1. Becareful of using words that have a negative meaning in American English. The word “propaganda,” for example, means something like “government-controlled brain washing” in the US. (Your best choice is to use the words “marketing” or “publicity” if you want to indicate that you organized a campaign to raise awareness of a certain problem.) Likewise, in the US we do not use the words “cripple” and “retarded”; we use “handicapped” (or even better, “disabled”) and “developmentally disabled” or “mentally challenged.” We don’t call old people “old people”—we call them “elders” or “the elderly.”And we prefer “business person”or “business professional” to “businessman.”
留學(xué)文書寫作慎用美式英語(yǔ)中一些含有否定意義的詞匯。例如，“propaganda”這個(gè)詞在美國(guó)就有點(diǎn)“政府洗腦式”的宣傳的意思了。(如果你想要表達(dá)你發(fā)起一項(xiàng)運(yùn)動(dòng)來(lái)提高人們對(duì)于某一問(wèn)題的認(rèn)識(shí)的話，最好選用“marketing”或是“publicity”。)同樣的，在美國(guó)，我們也不會(huì)用“cripple” 或者是“retarded”之類的詞，取而代之的是“handicapped”(disabled更好)以及“developmentally disabled”或“mentally disabled”。我們?cè)诜Q呼老人時(shí)也不直接用“old people”，而是用“elders”或是 “the elderly”。我們也不經(jīng)常用“businessman”，而是用“business person”或“business professional ”。
2.Vary the length of the sentences in your essay. If you have written several long sentences in a row, insert a short sentence to give the reader a break.Variety in your sentences will make your essay easier to read (and thus more memorable). It also demonstrates that you have a superior command of the English language. And don’t be afraid of including a one-sentence paragraph. A one-sentence paragraph (especially at the beginning or end of your essay) will be very dramatic and grab the reader’s attention.
申請(qǐng)文書寫作需要變換句子的長(zhǎng)短。如果你在文書中已經(jīng)連續(xù)用了幾個(gè)長(zhǎng)句，那么插入一個(gè)短句能給讀者一個(gè)停頓的時(shí)間。句式多樣化能夠使你的留學(xué)申請(qǐng)文書更容易懂，因而也更容易讓人記住。這樣的句式變換也證明你的英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言掌握的比較好。同時(shí)不要害怕運(yùn)用一句式段落。一句式段落，(尤其是在短文的開頭結(jié)尾)會(huì)很出彩，也會(huì)吸引讀者的注意力。
3. If English is your second language, don’t try to make it hard on yourself by writing really long sentences and using large vocabulary words. (Don’t say “internationalization”; just say “international.” Why use “metropolis” when you can just use “city”?) Remember that the readers are not hoping to be impressed by your vocabulary—they want to be impressed by your story.
如果英語(yǔ)是你的第二語(yǔ)言，那么不要試圖在留學(xué)文書中費(fèi)力地運(yùn)用一些特別長(zhǎng)的句子或者特別大的詞匯。(不要用“internationalization”，用“international ”就好了。另外，如果你可以用“city”，為什么要用“metropolis”呢?)記住，讀者并不希望被你申請(qǐng)文書中的詞匯打動(dòng)，而是被你的故事所打動(dòng)。
4. If you are applying to graduate school, your personal statement will need to include detailed evidence of your research. For example, if you are applying toa graduate program in biology, your PS should include specific descriptions of experiences you have had, such as research projects, internships, work in biological laboratories, and such. The other key elements for graduate study applications are what you want to study, the field you are interested in, the background you have, why you have chosen this particular program, and your plans after graduation.
如果你正在申請(qǐng)研究生院校，那么你的留學(xué)文書個(gè)人簡(jiǎn)歷就需要包括你研究項(xiàng)目的一些詳細(xì)的說(shuō)明。例如，如果你正在申請(qǐng)生物專業(yè)的研究生項(xiàng)目，那么你的個(gè)人簡(jiǎn)歷就需要對(duì)你的研究經(jīng)歷進(jìn)行詳細(xì)的描述，比如你的研究項(xiàng)目，實(shí)習(xí)經(jīng)歷，以及在生物實(shí)驗(yàn)這方面的工作等等。研究生學(xué)習(xí)申請(qǐng)的其他的一些關(guān)鍵因素還包括：你想要研究什么，你對(duì)哪一個(gè)領(lǐng)域感興趣，你的個(gè)人背景，選擇這一研究項(xiàng)目的原因以及畢業(yè)后的打算。
5.Avoid using inappropriate reasons for why a particular college is attractive to you. (I have actually seen essays where the applicant described how much he “loved” the University of Chicago and wanted to date her, and another wherethe applicant wrote that NYU was attractive because she just loved the colorpurple on the NYU website.) You must read the website carefully to discover specific programs, activities, curricula, distinguished professors (and the like) that you can point to and say, “THIS is why I want to go to University X.”
在申請(qǐng)文書中說(shuō)明某所大學(xué)為何對(duì)你有吸引力時(shí)，避免運(yùn)用一些不恰當(dāng)?shù)睦碛伞?我曾經(jīng)看過(guò)申請(qǐng)者在短文中描述自己是如何如何熱愛(ài)芝加哥大學(xué)，并想要和它約會(huì)的，而另一個(gè)人則在短文中說(shuō)紐約大學(xué)吸引她僅僅是因?yàn)樗矚g紐約大學(xué)網(wǎng)站上的紫色)。你必須仔細(xì)瀏覽學(xué)校官方網(wǎng)站，以便發(fā)現(xiàn)一些具體的項(xiàng)目、活動(dòng)、課程，以及著名的教授，諸如此類的，然后你就可以在短文中指出這就是你想要去XX大學(xué)的原因。
6. Do not tell the school how good it is. “I want to attend the prestigious University X because it is a top US college with an international reputation,” just sounds insincere.
不要只在短文中陳述學(xué)校多么好。“我想要申請(qǐng)著名的XX大學(xué)，因?yàn)樗敲绹?guó)一所頂尖的大學(xué)，在國(guó)際上都享有盛譽(yù)。”這樣說(shuō)的話會(huì)顯得不真誠(chéng)。
7.Catch the reader’s attention in the first sentence of your essay by writing something dramatic or humorous. In one excellent essay I read, the applicant (hoping to major in entomology), wrote this: “Ahhhh! There are bugs in the shampoo!" Doesn't that make you want to read more? (He then went on to describe how his mother had found one of his “science experiments” involving insects, and how experiences like this made him want to study entomology.)
在短文的開頭寫一些富有戲劇性的或者是幽默的東西，以吸引讀者的眼球。我曾讀過(guò)一篇優(yōu)秀的短文，申請(qǐng)人想要修昆蟲學(xué)專業(yè)，開頭他是這樣寫的：“啊，洗發(fā)露里竟然有蟲子!讀完，難道你不會(huì)想要繼續(xù)讀下去嗎?(接下來(lái)他又描述了他的母親如何發(fā)現(xiàn)了他的一次昆蟲“科學(xué)實(shí)驗(yàn)”，以及這些經(jīng)歷是怎樣使他最終想要研究昆蟲學(xué)的。)
8. If you start with a story, you can end with some reference to the same story. (Our entomology student, for example, could then mention his mother’s shock again in his last paragraph.)
如果你的留學(xué)文書是以一個(gè)故事開頭的，那么你可以在結(jié)尾的時(shí)候再提一下這個(gè)故事。(例如，這位昆蟲學(xué)的學(xué)生在最后一段再次提到他的母親對(duì)他這些行為有多震驚。)
9.Well-chosen quotations can add powerful credibility to your essay. All you need to do is decide what the key concept of your essay is (such as strength, honor,or patience) and then use the internet to find quotations that use any of these key words. The best quotations come from persons who are well-known to both Chinese and American readers, and they must be admirable persons. (Past American and Chinese presidents are good examples.) The quote should be short,about one powerful sentence in length. Including a striking quotation in your essay is particularly persuasive if you are applying to a humanities program or want to be an English major, as it demonstrates the breadth of your reading.
在文書寫作中恰當(dāng)?shù)囊媚軌虼蟠笤鰪?qiáng)文章的可信度。而你需要做的就是選定你的文章所要表達(dá)的關(guān)鍵點(diǎn)，(比如說(shuō)個(gè)人特長(zhǎng)，獲得的榮譽(yù)，或者是參加的實(shí)踐活動(dòng)等等)，然后再根據(jù)這些關(guān)鍵詞在網(wǎng)上搜索有關(guān)這方面的引文。最好的引文是出自那些在中國(guó)和美國(guó)讀者中都比較有名并且令人敬佩的人。(前任美國(guó)總統(tǒng)，中國(guó)主席這些都是比較好的例子。)引文最好簡(jiǎn)短有力，大概一句那么長(zhǎng)。如果你想要申請(qǐng)人文學(xué)科項(xiàng)目或者是想要學(xué)英語(yǔ)專業(yè)，那么這樣漂亮的引文會(huì)使文章非常有說(shuō)服力的，因?yàn)檫@樣的引用可以證明你閱讀廣泛。
10.Your purpose in writing your essay is to come across as a unique individual,one who stands out from all the other applicants and one whose writing style is lively, fresh, and different. For undergraduate essays, the personal details of your life and the struggles you have had to overcome will make good stories. Good stories are memorable. You don’t have to be a perfect person; indeed, it maybe that any “flaws” you have will convince the reader that you are a multi-faceted person who learns from your mistakes. These flaws don’t have to be terrible:You can describe the time that you made complete a fool of yourself before yourfriends. (Americans call this the “My most embarrassing moment” essay.) Then tell the reader what you learned from this experience.
你的寫作目的是為了突出你是一個(gè)獨(dú)特的個(gè)體，一個(gè)在眾多申請(qǐng)者中脫穎而出的人，而你的寫作風(fēng)格也應(yīng)是生動(dòng)活潑，新穎清新，與眾不同的。對(duì)于本科生的留學(xué)文書寫作來(lái)說(shuō)，你的個(gè)人的生活經(jīng)歷以及奮斗歷程都會(huì)成為比較好的故事素材。好的故事一定是令人印象深刻的。當(dāng)然你不必是一個(gè)非常完美的人，相反恰恰是這些缺點(diǎn)會(huì)使讀者相信你是多面的，你是能夠從錯(cuò)誤中吸取教訓(xùn)的。這些缺點(diǎn)不必是一些特別嚴(yán)重的：你可以描述你在朋友面前出糗的一次經(jīng)歷(美國(guó)稱這類的文章為“我最尷尬時(shí)刻”類文章)。然后再告訴讀者你從這次經(jīng)歷中學(xué)到了什么。
11.Always try to make your writing as “concrete” as possible,meaning that you provide specific examples (or stories) to support your main points. Instead of just writing, for example, “I spent two months doing chemistry research,” describe the nature of that research, what process you used, and what it taught you. Depthis more important than breadth. The reader will be more impressed by specific details about ONE of your experiences then a list of twenty experiences. (Save the list of experiences for your resume.)
盡可能使你的文章具體一些，這就意味著你要提供一些具體的事例或故事來(lái)支撐你的主要觀點(diǎn)。例如，不要只是寫“我做過(guò)兩個(gè)月的化學(xué)研究”，而是應(yīng)該詳細(xì)地描述一下這次研究的性質(zhì)，采用的方法，以及你收獲了什么。文章的深度比廣度更重要。比起羅列一堆你的個(gè)人經(jīng)歷，你的某一次經(jīng)歷中的一些細(xì)節(jié)更能打動(dòng)讀者(你可以把這些經(jīng)歷用在簡(jiǎn)歷上)。
12.It is perfectly all right to describe your particular religion in an undergraduate essay. Readers in the US come from many different religious backgrounds and the admission officers will most likely be broad-minded and tolerant. The main thing is not to try and “convert” the reader—you simply want to show how being a Buddhist (or a Catholic, or a Christian, or whatever) has had a profound impact on your life.
本科文書中陳述你的宗教信仰也是完全可以的。美國(guó)讀者大都來(lái)自不同的宗教背景并且學(xué)校招生人員也都是心胸比較寬廣的人。但不必試圖改變讀者的宗教信仰，你只需說(shuō)明作為一名佛教徒(或者是天主教徒、基督徒等等)給你帶來(lái)了怎樣重大的影響。
RL寫作要點(diǎn)：
13. A reference letter (or letter of recommendation) should be no longer than one page. The basic format for the first paragraph is to state how long you have known the student and what general attributes this student exhibits (knowledgeable, dedicated, persistent, etc.) that make you honored/delighted/proud to recommend him or her. Each body paragraph should describe in detail each of the general attributes you mentioned in the first paragraph. The last paragraph then simply concludes with something like, “I believe that student so-and-so will be an asset to your esteemed institution and thus I give her my highest recommendation. If you have any questions, please contact me.”
一封推薦信最好不要超過(guò)一頁(yè)。第一段的基本格式是陳述一下你和學(xué)生認(rèn)識(shí)多久了，他身上大體是哪些品質(zhì)(是知識(shí)淵博，還是專注投入，還是堅(jiān)持不懈等這些)使你對(duì)于能夠推薦他深感驕傲自豪。接下來(lái)的每一段就要詳細(xì)地陳述你第一段中提到的他的那些品質(zhì)了。最后一段就可以簡(jiǎn)單地總結(jié)一下，你可以這樣說(shuō)，“基于學(xué)生的這些表現(xiàn)我相信該學(xué)生一定會(huì)為貴學(xué)校做出貢獻(xiàn)，這也是我極力推薦他的原因。如果您有什么問(wèn)題請(qǐng)及時(shí)聯(lián)系我。”
14.Avoid describing any of the student’s physical attributes. Readers in the US become very uncomfortable when they read that the applicant is “a lovely young girl” or a “strong handsome boy. (Admission officers are not allowed to evaluate you based on what you look like.)
避免在推薦信中描述任何有關(guān)申請(qǐng)者的身體特征。如果美國(guó)的讀者讀到說(shuō)申請(qǐng)者是一個(gè)“年輕漂亮的女孩”，或者是一個(gè)“相貌英俊，身體強(qiáng)壯的男孩”時(shí)，他們會(huì)感到很不舒服。(學(xué)校那邊也是不允許招生辦人員根據(jù)長(zhǎng)相來(lái)評(píng)估一個(gè)學(xué)生的。)
15.Do not include negative information in a letter of recommendation. Describe only the applicant’s successes, not failures.
推薦信中不要包含一些負(fù)面信息。只需描述他們的成功，而非那些失敗。
CV寫作要點(diǎn)：
16.Resumes need to be very clean, clear, simple, and elegant. Do not include fancy fonts or distracting wingdings for bullets. Be sure that your main headings stand out from the text by putting them in bold, or italics, or a larger fontsize. You want whoever reads your resume to be impressed by your achievements and accomplishments, not by your graphic design abilities.
簡(jiǎn)歷要干凈簡(jiǎn)單，清晰明了，行文優(yōu)美。不要出現(xiàn)一些花哨的字體或分散人注意力的字體。你可以通過(guò)加粗，傾斜，或者放大字體的方式，確保你的大標(biāo)題和你的正文區(qū)別開來(lái)。因?yàn)槟阆胍o讀者留下深刻印象的是你取得的成就和成果，而非你的圖文設(shè)計(jì)能力。