文书的内容固然重要,但有了内容,如何表达也是重中之重,有个人风格的文书才能抓住招生官的眼球,戳中招生官的心巴。
今天,就让我们看看文书如何才能写出独特风格吧!
风格是……镜头
这是你对事物的观点,是你表达你对世界细节的看法和态度的方式,当你解释为什么某些细节对你很重要以及它们的含义时,这就是你的镜头,是你文章中“So What”的部分。
例如,在一篇有关“化妆”的文书中,作者写道:
Examining these mementos led me to a surprising realization: yes, I had been a superficial girl obsessed with clear and flawless skin.
But there was something more too.
My makeup had given me confidence and comfort, and that was okay. I am glad I didn't abandon the superficial me, but instead acknowledged her, and stood by her to take her on an enlightening and rewarding journey.
大家可以看看这个片段中的“镜头”,作者先分析,后评估,最初得出结论,说明为什么有些人认为次要的化妆对她来说实际上是一件大事,这就像镜头从远处拉近,是一种流畅自然的表达方式。
风格是……细节
你可以通过选择恰到好处、丰富的细节来创建图像,达到电影般的效果,这样文书就会有生动的画面感。在陈述细节时,可以使用修辞手法,比如隐喻、明喻、夸张、拟人化、头韵等等。
例如,在一篇名为“Umbra”的文书中,作者写道:
Christmas carols play softly as I chase my little brother around the living room, trying to get him to wear a Santa hat. The smell of tamales wafts through the air as my mom and grandmother stand over the pot of mole sauce. The ornament boxes are opened on the floor, each one special to our family, representing our adventures, our love, our history. My dad is winding a mile-long string of lights around the tree, covering the room with a soft glow.
注意这位作者描写的细节,他使用的动词(chase, wafts, winding)和具体名词(Santa hat, tamales, mole sauce, lights, soft glow),这是非常细腻的风格。
声音是……弱点
当你写内心独白、分享情感的叙述以及真实想法时,你就会产生脆弱性。这是正常的,不要害怕袒露内心的想法,写下真实的情感,即使它并不是那样积极向上,只要确保文章最终的导向是正面的。
例如,在一篇名为“笔记本贴纸”的文书中:
He brings out my goofy side, but also helps me think rationally when I am overwhelmed. We don't have the typical "I hate you, don't talk to me" siblinghood (although occasionally it would be nice to get away from him); we're each other's best friends. Or at least he's mine.
在这段叙述中,情感是矛盾的,因此有真实感。适当地表达弱点,不仅不会削弱文书的力度,反而能增强。
风格是……幽默
开玩笑、玩文字游戏和讽刺是没问题的,只要不太过火,而且通常是件好事。
比如,来自“Poop, Animals, and the Environment”:
I have been pooped on many times. I mean this in the most literal sense possible. I have been pooped on by pigeons and possums, house finches and hawks, egrets and eastern grays.
什么,作者在谈论一篇申请文书中谈论便便?虽然这不是常规的主题,但是很有力地表达出作者的处境尴尬,达到了好的效果。
当然啦,幽默有很多种方式,玩梗也是可以的,但注意不要涉及敏感话题。但如果你不是天生的喜剧人怎么办?那就不要强行搞笑,最重要的是做自己。
风格是……节奏
这是节奏、节拍、重复和流畅度,是音节数、句子长度、段落长度和交替句子长度,这是标点符号的类型和位置,也是用词和语法。
比如,小伙伴们可以看看以下这一片段的节奏,注意它的长短句交替:
Growing up, my world was basketball. My summers were spent between the two solid black lines. My skin was consistently tan in splotches and ridden with random scratches. My wardrobe consisted mainly of track shorts, Nike shoes, and tournament t-shirts. Gatorade and Fun Dip were my pre-game snacks. The cacophony of rowdy crowds, ref whistles, squeaky shoes, and scoreboard buzzers was a familiar sound. I was the team captain of almost every team I played on—familiar with the Xs and Os of plays, commander of the court, and the coach’s right hand girl.
风格是……措辞
措辞是单词的选择,有关音节和词源,可以包括标准的用语和独属于特定文化的方言。
比如,在一篇名为“Quattro Lingue”的文书中:
Day 1: “Labbayka Allāhumma Labbayk. Labbayk Lā Sharīka Laka Labbayk,” we chant, sweat dripping onto the wispy sand in brutal Arabian heat, as millions of us prepare to march from the rocky desert hills of Mount Arafat to the cool, flat valleys of Muzdalifa.
注意这位作家如何使用的特殊用语作为开场场景的一部分,有了这一用法的帮助,读者能马上就进入到这位作家创造的场景中。
风格是……语法
它是标准的或实验性的句子结构,比较独特的一个例子如下:
“Show me hijabs.”
“Silk or cotton?”
“Both.”
“How much do these cost?”
“100 Riyal.”
“No. Take 70.”
“Fine. Thanks Hajjah.”
这一段用的都是短句,句子结构简单但不乏特殊性,读起来朗朗上口。
写在最后
风格是一种需要时间慢慢改变的东西,小伙伴们可以先将这些技巧记在心里,写作时有意识地练习,这样真正写文书时就能做到得心应手啦~