加拿大大学本科考试题目：The English language is on the course of decliningThe English language is on the course of declining. It is a natural path of decadent, which runs in line with the general collapse of our civilization and could not be reshaped by our conscious efforts to save it. Underneath this lies two inevitable causes: political and economic factors. Modern English, especially written English, is not a misleading consequence by professional writers, but the result of bad habitual formation shared by us all. The habitual imitation, inaccurate expression and foolish thoughts influence each other back and forth, till the reverse of our language becomes impossible by individual efforts.
There are two most marked faults in our modern English prose: staleness of imagery and lack of precision. To account the reasons behind, it is because we use too many dead tricks of habitual phrases, rather than words which clearly convey one’s thoughts: worn-out metaphors are used preferably to save the trouble of inventing a fresh one with more appropriate meaning; simple yet accurate verbs and nouns are replaced with passive voice phrases with longer syllables for a fake appearance of symmetry; dictions are chosen pretentiously from scientific, archaic or foreign jargon in preference to homely expressions as if to dress the language up with an exalted air; in some department of writing, especially in critics, the abuse of words which have no widely accepted definition is both meaningless and dishonest. The tendency of modern prose goes from vivid imagery representation of daily life to this prolonged version of vague meaning.
As have detailed above, instead of picking out the most evocative words to transmit meaning and construct mental images, modern writing is used to the comfort of lengthy cliche. The problem lies in the easy comfort. Those ready-set phrases can make the writing process simple, quick and trouble-free. However the defect is also obvious: meaningless and thoughtless. As a scrupulous writer, he is expected to reflect on his pieces: what is the main idea? What dictions can better convey it? What image can clearly translate it? Is the image fresh enough to impress reader? Without those self-questioning, the debasement of written English is a sure end, and that is the time politics finds a chance.
Generally speaking in our time, political writing is considered bad writing, which lacks life in style and content. It mechanically repeats the same articulations over and over again and, in its own favor, makes speakers lose conscious of the speech. The nature of political speech and writing is the defence of the indefensible. A large amount of euphemism is necessary to cover up one’s real aim 本论文由无忧论文网
