商务英语写作：不为标点烦恼 写作技巧揭秘
I have recently received some enquiries from new clients asking me to help them with their writing skills in English.最近，我收到一些客户的询问，请求我帮助他们解决英语写作技巧的问题。
This gave me an idea of starting a new series entitled English Writing Skills. In this series I will explore the different techniques that are required to produce good writing both in academia and business. The areas I plan to cover will vary from developing arguments through the use of linkers, punctuation, spelling and correct register (formal versus informal).这让我有了开始一系列名为英语写作技巧的主意。在这个系列中，我将提出不同的写作技巧，能够满足学术和商业领域的写作需求。这个系列我计划通过连接词、标点符号、拼写和准确定位（正规和不正规比较）来覆盖各种不同的论据。
If there are any aspects of writing that you’d like me to write about, please do let me know and I will happily add it to the series.如果你想要我说明关于写作的某些方面，请告诉我，我非常乐意将它加入到这个系列中。
In this first post of the series, I have decided to examine three punctuation symbols that are used in writing but are often confused and consequently ignored by many people – the dash (-), semicolon (;) and colon (:).在这个系列的第一篇文章中，我决定剖析三个标点符号，它们是大家在写作中会经常使用的，但也是经常感到困惑和经常忽略的符号----破折号(-),分号 (;) 和冒号 (:)
I found this extremely helpful and informative infographic prepared by Grammar Net. According to Grammar Net: “ Dashes, semicolons and colons are potent punctuation. They add clarity, call attention to sentence elements and improve the “flow,” but they also add drama and are destructive if over-used.我发现一个由语法网准备的一个非常有帮助、涵盖了有用信息的信息图。根据语法网定义：破折号、分号和冒号都是有效的标点符号。他们增加了句子成分的清晰度，吸引人注意并提高句子的连贯性，但是如果使用过度，也会增加句子的戏剧性，对句子造成破坏性。
This infographic provides a clear explanation of how to use these symbols. Let me know what you think. The infographic refers to period as a punctuation symbol. “Period” is American English. “Full Stop” is British English.这张信息图对如何使用这些符号给出了一个清晰的阐述。让我知道你是怎么想的。信息图涉及到了作为标点符号的句号。“period”（句号）是美式英语的表达。“Full stop”（句号）是英式英语的表达。
Hyphens连字符
red-orange cat 桔红色的猫
one-way street 单行道
T-shirt T恤
e-mail 电子邮件
Dashes破折号
June—the start of summer—was cold this year.六月—夏天的开始—但今年很冷。
Dashes creat a powerful speed bump and can destroy the flow of writing if used too often.破折号表达一种强有力的停顿，如果使用太频繁会破坏写作的流畅性。
Dashes → Interruption of thought or conversation.破折号→表示想法或谈话中断
"I was about to go to the—ooh,let's go get ice cream!"“我准备去——啊，我们去吃冰淇淋！”
"Where's my cheeseburger? I just put it on the—hey,whose dog is this!"“我的干酪肉饼在哪里？我刚把它放在——嘿，这是谁的狗？”
→ introduction or a conclusion.表示介绍或者总结。
"Ketchup, mustard, pickles—I was ready for my cheeseburger."“番茄酱，芥末，腌菜——我准备好做干酪肉饼了。”
"I was prepared but had forgotten one crucial element—the cheeseburger, itself."“我准备好了。但是忘记了一个关键的材料——干酪肉饼本身啊。”
If you’d like more information on how to use that pesky semicolon, take a look at this brilliant and beautifully illustrated explanation by The Oatmeal.如果你想知道关于如何使用令人厌烦的分号的更多信息，就看一下由Oatmeal对它简练又精美的阐述吧。
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