Dashes can be used to set off material in the midst of a sentence. However, one should try to avoid using them at all. When choosing between dashes and other forms of punctuation¹ (such as commas and parentheses), dashes should be used sparingly and primarily when the material deserves special emphasis. By contract, parenthetical ideas may be lost. In typing or word processing, a dash is formed by placing one space before and one space after two consecutive² hyphens.

　　破折号使用在词与词中间用以隔开句子成分。然而，我们应尽量避免使用破折号。当在句中需要强调某成分时，在破折号与其他标点符号（如逗号，括号）之间我们应优先并谨慎使用破折号。如省略破折号则可能导致插入部分的语意丢失。在打印或用WORD进行文字系统操作时，应连续打印两个连接符并在其前后分别空一格。

　　Incorrect错误使用: The judge knew the defendant——she had been his third wife——and he therefore recused himself.

　　Correct正确使用: The judge knew the defendant —— she had been his third wife —— and he therefore recused himself

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