《英文宝典》（How To Write, Speak, and Think More Effectively，by Rudolf Flesch），译者汪永祺，他把这个奥地利裔美国作者的名字译成傅乐施，很符合中国人姓名习惯，其平易的文风也与傅氏此书的本旨很一致。傅氏的这本书是讲“平常话”的书，主要谈论简洁英文（plain English）的写作技巧。至于我们的中文写作，固亦可如是观之。总结地说：为文要写得简洁，少用长字（中文该是僻字）和长句；要写得有人情味，多用你、我、我们。引申下去，讲了许多写作甘苦，一再揭示了“字字看来皆是血”的经验，而有所谓“冰山之喻”（写出来的只是浮出来的九分之一）。

此书的第一章是《由中文学起》，认为要想把英语写得句子简单、意思实在而人情味十足，首先就要领会中文的奥妙才行。还有一章是《第一人称单数》，提倡写作时候多用“我”字，我读后很受启发，而且从那以后，我写东西果真“我”字用得多了。这不能算是张扬，这只是为了文章好读罢了。一些文章很难读，部分原因可能是文中无“我”的缘故。

傅乐施对啰嗦英语的陈词滥调深恶痛绝，曾举了一个例子，是写给送牛奶人的一张便条，用的是典型1960年的商用英语：

According to our agreement your company is to furnish services periodically on alternate days of the week in amounts to be specified at irregular intervals. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we herewith ask you to interrupt your services for one period only, effective Monday, May 30,1960. Please note that services are to be resumed as of Wednesday, June 1,1960, in the same amount and manner as heretofore.

其实本来的意思只是：“Please skip Monday.”（星期一别送。）

附：傅乐施的帮你写得好的二十五信条

25 Rules of Effective Writing

1. Write about people, things, and facts.

2. Write as you talk.

3. Use contractions.

4. Use the first person.

5. Quote what was said.

6. Quote what was written.

7. Put yourself in the reader's place.

8. Don't hurt the reader's feelings.

9. Forestall misunderstandings.

10. Don't be too brief.

11. Plan a beginning, middle, and end.

12. Go from the rule to the exception, from the familiar to the new.

13. Use short names and abbreviations.

14. Use pronouns rather than repeating nouns.

15. Use verbs rather than nouns.

16. Use the active voice and a personal subject.

17. Use small, round figures.

18. Specify. Use illustrations, cases, examples.

19. Start a new sentence for each new idea.

20. Keep your sentences short.

21. Keep your paragraphs short.

22. Use direct questions.

23. Underline for emphasis.

24. Use parentheses for casual mention.

25. Make your writing interesting to look at.