牛津标准英语词典《福勒兄弟在英语世界家喻户晓，本书是英文写作的圣经》

大名鼎鼎的福勒兄弟向所有的英文写作者指出了一条非常重要的写作原则：

一个优秀的写作者，不应急于炫耀文采，而应该先做到直接、简朴、扼要、有力和清晰。

应用到具体实践上，就是：

1. 熟悉词汇优先，生僻次之；

2. 具体词汇优先，抽象次之；

3. 短词优先，长词次之；

4. 撒克逊词汇优先，罗曼词汇次之。

ANY one who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities to be direct simple brief vigorous and lucid.

This general principle may be translated into practical rules in the domain of vocabulary as follows:—

Prefer the familiar word to the far-fetched.

Prefer the concrete word to the abstract.

Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.

Prefer the short word to the long.

Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance. 1

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