TED演讲:语法的分界线 牛津逗号(2)

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　　The argument over the Oxford¹ comma has raised such strong passions over the years that a sort of truce² has been reached. 关于牛津逗号的争论在很多年引起过大家的热烈关注，直至后来大家达到共识，同意停战。

　　The common wisdom is that its use is optional, and depends on whether it will help to avoid confusion. 通常的观念是认为如果逗号可以帮你在一句话里避免歧义，你可以自由选择是否用它。

　　For one thing, you're supposed to keep your use or avoidance of the Oxford comma consistent throughout a whole piece of writing. 你要做到在一篇文章里，无论使不使用逗号都要前后一致，要么你就通篇用，要么反之。

　　So, using it only where necessary is not an option. 所以，能不用还是尽量不用。

　　And the very idea of a grammatical rule being optional is a bit odd. 而任何关于我们可以选择性遵从语法规则这样的论调多少有点奇怪。

　　Imagine that you hadn't messed up the party planning, and read the next day that "everyone had a great time, ninjas, pirates, vikings, old and young." 想象一下，如果你顺利策划了那个聚会，第二天，你朋友给你发了一条短信，说昨晚个个都开心，忍者啦，海盗啦，维京人啦，老的小的。

　　If the Oxford comma were standard, you would notice it missing and conclude that old and young must describe the awesome³ guests already listed. 如果牛津逗号是要规范使用的，你会发现它在这里缺失了，你推断老的和小的指的就是之前提到很酷的忍者什么的。

　　But as things stand, you will always wonder whether it means that a bunch of regular, boring kids and old people showed up as well. 但是还有一个可能性，你会质疑这老的小的是不是指另外一个在聚会上出现过的无趣小孩和老人。

　　Ultimately, the serial⁴ comma may be useful or annoying,  归根结底，连续逗号可以是有用的也可以是烦人的，

　　but your opinion on it, as for many optional things, probably has something to do with whichever style you were raised on. 就像对待别的可选规则一样，要和你打算使用的文体和格式，保持一致。

　　Your high school teachers favored it? It's likely you're still using it. 你高中老师喜欢它？那么你可能也会一直用它。

　　Your first editor hated it? You probably do, too. 你第一个编辑上司痛恨它？你可能也一样。

　　And maybe so much hairsplitting over a tiny squiggle on a page is a bit silly. 在一篇字迹难辨的手稿文章里，那么多的吹毛求疵让人觉得大可不必。

　　After all, there are so many bigger problems to worry about. 毕竟这个世界上充满了更多更大的烦心事。

　　But sometimes, little things can make a big difference. 但有时候，小小的改变可能大不一样。

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