Better Together?

我刚开始学习编程的时候，因对函数式编程风格不熟悉，而将pipeline断成很多独立的expression。换而言之，我会经常把原来可以连起来的逻辑，切成一段一段。就像写英文的时候，把该联系在一起的要素断成短句一样，让文章显得不连贯。不要用句号去当逗号。彻底了解逗号的用法可以帮助你用简洁、优雅的写作风格来传达信息，并让文章读起来更顺口。我们先看看下面的例句：

The audience was at first indifferent．Later it became increasingly interested．
The audience，which had at first been indifferent，became increasingly interested．

最上面的第一个例句可以算是反面模式：它把形容主语的内容写到了第二句话里。在大部分有修饰主语的部分出现情况下，作者可以轻松地使用关系从句把两个句子连接起来，变成一个整句。很多时候如果在表示形容的那个句子的前半部分出现代名词(he, her, it, that, which等)，就意味着它可以被改成关系从句的形式（下面的例子供你参考）。

Napoleon was born in 1769．At that time Corsica had but recently been acquired by France.
In 1769，when Napoleon was born，Corsica had but recently been acquired by France．

另外，不要用逗号连接独立句。我们继续看下面的例句：

Jinyong's works are entertaining, they are full of exciting adventures．
Jinyong's works are entertaining. They are full of exciting adventures．

按照《风格的要素》原本的规则，如果想把语法上意思完整、且不用连词连接的两个或两个以上的从句，组成一个并列句，正确的标点符号应是分号。不过从19世纪以来，英语的分号从主流文学中基本上消失了。21世纪的作家更偏向于直接把分号换成句号，改为两个句子或者把从属连词（because, while, although等）夹在两句话中间。也许比较细心的读者已经意识到了，这样做就产生了副作用，又把完整的逻辑切成短句了。对于这种矛盾，《风格的要素》提供了下面的指导：

A writer may err by making her sentences too uniformly compact and periodic，and an occasional loose sentence prevents the style from becoming too formal and gives the reader a certain relief．Consequently，loose sentences of the type first quoted are common in easy，unstudied writing．But a writer should be careful not to construct too many of her sentences after this pattern．

— “Elementary Principles of Composition”, The Elements of Style

有时候把太多的信息塞到一句话里，读起来很艰难。而反过来说，作者非得要把每一个概念写成独立句就让文章显得枯燥无味。英文写作风格像编程语言写作风格一样，关键在于根据上下文使用适当的工具。面对这种比较抽象的问题，没有一条硬式的规则能够让你一下子找到平衡点，而作者只能通过不断地练习形成自己的写作风格。