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How to write in English

英語の文書構造は4種類しかない．
  • Process writing.
  • Cause and effect.
  • Contrast and similarity.
  • Classification and definition.
これらの構造から外れた文書は読みづらく，ほとんどの場合は読まれないだろう．（学術誌なら掲載を断られる．学術誌の場合は process writing でも拒絶されるだろう．）

さて，どうせスタイルが決まっているのだから，表現方法を決めてしまうと簡単でいい．Process writing は単にセンテンスを並べていくだけなので -> でつなぐのがよい．並列なプロセスは中括弧 { } と縦棒 | で並べよう．Cause and effect はまず最初にeffectを書いてからcauseを書く．そこで <= でつなぐのがよい．

例をあげる．アップルの公式サイトから．

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them.

構造を表現してみると，こうなる．

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. <= { It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, | and users have told us that they love it. } -> So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, -> and we immediately began investigating them.

Contrast and similarity は二つの並列な事象を並べることになる．そこでcontrastの場合は <> で，similarityの場合は == でつなぐことにしてみる．

Contrastの例をあげる．

Many programming languages have some form of written specification of their syntax (form) and semantics (meaning). <= Some languages are defined by a specification document. <= { For example, the C programming language is specified by an ISO Standard. <> Other languages, such as Perl, have a dominant implementation that is used as a reference. }


Classification and definition うちclassificationはある事柄を複数のクラスに分類することである．Classificationの記号を X =: { A # B # C # … } とする．Definitionはある事柄が備えるべき性質を単数または複数列挙することである．Definitionの記号を X := A または A := { A ^ B ^ C ^ … } とする．

例をあげる．

In biology, an organism is := any contiguous living system (such as animal, plant, fungus, or micro-organism). In at least some form, all organisms are := capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole. An organism may either be =: { unicellular (single-celled) # or be composed of, as in humans, many trillions of cells grouped into specialized tissues and organs. } The term multicellular (many-celled) describes any organism made up of more than one cell.

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