#跟蕭叔叔學英文寫作【綿裡藏針的英式英文】
【明報專訊】蕭叔叔喜歡簡單直接的文字，但不代表只有簡單直接的文字才是好。文字的好與壞，視乎場合、對象、身份、寫作目的。能夠最effectively達到寫作目的的，就是好。
好多時，當寫作的目的是簡單的達意，把心中所想傳達，那當然簡練直接的文字最好；但人類思維同人際關係錯綜複雜，有時候 for strategic reasons 要說的話不一定跟心中所想一樣。例如律師為客戶寫合同，寫對家責任與義務時當然越詳盡仔細清晰越好，但寫己方責任時，好多人係希望儘量含糊其詞，以致日後對家追究起責任時還有逃避的餘地。在此情況，不能一刀切說直接的文字就是好。
罵人當然直接痛罵最為痛快；但有時為顧及自己身份地位和形象，罵人的話不能直接出口，而要改用指桑罵槐、綿裡藏針的方法說。此道，英國人最擅長。
舉個例。早兩個月英國首相David Cameron有點頭痕，因為前政界好友Lord Ashcroft因為得不到想要的政府要職而跟他鬧翻，並因此寫了本Cameron的傳記Call Me Dave，公開他一些鮮為人知的私隱。其中最為人「津津樂道」的，該是所謂的piggate了（有興趣者不妨自己google）。今日蕭叔叔同大家看的，不是關於piggate的段落，而是書中作者解釋為何同Cameron鬧翻的第一章。
鬧人不守諾言，或愛撒謊，除了大聲疾呼「你呃人！你講大話！你唔守信用！」之外，還可以怎說？大家可以Lord Ashcroft本書第一句。他不是說：David Cameron is liar. 或 David Cameron does not keep his words. 或 David Cameron is not the kind of people who keep their promises. Instead，他寫：
Shortly before he became Prime Minister, one of David Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet colleagues told me: ‘Cameron’s word is as good as the paper it’s written on.’
I have since had much cause to reflect on that comment.
中國人有說一諾千金，英文有句相反的話：as good as the paper it’s written on，但Lord Ashcroft不直接說出口，而是借他人之口道出，然後再輕描淡寫的說：I have since had much cause to reflect on that comment。整段大意是：有人曾跟我說，Cameron的諾言輕如紙屑。之後，因為不同原因，我都不時想起這個comment。
作者可能覺得直接開口罵人有失身份，於是這樣輕柔婉轉的暗示David Cameron不守諾言。意思清楚不過，但沒有破口大罵的低俗。
幾段之後，Ashcroft就講到Cameron如何向他許諾：
I had a number of conversations with Cameron about this proposed move, and it was during one of these that I believe we agreed the type of role I’d play if he became Prime Minister. It was certainly not an insignificant one. I made full and contemporaneous notes of our discussion — but it later became clear that Cameron had a different understanding of what we’d agreed in principle.
留意Ashcroft故意用非常客觀的文字講故事，他寫：
it was during one of these conversations that I believe we agreed
而不是直接就寫 we agreed
同埋 it later became clear that Cameron had a different understanding of what we’d agreed in principle.
而不是 Cameron refused to keep his words.
這樣寫，作者可能有幾個考慮。第一，怕被人告。所以直接寫明這是己方的記憶和感受，而不是the objective truth。第二，想向讀者顯示自己雖然同Cameron有牙齒印，但文字仍不失客觀、公道、同class。
文字功力高深，對英式strategic writing有興趣的朋友，不妨參考一下。下次再會。
蕭叔叔
作者簡介：蕭愷一，AKA蕭叔叔。夢想做男神，現實是大叔的英文教學狂熱份子，law grad，哲學碩士dropout，語言學愛好者。以 speak English like an educated native 為教與學的終極目標。Facebook專頁：www.facebook.com/unclesiu
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