VOA词汇掌故2023--'Boilerplate' Language Is All Business

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Today we talk about a type of writing -- boilerplate. Boilerplate language is the writing in documents such as contracts. The language is standardized². This means the words are well established and used by many people. The language is widely recognized as acceptable. It is not creative, nor does it change very much.

So, when it comes to things like business documents, legal contracts, and training manuals, boilerplate is a good thing. You don't need or want creative language in those sorts of documents.

However, in writing other kinds of stories, boilerplate has a different meaning.

If a piece of writing is not special or creative, we can call it boilerplate. The words hackneyed and trite³ have related meanings. Hackneyed or trite writing is commonplace and repeated too often. There is nothing special about boilerplate writing.

Now, let's hear boilerplate used in some examples.

I'm not signing any contract without my lawyer looking at it first. I don't care how boilerplate it is.

The writing in the novel was boilerplate. It showed no creativity.

The writing job was not difficult for the college student. It was mostly boilerplate type stories.

Where did "boilerplate" come from?

The website Meriam-Webster.com explains how the term "boilerplate" came to mean standard or non-creative writing.

Boilerplate comes from syndicated stories used especially by weekly newspapers. These stories were ready-to-print and required no additional writing.

Boilerplate stories were not usually hard news. They were stories that just filled space in the newspaper. So, the term boilerplate can mean ordinary, mediocre⁴ writing.

In the past, these stories were sent on flat, metal plates. These story plates looked like plates used to make steam boilers⁵, devices used to make steam for heat or power. So, they were called "boiler¹ plates." Soon, the term "boilerplate" came to mean the actual printed material on the plates as well as to the plates themselves.

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories. Hopefully, you don't find our materials at VOA Learning English to be boilerplate.

Words in This Story

standardized –adj. to be regular, normal, and predictable because of similar language, spelling and usage rules

training manual – n. a book of instructions for a specific job or task

hackneyed – adj. lacking in freshness or originality⁶ because it is repeated often

trite – adj. hackneyed or boring from much use, not fresh or original

syndicate – v. to sell material for publication at the same time in many newspapers, periodical publications, or to broadcast on television or the radio

mediocre – adj. of medium or low quality, ordinary

1 boiler   

n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等)

参考例句：

• That boiler will not hold up under pressure.那种锅炉受不住压力。
• This new boiler generates more heat than the old one.这个新锅炉产生的热量比旧锅炉多。

2 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

3 trite   

adj.陈腐的

参考例句：

• The movie is teeming with obvious and trite ideas.这部电影充斥着平铺直叙的陈腐观点。
• Yesterday,in the restaurant,Lorraine had seemed trite,blurred,worn away.昨天在饭店里，洛兰显得庸俗、堕落、衰老了。

4 mediocre   

adj.平常的，普通的

参考例句：

• The student tried hard,but his work is mediocre. 该生学习刻苦，但学业平庸。
• Only lazybones and mediocre persons could hanker after the days of messing together.只有懒汉庸才才会留恋那大锅饭的年代。

5 boilers   

锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Even then the boilers often burst or came apart at the seams. 甚至那时的锅炉也经常从焊接处爆炸或裂开。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The clean coal is sent to a crusher and the boilers. 干净的煤送入破碎机和锅炉。

6 originality   

n.创造力，独创性；新颖

参考例句：

• The name of the game in pop music is originality.流行音乐的本质是独创性。
• He displayed an originality amounting almost to genius.他显示出近乎天才的创造性。