📝 中文不是逐句翻英文:我的 Blog 寫法、語法練習法分享 Why I Don’t Translate Word-for-Word: How I Write My Blogs and Practice Real English Grammar

📝 中文不是逐句翻英文:我的 Blog 寫法、語法練習法分享

很多新移民常常跟我說:

「我的英文不好,不敢寫 Blog。」
「我怕中文寫一寫,英文就不知道怎麼翻。」

如果你也有一樣的感覺,這篇就是寫給你的。🙂

我想先跟你分享一個觀念:

在這個網站上,我的中文不是原文、英文不是翻譯;而是:中文是想法,英文是練語法。

換句話說,我不是一句一句「中翻英」,而是:

  • 先用中文把故事、觀念、經驗講清楚 🗣️
  • 再用英文,把同一個想法「用英文的語法」再說一次 ✏️

如果你願意慢慢看、慢慢對照,其實你也可以跟著一起練習真正的英文語法,而不是死背單字或直翻句子。


1️⃣ 為什麼我不做「逐句翻譯」?

很多人學英文,都曾經被「逐字逐句翻譯」害慘過:

  • 中文一長,英文就變成一大串又長又亂的句子
  • 中文裡習慣的順序,放進英文裡就變得很奇怪
  • 明明是很生活的東西,翻完以後看起來像機器寫的 🤖

可是英文跟中文,本來就是兩個完全不一樣的系統:

  • 中文比較像是「畫面+感覺」,可以繞一繞再回來
  • 英文比較需要「結構+邏輯」,主詞、動詞、時間點先交代清楚

所以,如果我硬要一句句翻,常常會變成:

  • 中文:很有感覺,但結構鬆散
  • 英文:很用力,但讀起來不自然

與其這樣,我寧可:

中文先自由地說真話,英文再用「適合英文讀者」的方式整理一次。


2️⃣ 我的寫法是什麼?中文=想法,英文=重組語法

在這個網站上,每一篇中英文 Blog,大致上是這樣長出來的:

  1. 先用中文跟自己聊天:
    我遇到什麼事?我想跟新移民說什麼?我希望別人少走什麼冤枉路?
  2. 把中文寫成一段一段的故事、例子、提醒 ✅
  3. 再請 AI 幫忙,用英文把同一個主題「重新整理」,不是逐句翻;
  4. 我會自己再看一次英文,把不符合我個性的地方改一改,讓它真的像我會說的話。

所以你看到的英文,常常會:

  • 多一些小標題(headings)
  • 句子比中文短很多
  • 先講結論,再講原因
  • 多用 list、bullet point 把東西拆開

這是刻意的,因為:

英文讀者比較習慣「一眼就看懂重點」的寫法。


3️⃣ 你可以怎麼「利用」我的 Blog 來練英文?

如果你也想提升自己的英文,但不喜歡教科書式的例句,你可以這樣用我的 Blog:

✅ 方法一:先看中文,把故事看懂再看英文

  1. 先完整讀一次中文版本,把內容、故事、重點弄懂
  2. 再去看同一篇的英文版本,注意幾件事:
    • 英文是怎麼開頭的?
    • 他們怎麼用一兩句話,把主題講清楚?
    • 中文的一長句,在英文裡是不是拆成兩三句?

這樣,你不是在「翻譯」,而是在學:

同一個想法,用英文要怎麼「換一種結構」來說。

✅ 方法二:挑一小段,自己先試著寫英文,再對答案

  1. 從中文裡選一小段(比如一個小標題底下的兩三句)
  2. 先自己試著用英文寫寫看,不要查字典太多,就用你會的單字
  3. 寫完再去看我網站上的英文版本,看看差在哪裡

你可以思考:

  • 我的英文是不是太「直翻」?
  • 對方的英文是不是更短、更直接?
  • 有沒有哪一句你覺得:「啊,原來可以這樣說!」

這樣,每一次閱讀都是在幫自己的語感加一點點分。📈

✅ 方法三:只抄你喜歡的句型,不必全部學

你不需要把整篇英文背起來,你可以:

  • 只挑幾句你覺得「很順、很實用」的句子抄下來
  • 改掉裡面的主題詞,套用到你自己的生活裡

例如:

“This article is not legal advice. It’s a practical guide…”

你可以換成:

“This message is not medical advice. It’s just my personal experience.”

這種「整句搬走再改一點」的練習,比硬背單字有效得多。


4️⃣ 文法(Grammar)跟語法(Usage)不一樣

很多人一聽到「文法」,就想到:

  • 時態表(tense)
  • 被動式(passive)
  • 三單 s 要不要加

這些當然重要,但大多數人的問題不在「不會考文法」,而是在:

  • 會考文法,但不會「用在真實的句子裡」
  • 寫英文時,腦袋還是停留在中文的順序

所以我比較想做的是:

不是跟你講很多很難的文法名詞,而是讓你在真人故事裡,看到英文實際怎麼用。

當你一次次看到:

  • 英文怎麼開頭、怎麼收尾
  • 怎麼說「先說結論,再解釋」
  • 怎麼用簡單的字,說出有力量的話

你的腦袋,就會開始慢慢「自動調整」到英文的語序跟節奏。


5️⃣ 寫給害怕英文的新移民:你不需要完美,只需要開始

如果你來到這個網站,是想要:

  • 找生活資訊
  • 了解房東/租客、醫療、學校、保險
  • 順便練一下英文

我想跟你說:

你不需要先把英文學好,才有資格開始寫或開始用;你可以一邊跌倒、一邊學、一邊修正。

我自己也是:

  • 先用中文把故事講出來
  • 再慢慢用英文重寫、修正、問 AI、再看一次
  • 每一篇 Blog,其實也都是一份「作業」,是我送給自己的一堂課。

如果你願意,你也可以:

  • 用中文寫下你在美國的一小段故事
  • 請 AI 幫你變成英文初稿
  • 再回頭比對、修改,讓它越來越像「你自己的聲音」

💚 結語:中文是根,英文是延伸

對很多新移民來說,中文不是障礙,而是你最珍貴的資產。

你可以先用最熟悉的語言,把你的經驗、價值觀、人生故事寫下來,讓自己站穩;再用英文,把這些內容變成可以對外分享的版本。

在這個網站上,中英文並排,並不是要告訴你「翻譯要一模一樣」,而是想示範:

同一個人、同一個靈魂,可以用兩種語言,說出同樣真實的故事。

如果有一天,你也開始願意寫下自己的故事,不管是中文、英文,或是中英夾雜,那就代表:

你不只是學英文,你是在慢慢長出「在這個新國家,屬於你自己的聲音」。📝💚


📝 Why I Don’t Translate Word-for-Word: How I Write My Blogs and Practice Real English Grammar

Many immigrants have told me:

“My English isn’t good enough to write a blog.”
“I’m afraid that once I write the Chinese, I won’t know how to translate it into English.”

If you’ve ever felt the same way, this article is for you. 🙂

I want to share one simple idea first:

On this website, my Chinese is not the “original text,” and my English is not a direct translation. Chinese is my thinking. English is my grammar practice.

In other words, I don’t translate sentence by sentence. Instead:

  • I use Chinese to express the story, idea, or experience clearly 🗣️
  • Then I use English to reorganize the same idea using English grammar and structure ✏️

If you’re willing to read slowly and compare both versions, you can actually improve your own grammar and usage—not by memorizing rules, but by seeing how ideas shift between two languages.


1️⃣ Why I Don’t Do Word-for-Word Translation

Most of us have suffered from “literal translation” at some point:

  • Chinese sentences become way too long when converted directly into English
  • The natural order in Chinese becomes awkward in English
  • A normal, human idea suddenly reads like a machine wrote it 🤖

Chinese and English are built differently:

  • Chinese is image-based, emotional, and flexible
  • English is structure-first — subject, verb, time, logic

If I force myself to translate line-by-line, the result becomes:

  • Chinese: expressive but too loose
  • English: correct but unnatural

So I prefer this instead:

Chinese to express the message honestly, English to rebuild it clearly for English readers.


2️⃣ My Writing Method: Chinese = Ideas, English = Reorganization

Here’s how each bilingual blog on this site is created:

  1. Chinese first — I talk to myself: What happened? What can help new immigrants? What lesson do I want to share?
  2. I write the Chinese freely, like telling a story or giving advice
  3. Then I use English to rebuild the same idea — not as a translation, but as a fresh structure
  4. I review the English and adjust the tone so it still sounds like “me”

That’s why the English version usually has:

  • More subheadings
  • Shorter sentences
  • Clearer topic order
  • Bullet points instead of long paragraphs

English readers (including your future clients) are used to seeing the conclusion first.


3️⃣ How You Can Use My Blog to Improve Your English

✅ Method 1: Read Chinese first, then compare with English

  1. Read the Chinese version until the story makes sense
  2. Then read the English version and observe:
    • How the English version starts
    • How long Chinese sentences were broken into shorter ones
    • How the order of information changed

This is not learning translation.
This is learning how the same idea transforms when it becomes English.

✅ Method 2: Write your own English first, then compare

  1. Pick a small Chinese paragraph
  2. Try writing your own English version first, using simple words you already know
  3. Then compare it with the English version on my site

Ask yourself:

  • Did I translate too literally?
  • Did I try to keep Chinese word order?
  • How did the blog turn the idea into clear, simple English?

Every time you compare, your English intuition improves a little. 📈

✅ Method 3: Borrow sentence patterns you like

You don’t need to memorize everything. Just select a few lines you find useful:

  • Copy the whole sentence
  • Replace keywords to fit your story

Example:

“This article is not legal advice. It’s a practical guide…”

You can adapt it to:

“This message is not medical advice. It’s just my personal experience.”

That’s how you learn natural English — by using real phrases, not textbooks.


4️⃣ Grammar vs. Usage: They Are Not the Same

When many people think of “grammar,” they think of:

  • Tenses
  • Passive voice
  • Subject-verb agreement

These matter, but the real issue for most immigrants is:

  • You can pass grammar tests, but still can’t write natural English
  • Your mind stays in “Chinese mode” even when writing English

So my goal is not to teach you grammar rules.

My goal is to show you how grammar becomes real sentences in real stories.

The more you see:

  • How English paragraphs start and end
  • How ideas are structured
  • How simple words can be powerful

The faster your brain adopts natural English rhythm.


5️⃣ For Anyone Afraid of Using English: You Don’t Need Perfection

If you visit this website to:

  • Find helpful information
  • Learn about schools, healthcare, landlords/tenants, insurance
  • Practice English along the way

I want to tell you:

You don’t need perfect English to begin. You just need to begin.

I also:

  • Start with Chinese
  • Rewrite in English
  • Edit and improve each time, slowly but consistently

Every blog post is also one small English assignment I give myself.

You can do the same:

  • Write a short Chinese story
  • Let AI help you make an English draft
  • Edit it until it becomes your voice

💚 Final Thoughts: Chinese Is the Root, English Is the Extension

For many immigrants, Chinese isn’t a weakness — it’s a foundation.

You can use your native language to organize your thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
Then use English to share them with the world.

On this website, the bilingual format isn’t meant to show “perfect translation.”
It’s meant to show:

The same person, the same story, expressed naturally in two different languages.

If someday you start writing your own stories — in Chinese, English, or both — that means:

You’re not just learning English.
You’re growing your own voice in a new country. 📝💚