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.
并非所有优秀的作家都是拼写高手。如果你想被出版，提交一份完美、专业呈现的原稿至关重要。这意味着语法好，没有拼写错误。任何编辑都不太可能容忍那些不愿意花心思正确拼写单词的作家。
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 .
我在桌子旁边随时放着两本参考书：词典和同义词词典。我不信任笔记本电脑的拼写检查器，它不考虑上下文。当然，现在有很多在线词典和同义词词典，但我还是保守派，更喜欢硬皮和能用手指翻动的页面。我使用的是《简明牛津词典》和《柯林斯同义词词典》。
____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.
当然，词典不仅用于拼写。它应该为你提供每个词的精确定义，从而区别于那些意思相似但并非完全相同的其他词。它通常也会显示单词的发音方式。
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.
此外，我还有一本老旧的《牛津英语词典》的两卷本，几年前在一家书店特价售卖，只需99便士。当然，它有2672页，不算短小。它包含大约163,000个单词，以及单词组合和习语短语。我不经常使用这本词典。然而，如果我需要查单词的来源或查找其用法示例，没有比它更好的了。
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.
长达一百多年来，最有影响力的英语词典是塞缪尔·约翰逊于1755年出版的《英语词典》。约翰逊写道：“编写词典是乏味的工作”，这解释了“乏味”的一个定义。但是词典也可以读起来很愉快。花几分钟时间浏览一页或两页可能是一种令人满足的体验。
A. I don’t often use this dictionary.
A. 我不经常使用这本词典
B. It takes no account of the context.
B. 它不考虑上下文。
C. But I still don’t want to replace them.
C. 但我还是不想替换它们。
D. But a dictionary can be a pleasure to read.
D. 但是词典也可以读起来很愉快。
E. Of course, a dictionary is not only for spelling.
E. 当然，词典不仅用于拼写。
F. That means good grammar and no spelling mistakes.
F. 这意味着语法好，没有拼写错误。
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