Chapter 21 / 第21章¶

Keeping Those Little Puncs in Line: A Brief Review of Punctuation / 让那些小标点守规矩：标点符号简要复习

APOSTROPHES / 撇号

There are two main uses for apostrophes. The first is to form contractions, such as don't and can't. Think of the apostrophe as marking the spot where letters have been omitted:

撇号有两个主要用途。第一个是构成缩写（contraction），如 don't 和 can't。把撇号想象成标记字母被省略的位置：

I am = I'm She will = She'll We are = We're It is = It's

Apostrophes are also used to form possessives, and the rules are simple:

撇号也用于构成所有格（possessive），规则很简单：

Most possessive forms use the apostrophe + s: John's hat, the dog's tail, the boy's parents. 大多数所有格形式使用撇号 + s：John's hat, the dog's tail, the boy's parents。
Plural nouns ending in -s only need an apostrophe: Students' parking lot; the Smiths' house. 以 -s 结尾的复数名词只需要一个撇号：Students' parking lot；the Smiths' house。
Singular nouns that end in -s can be handled two ways: ① add -'s (Charles's car); ② add just an apostrophe (Charles' car). Learn which style your teacher or editor prefers. 以 -s 结尾的单数名词有两种处理方式：① 加 -'s（Charles's car）；② 只加撇号（Charles' car）。了解你的老师或编辑更喜欢哪种风格。
Some authorities call for apostrophes to make certain unusual plurals: 一些权威机构要求用撇号来构成某些不寻常的复数： He wants to earn all A's and B's this semester. He prefers the jazz from the 1940's. More and more, it has become acceptable to omit the apostrophes here: He earned As and Bs; the 1940s. But used carelessly, the omission can be momentarily confusing. For example, the plural As could be confused with the conjunction as. Follow your teachers' (or supervisors') preferences on these. 越来越多地，在这里省略撇号已变得可接受：He earned As and Bs; the 1940s。但使用不谨慎时，省略可能会暂时引起混淆。例如，复数 As 可能与连词 as 混淆。遵循你的老师（或主管）对这些的偏好。

COMMAS / 逗号

The Parenthetical Commas / 成对逗号

Commas often come in pairs, like parentheses, and these pairs have a good many uses. In general, we can use them where we might use a pair of parentheses (or a pair of dashes).

逗号经常成对出现，像括号一样，这些成对的逗号有许多用途。一般来说，我们可以在可能使用一对括号（或一对破折号）的地方使用它们。

With parenthetical commas, the most common and serious error is forgetting the second comma. Don't do that.

对于成对逗号，最常见和最严重的错误是忘记第二个逗号。不要这样做。

Put a pair of commas where you could put parentheses. For example, put a pair of commas around an appositive: 在你可以放括号的地方放一对逗号。例如，在同位语（appositive）周围放一对逗号： Mr. Smith (the principal) went to talk to the family. Mr. Smith, the principal, has returned.
Put a pair of commas around a parenthetical comment (one that interrupts the sentence): 在插入性评论（打断句子的那种）周围放一对逗号： That Bliebermeier boy (whom I've pointed out before) is a curious kid. That Bliebermeier boy, the one I mentioned previously, has been staring at me.
Place commas around states (in city-state phrases) and years (in month-day-year phrases): 在州名（城市-州短语中）和年份（月-日-年短语中）周围放逗号： Salem, Massachusetts, is my favorite city. Salem, Massachusetts, USA, is my favorite city. October 1939 is when my grandfather was born. [No commas are necessary. / 不需要逗号] October 31, 1938, is the day the Martians landed in Grover's Mill, New Jersey, and abducted Orson Welles.
A pair of commas typically encloses adjectives that follow a noun: 一对逗号通常包围跟在名词后面的形容词： The audience, skeptical and snide, refused to believe my story about Orson Welles.

Single Commas / 单个逗号

For several reasons, it's easy to be confused about single commas. Unlike most punctuation, commas have a variety of uses, and some of those uses are optional. Different professions and disciplines (like journalism) have their own rules about some uses.

出于多种原因，很容易对单个逗号感到困惑。与大多数标点符号不同，逗号有多种用途，其中一些用途是可选的。不同的专业和学科（如新闻学）对某些用途有自己的规则。

We'll explain a set of common uses.

我们将解释一组常见用途。

Use a comma after a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses: 在连接两个独立从句的并列连词（coordinating conjunction）之后使用逗号： He got the job at the bookstore, and he means to keep it. He intended to keep the job, but then he found a better one. We're allowed to omit the comma if the clauses are short and easy to understand without it: 如果从句很短且没有逗号也能轻松理解，我们可以省略逗号： He's employed and he means to stay employed.
In a sentence that begins with a subordinate clause, add a comma at the end of the subordinate clause: 在以从属从句（subordinate clause）开头的句子中，在从属从句的末尾加一个逗号： Because Mortimer was late, the boss docked his pay. Before he docked Mortimer's pay, the boss spoke with him. If the subordinate clause is short (no more than three or four words long), the comma may be omitted. If we write the sentences above with the independent clause first, no comma is necessary. 如果从属从句很短（不超过三四个词长），逗号可以省略。如果我们先写独立从句，则不需要逗号。 The boss docked Mortimer's pay because he was late. The boss spoke with Mortimer after he docked his pay.
Use a comma whenever you need one for clarity. Consider this sentence: 在需要清晰时使用逗号。考虑这个句子： WRONG: Some authorities (like the Modern Language Association and Strunk and White) call for –'s after all singular nouns to form possessives. The phrase the Modern Language Association and Strunk and White is momentarily confusing: Strunk and White might be read as one authority or two. The comma prevents confusion: 短语 the Modern Language Association and Strunk and White 暂时令人困惑：Strunk and White 可能被读作一个权威还是两个。逗号防止混淆： RIGHT: Some authorities (like the Modern Language Association, and Strunk and White) call for –'s after all singular nouns to form possessives.
Here's a general rule for single commas that's helpful: Never place just one comma between the subject and verb of the sentence: 这里有一个关于单个逗号的有用通用规则：永远不要在句子的主语和动词之间只放一个逗号： WRONG: Nancy, is the best treasurer we've ever had. [Nancy is the subject, so no comma is needed. / Nancy 是主语，所以不需要逗号。] WRONG: Nancy, the treasurer is not here today. [Two commas are needed around the treasurer, which is an appositive. / 在同位语 the treasurer 周围需要两个逗号。] RIGHT: Ed, did you know that Nancy is the treasurer? [This is correct because Ed is a noun of direct address, not the subject. / 这是正确的，因为 Ed 是呼语名词（noun of direct address），不是主语。]
We use commas to separate items in a series: 我们用逗号分隔系列中的项目： His favorite necktie is blue, green, red, and gray. But there is disagreement about that last comma (the one before and), which is known as the serial comma (and also as the Oxford comma and that infernal comma). Some authorities leave it out unless it's necessary for clarity. Others prefer to use it consistently. Learn which style your teacher or editor prefers. 但对于最后一个逗号（and 之前的那个），存在分歧，它被称为系列逗号（serial comma）（也称为牛津逗号（Oxford comma）和那个可恶的逗号）。一些权威机构将其省略，除非为了清晰而需要。另一些人则倾向于始终使用它。了解你的老师或编辑更喜欢哪种风格。

Commas and Non-restrictive Modifiers / 逗号与非限制性修饰语

Use commas around non-restrictive modifiers, including clauses. This point may call for a bit of review:

在非限制性修饰语（non-restrictive modifier）（包括从句）周围使用逗号。这一点可能需要一些回顾：

Restrictive clauses (you'll recall) are adjectivals that contain necessary information that helps to define the noun; they restrict (or narrow down) the meaning of the modified noun to something more specific. They are never enclosed in commas.

限制性从句（restrictive clause）（你会记得）是包含必要信息的形容词性结构，有助于定义名词；它们将所修饰名词的意义限制（或缩小）到更具体的东西。它们从不被逗号包围。

Non-restrictive clauses don't narrow down, or restrict, the meaning of the noun; they simply provide supplementary information. They are always enclosed by commas.

非限制性从句不缩小或限制名词的意义；它们只是提供补充信息。它们总是被逗号包围。

Restrictive: All politicians who are crooks should be jailed. Non-restrictive: All politicians, who are crooks, should be jailed.

The first example above says something about only those specific politicians who are crooks. The second says that all politicians should be jailed because they are all crooks.

上面的第一个例子只涉及那些特定的是骗子的政客。第二个说所有政客都应该被关起来，因为他们都是骗子。

The commas mark the difference in meaning. (Notice that you could also use a pair of parentheses in the second sentence, instead of commas.)

逗号标记了意义的差异。（请注意，你也可以在第二个句子中使用一对括号，而不是逗号。）

SEMI-COLONS / 分号

These are generally easier than commas: We use them in only a few cases.

这些通常比逗号简单：我们只在少数情况下使用它们。

Use a semi-colon — and no coordinating conjunction — to join two independent clauses into one sentence: 使用分号——不加并列连词——将两个独立从句连接成一个句子： Jill likes the human anatomy class ; she doesn't need it for her major, however. If both clauses are simple and brief, and neither contains commas, you are allowed to join them with a comma: 如果两个从句都简单简短，且都不包含逗号，你可以用逗号连接它们： It's not the heat, it's the humidity.
Use semi-colons to join two or more groups of words if at least one of the groups contains commas: 如果至少有一个词组包含逗号，使用分号连接两个或更多词组： Your supervisor, Mr. Smith, will be here Tuesday ; Ms. Jones, his assistant, will be here Wednesday ; and you, Bob, should be here every day. The hideous creature had fangs, tentacles, and a drooling maw ; wings, claws, and piercing eyes ; and blond, wavy hair.

COLONS / 冒号

As with semi-colons, we use colons in only a few cases:

与分号一样，我们只在少数情况下使用冒号：

Use a colon after a complete sentence to introduce a list, a clause, or a quotation: 在一个完整句子之后使用冒号来引入一个列表、一个从句或一段引语： Successful students have certain traits: patience, determination, ambition. Successful students have certain habits: they plan their work, they organize carefully, and they look for ways to improve their plans and organization. Steve quoted Mark Twain: "Perfect grammar—persistent, continuous, sustained—is the fourth dimension, so to speak; many have sought it, but none has found it." Notice that in each example above, a word before the colon (traits, habits, quoted) announces or anticipates the words that follow it. 请注意，在上面的每个例子中，冒号前的一个词（traits, habits, quoted）预告或预示了跟随它的词语。 We are also allowed to place the list or phrase first, and then follow it with a colon and complete sentence: 我们也允许将列表或短语放在前面，然后用冒号和完整句子跟随： Patience, determination, ambition: These are the qualities of a successful student. In other words, a complete sentence must appear to the left or the right of a colon, or in both positions. 换句话说，一个完整的句子必须出现在冒号的左边或右边，或两者兼具。
A colon never follows words like include, such as, or like: 冒号从不跟在像 include、such as 或 like 这样的词后面： WRONG: A successful student's qualities include: patience, determination, ambition. RIGHT: A successful student's qualities include patience, determination, ambition. WRONG: I want to take courses such as: biology, astronomy, and physics. RIGHT: I want to take courses such as biology, astronomy, and physics.
A colon should appear at the end of a sentence that introduces a block quotation. 冒号应该出现在引入块状引语（block quotation）的句子末尾。
When you introduce examples, with or without a colon, punctuate carefully. Both of these are correct: 当你引入例子时，无论有没有冒号，都要仔细标点。以下两者都是正确的： He used many odd words (for example, flabbergast, discombobulate, and others). He used many odd words: for example, flabbergast, discombobulate, and others. If you wanted to use e.g. instead of for example in either of the sentences, the punctuation would not change: 如果你想在任何一个句子中使用 e.g. 而不是 for example，标点不会改变： He used many odd words (e.g., flabbergast, discombobulate, and others).

QUOTATION MARKS / 引号

It's easy for Americans to be confused about quotation marks because British books, periodicals, and websites use them differently. (The British are wrong, but don't tell them we said so.)

美国人很容易对引号感到困惑，因为英国的书籍、期刊和网站以不同的方式使用它们。（英国人是错的，但别告诉他们我们这么说。）

You never put quotation marks around the title of your own short story or essay, although you may put it in boldface type if you like. If you refer to your own work after it's published, then you include the quotation marks. 永远不要在你自己的短篇小说或论文的标题周围加引号，尽管如果你愿意可以将其设为粗体排版。如果你在作品出版后引用它，那么你就要加引号。
When referring to the short works of others (e.g., short stories and poems, articles, songs, or a web page within a larger site), enclose them in quotation marks: "The Raven," "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Frequently Asked Questions." 当引用他人的短篇作品时（例如短篇小说和诗歌、文章、歌曲或较大网站中的网页），用引号将其包围："The Raven," "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Frequently Asked Questions"。
Titles of long works (books, newspapers, magazines, movies, plays, or entire websites) should be italicized: The Lord of the Rings, The New York Times, The Best Years of Our Lives. 长篇作品的标题（书籍、报纸、杂志、电影、戏剧或整个网站）应该用斜体：The Lord of the Rings, The New York Times, The Best Years of Our Lives。 Before word processing and the personal computer, writers using typewriters underlined titles of long works — The Lord of the Rings — and some writers continue to do this. But now computers make italics so easy that we can leave this old-fashioned practice behind. Underlining is now usually reserved for graphic design purposes, as in some résumé formats. 在文字处理和个人电脑出现之前，使用打字机的作者们在长篇作品的标题下划线——The Lord of the Rings——一些作者至今仍在这样做。但现在电脑使斜体变得如此简单，我们可以放弃这种过时的做法。下划线现在通常保留用于图形设计目的，如某些简历格式中。
Commas and periods always go to the immediate left of quotation marks — ," ." — and never to the immediate right. Colons and semi-colons never go to the immediate left of the final quotation marks. 逗号和句号始终放在引号的左侧——," ."——从不放在右侧。冒号和分号从不放在最后引号的左侧。 Question marks and exclamation points go to the left only if they are part of the quotation or title: 问号和感叹号只有当它们是引语或标题的一部分时才放在左侧： Louis Jordan wrote the song "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?" Didn't he also write "Baby, It's Cold Outside"? Notice that the first example above is a declarative sentence, but it has no period at the end. Only one final punctuation mark is required. 请注意，上面的第一个例子是一个陈述句，但结尾没有句号。只需要一个最终的标点符号。
After an attribution of a quotation (e.g., Paine wrote), commas and quotation marks follow the verb (wrote, stated, observed, and others) unless one or more words follow the verb. Notice how the punctuation changes as the attribution or its placement changes: 在引语的归属说明（例如 Paine wrote）之后，逗号和引号跟在动词（wrote, stated, observed 等）后面，除非有一个或多个词跟在动词后面。请注意标点如何随着归属说明或其位置的变化而变化： Thomas Paine wrote, "These are the times that try men's souls." Paine wrote that "These are the times that try men's souls." "These are the times," Paine wrote, "that try men's souls." "These are the times that try men's souls," as Thomas Paine wrote. Did Paine write "These are the times that try men's souls"?
Single quotes are used inside double quotes. Commas and periods are placed inside single quotes: 单引号用在双引号内部。逗号和句号放在单引号内部： Irving Berlin wrote "God Bless America." The announcer said, "Irving Berlin wrote such popular songs as 'White Christmas,' 'There's No Business like Show Business,' and 'God Bless America.'" Notice the three quotation marks after the period above. 请注意上面句号后的三个引号。

ELLIPSES AND SQUARE BRACKETS / 省略号和方括号

We are permitted to delete words from direct quotations if we use ellipses (three spaced periods) to tell our readers (1) that words have been deleted and (2) where the deleted words were.

如果我们使用省略号（ellipsis）（三个间隔的句点）来告诉我们的读者（1）词语已被删除以及（2）被删除的词语在哪里，我们就被允许从直接引语中删除词语。

Similarly, we can add words to quotations by enclosing the additions in square brackets.

同样，我们可以通过将添加内容放在方括号（square bracket）中来为引语添加词语。

The following sentence, which contains a quotation, uses both ellipses and brackets:

以下包含引语的句子同时使用了省略号和方括号：

In his book The Great Movies, film critic Roger Ebert writes that The Maltese Falcon is "[a]mong the movies we not only love but treasure . . . ."

In the original text by Ebert, the quoted words were at the beginning of a sentence, so the writer has used brackets to make the first letter of among lowercase. (The brackets for changing the capital are not always required, depending on the style guide you're using.)

在 Ebert 的原文中，引用的词语位于句子的开头，因此作者使用方括号将 among 的首字母改为小写。（根据你所使用的风格指南，改变大写的方括号并不总是必需的。）

Also notice that after the three ellipses, there is a fourth period to end the sentence.

还请注意，在三个省略点之后，有第四个句点来结束句子。

Here's a second example, using a block quotation from Garry Wills's book Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership. A block quotation is typically four or more lines long.

这是第二个例子，使用了 Garry Wills 著作 Certain Trumpets: The Nature of Leadership 中的块状引语。块状引语通常为四行或四行以上。

Here, the writer introduces the quotation from Wills with a complete sentence (Wills explains . . .) that ends in a colon. In the block quotation, the writer has deleted words with ellipses and inserted a comment in square brackets:

在这里，作者用一个以冒号结尾的完整句子（Wills explains . . .）引入了 Wills 的引语。在块状引语中，作者用省略号删除了词语，并用方括号插入了一个评论：

Wills explains why radicals of the 1930's and 1940's objected to moderate leaders like Eleanor Roosevelt:

Those who reject the moderate leader because only a radical protest is "authentic" [a term describing protest that is believed to be sincere and effective] will never understand the need more ordinary people have for help to meet life's daily problems. Nor do they see how moderates alter power by making it more responsible . . . . Eleanor Roosevelt was "naïve" in the eyes of ideologues . . . who did not understand her extraordinary appeal.

As this example illustrates, block quotations have a wider left margin and are not enclosed in quotation marks. Within block quotations, use double quotations, as above.

如这个例子所示，块状引语有较宽的左边距，且不被引号包围。在块状引语内部，使用双引号，如上所示。

ITALICS AND WRITING ABOUT LANGUAGE / 斜体与关于语言的写作

When we write about words as words (i.e., as examples of language), those words should be italicized, although quotation marks are often used and are also correct.

当我们把词当作词来写时（即作为语言的例子），这些词应该用斜体，尽管引号经常被使用且也是正确的。

When you speak of carrying something from one point to another, do you ever say tote, lug, or schlep?

You can use quotation marks in this sentence, but it complicates the punctuation:

你可以在这个句子中使用引号，但这会使标点复杂化：

Do you ever say "tote," "lug," or "schlep"?

PERIODS AND ABBREVIATIONS / 句点与缩写

It was long the rule to place a period after every initial letter in abbreviations like these: U.S.A., U.K., U.N., N.A.S.A.

长期以来，规则是在缩写的每个首字母后加一个句点，如：U.S.A., U.K., U.N., N.A.S.A.

Today in most (but not all) publications and contexts, we omit the periods: USA, UK, UN, NASA are now widely acceptable.

今天在大多数（但不是全部）出版物和语境中，我们省略句点：USA, UK, UN, NASA 现在被广泛接受。

We still put periods after abbreviations that include the first letter and later letters in the same word: Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Sen. (The British omit the periods in some of these, but we've already warned you about them.)

我们仍然在包含同一个词的首字母和后续字母的缩写后加句点：Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., Sen.。（英国人在其中一些中省略句点，但关于他们我们已经警告过你了。）

CAPITAL OFFENSES / 大写规则

You know most of the rules already, but here are a couple that may be new to you.

你已经知道大部分规则，但这里有一些你可能不知道的。

Capitalize The in the titles of books, newspapers, and other publications only if the word is part of the title. Thus we write The New York Times, but the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News.

仅在 The 是标题的一部分时才在书籍、报纸和其他出版物的标题中大写它。因此我们写 The New York Times，但写 the Chicago Tribune 和 the New York Daily News。

In titles, it's usual to capitalize the first word, all nouns and verbs, and all adjectives and adverbs, but practices vary considerably. You'll have to consult the relevant style guide.

在标题中，通常大写第一个词、所有名词和动词以及所有形容词和副词，但做法差异很大。你将不得不查阅相关的风格指南。

And do we write earth or Earth? Do we write sun and moon, or Sun and Moon? Internet or internet? Not even a dictionary can help with some words. Again, consult your style guide. Or make up your own mind and be consistent about it.

我们写 earth 还是 Earth？我们写 sun 和 moon，还是 Sun 和 Moon？Internet 还是 internet？甚至词典也不能帮助某些词语。同样，查阅你的风格指南。或者自己拿定主意并保持一致。

EXERCISES / 练习

21a. In the following sentences, place a comma wherever necessary. 在以下句子中，在必要的地方加上逗号。

Stephen Colbert the irreverent late-night host often pokes fun at political leaders.
Ralph Ellison's only completed novel Invisible Man won the National Book Award.
The rescue workers exhausted and discouraged stared at the rubble without speaking.
You can go when you are finished or you can stay and ask questions.
When you are finished you can go or you can stay and ask questions.
"He has plundered our seas ravaged our coasts burnt our towns and destroyed the lives of our people." (The Declaration of Independence.)
The long twisting and muddy road led to an abandoned car.
That movie which I've seen before is too violent for me.
He thought New York City New York was the greatest city on earth.
I have been working hard on my writing and I hope to do better in my next English class.
November 22 1963 is a day most Baby Boomers remember clearly.

21b. Which sentence below is unfair to teenaged drivers? 以下哪个句子对青少年司机是不公平的？

Restrictive: Teenaged drivers who drive like maniacs should lose their licenses. Non-restrictive: Teenaged drivers, who drive like maniacs, should lose their licenses.

Which sentence below is unfair to grammarians? 以下哪个句子对语法学家是不公平的？

Restrictive: Grammarians who are always correcting other people's grammar should be thrown out a second-story window. Non-restrictive: Grammarians, who are always correcting other people's grammar, should be thrown out a second-story window.

21c. Insert a colon or semi-colon where necessary or correct a mistake. 在必要的地方插入冒号或分号，或纠正一个错误。

He was fired yesterday he simply wasn't doing his job.
The boss offered only one explanation he simply wasn't doing his job.
A main clause contains a subject and a predicate it can stand alone as a complete sentence.
A main clause is easy to define it contains a subject and a predicate and can stand alone as a complete sentence.
Some interesting Southern expressions include: tote, y'all, and schlimozel.
Tote, y'all, and schlimozel, I'm not sure those are all Southern expressions.

21d. Correct punctuation as necessary in the following quotations. The first two are one sentence long; the third is two sentences. 按需纠正以下引语的标点。前两个为一个句子长；第三个为两个句子。

My mother had a great deal of trouble with me wrote Mark Twain but I think she enjoyed it.
Elbert Hubbard wrote "Your friend is the man who knows all about you and still likes you.
[All of the following is a quotation from Jones, with a brief attribution in the middle of the quotation.] Senator Phogbound has an evasive word for everything Jones wrote. When he was caught tapping into his campaign funds, he called it "a possible error."

21e. Add or correct punctuation wherever necessary. 在任何必要的地方添加或纠正标点。

When theres a snow day we typically dont have to make it up unless weve had many of them.
Its always a relief after youve finished a research paper and turned it in.
St. Louis Missouri is Charles home and he returns there whenever he can
You can write one independent clause and its possible to add a second with a coordinating conjunction.
This is one independent clause this is another independent clause.
These are the steps in the writing process prewriting drafting revision and exhaustion.
Because its my grandmothers home Atlanta Georgia is my favorite city and Orlando Florida which is not that far from Atlanta is my favorite vacation spot.
My Aunt Hepatica still believes that Orson Welles drama the War of the Worlds was real. [Hint: It was a radio dramatization of a novel by H. G. Wells.]