用哲学观看英美文书的思维差异--mydocumate
1、如果你这么想，那么你就大错特错了！为什么？
2、在英美文书语境中，体现这些特质当然很重要,但对于有追求的申请者来说，如果只是驻足于这一点，那未免太自负了！优秀的学术能力是敢于挑战现有体系，致力于构建事物真相的特质。文书申请也是一样，如果你的申请态度能清晰展示你拥有的知识和能力，那么这将在申请中帮助你很多。现在高等教育申请竞争激烈，伴随着改变人生的机遇。申请中有很多和你一样优秀，一样拼的小伙伴，挖空心思地在吸引招生官的眼球！所以你凭什么不对自己的申请文书多花心思，多花时间呢？！
3、【原文：Ofcourseallthetraitslistedaboveareimportant(inboth炽扃仄呦USandUKcontexts),butitwouldbeexceptional(orarrogant!)foranambitiouscandidatetoprofitablyhalthisorheranalysisatthispoint.Academicexcellenceisallaboutchallengingassumptionsandworkingtowardsasystematicpictureofthewaythingstrulyare.Itwillbehelpfultoyou—asacandidatewhoisseekingtogetintothebestschoolyoupossiblycan—ifyourattitudetotheapplicationitselfclearlyreflectstheintellectualdispositionandabilityyouwanttoprojecttoyourtargetschool.Highereducationapplicationsarefiercelycompetedandinfusedwithopportunitytomakelife-longenhancementsinindividualprospects.Theyareworthyourtime.So,inevitably,you'reupagainstlotsofotherpeoplewhoareeachfocusinghardonhowtomakeanimpactonhisorheraudience.】
4、好了，讲了这么多，想必大家已经清楚认识到申请文书的重要性，也知道了英美国家文书写作是不能一概而论的！那么到底应该怎么写英国留学文书和美国留学文书呢？
5、首先，明确一点，读者的语境才是王道！（Contextiseverything）提问：申请英国和美国的PS有什么不同呢？如果有不同，那么是有多不同呢？这是个好问题，因为提出这个问题意味着你已经意识到读者语境的重要性。读者的语境决定着他想从你的文书中得到什么；对于读者语境的精准把握决定着你写文书的策略。
6、【原文：What'sthedifferenceaboutPSforUSandforUK?Ifthere'sdifference,howmuchisthedifference?Thisisagoodquestiontoaskbecauseitmeansyou'rethinkingaboutyouraudienceandtheircontext.Thecontextwillshapewhatthereaderwantstogetwhentheyreadyourapplication;youranalysisofwhatthisaddsuptocanshapeyourstrategy.】
7、那么语境是可以一概而论的吗？答案当然是否定的！大家要树立这样的意识：语境是很复杂的！如果区分语境很简单的话，那分分钟就可以搞定申请文书！所有，语境的区分绝不是以下如此简单的模型：ThekeydifferencesareX,YandZ.Thedegreeofdifferenceis65%.YoushouldmakeadjustmentstoA,BandCwhenmakingaUKapplication.（文书毕竟不是数学公式，申请也不是解一道数学题）
8、申请结果往往是很多因素综合作用，而这些因素因学校而异，甚至因人而异。比如：λ Institution-specificfactors:Suchasbudgetaryconcernsoraschool'suniqueapplication-readingprocedures...can,forexample,interactwith:λ totallysubjectivefactors:E.g.Thetemperamentofthereader(orreaders)whoassessyourstatement.
9、继续来探究一下语境：虽然区分语境非常复杂，但难道这就意味着没有规律可循了吗？当然不是！我们还是可以找到特定申请对象的特点，据此来准备文书的，而且这是非常明智的做法！但如果过分揣摩申请对象的特点，妄自揣度学校意图，则会得不偿失哦~
10、【原文：Butjustbecausetheprocessiscomplexdoesnotmeanwecan'tderivecertainconsistenciesortrendsinpractices.Andthereisvalueinshowingyouaresmartenoughtohavefiguredoutcertainlocation-specificcuesandmodesoflanguage,butdonotover-applytheseideasattheexpenseoflookingcloselyatyourspecifictargetinstitutionsandfiguringoutwhattheywant(whichmaybeverydifferentfromotherschoolsinthesamecountry).】
11、就好比我给大家写这篇文章，都是采用美国拼写（如：color,labor），因为我猜测很多读者都是会申请美国大学。这种合理的猜测是有意义的。但是只知道英国人，美国人，澳大利亚人或者中国人的一些共性（characteristic/traits）,这是没有意义的。因为这些共性太宽泛，无法针对性的使用。因此，在做一些重要决定或者判断，以及申请学校的时候，一概而论的总结情况都是不明智的！
12、【原文：I'mwritingthisarticleusingAmericanspelling(color荑樊综鲶,labor,etc.)becauseIanticipatethatalargerproportionoftheaudiencewillbeapplyingtoUSschools.Thatsortofgesturetoone'saudiencemakessensetome.AndwhileyoucancertainlyobservecharacteristictraitsamongthedenizensoftheUKorAustraliaortheUSAorChina,youmayoftenfindyourselfdealingingeneralizationsthataresolargetheyarepracticallymeaningless(somemightcallthemstereotypes),anditisnotwisetocasuallygeneralizewhenmakingimportantdecisionsorjudgementsor,indeed,yourcaseforadmissiontothewell-reputedinstitutionofyourchoice!】
13、曼彻斯特大学现代历史系的高级讲师DrLeifJerram说过，英国和美国PS的主要区别在于“sobriety”（含义太丰富，请自行查询，大概就是中文“行为方式的持重或者适度、节制的意思”+_+），莫慌，举个栗子，大家就明白了。
14、【原文：AccordingtoDrLeifJerram,SeniorLecturerinModernHistory,UniversityofManchester,'[t]hedifferencebetweenpersonalstatementsintheUSAandtheUKfocusesinonwhatonemightcall'sobriety'.'】
15、美国PS梦想意味浓重，侧重个人韦蛾拆篮经历：（Americanpersonalstatementstendtobefullofdreamsandprivateexperience:）'EversincewatchingHarryPotter,IhavealwayswantedtostudyinEngland...'还有很多“谄媚”：（Theycontainmuchflattery:）'TheUniversityofCitytownhasanenviableglobalreputationin...'英国PS比较高冷，侧重事实和意义：（Britishprosewritingismoresober,factualandinstrumental.）Forexample,thedreammightbeexpressedas:'Mycareerplansfocusonworkingintheautomotivedesignindustry,andtheUK'sexcellenceinthisfieldmakesanaturalfit'
16、那些浮夸的“谄媚”会被踢掉，取而代之冷静的事实描述：（Andtheflatterywouldbeabsent-initsplacewouldbesoberdetails:）'ProfessorSmith'sresearchintothesociologyofcities,combignedwiththestrongpublicationsinAnthropologyinspatialtheory,maketheUniversityofCitytown'sMAinUrbanStudiesanobviouschoiceforsomeonewishingtopursueaPhDinspatialtheory.'
17、由此可见，一概而论英国和美国申请文书的区别不仅起不到效果，还会只给出宽泛的论断，比如“英国文书就是像XXX，美国文书就是像YYY”,却不告诉你为什么。
18、深刻理解英美读者语境，并知道为什么，才是文书写作的王道，才能避免你陷入简单的只根据“国民特征”写作文书的大坑！
19、【原文：Apartfromthenegativetonewithwhichthegeneralizationsabovearepresented,theyarealsounhelpfulbecauseoftheymakebroadassertions—that'UKwritingislikeX'and'USwritingislikeY'withoutinformingyouaboutwhythatmightbecommonlyperceivedtobethecase.IncorporatingadeeperunderstandingofwhatisimportantinaUS/UKcontext—andwhy—willenableyoutomakeastrategyforyourstatementthatavoidsthepitfallsofbeingtransparentlyformulaic,simplisticorpanderingtooneperceived'nationalstyle'oranother.】
20、与此同时，研究英美教育体系是很有必要的！因为英美教育体系差别很大，而这些差别都会体现在录取流程中。
21、【原文：TherearecleardifferencesbetweentheUKandUShighereducationsystems.Rathersensibly,thesedifferencesarereflectedintherespectiveprioritiesoftypicaladmissionsprocessesinthesecountrieswhenappraisingcandidates.】
22、在此针对申请本科的同学，给出一些对于英美教育体系应该注意的差异
23、λ 学术结构不同：Subject-focused<缇吾怩舭—>LiberalartsUnitedKin爿讥旌护gdomStandardUKdegreesarethreeyearsinlengthandthereforethereismoreexclusivefocusononesubjectfromthestart.Accordingly,thereismoreexpectationthatcandidateswillarticulatespecificacademicspecialities.Ifyoucandemonstrateexceptionaltalentinoneparticularsubjectandacommitmenttogrowingyourknowledgeandskillsinaspecificdiscipline,thismaybepreferred.UnitedStatesUSdegreesgenerallylastforfouryearsandallowforagreaterbreadthofsubjects;althoughyouwillultimatelyfocusonamajor(usuallychosenattheendofyoursecondyear),you'llalsobetakingclassesinanumberofunrelatedsubjects.Astudentwithexceptionaltalentinoneparticularsubjectmaybevaluedequallytoanexceptional'all-rounder'.Demonstrableopen-mindednessandcuriosityarethereforeprioritizedintheUS,becausetheyareseenashallmarksofindividualswhowillgetthemostoutoftheeducationonoffer.
24、λ 招生官类型不同：Admissionsofficestaff<—>Academicfa艘早祓胂cultystaffUnitedKingdomAcademicfacultyinthedepartmenttowhichyouareapplying(thepeoplewhowillbeteachingyou)havethesayonwhichapplicantsareofferedaplace.Academicstaffareexpertsintheirfield,thereforeyoushoulduseyourknowledgeandinformedopinionsregardingtherelevantsubjecttodemonstrateyourappeal.UnitedStatesAdmissionsofficestaffforthewholeuniversitymakethedecisions.IntheUKadminstaffaretheretosupportacademicsinmakingtheirdecision.Admissionsofficersmaywellhaveaveryworkableunderstandingofthesubjectyouareapplyingfor,howeverhisorherfocuswillbewhatwillmakeyouavaluablememberoftheuniversitycommunity.
25、λ 录取考虑的优先级不同：Overallschoolcommunity<—>Subject-specificco罪焐芡拂mmunityUnitedKingdomThereismoreemphasisontheacademicpartsofacandidate'sapplication.ExtracurricularstoUKinstitutionsinsomecases,ifthewriterusesthemtodemonstratethatheorsheisawell-roundedindividualwithtransferrableskills,or—morecommonly—tounderstandwhyanapplicant’sgradesarenotstrong,thesearenottheoperativefactor.Nonetheless,theyarelesslikelytobetheoperativefactorinswinginganapplicationinthecandidate'sfavor.UnitedStatesThepriorityoftheadmissionsofficerisfocusedmorewidely:Oncreatingacommunityofstudentswhowillactivelycontributetouniversitylife.Accordingly,extracurricularactivities(sports,music,part-timejobs,leadershiproles,volunteerwork,etc.)aremuchmoreimportanttoprovidecontexttoyouracademicachievementsandtherebyprovideevidencethatyouwillactivelycontributetouniversitylife.Inaddition,standardizedtestscores(whichmakemanycandidateslookverysimilaracademically)renderthefunctionoftheessaymuchmorefocusedonindividualdifferentiationintheUSsystem.Essaysemphasizebeinginteresting,entertaining,andengagingtoagreaterextentbecausethewayinwhichtheessayisusedbyadmissionsstaffmakesitprofitable(insomecases)towriteinthisway.
26、总而言之，在你写作本科申请文书时，学校的特点和文化的差异你都要牢记于心。很显然，英美学校间有很多差异，不能一概而论，但我能给的建议是：意识到本文提到的差异，积极主动了解自己申请的学校和体系的特点，让这些知识为你的文书写作提供方向和意见，却也不要被这些知识固化自己的写作思路。相信意识到这一点并积极运用起来，一定能给大家在写作英国文书和美国文书方面带来一些帮助！
27、【Thesearesomefeaturesoftheinstitutionalandculturallandscapethatyoushouldkeepinmindwhenplanningstrategiesforanundergraduatestatement.ObviouslytherearemanyothercleavagesbetweenUSandUKschools,butthebestpossibleadviceIcangiveyouistobeawareofthefactorsabove;beactiveandcuriousinyourconsiderationofthesystemyouareengagingwithasanapplicant,andallowadeeperunderstandingoffactorssuchasthoseIhavehighlightedabovetoinformbutnotdefineyourstrategy.】
28、我个人的理解：从这个问题的回答可以看出，英美申请文书有差异，但不绝对；有特征，但不固化。而是要综合把握与灵活判断。感觉说了和没说一样，对的，这个世界本就复杂而多元，和而不同，融会贯通，而不是机械地按照定式去行动。昨天（2015年11月27日）恰逢BruceLee（李小龙）诞辰75周年，我想起了他所说的一段话，是讲武学中的哲学，而我觉得同样适用于申请和文书的把握：
29、Emptyyourmind,（清空你的思绪）Beformless,shapeless,likewater.（灵活、无形，像水一样）Nowyouputwaterintoacup,itbecomesthecup;（你将水倒入杯子，它就成为杯子的形状）Youputwaterintoabottle,itbecomesthebottle;（你将水倒入瓶子，它就成为瓶子的形状）Youputitintoateapot,itbecomestheteapot.（你将水倒入茶壶，它就成为茶壶的形状）Watercanflow,oritcancrash;（水可缓流，也能急冲）Bewater,myfriend.（像水一样吧，我的朋友）
30、所以，以无法为有法，以无限为有限——全方位的自由_____(此处可填任意名词：搏击/写作/处事等）；这也是MyDocumate在文书的辅导上希望帮助申请者掌握的能力以及创业的初衷——另一篇文章