有的人认为长好，这样似乎更符合英文习惯，并且容易充实内容，达到字数要求；而有的人则认为短好，简洁明了，容易把思想表达清楚。
其实句子长短不必苛求。连接词运用恰当、层次清楚的长句固然能表达出复杂而缜密的思想，但如果片面追求复杂句式，华而不实，反而成为表达的累赘，更别说没有扎实的基本功，这样做就是在错与对之间冒险。看下面例子：
A basic reason for divorce is that some people are not really ready for marriage, perhaps because they are still establishing themselves in their careers and haven’t had enough time to get to know themselves and many members of the opposite sex, but family pressures make them feel that something is wrong with them since they are not married, and so they marry too soon.
这句话倒是长，原因、转折连词，该有的都有。可是读完这样的长句让人感到喘不过气，理解起来也费劲。究其原因，一个意群结束该断句没断，勉强用连词接上，失去了表达的层次感，模糊了语意，给理解造成困难。修改如下：
A basic reason for divorce is that some people are not really ready for marriage. As they are still establishing themselves in their careers, they haven’t had enough time to get to know themselves and many members of the opposite sex. However, family pressures make them feel that something is wrong with them since they are not married. So they marry too soon.
这样层次分明，语意清晰。
反之，以为句子越短就越简洁也是一个误区。过多的短句势必造成语意连接不畅，结构松散，而且短句并不见得简洁。看下面例子：
*The watch is golden in color and costs $50 in price.
这个句子总共才10个字出头，却有四五个是完全多余的。简洁的表达应该是：
The golden watch costs $50.
总之，写作中句子的长短根据表达的需要，有话则长，无话则短。简洁是一个原则，不管长句还是短句，都不能罗嗦。看下面的句子能否写得简洁些：
1. He didn’t have enough experience, which is the reason why he didn’t do the work well.
2. The meaning of his statement is that he is of the opinion that the death penalty should be allowed.
3. The captain was a tall, thin man with a big mustache. He was pacing the bridge with a look of importance.
4. It was at 5 o’clock in the afternoon that the car accident took place. Five o’clock was the rush hour of the day’s traffic.
5. He wants to make a tour of the People’s Square. It was a fine, open space in the center of the city.
参考答案如下：
1. He didn’t do the work well for lack of experience.
2. He thinks that the death penalty should be allowed.
3. The captain, a tall, thin man with a mustache, was pacing the bridge with a look of importance.
4. It was at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, the rush hour of the day’s traffic, that the car accident took place.
5. He wants to make a tour of the People’s Square, a fine, open space in the center of the city.
杨朝春
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