这几行情诗也是教科书级别的英语写作

Original 孟庆伟Justin 孟庆伟英文写作 2023-11-29

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#“如何提升英文写作“系列干货 25 个

#孟庆伟英文写作雅思写作 14 个

我冲澡时喜欢听音乐，放的最多的是加拿大已故民谣歌手 Leonard Cohen 2008 年伦敦现场演唱会专辑。

最近我发现其中一首情歌完全就是教科书级别的英文写作，尤其是对刚刚接触英文写作的学习者来说。跟着这首歌哼几遍下来，对怎么写英文就有一些体会了。我们先来看看这首歌的歌词（可以边播放这首歌边读）。

I'm Your Man

If you want a lover

I'll do anything you ask me to

And if you want another kind of love

I'll wear a mask for you

If you want a partner, take my hand, or

If you want to strike me down in anger

Here I stand

I'm your man

If you want a boxer

I will step into the ring for you

And if you want a doctor

I'll examine every inch of you

If you want a driver, climb inside

Or if you want to take me for a ride

You know you can

I'm your man

Ah, the moon's too bright

The chain's too tight

The beast won't go to sleep

I've been running through these promises to you

That I made and I could not keep

Ah, but a man never got a woman back

Not by begging on his knees

Or I'd crawl to you baby and I'd fall at your feet

And I'd howl at your beauty like a dog in heat

And I'd claw at your heart, and I'd tear at your sheet

I'd say please (please)

I'm your man

And if you've got to sleep a moment on the road

I will steer for you

And if you want to work the street alone

I'll disappear for you

If you want a father for your child

Or only want to walk with me a while across the sand

I'm your man

If you want a lover

I'll do anything you ask me to

And if you want another kind of love

I'll wear a mask for you

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Leonard Cohen

I'm Your Man lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

这首歌的写法背后其实就是英文写作中典型的思维方式。麦肯锡前咨询顾问 Barbara Minto 在 The Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking（《金字塔原理》）一书中将这种写作思维成为 Minto Pyramid Principle。

上面的金字塔图在第二层论证列出了 3 个点，在第三层论证中每一项分别列出了 3 个点，但在实操中，可以按照论证需要灵活排列组合。

比如 Cohen 在抒发爱意的时候就没有第三层，只有第二层，不算重复第二层一共有 10 项：

点击缩放查看图片上的文字

每一项都是“If you want a lover I'll do anything you ask me to”中“anything”的具体展开：I'll wear a mask for you; take my hand; here I stand; I will step into the ring for you; I'll examine every inch of you; climb inside; you know you can; I will steer for you; I'll disappear for you; I'm your man.

Cohen 想用这 10 个例子来说：I'll do anything you ask me to, baby. Anything, absolutely anything. Just let me know.

开个脑洞，如果是美国联邦调查局写的“911 事件”调查报告，恐怕上面的金字塔图中第二层论证会有十几项 recommendation，而每个论证下面会有十多个 reason，每个 reason 也会有大量篇幅展开。

当然，我公众号大部分读者可能更关心的是托福或雅思作文。这类文章中一般第一层论证就是开头段和结尾段写明的文章观点，第二层论证是正文部分每个段落的段首句/段立场，第三层论证则是每个正文段落的展开部分。

这在下面几篇文章中都有体现：

原创雅思写作 8 分范文分享

直播写雅思作文：可能是史无前例的实验

怎样写好一篇英语作文？手把手解析给你看。

以原创雅思写作 8 分范文分享为例，它的文章结构是这个样子：

点击缩放查看图片上的文字

排列组合有别，但背后的金字塔写作原则不变。

英文写作背后都有一套固有的思维方式。我们通过临摹就可以掌握，甚至可能不知道背后的理论，但还是可以写得出清晰、漂亮的说理文章。临摹是王道。

If nothing else, I hope you have enjoyed Leonard Cohen's music.