what was really in my heart for fearing of losing her love forever. To my horror, death seized her and my heart was broken.
Each time when I return home I think of her. Though she died, she lives in my memory as real as before.
这是台南一中一位名叫 Chang Hsu-cheng 的同学的作文，现除字面上的修正外，再加以意义上的补充，所以第一段的改正稿，似乎与原作有些出入了。原作第二句，作者似乎想要把世界上所有美好的形容词统统拿来赞美这位小姐，这当然是可以不必的，而且在语法上讲，两句 she was 连在一块儿又无连词，也不大妥当。
第一段的尾上和第二段的开头，连用 since my childhood 及 from childhood，未免重复，现将第二段并入第一段。
原作第三段的字句也略有调动。否定后应该用 any 代替 some, 所以 couldn’t say something 要改为 couldn’t say anything，后面的 participal（consoling）也应改为 infinitive（to console）。最后一句 It was sad. 的主语 it，前无先行的名词，不知它代表的是什么，所以这句至少应改为 It was a sad parting. 或 The parting was a tug.
作“精神”解的 spirit 不宜加复数，spirits 是指“妖精”“精灵”，又指“心境”，如高兴就说 in high spirits。
I wrote her for consolation. 意为写信求她给我安慰，与作者原意不符，应改为 I wrote to console her. 又 I didn’t dare tell 应改为 I didn’t dare to tell，因 dare 在此非助动词，而是一个主动词，所以应接不定词的 to tell，又 for fearing of losing her love 应改为 for I was afraid of losing her love 或 for I feared that I should lose her love. 现稿上用 I had a presentiment of losing her.
Every 有全体的意思，而 each 则只能指单独的，所以 each time 改为 every time，意为次次如此。
I cannot help thinking of Mei-li today as it is the first anniversary of her death. I am as thankful to have known Mei-li since her childhood as I am grieved to lose her in her teens. She was a charming girl, bright and vivacious. We were playmates while we were very young, and schoolmates while attending school. As we were close neighbors, we had not parted company for a single day till one summer morning about two years ago, she came to tell me that she was going to attend a school in Taipei. So we parted in sorrow for the first time and forever.
On departure she said nothing, but I found her crying. I was so stupefied that I couldn’t say anything to console her. I had but to bid her farewell reluctantly when her train moved along. The parting was a tug.
Since we were no longer together, we could do nothing but resort to writing to each other very often. So long as we kept in touch with each other through correspondence, we should remain close friends.
It was last winter that she wrote to me saying she had fallen ill. She was afraid that she would die of pneumonia. I tried to console her in every way, but in the depths of my heart I had a presentiment of losing her forever. Unfortunately it turned out to be true；and my heart was broken.
Every time when I pass her house I cannot but think of her. She is alive spiritually, though bodily dead；and it seems as if I can hear her voice and laughter.
MY FACE
Every one has a face, though it to be delicate, plain or ugly. And we usually recognize a person just because we are familiar with his face. So face means much importance than any part of our body, especially to girls. A girl with a beautiful face is always prouder than a heiress to a million dollar property.
But my face means nothing to me.
I dislike my eyes, for they are not black enough. And people say that yellow-eyed person is cunning. I have hatred for my nose, though it is not an acquiline one, it has no bride. So people often sneer at my lacking in persistence. As for my mouth, it is ridiculous in shape. My lower lip is thicker than my upper one. And there has never been a loud and tragic voice coming from my mouth. It is why people call me a coward.
I was once blamed by a teacher in the university because of my gazing at him when he had wrongly explained lessons to us. He said that it was very impolite for a student to look at the teacher in that way. Besides, as a teacher of biology, he stated that most murders were yellow-eyed people. His words made my classmates laugh heartily.
It is clear enough that a plain and ugly face is convenient to me. My plain face has told people that I am a mean fellow, so that authorities will put no attention to me. My ugly face has told girls that is my frame there dwells no beautiful soul, so that they will not mistake me as a poet and fall in love with me.
Every one 表示“人”的时候，应该写成一个词。though 是一个表示转折或矛盾的词，这里说“面孔有美有丑”，与前面的“人人都有一副面孔”并无矛盾，只是一种说明句子，所以不宜用 though 作连词。because 是表示直接真正的原因的，用在此地似乎太重，这里只要一个“由于”的意思就够了，即我们由面孔而认识人，much 不能和 than 相接，要用 more 才行。acquiline 当系 aquiline（= accipitrine= eagle）之误，既没有鼻梁（bridge），当然就不直了。persistence（不是 persistance）是坚忍或持久的意思。因缺乏坚忍为人嘲笑，这句话放在此不知什么意思？ridiculous 用来形容 shape 是不当的，单说 not well-shaped 也就够了。用 tragic 来形容 voice 也不好，而且此句逻辑上也不合，我不懂为什么下唇比上唇厚，就不能发出大声，就使声音变成悲剧的了？说话的声音小，是表示斯文，并不是表示胆怯，而大声瞎嚷也不能表示大胆，只能表示粗暴呢。blame 是非难，不是呵责，以改为 scold 为佳。murder 是杀人，谋杀，至于杀人犯则应说 murderer。
最后一段，嫌啰嗦，也未能把作者的意思完全表达出来。convenient 用在此地不妥，应是不惹人注目，而非给予方便。其貌不扬，也并不一定就是卑贱的人。that is my frame there dwells no beautiful soul 一句，语法欠通，应作 that in such a frame as mine would not be able to dwell any beautiful soul，又 mistake 后应接 for，不宜接 as。行文句子要简单明了，拉得太长，则嫌拖沓了。
Everyone has a face which may be handsome or ugly. Generally we know a person by his face. So the face is the most prominent part of a person. A girl with a beautiful face is always prouder than those who possess a large fortune.
But my face means nothing to me.
I dislike my eyes which are not black enough, for people say that yellow-eyed persons are cunning. I hate my nose for it seemingly has no bridge. As for my mouth, I find it not well shaped. My Iower lip is thicker than the upper one. So people often sneer at me for my facial defects.
While studying in the university, I was once scolded by a teacher, because I gazed at him when he has given us a wrong explanation. He said that it was very impolite for a student to look at the teacher in that way. Being a teacher of biology, he asserted that most murderers were yellow-eyed. His words made my classmates laugh heartily.
It is evident, however, that an ugly face will not attract one’s attention. My ugly face, for instance, has deprived me of the chance to win the affection of the fair sex, who fail to see virtue in person with such a face.
THE ROYAL TUTOR
Long, long ago, in a kingdom, there was a prince royal who was being educated by a special teacher in the palace. There were many children together with the prince royal in the same class.
One day, the prince royal did something wrong in the class. The teacher did not punish him and did not even breathe a word about it to him. Instead, the teacher gave the punishment to the one of his classmates.
The prince royal looked puzzled and was very sorry for his classmate.
“Why, I did it, teacher, why didn’t you punish me. My classmate had nothing to do with it？”asked the prince royal.
“Because you’re a prince royal, our future king, I dared not punish you, therefore, have your classmate be punished instead of you. If you don’t want to make your classmates be punished, then you must be careful not to do anything wrong. So that your classmates would not be punished instead of you,”answered the teacher sternly.
From what the teacher said we can apparently make out that he reminded the prince royal indirectly that after he became a king he must rule the country in a good way, not be too cruel to the people who are under your rule, otherwise he would make his people as well as the schoolmate had been done.
既是一个王太子（prince royal），自然是有一个王国（kingdom）存在，所以 in a kingdom 一个短语，就似乎是多余的了。家庭教师可说 tutor, 不必 special teacher。又太子可说 heir-apparent。
一句中连用两个 did not 不好，故后半句改为 nor did。又 the teacher gave the punishment to the one of his classmates 句中的 the one 只能说 one。这句以改为 make an example of someone else 为佳，因 make an example of 有惩一儆百的意思。
单说 very sorry for his classmate，未能表示因其代己受过而对之抱歉那种意思，所以在后面宜加上 who was punished in his stead。
I did it 是普通的说法，在这时候应该用加重的说法，即 It is I who did it. 下一句与其说 why didn’t you punish me？不如说 why did you punish him instead of me？意即“你为什么不处罚我而要处罚他呢？”至于 had nothing to do with it，宜用现在完成时，不要用过去时，因为说他与此事无关系，是到现在还是无关系的。
在教师回答的话中原作未能把立意十分表达出来，所以现略加增补，与原文对照细阅，便知行文的出入。
末段说明词句拟删去，因为读者读了上段，含义已很明白，用不着再加说明，而且文字上也有毛病，例如 under your rule 应作 under his rule，及 otherwise he would make his people as well as the schoolmate had been done 应作 otherwise he would make his people suffer as his classmate had suffered。
Long, long ago, there lived a prince royal who was being educated by a tutor in the palace. There were some other children of the royal family studying with the heir-apparent.
One day, the prince royal did something wrong in the class. The teacher did not punish him, nor did he mention it to him. But as a warning to the others he made an example of someone else.
At this the prince royal was puzzled and felt very sorry for the boy who was punished in his stead.
“It is I who did it, dear teacher, ”said the prince royal.“Why did you punish him instead of me？To tell the truth, he has nothing to do with it. ”
“Certainly, ”said his tutor.“But he was made to suffer though he was not the wrong doer. That’s the way in which we behave ourselves in this world. You know, you are the prince royal, our future king. I might, of course, punish you for your misdemeanour, but who will dare to punish you for your wrong-doing when you have become king？As is always the case, the people will suffer for the wrong doings of their ruler. So if you don’t want your classmate or your future subjects to suffer for your wrong doings, you must be very careful not to let yourself go astray from the right path. ”
ON BOOKS
Books are to mankind what memory is to the individuals. They contain the history of our race, the discoveries we have made. They not only teach us how to become a doctor, a merchant, a honourable preacher；but also guide us to the path of glory and satisfaction. We can converse freely without hindrance with all the historic figures in the world through books. We can travel the world over happily by the guidance of books. Books are really wonderful.
We know life is short while art is long. We are mortal, therefore we have to go to whence we came at the call of Wyrol. No man has an exception. No matter how wise you are, you cannot experience everything in this human world. We know we have a four thousand years history. If we don’t have books；by what can we know it？
The reason why I buy books is to get knowledge of the universe. Bacon said well that knowledge is power, but I think knowledge is not only power but a soul. Man without soul is no longer a person of mankind. It is only book that comforts our souls and makes our souls to have a connection with our body. According to the Greek philosopher, a man will not be complete untill his soul and body are well united and harmonious.
第一句引自 Lubbock 的 The Delights of Books 一文中的成句，应该加用引用符号。第二句说的是两件事，应该用连词连接起来。医生的学识从经验得来的比从书本得来的为多，商人更不一定要读多少书，所以改说学者与专家较好。又书本并不一定会使我们知足，饱学之士，贪得无厌的人，还是很多，所以 and satisfaction 的字样，可以删去。既说了 freely, 就不必再说 without hindrance 以免重复。
Art is long and life is short 是由拉丁文的 Ars longa, vita brevis（生也有涯，智也无涯。人寿有限，艺术无穷）一个成语来的，所以我们仍以保留它的原形为佳。Wyrol 不知出自何典，现拟改为普通的 death，或 the god of death。
书籍是给我们读的，买而不读，仅作装饰，非买书的本意，所以与其说 buy，不如说 read。我们求知，主要在我们自身及所居的世界，说 universe 似嫌太渺茫了一点。soul 不能与 power 相配。a person of mankind 也不成话，都非改正不可，所以以下的字句，略有更动，以求达意。又 until 后只有一个 l，而 till 后才是两个 l。
“Books are to mankind what memory is to the individual. ”They contain the history of our race and the discoveries we have made. Without them one can hardly be a scholar, an expert, or an honourable preacher. In short, books lead us to the path of glory. Through them we can converse freely with all the world-famous men and women who died long ago, and can see the most beautiful parts of the world without going out of the door. Indeed, books are the most wonderful things created by man.
We know that art is long and life is short. As men are mortal, they will return at the call of death to the place whence they come. No matter how wise you are, you cannot see and know everything in the world. The scope of your eye-sight is rather limited, but if you see with your mind’s eye, there will be a wider prospect. You may know things which happened thousands of miles away or thousands of years ago. If you don’t have books how can you be informed of such things？
The reason why I read books is that I want to have some knowledge of the human race and the world in which we live. Bacon said that knowledge is power, but I think knowledge is not only power, but something to purify our soul. Only a purified soul makes a perfect man. Books make our soul and body unify. According to a Greek philosopher, a man will not be complete until his soul and body are well united.
MY HOME
Everybody has one’s own home, but all the homes are not the same. Some are rich，some poor, some small and some big.
Though my home is not a rich one, yet I love my home very much.
My home is situated at a quiet street on Kowloon side. The head of my home is my father, for I have no grandfather or grandmother. But the one that controls the family affair is my mother, for my father has no time to spend on the family affair. He has to devot all his time on his business, in order to make enough money to support the family.
In my home, I have four brothers and three sisters. Two brothers and two sisters are go to school, and my two elder brothers are working people.
They work in order to gain some money to help my father. They are all very happy in living together.
Now, I left my home because I want to continue my study in the university. Next summer vacation I wish I can go back to my home and spend a happy holiday with my family.
第一段第一句中的 one’s 只能用于 Subject 为 one 的句中，例如 One should take care of one’s health，如果主语的 one 前面加有 every，each 等指示词时，后面就不能再用 one’s，而要改用 his 才对，例如 Every one loves his mother. 何况主语用的是 everybody, 自然后面更不能接 one’s 了。凡指定的，而非泛指的 one，都要接 his；如 One of the boys has lost his cap. 第二句一连用了四个 some，实在太单调，应该用 some…and others…才好。
第三段第一句的 on Kowloon side 不大习惯。“家事”应该说 domestic affairs，不宜说 family affair。又 devote 尾上应有一个 e，而且后面要接 to。
第四段 are go 两个动词不可连用；working people 虽语法不错，然意义不显明，所以应将 people 一词删去。
第六段 wish 后面不能接 can 应接 could，在 hope 后面才是接 can。说 a holiday 只有一天，如礼拜天；如果说一个假期，就得用 holidays 或 vacation。
全文太无内容，词句亦不够表达，语法错误颇多，虽经批改，仍不能成为一篇好的文章。
Everybody has his own home, with which no place can be compared. All homes, though different from one another, are sweet. My home is full of delights；I like it very much.
We live in a quiet street in the city of Kowloon. As I have no grandfather and grandmother, my father is the head of the family. But, as he is very busy with his business, he leaves the domestic affairs in my mother’s hands.
My family is rather a big one. I have four brothers and three sisters. Only the two older brothers are working；and the younger ones are still at school. We are grateful to our older brothers who help father keep the pot boiling for the big family and make us feel happy at home!
I left home only because I wanted to continue my study at Taiwan Provincial College of Engineering to which I was admitted. This, as you know, is the best institute of technology. I am glad that I have a chance to study here, but I hope I can spend my summer holidays with my family in Kowloon.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
It was a day on the end of August, this year. We, about twenty youthes, decided to take a picnic. But, what a pity day it was!A thin rain was droping in the morning, as if to prevent us from going. As you know, the persistent mind of a youth, is not so easily to be striken. Eventually we started off, in spite of rain and wind.
Along a straight narrow lane we went. The wide green rice fields spread over the earth, and continued as long as we passed by. Climbing on a steep mountain, we found nothing, but some cottages far away, which dotted the monotonous nature. Everything is calm. Everything is quiet. Except the sounds of rains, which harmonized with our foot steps were heard. No sooner had we reached our destination than it poured a flood of rain, that made us all scattered like a flock of sheep.
We were all astonished, for there stands a white stucco villa of modern style, which overlooking the road, on the top of the mountain. Then all of us were invited to rest. The radio broadcasted that typhoon was approaching from the East Coast of Taiwan. Not long after, we all sunk to enjoy the sweet dinner which was made by ourselves.
Mountain by mountain, we trod slowly on, with our tired feet, and we bristled our nervous energy again to sing the triumphant song, on our way home. And when the sounds echoed back from the deep valley were stronger than the rains, we could not but burst into a happy laugh. For we not only conquered all the obstructions, but also won the ultimate victory.
上面这篇英文作文，是本刊读者树林黄介山君最近寄来的。黄君只受过中等教育，就没有升学了，现在专靠阅读《大洋英语月刊》以增进他的英文知识。本刊同人对于这种热心自习的人，最愿竭诚相助，故特将其来稿提前刊出。
第一段说“在一天”应作 on a day, 而“八月尾”可作 at 或 toward 或 about 或 in the end of August，但不能说 on the end。Youth 的复数为 youths，此词可作“青年”解，如 a youth of twenty（二十岁的青年），又可作“青年男女”（集合名词）解，如 the youth of the country（中国青年男女）。从上一个意思，由单数的青年可以加 s 变成复数，如 a bevy of youths and maidens（一群青年男女）。英文只说 have a picnic, 不说 take a picnic。又 pity 是一个名词不能拿来修饰名词的 day。striken 应拼作 stricken。
第二段中间的 as long as（= if only），是错误的，coutinue 一词用在此地也不对，应作 stretch。Except the sounds 一句语法不通，因为没有主语，而动词倒有了两个（harmonized 及 were heard）。在动词 make 的后面应接略去了 to 的不定词或现在分词，而不能接过去或过去分词，所以句中的 scattered 应用 scatter 才对。
第三段发现一所别墅，用不着要 astonish（惊愕）。broadcast 的过去式与现在形一样，不能加 -ed。Not long after 不常用，应用 Before long。又 sunk 是 sink 的过去分词，不能单独作谓语用，此处即改为 sank 意义上也说不通。普通午餐说 lunch 或 tiffin，不说 dinner（正餐，多在晚上吃）。原作中用的 sink to enjoy the dinner，大约是说大家走得饿了，便大吃其“便当”，所以现在改用 do（full）justice to 一个成语，正有饱餐一顿之意。
第四段中说 when the sounds echoed back from the deep valley（这是一个从句），下面就应该接一个有主语和谓语的主句，不能接动词。
全篇文字太拖沓，有欠简洁，以致有些语句语法也不清楚了。标点也太多，如 this year 的前面和 nothing but 的中间那种逗号都是不要的。
It was on a day toward the end of August this year. About twenty of us had a picnic. The drizzling rain which was falling in the morning could not prevent us from going, as we young men are not to be discouraged by such trifling obstacles.
Along a straight narrow lane we went. On either side stretched the green paddy-fields dotted here and there with cottages. On our way we could hear nothing except the patter of the rain and the sound of our own footsteps. No sooner had we reached our destination than it poured in torrents that made us all scatter in every direction.
When we had climbed to the top of a high mountain we found there was a white stucco villa of modern style overlooking the road below. The host invited us to his villa where we had a rest and heard the radio broadcasing that a typhoon was approaching from the east coast of Taiwan. Before long we all did full justice to the lunch which we had brought with us.
As we plodded our weary way homeward, we sang songs which echoed through the hills and overwhelmed the patter of the rain. It was already candle-light when we got home.
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE
I rise in the east every day, and when I rise then a day is begun. I look in your window with my bright golden eyes, and point to you that you should get up this time. I do not shine for you to lie on your bed and sleep, but I shine for you to get up work and walk about. As I love earth’s people so I let moon to reflect my bright for you at the night. I am a great traveler, I travel all over the sky. I never stop and never tired.
I have a crown of bright beams upon my body, and I sent my rays everywhere. I shine upon trees, house and water, therefor everything looks sparkling and appears beautiful color when I shine upon it. I give you limit energy therefor the fruits and the corn are ripen. I am up very high in the sky, higher than all the trees, higher than the clouds and the moon. If I were to come nearer to you, I should scorch you to death, and I should burn up everything.
第一句虽无错误，但说 A day is begun 不太好，我们可以说 A day is born 或 A new day has dawned upon the world. 或 The day opened cloudily. 第二句的 point to 在此地不能代表 tell 的意思，因为 point 是“指向”或“用手指物”不能作“指示”解，除非加用 out 才有 show 的意思，如 Please point out my mistakes.（请指示我的错处。）我们不说 earth’s people，应改为 the people on earth。我们不说 at the night，只能说 at night 或 in the night。
第二段中的 house 是应该也用复数的。therefor 应作 therefore。又 ripen 是动词（ripe 是形容词），不宜接在 are 后用。说 limit energy 不对，应改为 limited energy，因为 limit 是动词或名词，而不是形容词。水果单说 fruit 就够了，不要加复数，加了复数是表示各种各样的水果。all the trees 应说 all trees，因为不是指定某一部分的树木，the clouds 也是一样，不要冠词。至于 the sky 或 the moon 就要留下冠词，因为是世界上唯一的，最后一句中的 should，宜改用 would 较妥，因为不是表示单纯将来，而是表示决定呢。
I rise in the east；and when I rise, it is day. I look into your window with bright golden eyes early every morning to awake you from your sleep. I do not shine on people lying in bed, but on those going about either for pleasure or on business. I hate inanimation and darkness. I give life to men, animals and plants on earth；and as I do not like seeing them enveloped in darkness, I let moon reflect my light over them at night.
I send forth light as well as heat. I give life as well as energy. Without me grains and fruits never can grow, not to mention ripening. If I were not to shine over the earth, there would be no human beings, no animals, no trees, no grass, and no life at all. So I am the origin of life.
I am a great traveler and never get tired of journeying all over the sky. I shine high up and above all things. I have to keep a long distance from them, because I know I am too hot. If I were to come nearer to them, I would certainly scorch them or burn them to death. I am now at such a distance as to give them enough light and heat from which life springs.
CUTTING DOWN THE DAILY EXPENSES
Last night, I saw my wife knited her brows as she counting our dairy expense. So I asked her what did she thinking about.
“Food is dear recently. Our expenditure increased this month, ”she said solicitously.
“What shall we do, ”I said.“We must be more economic. ”
“Yes, I am just thinking about that, ”she said.
“Well, shall we have an economic movement from next month？”
“That is just what I am going to suggest, ”my wife replied agreeably.
“Go and take a sheet of paper, ”I said.“Let us discuss about what shall we spare. ”
She found a piece of paper, and gave it to me.
“Now, you say, ”I took out my pen and asked,“What is the first thing we can save？”
“I think the first thing is your sparerib, ”she took a glance at me and continued:“One catty a day at least needs 10 dollars. You are too fat already. It won’t be better for you to eat more fish. ”
She spoke reasonably, so I could only write it down.
“And what is the second thing？”I asked.
“The second thing is your cigarette, ”my wife said.“40 cigarettes a day causes your mouth smells bad, and your teeth looks dirty. Sometimes it happens to burn black the coverlet or the clothes. ”
I wrote it down also.
She rest a moment and continued,“What will you suggest？”
“I think we need not go to movie for scores of times a month. ”I know my wife is a movie fan, so I said with hesitation.
“You are right, ”she said after a few minutes.“You are not smoke cigarette, of course I am not go to movie. ”
“And, ”I said,“you need not go to the barber’s shop to dress your hair constantly. ”
“Of course, ”she said.“And instead of going to the barber’s shop once a week, you may go there once for a couple of weeks. ”
“It’s enough, ”she said.“Now, please count the sum which we have saved. ”
I added the amount and found that we have saved almost 800 dollars a month. I lited a cigarette and felt rather glad.
“You are smoking!”my wife cried.
“It is the last one, ”I said.“From now on, we can save 800 dollars a month. We will become a millionaire some day. Tonight, we must celebrate our great success. ”
“Where are we going now？”my wife asked blinkly.
“Let me see, we are going to movie at first. ”
She dressed a new skirt and said,“Then we are going to the restaurant and take some sparerib. ”
在 see 及 hear 等感觉动词后面，应接不带 to 的不定词或现在分词，例如 I saw him come this morning. = When he came this morning，I saw him. 或 I saw him coming this morning. = When he was coming this morning，I saw him.
“每天的”是 daily 不是 dairy（此字作“牛奶棚”或“制酪厂”解）。此种拼法类似的词，应特别注意。
So I asked her what did she thinking about. 这句在语法上有两个大的错误：一是 did she thinking 应改为 did she think 才行，因为 did 是助动词，thinking 是现在分词，都不是主动词。二是问句固然要将主语与谓语颠倒，但成为附从从句的问句，就不要颠倒，仍然保留陈述时的次序。所以此句应作 I asked her what she was thinking about.
“经济学的”是 economic，而“省俭的”便是 economical（= thrift and saving），应辨别这种异同。an economic movement 意为“经济学上的运动”。
Let us discuss about what we spare. 一句所犯的毛病和上述 did she…一样，应将问句的形式改为陈述句的形式。
The second thing is your cigarette 句中末一词应改用复数才对。40 cigarettes a day causes your mouth smells bad，and your teeth looks dirty. 一句，第一点不能用阿拉伯数字来开始一个语句，第二点 cause 后面应接不定词（即 cause one to do），不能接第三人称单数的动词即（cause one does），如用 make 的话，后面就接不要 to 的不定词（即 make one do）。
所谓 coverlet 或 coverlid 是“床上的覆被”，抽烟为什么会熏黑床上的覆被，是不大容易了解的。
看电影普通是说 go to the movies，很少用单数的。
You are not smoke cigarette 句中最大的错处是 are 和 smoke 两个动词连用在一块，我们只能用 are smoking 或 are to smoke，最好是说 smoke（否定说 do not smoke）。抽烟单说 smoke 就够了，如 Do you smoke？Yes，I smoke. 不必说 smoke cigarettes，普通说 have a cigarette 或 enjoy a cigarette。
I am not go to movie 句中 am 与 go 两个动词重复了。后半句也应作 go to the movies，动词 light 的过去和过去分词为 lighted 或 lit，没有 lited 这种写法。
又 dress 作动词用时与 wear 不同，后接宾语时要加介词，如 be dressed in a new skirt。
Last night, I saw my wife knitting her brows as she was counting our daily expenses. I asked her what she was thinking about.
“Prices are rising；and we have pushed expenses to the full limits of our monthly income, ”she said, heaving a deep sigh.“We are unable to provide against a rainy day. ”
“What shall we do then？”I said.“We must be more economical next month. ”
“Yes, I am just thinking about cutting down the daily expenses, ”she nodded at me.
“Well, we shall have to reduce our household expenses next month. Go and get me a sheet of paper,”I said.“Let’s see what we can spare. ”
She found a piece of paper, and gave it to me. I took out my pen and asked:“Now, what is the first thing we can dispense with？”
“I think the first thing is the spareribs which you insist on having each day. ”She glanced at me and then continued.“One catty, 10 dollars. What a big bill you will have to pay at the butcher’s each month!”
I agreed and wrote it down.
“And what is the second thing which we can do without？”I went on asking.
“The next thing is the cigarettes, ”my wife said.“Smoking 40 cigarettes a day causes you to have bad breath, besides the seven or eight dollars you have to spend. ”
This I wrote down also.
After a while she said to me,“What do you suggest？”
“I think you need not go to the movies so often, ”I said with hesitation, because I know my wife is a movie fan.
“You are right!”she replied.“If you do not smoke, of course, I shall not go to the movies. ”
“And, ”I continued to say,“you need not go to the barber’s shop to dress your hair once a week. ”
“Of course not, ”she assured me.“I may go there once in two weeks, may I not？Well, that’s enough. Please count up what we have saved. ”
It amounted to almost 800 dollars a month. I lit a cigarette and felt rather happy.
“You are smoking!”my wife cried.
“This is the last one, ”I explained.“From now on, we can save 800 dollars a month. We shall become very rich some day. Tonight, we must celebrate our great success. ”
“Yes, let’s go to the movies, ”my wife suggested.
“No, my dear, ”I interrupted,“we are going to the restaurant and have some sparerib. ”
THE SPURTING FOUNTAIN NEAR THE RAILWAY STATION
At the middle of the ground of Tainan Station was a new artificial circular fountain floating the fair blue water, about three feet in depth, in which the color lights of five kinds of electric bulbs had been installed inside the circle about 20 feet in diameter to express their cool lovely beauty. At the center of the fountain, the most large jet was spring up its water into the pure air, and was falling down over its source again and again, as if it was directing the many tinge jets to sing together of the glory which had been established lately by the hand of the Tainan Municipal Government.
Suddenly a massagist’s flute awoke the lonely silence of this dreaming night with its high grace note. No sooner had the note sounded over the loom environ than a train sighed her loud smoky sigh and spited out her slight burden, few passengers.
Near the fountain, under one of the trees, beside the prearrangement-space which had been planned to put a great hero’s bronze statue was a solitary maiden, clad in a long coat, sitting toward the road of leading to a place whence her man was to be coming. He did not come at last, so she had to walk home all alone.
作文造句，应力求简明，不宜将句子堆砌，而使文字拖沓，语法纠缠不清。
第一段：station 虽是驿站但不一定是火车站，所以火车站，应说明 a railroad（或 railway）station。
喷水不能说它浮在水上（float），英文中“常”用的词是 play，如“今天没有喷水”，就说 The fountain is not playing today. 他们用这个“戏”字，正如我们说“鸳鸯戏水”一样，不过喷水自戏罢了。又如 The fountain played beneath the sun，casting its diamond bright waters to the sky.（喷水向上喷出钻石似的晶莹的水花，而戏于阳光之下。）
the most large 不合语法，应说 the largest。
was 和 spring 二词都是动词，不可连用在一块，只能说 was springing 或 was to spring。
as if 是虚拟语气，后面应接 were，即 as if it were。
jet 是从一个小孔或管子喷出或射出的东西，如 a jet of water, steam, air, gas 等，也可以说 a jet of light（射出一线光）。现在的喷气机便是 jet（air）plane。喷气机虽能发出大声，但普通喷水或喷气是不大有声音的，所以不宜说 to sing。又在 jet 前面，也不宜用 tinge 来形容，tinge 只能作动词或名词用，意为“着色”，如 tinge the sky with a rosy flush。
together 后只能接 with，不能接 of。
which had been established 是指喷水，但现接在 glory 一词之后，就成为形容那种 glory 了。
单说 be established by 就够了，不要说 be established by the hand of。
第二段：普通都是说 break the silence，不说 awake the silence。
grace note 即“装饰音”，是音乐上的一种专用名词，普通作文不宜用。
loom 是动词或名词，意为模糊现出，用在此地，不知何所指。
environ 作名词用，应为复数，如 Taipei and its environs（台北及其近郊）。
spit 的过去为 spit 或 spat 不能写作 spited（这样拼时读［spaitid］），如果要加 -ed，也得拼成 spitted 才对。
prearrangement-space 是杜撰之辞，看去不大顺眼，此处可简单地说 the space left for the bronze statue of a great hero 就行了。
单说 road leading to a certain place 就对了，leading 的前面不要加 of。普通在 road 后面是接 to，如 road to success（达到成功之路），on the road to Taipei（上台北的路上），若要接 of 时，就有四通八达的意思，不是向着某一条路去，例如 Hawaii is at the cross roads of the Pacific.（夏威夷当太平洋的冲要）。
In the center of the open space amidst the palm trees near the railway station of Tainan, there is a fountain newly built by the Tainan Municipal Government. The litte pond around the fountain is lighted under water with electric bulbs of different colors, which make the place look like a kaleidoscope.
It was late at night；and everything seemed still to the eye. Suddenly the delightful note of a massagist’s flute was audible, breaking the silence of the night. Before long, it was followed by a screaming siren from an arriving train, which, after drawing up at the station, poured forth some of its burden of passengers.
Near the fountain under one of the palm trees, a solitary young girl was standing. Obviously she was waiting for somebody who failed to come. As the night deepened, she walked home with a heavy heart, leaving behind her the spurting fountain and the sparkling pond.
THE SPRING IN TAIWAN AS COMPARED WITH THAT IN THE MAINLAND
It is spring now, but the spring of Taiwan isn’t a good season. The sky is still cloudy. Sometimes it keeps rainning day after day. People would doubt whether they could see the sun again. They also haven’t the happiness of seeing the tree in bloom；because the leave of the tree didn’t fall last year, and there is no any different between winter and spring.
I have lived in Taiwan for six years in spring, I can not help missing my native country. Though I was a little girl while I lived there, I can remenber vividly the little cottage, the stream with willows growing on the shore, and the country path beside the rice field. How wonderful they were, as the cruel winter gave way to the beautiful spring. They were magnificently changed. The stream was released from icy fetter and murmured sweetly again. In thier new green dress, willows danced with the gentle breeze, the field and the path were cover with coloured flowers. Children no longer stayed at the cottage, because it was the season of playing outdoor games as fishing, racing, gathering flowers. Everywhere about the country was beautiful. Everything the countryman did was interesting.
第一段中说“台湾的春天”，实际是说“在台湾的春天”，所以要说 The spring in Taiwan, 不宜说 of Taiwan。正如近日报上登的“夜巴黎”的香水，名叫 Evening in Paris 一样。still 一词意为“仍然”，即是说“以前如此，现在还是如此”，这儿应改为 always（老是）才对。raining 加接后缀时，不应再加一个 n，因为其前非短元音。doubt 一词可改为 wonder 或 suspect，因为 doubt 所怀疑的是“事情的真假 ”“人的成功与否”“将来的事”等等，例如 I doubt his honesty.（他恐怕不大诚实）；suspect 便是觉得有嫌疑，认为奇怪，怀疑别人犯罪等，例如 I suspect his dishonesty.（他好像是一个不诚实的人）。至于 wonder 就是表示“亟欲知道”或“讶而欲知”或“怪”，如 I shouldn’t wonder if he were to go mad.（他即发狂亦不足怪。）no 后接名词，not 后接形容词，所以我们只说 no books 或 not any books。又在 there is 后要接名词，不可接形容词，所以 different 应改为 difference。
第二段 miss 一个动词的用法弄错了。这词普通虽可作“想念”解，但不能用于“想念故国”，为什么呢？因为 miss 原意为 notice the absence of（someone or something），即“因不在而想念”，例如 I miss my mother when she goes away.（妈离去我想念她），We shall miss you very much. = We shall feel sad at your absence. 不是“故国”离开“我们”，是“我们”离开“故国”，所以这种想念应说 think of，不要用 miss。拼词应注意，如 remenber，thier 等。shore 多指海边，“河岸”只能用 bank。“被盖满”要说 be covered，这儿要用过去分词，才能表出被动的意思来。“多种颜色”单用 coloured 一定不够，应该说 multi-coloured 或 many-coloured 才对。普通美国说 colored people 是说黑人。everywhere 及 today 一类的词，拿来作主语用，有点中国式，如 Everytvhere was beautiful. 及 Today is hot. 宜加用 it 作主语，改说 It was beautiful everywhere. 及 It is hot today. 比较好些。
The spring in Taiwan isn’t a good season, because the sky is always cloudy. Sometimes the steadily falling rain makes people wonder whether they will ever see the sun again. As the leaves of trees are green the whole year, there is no marked difference between winter and spring.
I have lived in Taiwan for six years；and in spring, I cannot help thinking of my native country. Though I was a little girl while living there, I can still remember very well the little cottages, the stream with willows growing along its banks, and the paths beside the rice fields. How beautiful the trees and flowers were, as the cruel winter gave way to the spring!The stream was released from the icy fetters and began murmuring sweetly again. The willows in their new garments of green danced with the gentle breeze. The fields and the paths were covered with multi-coloured flowers. Children no longer remained in their cottages, and played outdoors. Sometimes they would go fishing in nearby brooks；sometimes they would race about in the fields. It was beautiful everywhere in the country.
MY FIRST VISIT TO TAIWAN
In the year of 1948 I came to Taiwan, the place I first visited. The first different feeling was“it is hot”. The thick clothes we could not wear any longer. We all changed into the summer dress. As I put on my shirt and I could but cry“O！It is summer!”In the fact it was just winter. This delightful weather made me very happy. Immediately I liked Taiwan.
We got down from the ship toward the street I saw in the fruits shops filled with many fruits——oranges, bananas, which I could not often see in the north part of China. Atracted by it’s delicious taste I bought some and I knew it’s price was very low. So I cried to my mother“How nice! We can eat them all day long!”
Taiwan people has some habits that different from our’s, one of these is that they don’t wear shoes, but a kind of wooden slipper. If you pass over streets or lines. You would hear the noisy sound came from every one’s foot.
Some of the beautiful young maiden had on the most fashioned clothes and done their hair the latest style, but you cannot look at their foot because it is not harmonious with their adornments.
The best impression was that the streets were very spick-and-span. The tall palm trees caused me sense that it is a fair island in the southern sea.
第一段中的 the place I first visited 应说 where I visited for the first time。下面单说一个“不同的感觉”又没有说出和什么不同，意思太含糊了，要说也应该说 It（the hot weather）gives me a different feeling. O 宜改为 Oh，因 O 后常接人（第二人称），且多用于诗中，如 O Caesar，how art thou fallen！O King，take pity on thy subjects，在 Oh 后可加逗号。用 O 时则不能与后面 vocative 分开。普通我们说 in fact，不说 in the fact。
第二段首句只能说 go toward，不要说 get toward。普通说水果店（fruiterer），就叫果蔬商（greengrocer），或说 fruit dealer 或说 fruit shop 都可以，但不能说 fruits shop；说 fruit 已经是多数，若再加 s 而成为 fruits 时，则表不同的种类。atract 应拼作 attract。又 it’s 为 it is 之略，属格应为 its。
第三段 Taiwan people 应说 people in Taiwan。而 habits that different from our’s 一句没有动词，应在 that 后加上一个 are。尾上的 our’s 应作 ours。又 line 只能作“航线”或“铁路”解，不能代替 road 用。
第四段在 some of 之后既接有 countable 的名词，就应用复数，即 some of the maidens。
末段的 impression 应说明是谁的印象。spick-and-span 多用来形容衣装。在 cause 后面应接 to sense（他如 I caused him to do it.），不能将不定词的 to 略去。末句宜用 on the sea，不宜说 in the sea，因为 in 是指在海中，如 a fish in the sea。
I came to Taiwan in the winter of 1948. After I had landed, I could no longer wear thick woolen clothes, and had to put on my summer suit, although it was then in December. As it was rather warm, I began to think that summer had set in.
I remember, when I had come ashore and walked along the street, the first thing that attracted my attention was the variety of fruits displayed in the greengrocers’ shops. There were oranges, bananas, pineapples, papayas, and many others I could not even name, because I had never seen them before. I found these fruits so delicious and their prices so low that I could not but cry to my mother,“Oh, how nice it is that we can have them all the year round!”
Many people in Taiwan wear wooden clogs instead of shoes. When you are out on the street, you can often hear the clatter here and there. It seems to be a tiny flaw in a white gem that a beautiful young girl in her fashionable dress and her hair done in a permanent wave wears such wooden clogs which I think really unfit for her.
The city of Taipei struck me, on my first arrival, as a charming outlandish maiden in a spick-and-span new dress which was rather exotic and attractive；and the tall palm trees vibrating with the breeze told me that I had come to a subtropical island.
MR. CLEVER
This event happened when I was in middle school. At time, our school had one of the best basketball team in the city and our class had one of the best player in the team. His name was Mr. Clever. He was a poor student and he had remained in the Senior II for two years. According to the school rule he had to pass the final examination that semester or he would be dismissed. But there was a race in the summer vacation in order to win the race it was necessary for him to pass the examination. Every one wanted to help him and the register office arranged the seat and let him sit beside John who was the head student of our class. Yes, our friend copied from John’s paper. When he finished the examination, he was very happy and shook hands with everybody.
The next day, there was a bulletin announced that he was dismissed for cheating and got the zero mark. Why？What was the reason？
Yes, he did copy every word from his neighbor’s paper. But in the last question John wrote,“I do not know this question”and Mr. Clever copied“I do not know this question too. ”
说“此事”英文就用 it，如“此事在我眼前发生”，即译作 It happened under my eyes. 不要说 this event，且 event 的含义为“大事”，如“去年的大事”，即说 the events of the past year。“国家多事之秋”，即说 the eventful season。单说 in middle school 不一定是在读书，故在 I was 后宜加上 studying 一词。在 one of 后面的名词应该用复数，team 和 player 都非拼成 teams 和 players 不可。连在一起的两个单句，如主语相同时，可略去一个 school rule 改为 school regulations 较好，即使要用 rule 也宜用复数，普通说 rule 多指小范围的，如“打篮球的规则”（the rules of basket-ball），又“我以扶持弱者为定则”（I make it a rule to side with the weaker party），他如 as a rule 都常是指个人的规则。But there was a race 一句应在 vacation 处断句，in order 开始应另成一句，语法上才清楚。race 原为“赛跑”或“竞走”之意，后转为“比赛”，如说 There is a race to be run tomorrow.（明日举行竞走。）“赛马”说 horse race，也是“赛跑”之意。其他的运动比赛，则不宜用此词，现改为 athletic meet（运动会），因为在运动会中可以有篮球比赛（basketball match）。这地方原文意思不显明，所以特为补充了一些字句，对看原作稿及改正稿，自然明白。前面说了 every one，后面也还是以说人为好，故将注册组（register office）改为注册员（registrar）。普通说一班中最优秀的学生，是 the bright ones at the top of a class, 不说 head 而说 top, 所以这儿把原文的 head student 改为 brightest student，随之 of 也得改为 in 了。
第二段中的 bulletin 一词，是告示、公告、各军部机关对战事的公报（the War Department’s bulletins），或报馆所发出的关于战事、饥荒，以及别的重要大事的报告（newspaper bulletins）；另外还有一个意思，就是会报、社报（a regular report of a club or society for its members）。所以现改为 notice（= a paper fixed up in public place giving information）。
最后一句中的 too 是颇有幽默感的，他被开除的主因即在这词上。
It happened when I was studying in the senior middle school. Our school had, at that time, one of the best basketball teams in the city and our class had one of its best players. His name was Mr. Clever. He was a poor student and had remained in Senior II for two years. According to the school regulations he had to pass the final examination that semester or he would be dismissed. But there was to be an athletic meet in the summer and we all wanted him to stay in our school in order that we might win the match. If he was to stay, it was necessary for him to pass the examination. So, every one wished to help him；and the registrar made him sit beside John who was the brightest student in our class. Yes, our friend copied from John’s paper. When he had finished the examination, he was very happy and shook hands with everybody.
The next day, there was a notice which announced, to the astonishment of all, that he was dismissed for cheating.
Yes, he did copy every word from his neighbor’s paper. When in answer to the last question John wrote,“I do not know this question”, and Mr. Clever wrote“I do not know this question, too. ”
A GIRL WHOM I KNOW
She lives a humble life, but she is the happiest in the world. Calm and mild, thoughtful character and moral qualities. Miss Tai is really a fine person.
Last summer, at a party, I recognized Miss Tai. She is not very pretty, but her simple dress and moderate manner attracted every young girl. And her sweet smile as well as gentle voice made everbody feel warm and happy.
She is a teacher of a primary school. Having dreamed of being a composer, but finally she gave up the idea only because she could not stand to leave those innocent children.
Every time I talk with her, I seem knowing the truth of life. And every time I visit her, I seem going to a quiet，lovely place, full of love and light.
第一段第二句前面，至少应有 She has a 一类的词语才通顺，照原作省略太多，意思就不明白了。
第二段首句，一语一语，似嫌零碎，且时间的副词短语，普通非加重语气，便不置于句首。recognize 是把某人认识出来，第一次相识，只能说 meet 或 make the acquaintance of，如 Where did you make the acquaintance of this lady？（你在什么地方认识这个妇女的？）I made her acquaintance at Paris.（我在巴黎与之相识。）在一句中前面用了 she is，后面不应改为 attracted 和 made，也应该用现在时，因为这不是某一次的事。
第三段的 Having dreamed of being a composer 一个分词短语，后面应接一个主句，不可接 but，因为 but 是一个连词，只能用来连接两个分句，不能用来连接一个短语和一个从句。作“忍受”解的 stand，原为会话用语（colloquial term），常用于侮辱、艰难、寒暑、费用等，如 I’m not going to stand it much longer.——J. Jerome. 所以应改普通的（usual）字眼 bear。
第四段 seem 一词之后宜接用不定词，什么词后面应接动名词，什么词后应接不定词，是初学英文的人感觉到最头痛的一个问题，因为它没有一定的规则，而辞典及语法书又无详尽的说明，一切只好全凭 usage 去决定。
细细研读改正后的文章，当可知道此中奥妙。
Miss Tai is an amiable, thoughtful, good-natured girl. She lives a humble life but she is happy none the less.
It was last summer when I first met her at a party. Though she is not very pretty, she has something in her that attracts the attention of those who come in touch with her. Her simple dress and her good manners make people think that she belongs to the educated class. Her sweet smile and her gentle voice make people feel better in her company.
She is a teacher in a primary school. Once she dreamed of being a composer, but she gave up the attempt at last only because she could not bear to leave the dear, little, innocent creatures——her pupils.
Every time I talk with her, I seem to know a little more about life. Every time I call at her place I seem to have come to a tight little haven which is quiet and comfortable.
THE MAN WHO KNOWS ONLY ONE MEANING OF A WORD
One of my friends who had studied English for several years, and had a little success, so he was proud of his knowledge of English.
One day, he went to Kaohsiung with a colleague, Mr. Chen, for their duty. Having finished their dinner, they had nothing to do, and they took a walk on the street.
Seeing an American officer who stood before a stationary’s door, they went up to downtown place. And they saw a clerk of the shop who did not know what to do, then my friend went to the shop as an interpreter.
“Is there anything I can do for you？”my friend asked the officer in English.
“I want to buy a stamp. ”answered the officer.
“Stamp not sells here, you can buy it in the post office. ”my friend said.
And then the officer went away with a smile.
Mr. Chen don’t know English, he heard of my friend to speak with a foreigner, it seemed to him that friend spoke English very well, so he praised him up to the skies.
My friend, he thought, had done such a good thing, prided himself on his speaking English. He told the story to a Mr. Tan when he come back his dormitory.
“You had been broke down the business of that stationary. ”said Mr. Tan.“Why？”he asked.
“The officer wanted to buy a stamp pad, you thought it was the postage stamp. Had you not broke down the business？”Mr. Tan said.
Suddenly he understood that the word“stamp”had another meaning——stamp pad.
第一句 one of my friends who had studied English…如果不用过去而用现在的话，had 就要改为 have，而不是 has，那意思是“我们所有学了几年英文的朋友之一”。这显然不是原作者的意思，所以只好把 one of 去掉, 把 friends 改成单数。had a little success 与事实不符，宜删。
第二段 duty 的前面不可用 for, 普通是说 on duty，neglect of duty， off duty，及 bound in duty，be discharged from his duties 等，此处原作者的意思，实为 on business，故如此更正。walk on the street, 也不熟，宜改为 walk 或（totter） along （或 about）the streets。我们只可以说 I met him on （或 in ）the street. His home is on （或 in ）Fifth Street. 又 go on the streets 即 make a living on the streets 为卖淫之意。
第三段 Seeing an American…they went…一句，说法弄颠倒了。在普通的情形，应该说 Going up to downtown，they saw an American. 文具店是 stationer’s（store），单说 stationery 是一个形容词，意为“文具的”；而 stationary 意为“静止的”，二词不可相混。
在引用符中的字句，如接引用符外的字句时，不可用 full stop，宜用 comma，如“Certainly，”he said.
“Stamp not sells here，you can buy it in the post office. ”当然是不通的，“改正稿中”之所以未改正，是要留以表示那位朋友英文的不通。通顺的英语可以说：“They don’t sell stamps here，which you have to go to the post office to buy. ”或是“Stamps are not sold here. You have to go to the post office to buy them. ”
Mr. Chen 是第三人称，后面不可接 don’t，应改 doesn’t，这里既是过去，就应说 did not。说 hear of somebody 意为听见别人说到某人，of 是“关于”的意思。他如 I know him.（我认识他。）I know of him.（我听人说起过他。）凡在 hear，see，watch 等动词后接的不定词，应将 to 略去，如 I saw him come（= when he came，I saw him）. 又可说 I saw him coming（= when he was coming, I saw him）. 在 come back 之后，可直接接副词的 home，如接名词时，就要加一个 to。
说 had been broke 是不通的，如系被动的话，也要说 had been broken，所谓 break down 一个成语，用在此地完全不适当，所以此句只得彻底改过。“Why？”he asked. 应该另外起一行。
My friend who had studied English for several years was proud of his knowledge of English. One day, he went to Kaohsiung with Mr. Chen, one of his colleagues, on business. Having finished their dinner, they had nothing to do and took a walk along the streets.
They saw an American officer standing before the door of a stationery store and speaking to a clerk who did not know what to do. Then my friend stepped inside and acted as an interpreter.
“Is there anything I can do for you？”my friend asked the officer in English.
“I want to buy a stamp, ”answered the officer.
“Stamp not sells here, you can buy it in the post office, ”my friend said.
Then the officer went away with a smile.
Mr. Chen did not know English. As he had heard my friend speaking with a foreigner, it seemed to him that my friend could speak English very well.
My friend, quite pleased with what he had done, told the story to a Mr. Tan when he came back to his dormitory.
“That stationery store had lost its business through you!”said Mr. Tan.
“Why？”my friend asked.
“The officer wanted to buy a stamp pad, but you thought it was a postage stamp, ”Mr. Tan said.
So my friend understood that the word“stamp”had another meaning——stamp pad.
THE HEALING POWER FROM ABOVE
On the 25th of August, 1953, in a small church near the station, there gathered from far and near about one hundred and fifty persons. It was the time that people had usually taken their lunches and were ready for a nap. The sun shone brightly on the church-yard. Yet no one felt hot or weary. All members were sitting quietly, either in praying or in meditation.
Then came the old clergyman with his nephew and an interpreter. After making a short speech, he began to work. There was a small crowd of sick people standing near the platform. The old man put his hands on the head of the sick one by one and, at the same time offered a prayer for each, while the people sitting below were praying intently.
At times I raised my head to see what had been done I saw a man being sick in the ears. On returning to his seat, he smiled calmly and peacefully, showing that he was greatly satisfied in his inner heart. I also saw a lady who could not raise her left hand. But not a while later she could lift it up well over her head.
Performing miracle is not the most important part of the work of Christian teaching. My reason for writing this is because it is the first time I have been present in such a kind of meeting, and indeed it moved me greatly. As the Chinese proverb says,“Hearing a hundred times is worth less than seeing once”, how cheerful I am to be the eyewitness of that marvelous event!
开首将 afternoon 说出，后面说 take a nap 的时候，就用不着再加 after lunch 了。单说 the station，在说话时对方就当时的情形可以了解你说的是哪一个车站，行文时就应在 station 一词后加限定的字句才清楚。说 time that people had usually taken their lunches and were ready for a nap，不仅太啰嗦，而且完全是“吃饱了饭准备睡一睡的时候”一句中国话的翻译，所以不如用英文的惯用语法 time for people to take a nap（after lunch）。太阳是普照的，on the church-yard 一句最好略去。no one 后应加限定词。“祈祷”一个名词，应该用 prayer, 如 He could neither eat nor sleep and only prayers ，he says，kept him from going out of his mind. 再加动词时可说 say one’s prayers 或 give prayers。
第二段的 the old clergyman 也跟前面 the station 一样的毛病，所以改用不定冠词，以符语法规则。专心的祈祷，不如说热诚地祈祷，intently 改为 in earnest 较佳。
第三段说疾病如果要用 sick 一词时，便宜说 sick of a fever（患热病），sick with malaria（患疟疾），而不可说 being sick in the ears，改成 having trouble with his ears，便是英文惯用的了。not a while later 是“后来不久”一句中国话的直译，应改为 after（或 in）a while。又 lift 已有举起之意，不必再加用 up 一词。
第四段在 reason 一词之后不宜接用 became，因为意思重复了，虽则不考究的洋人也常这样用。说 it moved me 不如说 I was moved 较常用。
最后结论应另成立一段。与其把中国的谚语“百闻不如一见”（Seeing a thing once is better than hearing about it a hundred times.）译成英文，不如利用英文现成的谚语 Seeing is believing，因为二者的意思一样。在说 first time 时可用现在时态，说目击那奇迹就非用过去时态不可，当时在场者既非一人，就应说 one of the eyewitnesses。
On the afternoon of August 25th, 1953, in a small church near the station of our town, there gathered from far and near about one hundred and fifty persons. It was the time for people to take a nap. The sun shone brightly；yet no one of the congregation felt hot or weary. All sat there, either in prayer or in meditation.
Then came an old clergyman with his nephew and an interpreter. After making a short speech, he began to work miracles. Near the platform stood some sick persons. The old man put his hands on the head of the sick, one by one, and at the same time prayed for each, while the people who sat in front of him were praying in earnest.
At times I raised my head to see what was being done. I saw a man having trouble with his ears. On returning to his seat, he smiled calmly and peacefully, showig that he felt greatly satisfied. I also saw a lady who could not raise her left hand. But, strange to say, she could after a while lift it well over her head.
Performing miracles, however, is not an important part of Christian teaching. My reason for writing this is that it is the first time I have been present in such a meeting. Indeed, I was greatly moved.
True is the proverb:“Seeing is believing. ”How lucky it was that I happened to be one of the eyewitnesses of that marvelous event!
MY PROFESSION
I am an accountant. Why I have become an accountant, the following story will tell you what it is.
During my childhood I was delicate. At the age of two I was suffering from a serious ill with measles, and at the same time I once had stopped breathing for twelve hours. Having taken many kinds of medicines, I have two sorrows for life. First, my eyes become nearsighted；second, my brains are obtuse. And my walking ability was barely perfected until nine years of age, since I was resurrected from death and recovered my health.
As for my education, it was retarded by my physical weakness. My parents provided me with a tutor who was an old man, and only taught me to read and to write Chinese, it was my first education. They did not want me to be a great man. One day, my mother said to me:“I don’t hope you to be a great man, if you would be a treasurer, I should be very pleased. ”In those days she meant the treasurer who calculated the numbers and charged on the book. It was the way of our country and was very simple way. Mother thought that I might equal to this work.
Thanks to my maternal uncle, mother was persuaded to send me to the Hupeh Provincial Commercial School. There were many courses in that school, for instance:Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Economics or something like that. They are modern science which are not so simple as my mother may think.
For all these subjects were going to be hard to me, I worked hard with my all energies and all my times. Fortunately, I had, at last, finished at that school. My family were very much pleased with my success, especially my mother. She made me to be a true accountant.
Now, I have been doing the work of accountant for more than forteen years. Taking a role as clerk, bookkeeper, assistant accountant, and so forth one after another in several companies, I have got much experience and knowledges. This is not meant I am an expert, but I am still feeling my ability for the work far away from it. I think it may be my profession for life.
本篇犯一般写作的通病，即描写啰唆，有欠简洁。改正稿删除三分之一以上，不仅未丝毫有损原意，反而加强了原意，如将 worked hard 改为 had to burn the midnight oil to study them. 及将 I am still feeling my ability for the work far away from it. 改为 the more we know，the more is to be known. 之类。
第一段的 why I have become an accountant 及 what it is 重复故宜拼为一句。
第二段 at the age of two 是 a point of time，后面不宜接进行时的动词，应将 was suffering 改为 suffered 较佳。又在介词后面要接名词，from 后不能接形容词的 ill。又 and at the same time I once had stopped breathing for twelve hours 一句，事近荒谬宜删。眼成近视，是显明的病态，头脑迟钝，只是自谦的说法，故亦主张从略。与其说 my walking ability was barely perfected，不如用单纯的字句说 I was not able to walk，反而简明有力。since I was resurrected from death 一句，太严重了，以不说为妥。I recovered my health 改为 my health picked up 更要有洋味些。
第三段“至于说到我的教育，那是由于我的体弱而受到妨碍”，不如简单地说“我因体弱未去上学”。说 a tutor who was an old man，也嫌啰唆，就说 an old tutor 简单多了。to read and to write 因系同一类的事，故第二个不定词的 to 可略去。对别人的期待应说 expect，说 want 和 hope 都不当。It was the way of our country 等一句，意义不显明，如系“当时人们认为写算是最容易学的”一种意思的话，则应如改正稿上所说，才能使人了解。
第四段：西人不分伯父、叔父或舅父，统统叫 uncle，正如不分哥哥或弟弟统统叫 brother 一样，无特别必要时不宜说母系的 uncle 或父系的 uncle。母亲一字如前不加 my 时，最好写成 Mother。“会计”等学科名，普通不用大写首字。第五段意思相连，故不必分开，两段宜合并。not so simple as my mother may think 中的 may think 宜改为 thought them to be。又 all these subjects were going to be hard to me 句中的 Tense 用得不当，且与上面一句意思重复（上句说“不容易”，下句说“很难”）。只要说并不如母亲所想象的那样容易，自然就表示出难来了。下面说的“用尽我的精力与时间来用功”，正好采用 to burn the midnight oil 一个成语，言简而意赅。不能说 my all energies，my 应置于 all 之后。I finished at that school 是不通的，只能说 finish the courses at that school。英文只可说 She made me an accountant，不能说 made me to be an accountant。
末段，十四（fourteen）和四十（forty）的拼法不同，应注意。“知识”（knowledge）不能加复数。This is not meant 应改为 I don’t mean to say. 最后一句接在这里意思不大连贯，不如略去。
I am an accountant. The following story will tell you why I have become one.
During my childhood I was delicate. At the age of two I suffered from a serious illness——measles. Having taken too many kinds of medicines, I have become nearsighted. Besides, I was not able to walk until nine years of age, when my health picked up.
Because of my physical weakness I did not go to school to study. My parents provided me with an old tutor who taught me to read and write Chinese. It was my first education. My parents did not expect me to be a great man, as one day my mother gave me a hint that if I should become a treasurer, she would be very pleased. By“treasurer, ”she meant one who took charge of the account-books, a job which was thought in those days the simplest for a man to learn.
Following the advice of my uncle, my mother sent me to Hupeh Provincial Commercial School. There were many courses to be completed in that school, for instance, bookkeeping, accounting, economics. All these subjects were not so simple as my mother thought them to be. I had to burn the midnight oil to study them. Fortunately, I passed all the required courses and graduated. My family were very much pleased with my success, especially my mother.
I have been doing the work of an accountant for more than fourteen years, and have gained much experience. But I don’t mean to say that I am an expert；for the more we know, the more is to be known.
SEEING MY BROTHER OFF
On a sunday morning of November last year, I turned up at Taipei station, to see off my dearest brother who was to start for Taichung for the acceptance of six-months reserved sergeant training.
The night before the day of his departure, I invited him to see movies instead of giving him present in token of my sorry for his departure. We spent more than four hours with a view to kill the time in theater. On the way home, we talked nothing but exchanged eye-glance each other. Sun was setting, a herd of birds flew over our head. The evening breeze blew to our way. We returned until the evening. As we stepped in we found all members of our family waiting for us a long time. After supper, each one of us did work in his own way as usual. So large a living room remained nobody but my brother, he looked very sad by the appearance, because this is the first time for him to part with his parents and brothers. Walking to and fro a little while, he went to his bedroom. My bedroom is next to his, so I could hear his deep sigh and cry during that night.
The sky was turning grey, the dawn was to come. I waked up and laid on bed. My mind began to wander. As the short hand of my watch pointed to seven, I put on my clothes and coat in order not to be late seeing my brother off.
When we drove at the station, a meeting was holding, which was presided over by Mayor, for them who were to start for Taichung to receive the six-months military training. So many family members to see their children off it was that the station was filled with men and women and children. The station was much more crowded than ever. Most of parents talked closely to their children and gave them the best advice. My parents did the same as others. Only I never talked with my brother and stood there silent but alighted my wandering eye on him.
A few movement later, the bell rang. The train was moving on very slowly. I waved farewell to my brother but bent down my head for daring not to see him off. The train was out of our sight. Most of seer-off left. My parents and I took our leave, too.
星期名及月名等第一字母都要用大写。station 不一定是车站，电台、警察局、驻军地等都叫 station，所以前面加上 railway 一词较佳。普通亲兄弟说 dear 就行了，说 dearest 反而觉得疏远。
说“在他动身的前夜”已足够明白了，不必要说“在他动身那天的前夜”，所以 the day of 可以删去。movies 前面要加 the，“去看电影”就说 go to the movies。现在把下面的 theater 一词移到此地，当然也可指 movie theater。又 sorry 是形容词，前面不能用 my，应改用 sorrow 的名词。熟语只能说 on one’s way home，不说 on the way。在 exchange 后应接 with（each other），不过只说 exchange 也就足够了。说 glances 即可，无人说 eye-glance。太阳是世界上唯一的东西，所以在其前面一定要加用 the。牛羊等兽类的“群”，可说 herd，但鸟类的“群”，就要用 flock（鸟兽皆可用）或 flight。唯有“一群白鹤”才可说 a herd of cranes。原文中有 We returned until the evening. 是不通的，因为 until 一词的关系，我们只能说 We stayed out until the evening. 或是 We did not return until the evening. 单说 all members of our family 是不对的，因为说话者的兄弟也包含在内，如果要除去他们兄弟就得说 all the other members of our family。把 so large a living room 作为 remained 的主语是不可以的，所以得加 in 字在前，把它做成一个 phrase。说 he looked very sad 就行了，不要再添蛇足加上 by the appearance。既然全是说得过去的事，这里就不要说 this is the first time。下面一个分词句，单说 walking 不够，应说 after walking 或 having walked。
两个单句不宜并列，the dawn 一句前应加以 as 一类的词连接起来，the dawn was to come 是说规定要来，在此用得不当，应改为 the day began to dawn。woke 或 waked 皆可用；laid 是 lay 的过去式，此地要的是 lie 的过去式，即 lay。My mind began to wander. 一句最好删去。钟表上的短针，通常说 hour hand，中国则说“短针”。coat 也是 clothes 的一部分，不宜特别提出来说。
“正在开会”不说 a meeting was holding, 只能说 a meeting was being held。现在的英文不说 them who（乔叟时代的英文就有此用法），而要说 those who。So many family…一句，语法不通，故删去大部分而改为一个简单的句子。讲人要用 crowd 或 congregate 或 gather 等词，不能说 fill。Most of parents 中的 of 是多余的。advice 是普通人的忠告，父母的教训宜用 injunction。
说垂头丧气或屈服才用 bend the neck，普通低头就用 hang one’s head 就好了。看不见了，是 out of sight，不要说 out of our sight。送行者可以说 seer（s）-off，但用得不多，最好不用。
On a Sunday morning of November, last year, I turned up at Taipei Railway Station, to see off my dear brother who was to start for Taichung to receive the six-months’ reserve officers’ military training.
The night before his departure, I accompanied him to the theater where we spent more than four hours. On our way home, we did not speak but often exchanged glances. The sun was setting；and a flock of birds flew over our heads. It was already candle-light when we reached home. As we stepped into our house, we found all the other members of our family had been waiting for us a long time. After supper, each one of us did his own work as usual. In so large a living room nobody remained but my brother. He looked very sad because it was the first time for him to part with his parents and brothers. After walking to and fro a little while, he went to his bedroom. As my bedroom is next to his, I could hear his deep sighs during the night.
The sky was turning grey, as the day began to dawn. I woke up early and lay on my bed till the hour hand of my watch pointed to seven, then I got up and put on my clothes.
We drove to the station, where a meeting was being held by the mayor in honor of those who were to start for Taichung to receive the six-months’military training. The station was, therefore, crowded with men, women and children. While my parents were giving my brother their final injunction, I stood there without saying a word.
A few minutes later, the bell rang；and the train began moving very slowly. I waved farewell to my brother but hung my head for I dared not see his face. When the train was out of sight, we all left the station.
THE MOST INTERESTING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE
Until I was twenty-two years of age, I had never been away from Shanghai, my native city, for more than a week. I had only made a few excursions to nearby cities, such as Hangchow, Changsu, etc. When I decided in the spring of 1938 to join a tin mine in Southern Kiangsi, it meant the first time for me to experience a long journey.
At that time, people travelling from Shanghai to Southern Kiangsi used to go via Hongkong and Canton. I sailed for Hongkong early in May. When I arrived there, I was deeply fascinated by the beautiful sight of this prosperous, semitropical city. The ferryboats between Kowloon and Hongkong, the cable cars going up the hill, and the sunny resorts at the seaside were among the many things that appealed most to my interest. The enchantment of the island reached its summit at night, when glittering lights ascending from the foot to the top of the hilly city presented a miraculous view to people looking from the opposite shore or cruising on the neighboring sea.
I stayed at Hongkong for only two days, and proceeded to Canton by the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Canton, the metropolis of South China that I had often dreamed of, was a magnificent city. Like Shanghai, it has gorgeous departments stores, luxurious hotels and restaurants, and neat, broad streets crowded with people. Nevertheless, what interested me most were the notable differences in custom between people of this city and people living in the Yangtze Delta whom I had known. I also found great affection for the picturesque scenery of suburb areas, which was characteristic of semitropical regions.
I spent about five days in Canton before I continued my journey to Kiangsi, but my experience in that city and in Hongkong had constituted a most interesting part of my memory, perhaps because it was the first time that I made a trip to a place quite remote and different from my native home.
原作写得相当的好，英文作文能达此地步，颇见功夫。下面第三项改正稿中所改的，几乎没有什么语法上的错误，而只是将语句加以润色，使之更合乎英美的表现法罢了。
现拟就重要的修改略为说明一下：
关于副词 only 的地位，是有研究的余地的。本人交台湾书店出版的“英语法”讲义稿第三十五页上，曾就此 only 一词的地位不同而意义因之而变的用法，举有下列五例：
① Only George saw Mary yesterday.（No one else saw her）
② George only saw Mary yesterday.（He did not speak to her）
③ George saw only Mary yesterday.（He did not see the others）
④ George saw Mary only yesterday.（He saw her quite recently）
⑤ George saw Mary yesterday only.（He did not see her any other day）
原句中的 only 不是形容 made，而是形容 a few 的，故应置于 a few 之前。
“我第一次出远门是在1938年的春天”，照英美语法就要倒过头来说，即是“1938年的春天是我第一次出远门的时候”，所以现改成以春天为主语。语句中既说出时日来，when 的字眼最好跟在那个时日的后面，比较紧凑。动词的 mean 一词，用得恰当，却是很够味的，例如 You don’t realize what unemployment would mean to you.（你不知道失业的痛苦。）What he said was meant only for fun.（他说的只是戏言。）He means ill towards me.（他对我不怀好意。）To copy 1,000 characters means at least an hour’s work.（抄一千字至少也是一小时的工作。）等等。但是 it meant the first time 很少听人说过，普通都是说 it was the first time. 英文要写得好，就在务用“陈言”，要照他们习惯的用法，不要自己来新创。
第二段中 enchant 一词，只有两义：一为魔术，一为迷人。而后义常要说出人来，如 I was enchanted with the music（或 her.）Her voice enchanted him. 故与其放在后面来形容岛，不如移到前面来形容人。单只说灯光（glittering lights）由下而上，使人莫名其妙，此种形容只宜用于读者已明白所指为何的时候才可以，即是前面已将事物交代清楚，读者心目中既经有了一个物象，再听到一般描绘，自然更如亲眼目击，而有身历其境之感了。
第三段关于动词的 tense 略有更易。“广州是一个繁华的城市”，并未成为陈迹，在作者去的时候如此，今日仍如此，所以不应该用过去动词，而宜用现在动词。
又习俗的不同，只有一个“不同”，因为虽有各种不同的习俗，其不同则一也。所以 diffference in custom 宜用单数。第一个 people 既是“指定”为“本城的”（of this city），不是一般的人，就应在词前加“指定”的冠词，即定冠词的 the。第二个 people，就不必重说，应该用 those 来代替才好。suburbs 也是指定的，也应该加定冠词。
第四段中的 experience 既是指在广州及香港两地的，即是两回经验，故应改为复数。同样“记忆”也是复杂而不单纯的，应以复数为佳。上面既说了两个以上的地方，place 就得用复数，说“第一次旅行”，不如说“初旅”来得简明，而无浪费的字眼。在 home 前再加上一个 native 的形容词，犯了关门闭户的毛病，因为 native 是“故乡的”，而 home 又是“家乡”呢。这种用法在修辞学上，叫作 tautology（无谓的重复），写文章，应该避免，无论中英文，皆以简明为尚，堆砌总不是好文章。
Until I was twenty-two years of age, I had never been away from Shanghai, my native city, for more than a week. In fact, I had made only a few excursions to nearby cities, such as Hangchow, Changsu, etc. The spring of 1938 when I decided to embark on a mining enterprise in Southern Kiangsi, was the first time I made a long journey.
At that time, people traveling from Shanghai to Southern Kiangsi used to go via Hongkong and Canton. I sailed for Hongkong early in May. When I arrived there, I was fascinated by the beauty of this prosperous, semitropical city. The ferryboats between Kowloon and Hongkong, the cable cars going up the hill, and the sunny resorts at the seaside were among the many things that enchanted me. The island was loveliest at night, when the luminous trams running to and fro like shuttles of fire along the highways presented a miraculous view to people looking from the opposite shore or cruising on the sea.
I stayed at Hongkong for a couple of days, and then proceeded to Canton by the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Canton, the metropolis of South China, is a magnificent city. Like Shanghai, it has gorgeous department stores, pretentious hotels and restaurants, and broad streets crowded with people. What interested me most, however, was the notable difference in custom between the people of this city and those living in the Yangtze Delta, whom I had known. I particularly liked the picturesque scenery of the suburbs, which is characteristic of semitropical regions.
I spent about five days in Canton before I went on my journey to Kiangsi, but my experiences in that city and in Hongkong were the pleasantest of all my memories, because it was the first trip that I had made to places quite remote and different from my native town.
MY WEAKNESS IN WRITING ENGLISH
I am not afraid of writing, but I have never written anything voluntarily. Of writing I can often think in the course of my reading, but, whenever I sit down to put something on the white paper, I can do nothing but hold my pen in the open air. It is of no use to sit there long, nor is of any advantage for me to give it up soon. What I often do is to write a letter instead of a serious product of my thought. By so doing I am also often puzzled by the idea that I should not write something without meaning.
It is surely a weakness of my writing. But it may be also my weakness of thinking or something like that. How to explain it I do not know.
As for English-writing I have another drawback, which, if not very serious, at least has given me much pain whenever I hold my pen. That is the“choice of words. ”I have often tried my best to think of the proper word I should use in expressing some kind of idea, but it seems to me that all I have learned are out of my memory and that no proper word is available. The more I think of it the much I am puzzled. This is probably because my memory is too poor to give me what I want in retrospection. Or else it would be my carelessness in reading. I think no other explanation.
此稿出自某大学英文系同学之手，所以较诸其他原作稿为佳。既无多少语法上的错误要改正，只好在造句上着眼，在逻辑上注意，在意义上补充。
第一段 in the course of my reading 中的 my 是多余的。white paper 是白纸，blank paper 才是“空白的纸”。in the open air 是“在露天底下”，用在此地，全不适当。soon 意为“不久”，多指未来而言，至于用作 at once 解，现在已经作废了，只有在 no sooner than 等几个惯用语句中才保留着那个意思。serious product 很费解，只宜说 proud product 或 meritorious product 或 intellectual product 等等。在 puzzle 后多用 with，如 I was puzzled with the question，很少用 by 的。
第二段原文似乎太简约，仅以不知如何来说明一句了之。现引申原意，加了一点字句进去，使得前后三段文字长短较为均匀。
末段说 another drawback，从逻辑上讲，颇有欠妥之处，因前面并没有说过什么“缺点”呢。“在记忆中”虽可说 in one’s memory 或 within the memory，但“忘记”则不能说 out of one’s memory（只能说 out of mind），如用动词则可说 slip one’s memory 或 Memory is gone and cannot recollect it in the least. 又 the more ，the more 前后要一致，都用比较格才是，much 不是比较格，所以语法有误。Or else it would be 的 would 宜改为 may，因为这里要的是“也许”的意思。I think no other explanation 一句，在 I think 后面至少要加 there is 进去才通。
I have so far not written anything spontaneously, though writing English composition is not a terrible business for me. In the course of reading something in English, I often feel my finger itching to write myself, but whenever I take up the pen and sit before a piece of blank paper, I am at a loss to word a single sentence. I know it is no use waiting for the first word that would hardly come out of my pen, nor is it of any advantage for me to give it up for good. So, as a purely temporary makeshift, I often change my mind and write a personal letter instead. By so doing I am rather puzzled with the idea that I am writing something without being able to put forth my thought, which is more for a composition than a letter.
Stage fright is always in the way of success. In the same manner, my numbness in starting to write something in English encumbers my road to composition. It is certainly a particular weakness of mine. But I don’t know whether it is a weakness of thinking or a weakness of acting. Stage fright is purely a mental weakness；in other words, one can do it, and it is only because of his fright that he fails to do it. So, it is a weakness of acting. And my numbness in writing may be of a different nature, for it is not only the temporary shyness but also the actual ability that fails me in writing English.
Why am I unable to write？I think I know the hitch. It is the choice of words which gives me much pain while I hold my pen without writing anything. I have often tried my best to think of a proper word I should use in expressing same kind of idea, but it seems to me that all I have learned has evaporated from my memory and nothing is available for the moment when I most want it. The more I think of it, the more I am puzzled. This is probably because my memory is too poor to give me what I want in retrospection. Or else it may be my carelessness in reading. I believe I am not weak mentally.
ONE MOONLIT NIGHT
It was the dead of night. I had finished my lessons and walked lonely to the neglected fields. The moon had risen over the hills and was shining brightly on the ground. The earth was under horrible quiet.
As I wondered under the moonlight, the past events gradually came to my mind. Having left far from my native country, today I cannot smelt any delicious of mud of my home. It was just the landscape that having lifted my head to look at the moon, I thus dropped it to think of my native land.
Recollection must be sweet, but as lonesome I am, it only added to more of my distress. Recollect the will which my father gave me on the eve of his death. I could still remember it well“My dear son, we are going to part, as God is unfriendly. I am not cruel enough to leave you, but I can not…”
Thinking of these, I lay on the meadows and heard a crying of birds come from some distant place. I was troubled with affliction.
上面这篇文章是台南第二中高中部一位同学投来的作文稿，我们为鼓励中学同学英文写作及踊跃投稿起见，特为提前批改，希望对他们确能有所帮助。
第一句的 the dead of night 之前，要加一个 in 或 at 才好，因为“那是深夜”，照语法上讲是不完全的，应说“那是在深夜”才合逻辑。lonely 是一个 adjective，表示孤独的状态（state）的，比说 solitary 更要多含忧郁的感情，在人群中感到孤独，不能说 solitary，只能说 lonely。如 I feel lonely among these people. 说 lonesome 比 lonely 意思更强，这儿把 lonely 改为 alone，是因为在 walked 之后须接一个副词，而 alone= by oneself 作副词用，有独自之意。neglect 作动词用时，意为“疏忽”，“怠慢”，“轻视”，用在田地上似乎不合，故依照原意改为 untilled。所有的介词后面都应该接名词，在 under 后不能接形容词的 quiet（名词为 quietness 及 quietude）。要形容万籁俱寂，故加一句微风不动，a breath of air（或 wind），正是一个适合的短语。
第二段中的 under the moonlight，宜改为 in the moonlight 较常用。要用 under 时后面就不要 the，如“月下的梅花”则为 plum blossoms under moonlight。“远离故乡”不宜用 having left far from my native country，在此只可说 staying far from my native country。在 can 后要接 smell, 不能接过去式的 smelt, 其 Object 也应是一个名词，不可用形容词的 delicious（名 delicacy）。在 It is（或 was）后面应接个 that-Clause，所以在该句 lifted 之前的那个 having 是不能要的，只能加一个 Subject，如 It is only when a friend is going on a longish journey that we turn up at the railway station. 因为 it= that-Clause，其真正的主语是 that-Clause，而不是 it。
第三段中既用了 add to，就不宜再用 more。又在同一句中前面用了 recollect，后面又用 remember，未免重复了。不要说 I am not cruel enough to leave you，应说 I am not so cruel as to leave you，虽则这两种表现法，很多时候是可以换用的。
第四段的 thinking of these，上面只说到一件事故应改为 this。你所躺下的只有一个牧场，也不可以用 meadows。在 heard a crying of birds come from some distant place 句中用了两个动词（heard 及 come）是要不得的，至少要在 come 前面加 which 或 that 字眼才通。在莎士比亚时代的英文，就常略去这种关系代词，现代英文是一定要有的。
It was in the dead of night. I had finished my lessons and walked alone to an untilled field. The moon peeped over the hills and was shining brightly on the ground. There was not a breath of air, and everything was quiet.
As I wandered in the moonlight, several past events came to my mind. When I lifted my head to look at the moon, I began to think of my home and my native land.
I did not have sweet recollections. I was in great distress to recall the eve of my father’s death.“My dear son, we are going to part forever, ”he murmured.“I cannot bear to leave you, but it is God’s will…”This I could still remember very well.
While thinking of this, I lay on the meadow and heard the crying of birds in some distant place, which woke me from my sad reverie.
WHEN A LIE IS NECESSARY
People have the inclination to enliven up their conversation by lying, as we call it white lie, a harmless one. Though lies are by no means commendable, but they are excusable in certain circumstances. Taking my case, I have a relative those greediness has seduced her to take advantage of her relatives and friends. She tricked us of money from time to time that I am forced to tell a lie to prevent her from meeting my parents. Such a lie, I believe, is harmless, too.
A lie is necessary if one wants to keep a latter secret——at least, if he does not like its being in everybody’s mouth.
People are particularly fond of prying out others’affairs which once found, can never be prevented from spreading about in a snort while, and very often, according to their nature, something new will surely be added in the course of circulation. Therefore, telling a lie to blind the fact is sometimes necessary.
No accusation should be charged upon such a lie which is told to defend oneself against tricks and injuries. Conversely, if one tells me that he never told a lie in his life, I would believe him a great liar, and if he did, he must be a man rather characterized by dullness, for he cannot employ a wit or a prompt sagacity by telling a harmless lie when necessary.
中国话说“有某种倾向”，在英语中常爱用动词代替我们的名词，即是不大说 have the inclination to，而要说 be inclined to。在 enliven 一词后不要加 up。在 white lie 前面一定要加冠词，否则就要用复数的 lies。一个句子前头用了 though 字，后面便不能再接 but；要用 but，前面就不能用 though。所谓 circumstance 是“情况”，在本句中应该用“场合”case 更为适宜些。“诈取”在英文中应说 trick a person out of something, 这个 out 是不可少的。现将句中的 us 改为 them，以便使之与前面说的 her relatives and friends 一致。在 that 的前面加用 so，才能表示出因果关系来。这一大段，应分为两段。
第二段中的 pry 一词为含有干涉或好奇之意的“探问”“密查”“窃探”，所以后面接的介词以 into 为佳，即 pry into other people’s affairs（探问他人的事）。但如果是说“探出一件秘密来”的话，就可说 pry out a secret。与其说 can never be prevented from spreading about in a short while 一大串，不如利用一个简单的成语 take（或 get）wind（风闻一时，使世人皆知）。to blind 是“蒙蔽”的意思，为什么要说“去蒙蔽事实”而有撒谎的必要，其实不是要“蒙蔽事实”，而只是要“免人乱放谣言”，故将 to blind the fact 删除。
末段第一句中的 which 改成 as 之后，就可与前面的 such 呼应了。to defend 后面接 against 或 from 都可以。I would believe 应改成 we should think，这后面如用 him，就应接 to be a liar，所以现将 him 改为 he is。所谓 if he did 的 did 一词，只能代表 he is a liar，与原意不合，故改为 what he says is true。后面既用了 wit 一字，前面就不必说 dullness，因为意思重复了。所谓 wit，即是“机智”或“急智”之意，自然不必再说 prompt sagacity 了。
总之，文章应力求简洁，含义要深，用词要少，才是上乘。同时要推陈出新，言人所不能言，又要富于风趣，而有余味。
People are sometimes inclined to enliven their conversation by lying. It is what we call a white lie, or a harmless lie. Though lies are by no means commendable, they are excusable in certain cases.
I know a woman whose greediness has seduced her to take advantage of her relatives and friends. She tricks them out of their money so often that they are forced to tell a lie later in order to get rid of her. Such a lie, I believe, is a harmless one.
A lie is necessary if one wants to keep a matter secret, or if one does not like its being in everybody’s mouth. Some people are particularly fond of prying into others’secrets which, once known, will soon take wind. Very often, something new will be added in the course of circulation. So, telling a lie is sometimes necessary.
We should not, therefore, accuse one of such a lie as is told to defend one from tricks and injuries. Conversely, if a man says that he has never told a lie in his life, we should think he is a liar. If what he says is true, he must be a man who has not a tincture of wit:for he cannot tell, in case of necessity, a harmless lie.
A GAS METER
The legend had it that Lie is the son of Devil, and the first cry he uttered then he came into the world was a lie with a sting to his natural enemy, the Truth. When things come to be detriment to his interest, he spreads rumors and sends out anonymous letters in opprobrious terms against his enemies；when there seems to be a chance to gain power, or win a position, he would dispatch a large pack of minions and claques to sing him praise with a view to create a favorable atmosphere；and when there seems to be an ill omen to lose power, he will bite like dog with rabies those who are unfortunate enough happened to come across his way.
When the printing machine was invented, as was said, it was invented in the interest of the Devil. The improved language and the new invention joined to serve as two strong wings of Lie and enable him to fly high and far in order to scatter dust in the eyes of the multitudes, to distort the Truth, and to trump up false reports；and as there must have two knives in scissors, so there are a Liar and his right-hand man, working collaboration to insinuate, to lure, to bully and to threat. Where liar failed, the man would use his influence:they are working in mutual affirmation and conspiring in evil purposes. Psychologist tells us there is a propensity in many, to lie and in many, to believe. As was said, the vilest writer has his readers, so the greatest liar has his believers. The Devil, as was so believed, had bequeathed the magic wand to his son, the Liar；so whatever the Liar says will be believed by masses；even the wise men will sometimes give in.
The pessimists lament that falsehood flies and truth limps behind；while the implacable moralists attempt to undeceive and disillusion；whereas, I believe in the maxim that it is worth to mend the fold, if there are still some sheep left. Although it is late, but it would help the cause of Truth. If we would only pool our forces together and funnel them on a single purpose of combating that Liar. Lie would certainly be driven from the world and be chained in the bottomless pit for ever.
这是一位留美多年，得到美国艾奥瓦大学硕士学位的老先生所投来的稿件，他写给编者的信上说：Herewith I humbly submit an article for you，if you have time to run it over；and which is more，I would be too glad and appreciate of your kindness，if you would stoop to prune for me，（and especially to correct the grammars）. 虽文字上有点问题，但还不至于以辞害意，其虚怀若谷的态度，至为明显，编者也就只好接受下来，不揣冒昧地将来稿加以批改，如措辞不够委婉，而有所冒犯之处，尚希原作者只当童言无忌，赐予原谅为幸。
这篇文章的内容，虽同样的是论“撒谎”的，却远不如本刊上期所登的 When A Lie Is Necessary （原稿出自一位师大同学之手）。作者不愧为一位留美学生，知道的英文生词诚然不少，只可惜不大知道它们的用法。文中用的一些比喻，也多半混乱不清，使人难于索解，加之语句拉得太长，有欠简洁，而害辞意。
凡作“主张”“断言”“说”（assert、maintain、say）解的 have，应该用现在时态，不可用过去时态，例如 as Shakespeare has it（有如莎翁所说）；Rumor has it so（谣涿如是云云）。故 The legend had it 应改为 The legend has it 才通。为求使语句简明化，故第一句说完那“传说”即可止住。关于 detriment 一词，普通只有 to the detriment of 或 without detriment to 两种说法，故现采用其一，以免生硬。在从句中既用了现在时态的 seems，在主句中就不可再用过去时态的 would, 故特改为 will, 以求时态的一致。claque 一词出自法文，原意为剧场等地雇用的一群捧场者（a group of people paid to go to a play，opera，etc，and applaud），引申为一群阿谀称赞的附和者（a group of admiring or fawning followers），实为一集合名词，不可加复数，其中的一个人就说 claqueur。关于“赞美某人”应该说 sing the praises of him 或 sing his praises，不可说 sing him praise。其造句的公式为 sing a person’s praises（the praises of a person），但是你可以说 sing me song（给我唱个歌）。with a view to 后应该接 Gerund，不可接 Infinitive。在 he will bite like dog with rabies those who are unfortunate enough happened to come across his way 一句中，最大的错误为 happened 一词没有 Subject，因为前面的 those 是动词 bite 的 Object。又 dog 一个名词，如不用复数，其前就得加冠词。come across 有四个意思：①掠过，为 come across the mind（忽然想到）；②邂逅（meet by chance）；③为俗语的支付，如 come across with $10；④自认，告白（confess），但没有“妨碍”之意，所以不能说 come across his way，只能说 come in his way。
第二段的第一句中，一连用了两个 was invented 未免重复了，故删去了一个，而将前半的从句改为主句。the improved language 不知何所指，因印刷机的发明与文字的改进并无关系，故将其改为 written language。在 as there must have two knives in scissors，so there are a Liar and his right-hand man 一句中，也犯着上述 happened 同样的毛病，must have 一个动词没有 Subject。刀剑及剪刀的“刀身”，英文不说 knife, 要说 blade, 如 a sword with a broad blade 及 the blade of a knife 之类。Psychologist 是一个 singular common noun, 如前面不加冠词，就得改为复数，这和上面说的 dog 同一错法。
第三段中最不可宽恕的错误，就是 although 与 but 的连用，这是中学生都知道的：前面既用了 although 或 though, 后面就不能再用 but, 后面用了 but, 前面就不能用 although 或 though。又 pool 一词作动词用时，意为“为大家的利益而集资”（to contribute a common fund），不能用为“集中（力量）”的意思。funnel 一词，作“专注”、“集中（精力）”解时，后面应接 into，不宜用 on。
最后，我得在此声明一句，本篇原题为 Anonymous Letter, 因与内容不大符合，故冒昧改成现在的题目，这也是要请作者原谅的。至于我为什么改题为 A Gas Meter 呢？因为英文俗语有 to lie like a gas meter, 意为胡言乱语道，专作卑鄙龌龊之谎言，其来源当然是因为瓦斯表最不可靠，故有此语。
The legend has it that the devil is the father of lies. When born a lie is armed with a sting to wound his natural enemy, the Truth. If things go against him, he will spread rumors and send out anonymous letters, to the detriment of his enemy. When there seems to be a chance to gain power or to win a position, he will dispatch a large pack of minions to sing his praises, with a view to creating a favorable atmosphere；and when there seems to be a decline in power, he will bite, like a dog having rabies, those who happen to come in his way.
The printing machine, it is said, was invented, in the interest of the Devil. The written language and the new invention serve as two strong wings for a lie which will enable him to fly near and far, to scatter dust in the eyes of the multitude, and to trump up false reports, in order to distort the Truth. As scissors have two blades, a Liar has his right-hand man working in collaboration with him to insinuate, to lure, to bully and to cheat. Where the Liar fails, the man will use his influence. Psychologists tell us that many people have a propensity to lie and many, to believe. As we know, the vilest writer has his readers, so the greatest liar has his believers. Since the Devil has bequeathed his magic wand to his son, whatever the Liar says will always be believed by the masses.
The pessimists lament that falsehood flies and truth limps behind；while the implacable moralists attempt to undeceive and to disillusion. As for me, I believe in the maxim that it is worth while to mend the fold, if there are still some sheep left. Late as it is, it is better than never:for it will certainly help to promote the cause of Truth. If we would only join our forces for the purpose of combating that Liar, we would be able to get rid of the lies and have them chained in the deep dungeon for ever.
DON’T LET YOUR OPPORTUNITY SLIP
What is the true meaning of life？Many people especially the youth may always ask the question, but few can give him a satisfactory answer. There are full of annoyances, troubles, and disappointments in the world, if you don’t know the exact meaning of it:it is very dangerous to you. Dr. Sun Yat-sen said“The aim of life is to serve others. ”If you will live a happy life, you ought to catch your chance to do the best that you can for others. No matter you are young or old, man or woman, in your life, there are many good chances wait for you, but you don’t know how to catch them and utilize them properly, and let them pass away. At last you say you have no chance. What a pity it is!
Time is fleeting. You ought to work hard during the day. Don’t wait till dark, because in the night you can do nothing. At the same time, you should catch your golden age in your early life to study, to learn, to work. Whatever you do, you must do it well. You know life is very short, and it passes away when you are hesitating.
这是台南长荣女中一位高中学生投来的稿子。文字尚清顺，虽仍不免有语法上的错误（如 there are many good chances wait for you 句中的 wait 即须改为 waiting 才通），但大致都还可以。原题 Catch Your Chance，由批改者易为今题。
第二句后半 but few can give him a satisfactory answer 中的 him，当然是指前半句中的 the youth, 不过在此以作复数为佳，故不宜说 him，应说 them，但在此种句中，则根本不要说 him 或 them。这个后半句是中文直译的，意义上尚不完善，因为“很少有人能给一个满意的回答”，读者便会要问：“回答什么呢？”所以现将 but 改为 to which，便有一个交代了。If you don’t know the exact meaning of it 句中的 it，离本文第一句太远，在这句上面可充其 reference 的，有 world, answer, question 诸词，所以文字不紧凑，应说出 life 来，较为明白。it is very dangerous to you 说得太严重，不懂人生真义的人，世界上多得很，并无多大危险。作文不宜太夸张，过甚其词，反而失去意义。
说 if you will live a happy life 并不错，不过不必说得这样郑重，说成普通用的，if you wish to live happily，反而简明通俗得多。“抓住机会”普通是 seize（= catch）an opportunity（= occasion），“趁机会”或“利用机会”就说 take advantage（= avail oneself）of an opportunity；make use of an opportunity；take（= seize）occasion；take the tide as it appears；take time（= opportunity）by the forelock 等，却不大说 catch a chance, 故 you ought to catch your chance to do the best 一句今改为 you ought to avail yourself of every opportunity，以免生硬。失去机会说 let slip 或 miss，所以 let them pass 应改为 let them slip。
单说 wait till dark 不知什么 dark，一定要说 it is dark 才知道是说“天黑”。in the night you can do nothing（不能做事），也说得太过火，现改为 you can accomplish very few things，意为“难于成事”。golden age 是黄金时代，每个人在青春时期，都可称为黄金时代，故不好说“抓住你的黄金时代，只宜说“利用你的黄金时代”。有些多余的话，只好删去，以免累赘。
What is the true meaning of life? Many people, especially the youth, always ask this question to which few can give a satisfactory answer. As you know, there are annoyances, troubles, and disappointments in the world. If you don’t know the exact meaning of life, you will find that life is but an empty dream.“The aim of life, ”said Dr. Sun Yat-sen,“is to serve others. ”In other words, if you wish to live happily, you ought to avail yourself of every opportunity of serving others. For men, women, and even children, there are a good many chances to serve others. But it depends upon whether they will make good use of them or not.
Time is fleeting. If you have a chance to work, to study or to learn during the day, don’t wait till it is dark, because in the night you can accomplish very few things. Besides, whatever you do, you must do it well.
MY FAMILY
There are four in my family, one of them is I. The other members are my father, mother and elder brother. My father was fifty-nine years old. My mother was fifty-two years old. My elder brother was twenty-nine. I was the youngest in my family. My father serves in education, and my mother teaches pupil in primary school. We were very happy. Because my mother very kind for me, and saved money to buy some candies for me that I like. She always told me that“youth people ought to work hard, don’t waste time”that words I remember in my deep heart. She also very loved me. If I have ill, she consults the doctor at once and told me ought to have lay off a few days. So I was very pleased in every day and my boyhood.
I entered the school when I was about six. I have been studying about nine years. In 1949 I left my home. Now I have been lived in Taiwan for seven more years. Although I lived in free, yet I think of my home day and night, and always anxious my parents. I don’t know whether they living or die. I hope my parents all well and fit. That is my wish. Parents!Recently I’ll back home, and take a good news for you. Let you glad and happy to see your son back your side again.
这是马祖北竿塘前哨的一位战士所投来的作文稿。我们特提前为他批改发表，以资鼓励。他来信说他很年轻好学，只是没有进修的机会，自己研读遇到有问题时无人请教，颇感痛苦。这是值得同情的。所以我们乐意来帮助他。
第一句语法并不错，现改用 consist of 一个成语，句子便更要熟练一点。第二、三句可删去，因为下面就要分别说到的。说 My father was 59 years old. My mother was 52 years old. 当然不错，不过太呆板，造句的方式又嫌重复，所以把它改为“比我母亲大七岁的父亲有五十九岁了”。说 years of age 和说 years old 是一样的意思。时态都要用现在，因为第一句是用的现在时态。说活着的人都要用现在时态，要等到那人死了，才可改用过去时态。I was the youngest in my family. 难道现在就不是家庭中最小的一个了吗？所以要改为 I am the youngest in the family. 这里把 my 改为 the，即指上述的家庭。“父亲在教育中服务”是不大明白的，只能说在教育界服务，现改为“在一个教育机关服务”，比较具体。“教学生”或“授徒”是中国话，英文只说 teach 就够了，至多说 teach school，不说 teach pupil。在 primary school 前要加冠词。说过去的事，就可以用过去时态，即 I was very happy 云云，是说小时候的事。kind 意为亲切，只宜用于朋友，母子之间应说爱（love），还有应说 kind to me，不说 kind for me。英文的 youth 是一个名词，不能说 youth people，只能说 young people。说 don’t 是对第二人称的命令语气，现主语既是 young people，自然应是第三人称了。that 是单数，其复数为 those，正如 this 的复数为 these 一样。我们不能说 very loved me，只能说 loved me very much。照语法是现在分词前用 very（如 very interesting），过去分词前用 much（说 much interested）。说 have ill 是纯粹中国话的“有病”译出来的，在英文是不通的，因为有字后面必须接一个名词做宾语（Object），而 ill 却是一个形容词。即令改为名词的 illness 也不通，因为英文中没有 have illness（有病）的说法，现改为 I was ill（我病了）就通了。
第二段中说 I have been lived 是不通的，因为我们住在一个地方，不能用被动，只能说 I have lived（到现在为止住了）或 I have been living（过去住到现在，还要继续住下去）。说 seven more years 是“再加七年”，说“七年多”应作 more than seven years。所有的介词后面都要接名词，free 是形容词，所以不能说 in free。现在正住着，不能说 I lived（过去住了），而要说 I am living。又 anxious 是形容词，不能说 I anxious，应说 I am anxious，该词后要接上一个 about，意思才能表达出来。用连词联结的词，前后应为同类的词句，living 是形容词而 die 是动词，所以不能连在一起，应说 live or die。两个人说 both，两人以上用 all。在 let 后面要接动词，不能接形容词。最后之句删除为妥。
My family consists of four persons. My father, who is seven years older than my mother, is fifty-nine years of age. My elder brother is twenty-nine；and I am the youngest in the family. My father serves in an educational institution, and my mother teaches in a primary school. I was very happy, because my mother loved me very much. She saved money to buy me candies which I like better than anything else.“Young people, ”she always said to me,“ought to work hard and mustn’t waste their time. ”These words I remember quite well. When I was ill, she would go at once to consult the doctor. So I was very happy during my boyhood.
I went to school when I was about six. In 1949 I left my home for Taiwan, where I have been living for more than seven years. Although I am living in a free country, yet I think of my home day and night. I am very anxious about my parents. I hope, however, they both are well and fit.
ON EYES
Human being is bestowed by God a pair of eyes, which though are different in colors and in degrees of brilliance, have the same function—to see.
As the windows are to the house, so are the eyes to the body；and in modern architecture, many windows are preferable；for whenever we open the windows, everything within the visual field comes in and with it the fresh air. By this way, we connect ourselves with the external world and are able to learn something from it. Therefore, the eyes are one of the sources of knowledge by which we educate and adopt ourselves to the circumstances day by day.
Yet whether one who has two eyes is more fortunate than one with one eye is still questionable. If you are acquainted with Helen Keller, the blind authoress, in the Reader’s Digest, you will be inspired into such a thought that one can achieve a great deal without eyes at all.
Moreover, the eyes are too ready for their duty；they cannot be restrained from beholding what they meet at the moment；you can only divert your attention as quickly as possible from one to another, yet are uncertain to catch a better one at the second moment.
Sometimes, you have to see those you dislike, including your enemies, for your eyes cannot foresee them without being noticed. It is very strange to say that the eyes have a secret message sent out for mutual communication. But it seems that the more you hate to see them, the more you will often meet.
Since not all the external world is full of pleasing and delightful things, an one-eyed person may be more fortunate in seeing less ugly things by narrowing his scope of vision, if this does not affect the beauty of his countenance.
这篇文章字句拖沓，有欠简洁，且有时词不达意，使人看过，猜不透作者的意思，故批改时是以大刀阔斧，常整句地加以割爱的。
第一段的 human being 与 man 不同，man 用作人类解时可以不加冠词，但 human being 如不用做复数（即 human beings），则前面应加不定冠词的 a 才妥。关于 bestow 一词的用法应加注意，第一它后面常跟 upon（或 on），其次是应说“物”is bestowed upon“人”, 不可说“人”is bestowed“物”，例如 I do not deserve all the praise that is bestowed upon me. 或 I hardly deserve such benefit as was bestowed upon me. 之类。color 和 degree 在这种情形下，都要用单数。in color 意为“在颜色上”，in degree 意为“在程度上”。
说开窗一切都进来了，实际是不对的，只能说开窗见到一切，故 everything…comes in，宜改为 everything will come in sight。我们不能说眼睛是知识的来源，只能说是获得知识的工具，因为知识并不能发源于眼睛，人人都有眼睛并不见得人人都有知识，只有那些善用眼睛这个工具去观察事物的人，才能获得知识，故将 source of knowledge 改为 instrument of knowledge，以求合乎逻辑。adopt 是“收纳”“采用”之意，“使适合”应说 adapt，如“他使自身适合于新的环境”He adapted himself to new circumstances。
你可以说 a man with one eye 或是 blind in one eye，但不宜说 one with one eye，因两个 one 念起来不好听，故宜改为 an eye。
meet 不能代替 see 用，故 what they meet at the moment 是不大通用的，虽则你可以说 meet the eye= be visible（看见）；meet a person’s eye（注意到别人望着我；我也去回望他）。下面说的 you can only divert…second moment 一句，因意思不显，故删去，而将下段冒头的 sometimes 一句接上来，其 for 以下所说的理由并不显明，故一并删除。
我们平常说的 The eyes have one language everywhere 意指眉目可以传情，不必通以言语，这句 the…eyes secret message 云云，应移到第二段的末了，意思较为衔接。But 以下一句，意思又变了，故删去。
one 的发音为〔wʌn〕，是辅音，故其前不可用 an。说 his scope of vision，正如说 your state of health 一样不对，因为 your 是形容 health，而不是形容 state 的，同样地 his 是形容 vision，而不是形容 scope 的。这也是属于逻辑上的错误，而不是语法的错误，比方说 He is an undoubted man of genius. 就不通，因为我们要说他的，是他的 undoubted genius，而不是 undoubted man，所以这句话应改为 He is a man of undoubted genius. 才通。同样，我们不可以说 his English knowledge, 应说 his knowledge of English。诸如此类，作文时应多加注意。
The eyes bestowed upon man by God have the same function of seeing though they may be different in color and in degree of brilliance.
As the windows are to the house, so are the eyes to the body. Whenever we open our eyes, everything within the visual field will come in sight. With their aid, we can acquaint ourselves with the external world in which an infinite number of wonderful and beautiful things may be revealed. In fact, we may say that the eyes are the instrument of knowledge with which we can educate and adapt ourselves to new circumstances. Besides, through the eyes secret messages may be telegraphed between two persons.
It is doubtful, however, whether a man who has two eyes is more fortunate than one with an eye. If you have read about Helen Keller, the blind authoress, in the Reader’s Digest, you will perhaps think that one can do, without the help of the eyes a good many things as well.
Moreover, the eyes are too ready for their duty; they cannot be restrained from beholding what is before them. Sometimes you cannot avoid seeing those you dislike, including your enemies.
Since not all the things which present themselves before our eyes are pleasing and delightful, a one-eyed person is supposed to be more fortunate in seeing less of the ugly by narrowing the scope of his vision, if his being one-eyed does not affect the beauty of his countenance.
A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
I don’t think you will surprise at receiving a letter from me.
A few days ago, I received words from Mr. Chou；he told me that you have received an anonymous letter which is in terms derogatory to me. I thank you for your kind information.
You know some people are hard-headed, whereas, I am an iron-head；I never hesitate in confronting a foe. But tell you the truth, I am instinctively afraid of ghost, simply because it comes on you unawares. So in dealing with the cowards, liars, and that sort of persons, I am afraid, just like a kid, of a dog. Napoleon had once said,“The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know. ”Few men are stronger than Napoleon, so I am not ashamed, if I say I am afraid of the sneakers.
Let us all put on the breastplate of Truth, and the armor of Faith to combating the Liar, the Coward. I am sure you would be too glad to join me in the battle.
Herewith I humbly submit an article, captioned“Anonymous Letter”, for you, if you have time to run it over, and which is more, I would be too glad and appreciate of your kindness, if you would stoop to prune for me,（and especially to correct the grammars）, you know, to say the truth, I am a phony.
P. S. If you have anything to be circulated, please give one to me.
自从本刊第九卷第一期“英文作文批改”栏中刊出那位留美硕士的文稿以后，读者纷纷来函，希望我们把他写给编者的那封信整个都发表出来，以窥全豹，而共欣赏其奇文，我们当然不便拒绝。同时省立××大学的师生们，也都知道了这是×××教授的杰作，因为这篇文章的“原作稿”，早经作者分送给了各教授的缘故。有些好学而正在研究英文的教授，都来向编者索取该期的“大样”，想看钱歌川教授是怎样替他批改的。还有一些工学院土木系那位教授所教的英文班上的同学，也纷纷致函编者，以纯粹研究学问的立场，来讨论那位教授所写的英文，例如有人来问那位教授对各课所出的问题，都称为 Quest, 辞典上此词作“探寻”“探险”解，并无问题（Question）之意，不知究竟如何？我们只好告诉他说辞典是对的，那位教授的用法不敢苟同。又有一位同学，将那位教授英文期中考试的试题抄写一句出来，问我们那英文通不通：Answer the following question with your own English：——When Booker T. Washington reached Hampton，how much money he has left in his pocket？编者对他的答复是，with your own English 不通，因为学生不能各人有各人的英文，普通只能说 with your own words。至于下面那个问句，是一个陈述句，不成其为问句。凡问句是要把主语和谓语颠倒的，改为 how much money had he left, 便成为问句了。关于问句，大概那位教授写的都不合这规则，所以来问类似的句子的人很多，如 Why Mr. Simpson stood？Why they went home？都是犯的同样的错误。最近还有一个姓赵的同学，抄了那教授试题上的一个问句来问意义：Do you think when you come on to the field，you have the right play instead with your feet in soccer game，with your tongue too？这意思我们也看不大懂，因为 instead 后面不接 of，而接 with，我们还是第一次看到呢。听说那位教授对于这班学生的无礼（因为他出的问题被送到校长那里去了），很是生气，他对校长说，他教了三十年的书, 从来没有听见有人说过他的英文不通的，足见这班学生是胡闹，对老师大不敬。闲话不表，言归正传。
第一句中的 surprise 一字，不能用作不及物动词，所以原文说 you will surprise 是错了的。这是个及物动词，我们只能说 It will surprise you…或 You will be surprised.
第二段第一句话，一连用了两个 received，表示作者词不够用，说来说去，就是这几个词。因此为避免重复计，不妨将第一个 received 改为 had。至于那作“传言”“音讯”（message）解的 word，是不能加 s 用复数的，它前面也不要加冠词，如 I have had no word from him yet. I received word of his coming. 无论说话写文章，都要注意“时的一致”（sequence of tenses）。除了一二特殊情形外，在一句中前面既用了过去动词，后面就不能再用现在动词，如 Chou told me that you have received a letter. 句中 told 为 tell 的过去，即表示周告诉我是在过去，他告诉我已发生的事情，当然更在过去，为什么可以用现在的完成时呢？这是中学生都不应犯的错误。下面的 which is 的 is，也犯的同一毛病。
第三段第一句的 you know 与后半的 I am 不相称，I am 应与前半的 some people 对称才是，但行文上看去却是 you 与 I 相比，所以现将 you know 改为 parenthetical expression（插入句）。whereas 是一个 conj. 所以词后不要逗号，意为 when in fact，例如 I hate， whereas you merely dislike, him.（我恨他，而你不过是不喜欢他罢了。）这里不用 whereas，而用 but，就有力多了。iron-head 是矢车菊或白颊凫，见 WNID（《韦氏大辞典》），要做形容词用的 iron-headed 才有 very hard-headed 之意，现改为 a man of blood and iron（硬汉；铁血男儿），便能表出原意来了。But tell you the truth 一句，没有主语，不成其为一个句子，又不是一个短语，不伦不类，所以不通，现改成一个 infinitive phrase，才可成为一个 independant element（独立的因素）。举凡单数的普通名词，不可单独用，要么前面加冠词，要么尾上加 s，作为复数，故 ghost 一词，应改为 ghosts 才对。这也是普通学生不应犯的错误。I am afraid of ghost，simply because it comes on you unawares. 前半句用的 I，后半句又一变而为 you 了，真是所谓“前后判若两人”，说这话的人，其无常情可想。这个 you 宜改为 us 或 me 才通。in dealing with the cowards（用了 the coward 就不宜用复数），与 I am afraid of a dog，其间到底有什么关系呢？作者思路不清，由此可见。Past Perfect Tense 是用于过去以前的，拿破仑说的“说”字，只该用单纯过去，不可用过去完成。
第四段第一句中 to combating the Liar 的 to 不是 Preposition，为什么后面要接上一个 Gerund 呢？这只能接不定词的 combat，普通在 combat 后可直接 Object, 但在此做不及物动词用更好，所以加上一个 with。在 the Liar 与 the Coward 之间不用 and 联结起来时, coward 即变成 liar 的同格词了。“撒谎者即卑怯者”，岂不可笑？too glad to join 是“太高兴而不参加”的意思，作者原意是想说 only too glad to join, 可惜他对这两种表现法分不清楚，所以混为一谈了。
第五段“Anonymous Letter”前面应有冠词，因 letter 是单数普通名词，不加冠词则要用复数。to submit（= offer，present）an article for you, 是不通的，在 submit 后面接的 Preposition 并不是不可以用 for 或 with，不过在此用 for 就错了。我们只能说 submit it for approval 或 submit it to you 。又句中说的 and which is more 的 which 无所指，既非指前面的某一名词，又非指前面的一整句，或一个从句，或一个短语，突如其来用上这么一个关系代词，而前面并无有关系的名词，所以犯了一种语法上不可饶恕的错误。在 to appreciate 后面不可以接上一个 of, 应直接地接那 Object 的 your kindness, 因为它不是一个不及物动词，又 to prune for me 一语也不完全，读者一定要问 prune 什么呢？在这个及物动词的后面一定要接一个 Object 才行。在这句的后面括号内的 and，也不知联结何词何句，凡连词总得有可联结的东西，联结词与词，或联结句与句皆可，无词句可联结时，也用上此词就是错误。grammar 一词普通没有人用复数。除非用来指各种不同的语法书时，才可用复数。这里说请改正多数的语法书，岂不好笑！
最后的 I remain 与 always（通常用 ever）是同样的意思，用一个就够了。再启中的 one 字，也是不通的，因为我们只能说 one of them，不能说 one of anything。
总之，这封简短的信，从头到尾，没有一句通的。要不是那位教授的高足宣布于前，他自己又撰文散发于后，谁会相信一位留学美国，荣获硕士头衔，又多年充任英文教授的人，英文会坏到这种程度呢？
Dear Editor,
I don’t think you will be surprised at receiving a letter from me.
A few days ago, I had word from Mr. Chou who told me that you had received an anonymous letter which was in terms derogatory to me. I thank you for your kind information.
Some people, you know, are hard-headed, but I am a man of blood and iron and never hesitate in confronting a foe. To tell the truth, I am instinctively afraid of ghosts, simply because they come on us unawares. Just like a kid who is afraid of dogs, I am afraid of such persons as cowards and liars. Napoleon once said,“The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know. ”As few men are stronger than Napoleon, I am, therefore, not ashamed of myself, if I say I am afraid of the sneakers.
Let us all put on the breastplate of Truth, and the armor of Faith to combat with the Liar and the Coward. I am sure you would like to join me in the battle.
Herewith I humbly submit an article, captioned“An Anonymous Letter”. If you have time, will you run it over？I would be only too pleased, if you would stoop to prune it for me（that is, to correct the mistakes in grammar）.
P. S. If you have anything to be circulated, please give me a copy of it.
NATURE AND KNOWLEDGE
It is not a new idea that we consider nature as a great book. Since our old progenitors have no book to read, but they took nature as a great book. They took part in a hunt with their parents or elders. They participate in their elders work, and learned many things from it. Their parents told them skills and knowledge. They learned by doing；they learned from nature. This is what we call today that education is life, and life is also education.
Since the invention of the art of printing, we have progressed in civilization very much. But, on the other band, we were far apart from nature, from society, we got second-hand knowledge from books, from teachers and from magazines. Thus many educators suggested that we must learned by trip. Montaigne, a French educator, said that we（teachers）must bring our children（students）to make a journey. Let them take a view of other people’s life, compare the civilization of foreign countries with ours, and learn the cultural systems of others. The students may be cultivated with broad mind and far sight in nature. Nature is a great book!
在 regard 后面要用 as，在 consider 后面便不要用。在上半句说 progenitors have ，下半句接着又说 they took ，前后时态不一致，故将 have 改为 had。同一主语的两个句子，应合成一句，而略去一个主语，如 they took part 及 they participate（此词也应用过去时态），改为 they took part…or participated。在中文可以说“告诉他们一些技能和知识”，但英文则不能说 tell them skill and knowledge（skill 一词一般不用复数），这时候在英文中惯常的说法，是“获得技能和知识”（acquire，attain，have，possess 等）。
在英文中喜欢用名词加动词来表示动作，而不直接用动词，如说话、声明、演说，不说 to remark，to state，to speak，而要说 to make a remark，to make a statement，to make a speech；同样地进步不常说 to progress 而要说 to make progress。说我们从书本得来的知识是间接的，这情形过去、现在、未来都是一样，所以不宜用过去时态，而应该用现在时态，以表示不变的真理。must 是一个助动词，后面只能接略去了 to 的不定词，不能接过去或过去分词，所以 must learned 是不通的。游历可以增广见闻，这个游历只能说 travel，而不能说 trip 或 journey。短程的旅行说 trip, 一日的旅程说 journey, 只有要向远方的外国（distant countries），及长期的行程（of long duration），便称 travel。在 travel 中可以包括 many journeys, 如 Gulliver’s travels （Swift 的小说）及 the Travels of Marco Polo 等常用复数，意为“旅行记”。
It is not a new idea that we consider nature a great book. Since our progenitors had no books to read, they learned almost everything from nature. When they took part in a hunt or participated in the work of their elders, they learned many things from the world about them. In fact, their skill and knowledge owed much to nature. This is why we call nature a great book.
Since the invention of the art of printing, we have made great progress in civilization. But we are far apart from nature, because what is acquired from books and teachers is not the first-hand knowledge. Thus many educators believe that we can learn a number of things by travelling. Montaigne, a French educator, said that teachers should encourage their students to travel so that they might see more of the world, get familiar with the way of life in a foreign country, and compare its cultural systems with theirs.