什麼是好的英文寫作能力？以 Lord Heseltine's Letter to May為例

Lord Heseltine's Letter to May ​

什麼叫做好的英文寫作能力？

台灣學生可能認為，句型愈複雜，用字愈難懂，就表示英文能力愈好。

我收到很多留學文書，托福雅思作文，句型無敵複雜，可是卻是從頭錯到尾。

英文句型主詞、動詞、附屬子句怎麼架構非常的清楚，不是加一個which還是that就當做「子句」繼續接下去，愈長愈勵害。

也不是把所有的字都代換成更少見的字，也不管新的字是否適用於這個狀況，就表示單字量大。

這篇新聞報導有完整的刊出 Lord Heseltine 寫給英國首相 May的信。Heseltine由於不贊成英國脫歐，被May開除。開除後，他寫了這一封信給May。

事件背景只需要大致了解就好。我希望同學看的是信的內容、句型、用字。

句型非常有變化性，Heseltine使用一般句型，穿插複雜句型，也有三個字成立一句的超短句子，出現兩次。

用字都是用正常的英文字，有一些字同學可能看不懂，不過這是政治相關的字，還是屬於正常英文單字量範圍的字。

句子長短參差，這樣閱讀起來才有節奏。中文句型講究排比，所以都要一樣長比較好聽。英文句子則是要有節奏才會好聽。

這一封信是所謂的英國「上流階級」的人寫出來的英文。學術英文中有一些學者也會用這一類的英文，尤其是文史學科。

但是需要注意的是，句型雖然長，架構還是很清楚，意思還是很好懂。

這封信參了兩句各只有三個字。

有時我把同學的文章改短，同學一看一句只有十個字不到，反問我：「句子這麼短，英文看起來會不會很差？」

其實愈好的英文寫作，愈會出現句型長短參差的寫作，無論是寫正式的信，寫學術文章，寫小說，都會有這種現象。

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英文講解：

標藍色的是原信件句子，標綠色的是文法句型。

I appreciate your kind remarks about my service to our country and our party. 

第一句是標準的主詞加動詞句型。

Particularly I am grateful for your thanks for the help I have been able to give to the recent coalition and then the majority governments led by David Cameron and yourself. 

I am grateful for N. 

Your thanks 中的 thanks是名詞，句型為 your thanks for N. = your thanks for the help (which) I have been able to give to N. and N. 

I am grateful for your thanks for the N. 

I am grateful for your thanks for the help which I have been able to give to A and then B. 
A = the recent coalition
B = the majority governments led by David Cameron and yourself

give to 之後，接兩個名詞，第一個是 the recent coalition，第二個是 the majority government。這裡他是在說2010年英國國會大選的時候，成立coalition政府，因為沒有任何一黨有過半席次。

2015年的國會大選，Conservatives大勝，有過半席次，所以是 the majority government。

The majority governments用複數，是因為一開始是 Cameron帶領的，後來因為脫歐，Cameron下台，變成May帶領，所有兩個governments。

I was never a member of one of these governments, a point I invariably made when addressing audiences about my work. I offered advice which ministers were free to accept, reject or ignore.

a point 那一句為前面的部份的同位格， I was never a member of one of these governments 這件事，就是 a point I invariably made. 

I offered advice which ministers were free to accept, reject or ignore. 

可以注意到的一點是，or 前面沒有逗號，如果有逗號的話，這是連結三個項目，最後一個項目之前加逗號，這個叫 Oxford comma。英文文法中，有一些人認為一定要加這個逗號，有一些人覺得不需要加。這是一個會引發文法學家大戰的話題。

正常來說，不需要加，除非 A, B or C 中的 C特別的長，為了不要讓大家誤會，會加一個逗號。

You say in your letter that I will understand the necessity to end that relationship. Here we disagree. 

上面這一句只有三個字。由於只有三個字，節奏特別明顯，語氣有禮貌，而堅定的反對。

上面這一句只有三個字，下一句則無敵複雜。

In the referendum campaign it was recognised that so deeply held and so divided were the views on both sides that members of the Cabinet and other ministers were free to argue and vote against the government’s European policy without sanction.

句型為：

... it was recognised that so deeply held ... were the views that N. + V. 
... it was recognised that so deeply held ... were the views that members .... were ...

be free to argue and vote 中的 and 是連結兩個動詞。

這個句型跟以下句子一樣：

We saw that the pig was so fat that it could not pass through the door. 
It was recognised that so deeply held were the views that members were free to argue. 

超簡單句型，搭配超複雜句型，節奏感非常的棒。有堅定的三個字表達反對意見的summary，接下來一串用複雜句型講述反對的背景。

In my speech I made clear that my vote neither held up nor denied your ability to trigger Article 50.

I made clear that N. + V. 
neither did something nor did something

Indeed the urgency about which we heard so much at the time seems in the event somewhat diminished.

The urgency seems diminished. 
We heard so much about the urgency at the time. 

My only vote was designed to give the House of Commons a second chance to enshrine in law a commitment you yourself had already given to allow Parliament a vote on any Brexit deal.

My only vote was designed to give N. + 間接受詞. 
= My only vote was designed to give the House of Commons a second chance. 

to enshrine in law a commitment (which) you yourself had already given (in order) to allow Parliament a vote on any Brexit deal

The commons declined the advice of the Lords and I and most Peers accepted the position.

正常來說，如果and是連結兩句句子，應該要加逗號。所以Lords跟 and中間應該要有逗號。這裡我在挑毛病。><///

最後兩句最有力。

The simple fact remains that you have changed your mind since the excellent speech you made in the Referendum campaign arguing that we should remain in the European Union. I have not.

同樣的，是一句非常複雜的句型，搭配一句只有三個字的結尾。

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