Look at your life, look at your choices.

看看你的生活，看看你的選擇。

But wait to do that until this video's over, because today I'm going to help you become a literary genius.

但請先等到看完這部影片，因為今天我將要幫助你成為文學天才。

Or, at least, write a paper that doesn't give your teacher more ammunition for wastebasket free throws.

或者，至少，寫一篇不會讓你的老師想將其丟到廢紙簍練罰球的論文。

[Theme Music]

[主題曲]

Simon Peyton Jones, a researcher for Microsoft, once gave a talk at Cambridge University about how to write a great research paper.

Simon Peyton Jones 是一位微軟的研究者，曾經在劍橋大學給過如何寫一篇好的研究論文的演講。

In this talk, he advised the audience to start out the paper writing process with a pre-writing phase.

在那次演講中，他建議觀眾論文寫作的過程先從預寫階段開始。

Only once that's done should they go to research.

只有這樣，他們才能去研究。

Most people do this in the opposite way.

但大多數人以相反的方式做到這一點。

They get their idea, they go do a bunch of research on it, and then write their paper.

他們先得到了他們的靈感，對它做了大量的研究，然後才寫了他們的論文。

But I like Jones' advice to go through a pre-writing phase before doing any research, because it does a couple of very important things.

但我喜歡 Jones 的建議，在進行任何研究之前先進行一個預寫階段，因為它幫助了一些非常重要的事情。

First, pre-writing will dredge up things you didn't even think you knew about the topic.

首先，預寫將疏通你不認為對此題目知道的事情。

This is something that professional writers know really well;

這是專業作家非常了解的。

when you spend some quality time writing in a focused state, your brain will make connections and serve up memories you didn't even know you had.

當你花時間在一個專注的狀態下寫作時，你的大腦會建立聯結並形成你甚至不知道的記憶。

As a result, you'll come up with lots of great questions and preliminary arguments that might just make it into your final draft.

因此，你將提出許多重要問題和初步爭議，這些問題可能會成為你的最終草案。

And this leads directly to the second benefit, which is more focused research.

而這直接導致了第二個好處，那就是會有更針對性的研究。

When you go into the research process armed with questions and arguments from your pre-writing phase,

當你進入研究過程時，你會針對在寫作前階段提出的問題和論點進行探究。

you'll have a much better idea of what you're looking for, and you'll spend a lot less time going down pointless rabbit holes.

你會對你正在尋找的東西有更好的了解，而且你會花更少的時間去尋找毫無意義的問題。

Now, the first thing to understand about the pre-writing phase is that it's not about cranking out a polished paper on your first try.

現在，關於預寫階段的第一件事就是，它不是在你第一次嘗試時就可以進行的事情。

For one, you haven't even done the research yet – but more importantly, a paper is a big project.

首先，你尚未開始研究，但更重要的是，通常論文是一個大的專案。

And with big projects, you need to just jump in and make a mess at first.

從事大的專案，你通常需要先投入並從事一些初步的研究。

It's like an artist creating a sculpture out of a solid block of marble.

就像是一位藝術家正要從大理石磚中雕塑一個雕像。

Any good artist knows that it's much easier to hammer out the basic features right away instead of trying to jump right into the detailed work.

任何一個好的藝術家都知道要先從基本的圖像開始著手比較容易，而非直接進行細部雕塑。

And at first, the result will be a mess, but it's much easier to hone a mess into something great than to turn a solid block of marble into a masterpiece on the first pass.

而一開始，成果不會是完美的，但隨後慢慢將其雕塑成好的作品，比一開始從大理石磚直接就雕塑成傑作容易多了。

So let's get into the details.

所以讓我們再深入了解細節。

Personally, my pre-writing phase usually takes the form of a brain dump.

就個人而言，我的預寫階段通常採用大腦傾存的形式。

Now, this is not an attempt to write a coherent paper.

現在目的不是要寫出一篇前後連貫的論文。

Instead, it's just a chance for me to get all of my thoughts onto a piece of paper or into a document in my note-taking app.

相反地，這只是一個機會可以讓我把所有的想法都寫在一張紙上，或者放在我的筆記 App 文件檔中。

When I do a brain dump, I'll open a new document, set a pomodoro timer for 25 minutes,

當我進行大腦傾存時，我會開啟空白文件，設好我的番茄鐘工作法定時器於 25 分鐘。

like we talked about in that procrastination video, and then I just start writing.

就像我們在談論拖延影片中講到的那樣，然後我才會開始寫作。

Specifically, I'm looking to pull basically everything I know about the topic out of my brain, as well as identify any questions I might have.

具體來說，我希望從我的大腦中提取我所知道的關於這個主題的所有內容，並找出我可能遇到的任何問題。

I'll also list out any main points that I think will be important to cover, and finally try to think of any specific external resources that might be useful to look at during the research process.

我還將會列出我認為重要的任何觀點，並嘗試考慮對於研究過程中可能有用的任何外部資源。

Once you've done a brain dump, it's time to move onto the research process.

一旦你完成了大腦傾存，是時候就該進入研究過程了。

Now, the biggest pitfall that most students deal with here is the tendency to get stuck in this phase forever.

現在，大多數學生在這裡遇到的最大陷阱就是，會在這個階段有永遠卡住的傾向。

The author Cal Newport calls this “research recursion syndrome” – you get stuck in a loop of constantly looking for yet another source.

作者 Cal Newport 稱之「研究遞迴綜合症」─ 你將會困在一直尋找其他資源的迴圈中。

In his book How to Become a Straight-A Student, Newport lays out an algorithm of sorts for ensuring you don't get stuck in this loop.

在如何變成學霸這本書中 ─ Newport 提供了一個演算法能確保你們不會陷在這個迴圈中。

First, you find your sources.

首先，你要先找到你的資源。

Now, you'll probably find most of these at the library or on the internet,

然後你可能會在圖書館或網路上找到這些資源。

but it's also possible that you'll find them in the burial room of an ancient temple full of booby traps.

但你也有可能會在一寫佈滿許多致命陷阱的古老寺廟中的埋葬室中找到資源。

Pro-tip: Most teachers agree that being impaled by hidden floor spikes is not an acceptable excuse for turning your paper in late.

小提醒：大部分的老師不認為論文被某個重地面突起的刺劃破了是一個遲交的好藉口。

Just so you know.

先讓你知道。

A safer place that you might actually want to start with is Wikipedia.

比較安全你會想要開始的地方是從 Wikipedia。

Now, some of your teachers are gonna say that Wikipedia isn't a good source – and they're right.

儘管現在某些你的老師會說 Wikipedia 不是好的資源 ─ 他們是對的。

However, the citations section at the bottom of each and every Wikipedia article is actually a really great place to find good sources,

然而，在 Wikipedia 文章下方的參考資料提供你找到好的資源的管道。

since Wikipedia holds their articles to high standards and requires high-quality source material – like scientific studies published in reputable journals.

因為 Wikipedia 堅守要有好的文章品質，相對應就會有好的參考資料 ─ 就像著名期刊上的科學性報導一樣。

Aside from Wikipedia, though, you'll also find lots of good sources through Google Scholar, journal databases like EBSCO, your school library,

除了 Wikipedia，雖然，你也會找到很多好的資源，藉由像是 Google 學術、期刊資料庫 EBSCO，或是在你學校的圖書館。

and – one place you might not have thought of before – the notes or bibliography section in most popular science books.

還可以從一個你可能沒想過的地方 ─ 在一些科學書籍的註解或傳記中。

For example, Bill Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything contains 48 pages of citations and references to other works.

舉例來說，在 Bill Bryson 的 「每種東西的一個小故事」書中就有 48 頁來自其他書的引用及參考資料。

Once you've found your sources, make personal copies of them –

一旦你找到你的資源，把它們拷貝下來。

create photocopies if they're in books or other paper formats, or add them to a note-taking app if they're digital.

建立掃描擋，如果他們是在書中又或者是其他形式的話，或者可以將它們存在筆記紀錄的 App 中，如果它們是電子檔的話。

This ensures that you'll always have them available to you when you're writing without having to go look them up again.

這樣確保你可以隨時查看它們，當你要開始寫作的時候不用一一再去翻閱。

Next, you wanna annotate the material.

再來，你會需要在資源上註記。

Skim each source, highlight the sections that you feel are specifically relevant to the arguments you want to make,

瀏覽每個資源，在你認為與你主題論點有相關的部分標記。

and add any notes that might help you hammer out the details of those arguments when you're actually writing the final draft.

然後加上任何會勾起你深入推敲有關主題論點細節的註記，在你實際開始撰寫草稿前。

Finally, consciously ask yourself if you're done.

最後，有自覺地問自己是否完成了。

Cal's ballpark suggestion here is to have at least two sources for each main point in your thesis, and at least one for any tangential or non-crucial points.

Cal 建議論文中每個主要的要點都至少要有兩個來源，而至少有一個來源是與主要要點相關但非最關鍵的。

Of course, this is a general suggestion, so you'll have to make the final call.

當然，這是一般性的建議，所以你並不一定要遵照。

If the answer is no, repeat the process.

如果結果不如預期，那請再重複一次以上步驟。

If the answer is yes, then it's time to write your first real draft.

如果有好的結果，是時候開始寫你的論文草稿了。

And this should be an awful first draft.

而這將會是不怎麼好的一版草稿。

There's a popular adage that's often attributed to Ernest Hemingway which goes, “Write drunk, edit sober.”

有一句流行的格言，來自於歐內斯特·海明威（Ernest Hemingway）所說：「用喝醉的狀態寫作，用清醒的狀態編輯。」

Now, there are a more than a few things wrong with this quote.

現在，這句話有不少錯誤。

First, Hemingway never said it – it's actually a pithy re-phrasing of a passage from a novel called Reuben, Reuben by Peter De Vries.

首先，海明威從來沒有說過 - 這段話實際上是對彼得·德弗里斯（Peter De Vries）的一部名為魯本（Reuben）小說某一段落的簡單重新註譯。

Secondly, Hemingway definitely didn't write this way – even though he was a guy who definitely drank a lot in his spare time.

其次，海明威肯定不是這樣寫的 ─ 即使他是一個肯定會在閒暇時間喝了很多的人。

However, it's still a useful piece of advice as long as it isn't taken literally.

但是，只要不按字面意思解釋，它仍然是一個有用的建議。

What's it's actually getting at is the usefulness of letting the initial act of creation be free of scrutiny and restraint.

實際上這段話的目的是想讓最初的創作行為免於過於斟酌字句而抑制靈感。

And this is important, because one of the most difficult problems that writers deal with is perfectionism.

而這相當重要，因為其中一個最困難的問題就是作家通常會陷在自己的完美主義之中。

To the Thought Bubble!

再來我們進到思想泡泡！

Let me get real with you for a second. This video you're watching right now?

給我一秒鐘我將你們拉回現實。各位還在觀看此影片吧？

Creating this has been a dream of mine for years.

拍攝這部影片一直是我多年來的夢想。

Crash Course was one of my biggest inspirations for becoming a YouTuber in the first place,

Crash Course 對於我其中一個最大啟發，讓我開始想成為 YouTuber。

and ever since I started, one of my biggest aspirations was to be a host on this very channel.

而自從我開始以來，我最大的願望之一就是能成為這個頻道的主持人。

I wanted to be a part of the project that inspired me to start creating videos on my own.

我希望成為專案項目的一部分，並激勵我開始自己創作影片。

So I'll be honest, sitting here, talking to you, being an animated character – this is awesome.

所以，說實話，能坐在這裡，和你們說話，成為一個影片中的人物 ─ 真是太棒了。

But it was also intimidating, because I felt like the series had to be perfect, and that made it really hard to write the scripts that you're listening to right now.

但它也是令人頭痛的，因為我覺得這個系列必須是要完美的，這使我在寫你們在聽的這個劇本時很困難。

However, once I reminded myself that they didn't have to be perfect the first time, the writing became much, much easier.

然而，一旦我提醒自己第一次不必完美時，我的寫作變得容易多了。

I knew that my fantastic editor Meredith would help me hone each script into something truly great before I actually had to deliver it on camera.

我知道我的夢幻編輯 Meredith 會幫助我將每個劇本磨礪成不得了的東西，然後我才敢提供我的相機給別人。

And once I acknowledged that fact, the first drafts became so much easier to do.

一旦我承認這一事實，我的第一版草稿就變得容易多了。

This same mindset will speed up the completion of your own first draft as well.

抱持同樣的心態，你們也將加速完成你自己的初稿。

It's ok if your first draft is awful, because future you will be there to edit it and shape it into something great.

如果你的初稿很糟糕，那也沒關係，因為將來你將會再編輯它，並將其塑造成很棒的東西。

Thanks, Thought Bubble.

謝謝，這就是思想泡泡。

Now, one technique that I've found to be helpful during this process is to write my first draft in a different place than where I intend the final draft to go.

現在，我發現在這個過程中有用的一種技巧是，在不同的地方分別寫我的初稿及最終版本。

This might be a separate document, or it might be an entirely different app.

這可能會分別寫在不同的文件上，也可能會寫在另一個完全不同的 app。

For instance, I write the first draft of almost every one of my blog posts and video scripts in Evernote.

例如，我在 Evernote 中寫了幾乎我的每一篇的 blog 以及影片腳本的初稿。

Later, I'll polish them up in Google Drive.

之後，我會在 Google 雲端硬盤中對它們進行編修。

Using a separate app helps me to truly believe that it's ok to make a mess.

使用另一個 app 可以讓我真正相信它可以一開始被寫得一團糟。

Of course, that mess has to get cleaned up eventually!

當然，這個爛攤子最終必須得到清理！

Now, I did say a minute ago that cleaning it up is future you's problem, but eventually future you becomes now you.

現在，我在之前說過清理它是未來你的問題，但最終未來的你，其實就是現在的你。

So let's talk about editing.

那麼我們來談談編輯。

I recommend editing your paper in two separate stages.

我建議分兩個階段編輯你的論文。

Stage one is the content edit.

第一階段是內容編輯。

Here, you're looking at your paper as a whole and asking yourself the most important questions:

在這裡，你正在查看整篇論文，並問自己最重要的問題：

Does each argument support the thesis?

每個論點都有呼應論文題目嗎？

Does the paper have a good narrative flow?

這篇論文論述流程好嗎？

Is each argument properly fleshed out and backed up with research or external sources?

每個論點是否都得到了適當的論述並得到了研究或外部資源的支持？

What can be removed or written in a clearer, simpler way?

有什麼字可以刪除，或可以以更清晰，更簡單的方式書寫？

Essentially, this stage is all about making sure the paper communicates your message to the reader as effectively as possible.

從本質上講，這個階段就是確保論文盡可能有效地將你想表達的信息傳達給讀者。

It's not about spelling errors.

這不是找拼寫錯誤。

Those you should save for stage two – the technical edit.

你應該為第二階段而先不管那些 ─ 技術編輯。

At this point, you're ready to go over your paper with a fine-toothed comb to identify any problems with the structure or syntax.

此時，您已準備好使用精細齒梳梳理你的論文，以辨識結構或語法的任何問題。

Things like: - Spelling and grammar mistakes - Poorly structured sentences

例如： ─ 拼寫和語法錯誤 ─ 結構不合理的句子。

- Formatting errors - Sentences that just don't sound right

─ 格式化錯誤 ─ 聽起來不對的句子。

I find that the most effective way to do a technical edit is to print out the paper and go over it by hand.

我發現進行技術編輯的最有效方法是印出論文並手工編輯。

It's just easier to catch mistakes when you're editing the paper in its final intended medium.

當你在最終預期的媒體中編輯論文時，更容易發現錯誤。

Plus, by using pen and paper, you're prevented from making corrections on the fly.

此外，通過使用筆和紙，你無法在線上進行立即更正。

Doing so would require switching contexts from editing to writing, which can be fatiguing and makes it easier to get sloppy near the end of the paper.

這樣做需要將內文從編輯切換到寫入，這可能會讓人感到疲憊，並且更容易在文章結尾處變得鬆散。

In addition to printing out your paper, you should also take the time to read it out loud.

除了打印紙張外，你還應該花時間大聲朗讀它。

This forces you to slow down and prevents you from unconsciously skipping over any words,

這會迫使你減速並阻止你無意識地跳過任何單詞。

and it also helps you identify any sentences that don't sound good.

它還可以幫助你識別任何聽起來不太好的句子。

Finally, remember that one set of eyes isn't good enough – especially when they're your own.

最後，請記住，當有人眼睛不夠好 ─ 特別是指你自己的時候。

To make your paper truly great, you need to let other people look over it and get their feedback.

為了使你的論文真的很棒，你需要讓其他人查看它並獲得他們的回饋。

Simon Peyton Jones has some more good advice here:

Simon Peyton Jones 在這裡有一些更好的建議：

First, realize that each person can only read your paper for the first time exactly once.

首先，要意識到每個人只能閱讀你的論文一次。

Just like I can never experience the magic of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for the first time ever again (single tear), nobody can read your paper with fresh eyes twice.

就像我永遠無法體驗塞爾達的魔力：再一次的曠野之息（眼淚）一樣，沒有人可以再用嶄新的眼睛讀第二次你的論文。

So be strategic with your reviewers.

因此，有策略性地給你的審稿人看。

Let a couple people read the first draft, and keep other people on deck for the final one.

讓幾個人讀你的初稿，並讓其他人幫你完成最後一件事。

Secondly, make sure to explicitly ask for the kind of feedback you actually want.

其次，請務必明確要求你實際需要的回饋內容。

When people aren't given direction, they'll naturally gravitate to looking for spelling and grammar errors –

當人們沒有得到方向時，他們自然會傾向於尋找拼寫和語法錯誤。

which aren't nearly as important as the big elements, like whether your arguments even make sense.

這些並不像大要素那樣重要，像是你的論點是否有意義。

Finally, after you've gotten your feedback and finished both stages of editing, print out your final draft and give it one final read-through from start to finish.

最後，在你收到回饋並完成編輯的兩個階段後，印出你的最終版本，並從頭到尾進行最後一次閱讀。

If everything makes sense and nothing sticks out as glaringly wrong, give yourself permission to be done.

如果一切都有意義並且沒有任何顯著錯誤的話，請告訴自己完成了。

In all likelihood, you've just crafted an excellent paper. Congrats!

很有可能，你在剛剛完成了一篇優秀的論文。恭喜！

Crash Course Study Skills is filmed in the Dr. Cheryl C. Kinney Crash Course Studio in Missoula, MT, and it's made with the help of all of these nice people.

讀書技巧速成班這部影片是在位於蒙大拿州米蘇拉市 Dr. Cheryl C. Kinney Crash Course 工作室中拍攝的，且集結了工作室所有人幫忙。

If you'd like to keep Crash Course free for everyone, forever, you can support the series at Patreon, a crowdfunding platform that allows you to support the content you love.

如果你希望能永遠為所有人免費提供 Crash Course，你可以在 Patreon 平台支持該系列，那是一個眾資平台，可以讓你支持喜愛的內容。

Thank you so much for your support.

非常感謝你們的支持。