1. The Importance of Word Selection In the "Preface" of The Right Word at the Right Time, the editor gives a good metaphor for the importance of word selection: "Using the right word at the right time is rather like wearing appropriate clothing for the occasion: it is a courtesy to others, and a favor to yourself-a matter of presenting yourself well in the eyes of the world."
Obviously, it is better to use appropriate words when speaking or writing than to dress appropriately. It is much more difficult and therefore of greater importance. In our country, the ancients often thought hard about the choice of a word when writing articles, so there is a saying that "the words are not surprising".
The idiom "a word is worth a thousand pieces of gold" also illustrates the extreme importance of word choice. Sometimes a "one word difference" can lead to regrettable failures or thousands of economic losses. These negative lessons also tell us that we must pay attention to the issue of word selection.
2. Possibility of word selection
In fact, each of us has a large or small vocabulary library in our mind. As long as we are willing to explore, we can often get better expressions. This is the subjective condition for our choice of words.
From an objective point of view, we have various types of dictionaries and reference books. As long as we translate more, read more, and check diligently when writing, we will make more choices when choosing words. Continuous progress on. Of course, a good dictionary is not without flaws, and it is even more difficult to cover everything. Therefore, here we should keep in mind the words of the famous British writer, critic and lexicographer Johnson:
Dictionaries are like watches : the worst is better than none, and the best cannot be expected to go quite true.
3. Three Criteria for Word Selection
People have different opinions on the criteria for word selection, but the three principles of accuracy, distinctness, and vividness are generally recognized. Of course, whether a certain word is used in compliance with the requirements cannot be solely based on the meaning of the word itself, but also depends on its specific use occasions, including its collocation with other words.
1) Accuracy of word choice
Accuracy means choosing the exact language form according to the occasion, as an English saying goes:
Do not write so that your words may be undetstood, but write so that your words must be understood.
The famous American writer Mark Twain said: "The wording is accurate and the wording is almost accurate, the two are The difference beeen the right word and the almost-right word is as great as that beeen lighting and the lighting bug.
For the sake of choice. To speak accurately, you must be familiar with the polysemy of words.
For example, depression has different meanings for psychologists, economists or geologists:
He is in a state of deep depression as a result of his setback latest experiment.
The depression first hit almost all the *** all and medium-sized enterprises.
Transportation was at a standstill caused by the depressions in the highways after the earthquake in that area.
On the contrary, there are often several words that can express similar meanings. For example, "depression" in psychology can also be expressed by words such as melancholia, the blues, the di *** al in the dumps, low, etc.
To make an accurate choice, it is necessary to pay attention to the two meanings of words: "basic meaning" (denotation) and "connotation" (connotation). The former refers to the word itself, or the objective inherent meaning, while the latter refers to other meanings of the word that appear in certain collocations or sentences, which are often more implicit and contain the subjective attitude or emotion of the word user. For example, both "inexpensive" and "cheap" mean the basic meaning of cheap. For example, when a customer asks a salesperson: "May I have some thing cheaper?" it means that the price is cheaper. Of course, it does not mean that the quality can be bad, but cheap is used in other sentences or The situation of use can lead to various meanings such as "inferior", "mediocre", "stingy", "despicable", etc. This kind of meaning is the "sensitive zone" in rhetoric.
The accuracy of word selection is also reflected in the distinction between words that express general/abstract meanings and words that express specific/specific meanings. Correct choices need to be made based on different usage situations. Words with abstract meanings and words with concrete meanings are not two opposing families and can be transformed under certain conditions. For example, the word labor usually has an abstract meaning, but it is not static. Compare:
A) Honest labor creates wealth for the society. B) In the GM contract dispute, labor seeks a five-cent per hour wage increase.
In sentence A above The word labor has an abstract meaning and generally refers to all kinds of social labor. Labor in sentence B has a specific meaning, specifically referring to WAW, which is the United Automobile, Aircraft, and Agricultural Machinery Workers of America.
2) The distinctness of language selection
Accuracy is the prerequisite for distinctness and the basis for improving distinctness. However, distinctness is related to simplicity. The famous saying "Brevity is the soul of wit" by the British writer Shakespeare is equivalent to the Chinese "speech is precious and concise". When we speak and write articles, we must aim to be concise and concise. To this end, we should pay attention to two aspects:
A. Do not use complex and few words when you can use shorter common words to express your meaning, such as: do something for (without perform, acplish), use end/finish a letter (without terminate, include).
B． Redundant or oblique words are not conducive to clearly expressing ideas, so the bracketed parts in the following phrases should be omitted:
mutual aid (to each other) (mutual) aid to each other, ( an entirely)plete confidence, repeat the question(again), return(back) from abroad, etc.
3) Vividness of choice of words
Vividness can also be called gracefulness. It is built on the basis of accuracy and distinctness. Otherwise, simply pursuing If it is vivid or elegant, it will lead to a style of writing that is flowery but empty in content, which should be avoided.