威廉·黑兹利特/William Hazlitt
The proper force of words lies not in the words themselves, but in their application. A word may be a fine sounding word, of an unusual length, and very imposing from its learning and novelty, and yet in the connection in which it is introduced may be quite pointless and irrelevant. It is not pomp or pretension, but the adaptation of the expression to the idea, that clenches a writer's meaning: as it is not the size or glossiness of the materials, but their being fitted each to its place, that gives strength to the arch; or as the pegs and nails are as necessary to the support of the building as the larger timbers, and more so than the mere showy, unsubstantial ornaments. I hate anything that occupies more space than it is worth. I hate to see a load of bandboxes go along the street, and I hate to see a parcel of big words without anything in them. A person who does not deliberately dimples of all his thoughts alike in cumbrous draperies and flimsy disguises may strike out twenty varieties of familiar everyday language, each coming somewhat nearer to the feeling he wants to convey, and at last not hit upon that particular and only one which may be said to be identical with the exact impression in his mind. This would seem to show that Mr. Cobalt is hardly right in saying that the first word that occurs is always the best. It may be a very good one; and yet a better may present itself on reflection or from time to time. It may be suggested naturally, however, and spontaneously, from a fresh and lively conception of the subject.
词汇的严格意义不在于词汇本身，而在于词汇的应用。一个单词可能音节嘹亮，字母很多，单就它的学术价值和新奇感来说，可能是令人赞赏的，然而把它放在具体的语境中，也可能毫无意义。表达作者的写作意图并不是依靠华丽的辞藻，而是对作品主题的贴切适用。正如在建筑中，不必在意材料的大小和光泽，只要它们砌合得完整严实，就能牢固地支撑拱门。又或是在建筑物中，木楔和钉子的支撑作用有时竟与大件木料同等重要，它的作用远远胜过那些徒有其表、不结实的装饰部件。我讨厌那些白占地方的东西，讨厌满载一大堆空纸盒的车招摇过市，也讨厌堆砌那些大而无实际内容的词汇。一个人写文章，只要他不是故意用重重锦绣帐幔、多余伪装遮掩自己的写作意图，他总会从熟悉的日常用语中想出一二十种说法，这种语言更接近他所要表达的情感，最后，他甚至会因为不知道挑选哪一种说法能更好地表达自己而发愁！这样看来，考拜特先生所谓的第一印象就是最好的说法未必可靠。这样出现的字眼也许很好，可是经过一次次推敲，就会发现更好的字眼。然而，它也许是自然表现出来的，针对要表达的事物的一种自发的、突然出现的灵感。