To save you $9.95, here is the link to the online version of the book:<div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; color: rgb(153, 153, 102); font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://www.bartleby.com/141/" style="text-decoration: none;">The Elements of Style</a></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#999966" face="Arial" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 24px;"><b><br></b></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#999966" face="Arial" size="6"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 24px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; ">阿保</span></b></span></font></div></div>

我知道此书很权威，也同意你的观点。<div><br></div><div>But the book contains too many linguistic constructs that clearly violate its own rules, which makes some people uncomfortable.</div><div><br></div><div>As an example, this is what the book says about "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 32); font-weight: bold; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><a name="16">Keep related words together":</a></span></div><div><br></div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 11.0px Verdana; color: #333333">"The subject of a sentence and the principal verb should not, as a rule, be separated by a phrase or clause that can be transferred to the beginning."</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 11.0px Verdana; color: #333333">Do you see the irony here? &nbsp;The statement itself completely ignores the rule of "keep related words together", because the phrase "as a rule" is used in the middle of the statement, while it could appear in the beginning.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 11.0px Verdana; color: #333333">阿保</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 11.0px Verdana; color: #333333"><br></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 13.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 11.0px Verdana; color: #333333"><br></p></div>

<P>阿保：</P> <P><BR>这语法、规则一类的书只是提醒人们注意，没有人能够真正完全照章办事。否则就成“八股”了。任何语言、文字都在不断创新，否则就没有生命力。不过，在美国大多数“正统文章”里，都能看到作者们受到了这本小册子的影响。</P> <P><BR>-- 户人<BR></P>

<P>看来阿保昨晚又梦见“白太阳”了，难怪“多此一文”。</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>一俗人</P>

Stupid posting tool. &nbsp;Here &nbsp;we go again:<div><br></div><div><a href="http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001913.html">http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001913.html</a></div>

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 宋体; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); line-height: 20px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">看来户人真有点学问，难怪金歌儿佩服地五体投地！开玩笑，别当真。</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 宋体; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); line-height: 20px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "></span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#444444" face="宋体" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br></span></font></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); line-height: 20px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="宋体">I have heard great things about Strunk &amp; White's "</font></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elements_of_Style" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="宋体">The Elements of Style</font></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="宋体">", but it has also attracted criticisms&nbsp;</font></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><font class="Apple-style-span" face="宋体">because it often violates it's own rules!</font></span><div><br></div><div>阿保</div><div><br></div><div>Links:</div><div><br></div><div><div><a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4">http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4</a></div><div><a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4">http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001913.html</a></div><div><a href="http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=4">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elements_of_Style</a></div><div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div>

看来户人真有点学问，难怪金歌儿佩服地五体投地！开玩笑，别当真。<div><br></div><div>I have heard great things about Strunk &amp; White's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elements_of_Style">The Elements of Style</a>", but it has also attracted criticisms&nbsp;</div>

kankan

<P>谢户人，既然您这饱学之士都推荐这本书，俺一定弄本儿来瞅瞅。俺这种懒人，最喜欢简单的好书。</P> <P>金歌儿</P>

<P>这样简单了吧：</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>色？戒！</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>-- 户人<BR></P>

<P>户人，</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>听完您的话，俺怎么觉得您把“最简单的方法”“复杂化了”呢？</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>--白玫瑰</P>

<P>白玫瑰:</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>中学同学大聚餐，一班男女同学站起敬酒。一女生高举酒杯，语出惊人：</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>“咱啥也别说，就四个字(要按四声顺序发音)：干、干、干、干！ 其它的你们自己去理解吧！”</P> <P><BR>这够得上“可以把“复杂的感情”用“最简单的方法”解决”的标准了吧？</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>-- 户人<BR></P>

<P>&nbsp;“我最欣赏这类能把复杂的东西用最简炼的语言表达出来的作品。”</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>户人“欣赏”的也正是玫瑰“欣赏”的，俺也要买来看看。不知有没有这样的作品，可以把“复杂的感情”用“最简单的方法”解决？</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>--白玫瑰</P>

<FONT size=4>谢清苦大人地格言 !!!</FONT>