商务写作：揭秘文体简洁的七大法宝

I took many writing classes in college but perhaps the most useful was one focused on business writing. My classmates and I spent a semester editing example after example of rambling or confusing letters, memos, and other professional materials. Here are seven bits of simple advice for clear and concise writing.
大学时我上了不少写作课，但是最有用的还是商务写作课。我和同学用了一学期的时间不断地修改那些杂乱无章的信件，备忘录和其他专业材料。下面是7条简单的建议，让大家学会清楚简洁的写作。

1. Limit prepositions when possible.
1.尽量少用介词。

If you don't remember what they are, here's a list and primer. When overused, prepositions can weaken writing and contribute to wordiness. For example: "The meeting on December 1 about the budget" is sharper when written "The December 1 budget meeting." Also watch out for prepositions following a verb, such as "come up with" or "find out." Instead, you could use "generate" or "determine," respectively.
如果你不记得了，下面是一些简单的例子。如果过度使用介词，会降低写作质量，造成冗余。比如：“关于预算的会议在12月1日召开”就没有“12月1日开预算会议”来的简洁有力。动词后面的介词也需要特别留意。比如“come up with”（想出）或“find out”（找出），你就可以分别用“generate”和“determine”代替。

2. Avoid "very."
2.避免使用“very”。

It smacks of laziness and indicates your sentence needs editing to pack a stronger punch. For example, consider: "The very tall man strode to the front of the line." The phrase "very tall" doesn't help a reader understand if the man is six feet tall or having to duck seven-foot doorways. How about: "Standing a head taller than everyone in the room the man strode to the front of the line." The second version paints a better picture, right?
用“very”会显得你懒惰，表明你的语句还需要修改以达到更加有力的程度。比如：“这个很高的男人跨步上前。”“很高”并没有帮助读者理解这个男人是否有6英尺高或者进7英尺高的门都需要低头。再比如：“比房间里所有人都高一个头的男人跨步上前了。”第二句是不是比上一句更能给人一种画面感？

3. Watch out for forms of the verb "to be" such as am, are, is, was, were, being, and been.
3.注意不定式当中be动词的形式，如am, are, is, was, were, being, 和been。

Usually you should aim for an active, not passive voice. "There are three things you can do to improve your golf game" is tighter when written "three things can improve your golf game."
通常你应该写主动句而不是被动句。“有三种方法可以提高你的高尔夫技术。”就没有“这三种方法可以提高你的高尔夫技术”这句话来的紧凑。