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writing-clearly-and-concisely

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Original

English
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Translation

Chinese

Writing Clearly and Concisely

清晰简洁地写作

Overview

概述

William Strunk Jr.'s The Elements of Style (1918) teaches you to write clearly and cut ruthlessly.
WARNING: 
elements-of-style.md
consumes ~12,000 tokens. Read it only when writing or editing prose.
小威廉·斯特伦克的《风格的要素》（1918年）教会你清晰写作，并且果断删改冗余内容。
注意： 
elements-of-style.md
占用约12000个token。仅在写作或编辑书面内容时阅读它。

When to Use This Skill

何时使用此Skill

Use this skill whenever you write prose for humans:
  • Documentation, README files, technical explanations
  • Commit messages, pull request descriptions
  • Error messages, UI copy, help text, comments
  • Reports, summaries, or any explanation
  • Editing to improve clarity
If you're writing sentences for a human to read, use this skill.
每当你撰写面向人类的书面内容时，都可以使用这个Skill：
  • 文档、README文件、技术说明
  • 提交信息、拉取请求描述
  • 错误提示、UI文案、帮助文本、注释
  • 报告、摘要或任何说明性文字
  • 编辑内容以提升清晰度
只要你在写让人类阅读的句子，就使用这个Skill。

Structure Principles

结构原则

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

BLUF（结论先行）

U.S. military communication standard: put your conclusion first, then explain.
The rule: Your first sentence answers what you need and by when. The reader can act without reading further.
Structure:
  1. BLUF statement (1-2 sentences): the decision, action, or key point
  2. Supporting context: only what's needed to understand or act
Test: Can someone act on your message after reading only the first sentence?
Before: "I've been working on the marketing materials for the conference. The design team worked hard on the layout. Could you take a look when you get a chance?"
After: "I need you to approve the attached flyer by noon Friday. It's for the August conference."
Skip BLUF when:
  • Delivering bad news (empathy first)
  • Skeptical audience (persuade before concluding)
  • Technical topics requiring foundation (explain concepts first—see below)
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLUF_(communication)
这是美国军方的沟通标准：先给出结论，再进行解释。
规则： 你的第一句话要回答核心需求和截止时间。读者无需阅读全文即可采取行动。
结构：
  1. BLUF陈述（1-2句话）：决策、行动或核心要点
  2. 支持性背景：仅包含理解或采取行动所需的内容
检验标准： 有人只读第一句话就能根据你的信息采取行动吗？
修改前： "我一直在准备会议的营销材料。设计团队在排版上花了很多功夫。你有空的时候能帮忙看看吗？"
修改后： "我需要你在周五中午前批准附件中的传单。这是为八月的会议准备的。"
无需使用BLUF的场景：
  • 传达坏消息（先表达共情）
  • 面对持怀疑态度的受众（先说服再给出结论）
  • 需要先铺垫基础的技术主题（先解释概念——见下文）
参考：https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BLUF_(communication)

Explain Concepts Before Using Them

先解释概念再使用

Information must be disclosed in the correct order. Never reference a term, concept, or acronym before you've defined it. If you use it, the reader must already understand it.
信息必须按正确的顺序呈现。在定义某个术语、概念或缩写之前，绝不要提及它。如果使用了，读者必须已经理解它。

Limited Context Strategy

有限语境策略

When context is tight:
  1. Write your draft using judgment
  2. Delegate a worker via 
    teams
    with your draft and 
    elements-of-style.md
  3. Have the worker copyedit and return the revision
If you REALLY REALLY need to preserve context, you can skip the full 
elements-of-style.md
and instead use Orwell's rules:
  • Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
  • Never use a long word where a short one will do.
  • If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
  • Never use the passive where you can use the active.
  • Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
  • Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.
当语境受限的时候：
  1. 凭借判断撰写初稿
  2. 通过
    teams
    委派一位工作人员，提供你的初稿和
    elements-of-style.md
  3. 让工作人员进行编辑并返回修订版
如果你确实需要保留语境，可以跳过完整的
elements-of-style.md
，转而使用奥威尔的规则：
  • 绝不要使用你在印刷品中常见的隐喻、明喻或其他修辞手法。
  • 能用短词就不要用长词。
  • 能删掉的词就一定要删掉。
  • 能用主动语态就不要用被动语态。
  • 能想到日常英语替代词的情况下，绝不要使用外来短语、科学术语或行话。
  • 若要说出完全粗俗的内容，不如打破上述任何一条规则。

All Rules

所有规则

Elementary Rules of Usage (Grammar/Punctuation)

基础用法规则（语法/标点）

  1. Form possessive singular by adding 's
  2. Use comma after each term in series except last
  3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas
  4. Comma before conjunction introducing co-ordinate clause
  5. Don't join independent clauses by comma
  6. Don't break sentences in two
  7. Participial phrase at beginning refers to grammatical subject
  1. 单数名词的所有格加's
  2. 系列列举中，除最后一项外，每项后加逗号
  3. 插入语前后用逗号隔开
  4. 连接并列分句的连词前加逗号
  5. 不要用逗号连接独立分句
  6. 不要将句子拆成两句
  7. 句首的分词短语指代句子的语法主语

Elementary Principles of Composition

基础写作原则

  1. One paragraph per topic
  2. Begin paragraph with topic sentence
  3. Use active voice
  4. Put statements in positive form
  5. Use definite, specific, concrete language
  6. Omit needless words
  7. Avoid succession of loose sentences
  8. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form
  9. Keep related words together
  10. Keep to one tense in summaries
  11. Place emphatic words at end of sentence
  1. 一个段落一个主题
  2. 段落以主题句开头
  3. 使用主动语态
  4. 用肯定形式陈述
  5. 使用明确、具体、具象的语言
  6. 删除冗余词汇
  7. 避免连续使用松散的句子
  8. 并列观点采用相似的表达形式
  9. 相关词汇放在一起
  10. 摘要中保持时态一致
  11. 将强调的词汇放在句末

Section V: Words and Expressions Commonly Misused

第五部分：常被误用的词汇和表达

Alphabetical reference for usage questions
按字母顺序排列的用法参考

Bottom Line

总结

Writing for humans? Read 
elements-of-style.md
and apply the rules. Low on tokens? Delegate a worker via 
teams
to copyedit with the guide.
要为人类撰写内容？阅读
elements-of-style.md
并应用这些规则。如果token不足？通过
teams
委派工作人员，使用这份指南进行编辑。