写意与写实的差别,还造成语言文法表达不同。林语堂曾就“天时不如地利,地利不如人和”这句话谈到翻译的问题,理雅是这样翻译的:“Opportunities of time vouchsafed by Heaven are not equal to advantages of situation afforded by the Earth,and advantages of situation afforded by the Earth are not equal to (the union arising from ) the accord of Men”,从语言逻辑上可见写实写意之截然不同,英语在语法上有一种建筑感,汉语不是这样的。