寫作實務>串接寫作技巧>如何促成文章的一致性

如何促成文章的一致性

文\何春蕤

一篇學術論文的結構基本上可以遵循一個簡單的公式,也就是一般段落、文章的同樣公式:先以提綱挈領點明主要論點作為開頭,然後提供進一步的解說、分析、文獻、例證、反覆檢視論証等等,最後再提出結論和蘊涵。這些部份當然都是段落的組合,如何在這無數的段落之間維持統一的目標、論調,如何讓段落相互呼應,層層疊疊的展開論點,這是需要用寫作技巧來達成的。

想要在寫作中達到coherence的目標(也就是當論文中的主調、語句、論點、細節、論証、文氣都很清楚的一氣呵成、結構分明、前呼後應),除了本身的思路邏輯架構清晰之外,可以利用幾種主要的寫作技巧來輔助表達:

1. 文章用分段章節明顯標記其結構關連並呈現思路流向。特別是篇幅很長的論文,為了讓讀者不至於失聯,多半會用一些技巧來提示主要論述方向,讓讀者可以看到全篇論點的佈局,顯示論點的複雜層次結構。例如︰

小標︰
「性」作為一種「專業」「工作」
主動界定工作,積極形成專業
援引正當論述,壯大工作主體
展現專業操演,耕耘永續發展
(原則︰小標需要切題,在極短的文字中呈現本段主題或論點,如果可能,應該盡量尋求文字對仗工整,這也是使得讀者比較容易看到各部份相關意義的手法)

數字︰不但可以用簡單的1、2、3、4……來標明層次順序,還可以用小數點來顯示更複雜的層次,例如,1.1、1.2、1.3…..或者再下層1.11、1.12、1.13….這些都是社會科學領域中常見的手法。 (原則︰在很難找到合適的層次小標題時才使用這種方法。因為數字無法提示概念內涵,而只指涉抽象層次,往往需要讀者更費一番思考工夫來追尋)

大綱︰如果論文有更為複雜的結構,不易抓住,作者甚至可以在文章前面先提供大綱,一方面讓讀者一目瞭然的看到文章思路的流向,另方面也鋪陳這篇文章大約會講到哪些論點,對寫作者本身也有幫助。

空行:有些時候也可以只利用在段落間空行,以顯示思路轉折分段的節點。這種以空間的安排來傳達思想層次,是一種很簡便而充滿暗示性的做法。

2. 文章用段落語句來遙指前後上下論點的關連,特別是在每段的主題句和總結句中標示思路的流向,用這些串連的、覆誦的、轉折的描述來表明文氣如何流轉。

(1)重複上文已經展開過的主要概念或論點或關鍵字作為提醒,也作為開展另個層面的討論轉折之用。這種重複可以用許多不同的方式來進行︰

While these initial points raised by Miles refer specifically to the contributions in Hidden in the Household, her conclusions refer more generally to the entire domestic labor debate.
用while來引述上文講過的,然後在主要子句宣佈轉向新的論點

There was a second implication, however, in the common feminist assertion that women's domestic labor could not be adequately understood through the categories of Marxist value analysis. Many postulated, in effect, a family/economy dichotomy.
藉著說「第二個」來複述已經講過的「第一個」

Effective as these theories may have been in exposing the operations of gender inequality, Butler reveals the futility of such endeavors to liberate women from the patriarchal gender system of gender in her "Gender Trouble, Feminist Theory, and Psychoanalytic Discourse" (1990).
前半部肯定了已經講過的理論,但是也建立起對比以便轉向後面的論點

這一段結尾說…In other words, the fashion world is powered by a string of symbols that seek to create impressionistic values.
下一段開頭則重複這裡的關鍵字:
As it turns out, the symbolic values have acquired such power in today's commodity world that they are creating real differences for the consumers. Two pairs of different brand shoes were made with the same material, but their prices may be entirely different because of the trademarks attached to them.…

…….當性別體制只容許二元分野,而且把日常生活世界架構在這個二分的基礎上時,這種非彼即此的定位當然使得那些性別曖昧游移的主體打從一開始就覺得「自己有什麼地方不對」、「我的身體是錯的」、「我的靈魂裝錯了身體」。

用另一種方式來說,正是因為簡單的性別二分架構強制的要在複雜多元的身體和慾望世界中劃下毫無模糊曖昧的二元分野,才──照傅柯的說法──「生產」(produce)了跨性別主體,也就是在維持那個截然分野時創造出那些不能、不願、不甘、不肯歸屬被派定範疇的「有問題」(problematic)主體。複述時總要再把論點多推一步。

The program is very ambitious but may face some problems…. In many ways more ambitious still is the program to develop creative thinking.
用比較來顯示關連

(2)論點在文字使用上的對仗呼應:已經說明的論點可以在後面以更為抽象深層的表達方式,一方面提醒讀者,另方面把論點提升到另外的層次和意義上,使得文章看來更為綿密。不過要注意的是,這種提升層次的寫法要是沒有真的提升層次的思考,就會變成畫蛇添足,反覆灌水,反而會沖淡原來要講的論點。

(3)靈活變化句型以便把最重要的貢獻論點放在最有利的句型和位置上。

3. 利用多樣的連結語詞來指示文氣的起承轉合。文章寫作需要在用字遣詞上不但精簡準確,還要能鮮活多變,不要總是用同樣的一些字眼來結構全文。以下提供一些可用的連結語詞,不過請注意它們彼此之間還是有一些差別的含意,需要多多閱讀別人的範例來體會這些細微的差距。

以下字眼的運用可以提示讀者前面已經說過一些論點,而接下來是進一步補充發展的新討論,基本上論調類似,只是進深而已
and, again, and then, besides, equally important, finally, further, furthermore, nor, too, what's more, moreover, in addition, because, for, since, for the same reason, obviously, evidently, furthermore, moreover, besides, indeed, in fact, in addition, in any case, that is, in brief, meanwhile, of course, similarly, likewise, in the same way, along the same line of thinking

以下字眼標示出文義的轉折,也標誌了前後說法之間的對比和差異
whereas, but, yet, while, on the other hand, however, nevertheless, on the contrary, by comparison, in comparison, whereas, compared to, balanced against, vis-a-vis, but, although, conversely, after all, in contrast, although this may be true, granted that, it might be said that….but, still, in spite of, despite, although it is true that, granted that, it may be true that….but

以下字眼可以用來強調接著下文要說的論點
definitely, extremely, obviously, in fact, indeed, in any case, absolutely, positively, naturally, surprisingly, always, forever, perennially, eternally, never, emphatically, unquestionably, without a doubt, certainly, undeniably, without reservation

以下字眼可以顯示論點的先後承接順序
first, second, third, etc., next, then, following this, at this time, now, at this point, after, afterward, subsequently, finally, consequently, previously, before this, simultaneously, concurrently, thus, therefore, hence, next, and then, soon, the most important, the least known, the least discussed, in the first place, significantly

以下字眼可以引入例證
for example, for instance, in this case, in another case, on this occasion, in this situation, take the case of, to demonstrate, to illustrate, as an illustration, to illustrate one case that comes to mind

以下字眼表明文義的總結
in brief, on the whole, summing up, to sum up, to conclude, in conclusion, as I have shown, as we can see, as I have said, as stated above, hence, therefore, thus, accordingly, as a result, consequently, on the whole, in short, finally, at last, after all, in the end, in a word, as I have said, as I have noted, as has been noted

4. 避免使用太過簡單、分散思路的獨立句,盡量利用複合句型把思路的層次表達出來,也藉此扣緊表達的各個要點。

While Liu positions Chen's Revolt of Body and Soul in the historical context of Chinese and Taiwanese modernity, indicating that his works present the psychological symptoms of the internalized violence of history, Guan, on the other hand, examines the revolution of Taiwan's fine art after martial law by considering Chen's grotesque art as a significant transition.

同時,因應快速發展的情慾文化和情慾現實,新興色情行業也有了一些重大的質變。一對一、充斥著性愛暗示的公開挑逗,愈來愈構成性交易的主要內容和催情劑,從而賦予性工作者比較寬廣的主體操作空間。另外,在官方取締的壓力、同行強烈的競爭、與消費者口味需求的三方衝擊之下,這些新的性行業也益形趨向現代服務業的服務精神和運作結構,在尋求利潤和永續經營的長遠考量中摸索著挪用其他行業的特色來調整自我,而這些融合調整都使得這些新興性工作中出現了許多有別於傳統性別權力互動模式、充斥邊緣張力的異質空間(heterotopia),更在男強女弱的傳統「性部署」(deployment of sexuality)中發展出不少高度異質性的實踐。

The body-soul imagery may help illuminate the awkward situation of trans subjects by graphically presenting the often contradictory feelings and images that trans subjects have to negotiate as they move through social space. Yet the simple graphic of the body-soul imagery also tends to obscure the manifold differences (in gender, age, socio-economic status, facial features, body shape, etc.) among trans subjects, differences that may very well affect the credibility of their claim to "a soul trapped in the wrong body," as well as refract the meaning and persuasiveness of such an imagery itself. More importantly, the imagery further conceals "the daily effort of 'doing' gender in everyday interactions that all of us engage in" (Kessler & McKenna, 1978, 1985: 126).