Not all great writers are great spellers. If you want to be published, it’s vital to submit a perfect, professionally presented manuscript (原稿). ____1____ No editor is likely to tolerate a writer who does not take the trouble to spell words correctly.
I keep two reference books close-by on my desk: dictionary and thesaurus (同义词词典). I don’t trust my laptop’s spellchecker. ____2____ Of course, these days there are plenty of online dictionaries and thesauruses, but I’m old-fashioned enough to prefer a hard cover and pages I can leaf through with my fingers. I use the Concise Oxford Dictionary and the Collins Thesaurus.
____3____ It should give you a precise definition of each word, thus differentiating it from other words whose meanings are similar, but not identical. It will also usually show how the word is pronounced.
In addition, I have an old two-volume copy of the Shorter Oxford Dictionary, picked up a few years ago in a bookshop sale for just 99 pence. Of course, with its 2,672 pages, it’s not exactly short. It contains around 163,000 words, plus word combinations and idiomatic phrases. ____4____ However, if I need to check the origin of a word or to look up examples of its usage, there’s nothing better.
For well over a hundred years the most influential English dictionary was Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of the English Language published in 1755. “To make dictionaries is dull (乏味) work,” wrote Johnson, illustrating one definition of “dull”. ____5____ A few minutes spent casting your eye over a page or two can be a rewarding experience.
A. I don’t often use this dictionary.
B. It takes no account of the context.
C. But I still don’t want to replace them.
D. But a dictionary can be a pleasure to read.
E. Of course, a dictionary is not only for spelling.
F. That means good grammar and no spelling mistakes.
G. Dictionaries don’t always give you enough information.
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