英語論文寫作技巧-2

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參考文獻
http://muchong.com/html/200906/1393920.html

修飾詞與被修飾詞要臨近

• 科技寫作要求嚴謹，明確.為了嚴格定義一個事物,往往要加上限制性的修飾詞或短句.比如描寫實驗用的 mice 時，一般不會只說 mice ，而是用類似“NCI-H23 tumor bearing female athymic nude mice” 的描述 .前面有5個修飾詞來定義研究用的mice 這時一般把最窄的定義寫在最前面，最廣的定義寫在後面.修飾語要靠近同被修飾的物件 .因修飾語和被修飾的詞被隔開，而造成意思混亂的情況很多 .下面是一些例子.
  • Inhibition of Acid B on xanthine oxidase was also reported.
    還報道了酸性黃嘌呤氧化酶的抑制。
    Inhibition of 後面應緊跟 xanthine oxidase , 而不是 Acid B, 隔開後句子就很難讀 .
    宜改為： Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by Acid B was also reported.
    還報道了酸B對黃嘌呤氧化酶的抑制作用
  • The chelating activities for ferrous ion of the Acid B were assessed.
    評估了酸B的亞鐵離子的螯合活性
    The chelating activities 後面應緊跟 Acid B , 而不是 ferrous ion.
    宜改為： The chelating activities of the Acid B for ferrous ion were assessed.
    評估了酸B對亞鐵離子的螯合活性
  • Reducing power represents the electron donating capacity, which may serve as a significant indicator of potential antioxidant activity.
    降低功率代表給電子能力，這可以作為潛在抗氧化活性的重要指標。
    用 which 開頭的修飾句 , 是要修飾 reducing power , 而不是修飾 electron donating capacity , 所以要緊跟在 reducing power 後面 .
    宜改為： Reducing power, which may serve as a significant indicator of potential antioxidant activity, represents the electron donating capacity. 或 : Reducing power represents the electron donating capacity. It may serve as a significant indicator of potential antioxidant activity.

主語和謂語在句子中的位置要靠近

• 要使句子的可讀性強,有兩個因素特別需要注意.
  一是句子的長短要合適. 研究表明一個句子中有 13-20個字時最合適閱讀.太短的句子有零碎的感覺，而太長的句子讀起來有困難.
  二是主語和謂語動詞要靠近.如果被隔開太遠，就會有被隔離的感覺 ,句子讀起來就會比較困難，雖然從語法上來講是可行的.這主要同人類大腦處理文字資訊的過程和方式有關.當人們讀到主語時,自然而然地期望知道主語後面的行動,也就是結果.在行動(謂語)出現之前,讀者需要記住主語是什麼,同時又要閱讀和理解下面的文字讀起來很累.就像要屏住呼吸等待要發生的事情,只有當謂語出現,知道了主題的行動後,才能撥出這口氣.時間長了自然不舒服.
  • Lincomycin , one of the lincosamide antimicrobial agents which was first isolated more than fifty years ago , is used as a major antibiotic for the treatment of diseases caused by most Gram-positive bacteria.
  • 宜改為： Lincomycin is one of the lincosamide antimicrobial agents which were first isolated more than fifty years ago. It is used as a major antibiotic for the treatment of diseases caused by most Gram-positive bacteria.

名詞作形容詞

• 科技寫作中經常會用名詞來作為形容詞使用，如 room temperature, university researchers.
  當用一個名詞來修飾另一個名詞時，意義一般都很清楚 . 但當三個名詞放在一起，或兩個名詞前再加一個形容詞時，就要小心.有的情況下,3個或3個以上的名詞放在一起,表達的意思很清楚， 也是一種很簡潔的表達方式. 如 : blood white cell number, prostate cancer patient, Beijing University medical school student.
  但有時會有多種講法.Top university researchers可以是 researchers of (only) top university也可以是 (all) university researchers who are top.多個名詞排在一起,即使表達明確，也給擁擠的感覺.應避免使用多個名詞的修飾方式.最好的辦法是用介詞或其它方式來把他們分開,以便清楚表達它們的修飾關係.多個名詞羅列的情況經常發生，下面多舉一些例子.
  • He wrote the quality control group reports.
    宜改為： He wrote the reports of the quality control group.
  • The patient showed chronic liver disease symptoms.
    宜改為： The patient showed symptoms of chronic liver disease.
  • The human brain oxygen level is quite high.
    宜改為： The oxygen level in human brain is quite high.
  • Their specific inhibition producing effects on fat containing food intake were assessed.
    宜改為： Their specific effects of inhibition on the intake of fat containing food were assessed.
  • The present investigation evaluated various specific drug sample combinations.
    宜改為： The present investigation evaluated various combinations of specific drug samples

句子的時態(有待考證)

• 科技論文中基本上只用現在時和過去時兩種時態.有的作者偶爾會使用完成時.完成時一般只用於多次並一直在研究的情況.其他的時態用得很少.論文中的時態有它特定的意義.時態用來表明科研成果的認知程度
• 當描述已發表的文獻成果時,用現在時,因為已發表的成果被承認是事實.描述未發表的實驗和結果時,用過去時，因為還沒有得到承認,並且是寫論文以前做的事情.由於科技論文中的時態的特定用法，寫作中經常需要轉換時態.一句話中都可能用兩個時態.總起來說，Abstract中要講述自己的實驗和結論,要用過去時.Introduction中要總結文獻和問題 , 以現在時為主,也用一些過去時.Methods 和 Results 都是講自己的實驗和結果,用過去時.而 Discussion中則需要根據描述文獻還是自己的實驗，需要交換使用現在時和過去時 .
• 在引述文獻結果時，過去發表的結論可以認為是已經被承認的事實，應該用現在時.但引述過去的實驗時,特別是以作者為主語時,因是過去做的事情，應該用過去時.
  • Wang showed that the rate of growth is dependent on temperature.
    Smith studied the growth rate and reported that it is dependent on temperature.
• 若作者不是主語 , 而作者的研究是主語時，用現在時.
  • Investigation by Wang shows that the rate of growth is dependent on temperature.
• 當描述自己的實驗和實驗結果時，應用過去時.因為是在寫文章以前做的事情,並且還沒被接受為事實(發表).
  • We measured its plasma concentration and found that it was two times higher in obesity patients than in normal population.
• 講述 table 或 figure 中顯示的結果時,可以用現在時.
  • Table 4 shows that growth was dependent on temperature.
• 計算的結果和統計分析結果應該用現在時.
  • The calculated value is significantly lower indicating most of the dissolved compound was degraded.

主動句和被動句

• 許多人認為科技論文都應該用被動句，不要加入個性的成分. 現在越來越多的雜誌提倡使用主動句 , 因為主動句更簡潔和明確. 把 “ it is reported by the authors of this paper that” 改為 “We reported that” 就顯得更簡要和直接 . 下面是個例子 :
  In 2002 we reported the synthesis of anthramycin analogues and their DNA binding activities studied by gel electrophoresis.
  但實驗部分還是主要使用被動句. 用 “The drug concentration was measured by HPLC” 而一般不用 “ We measured the drug concentration by HPLC”.

標點符號的使用

• 英文科技論文寫作中經常使用的標點符號有逗號，句號和分號.冒號和問號使用的情況很少，而驚歎號幾乎就不會被使用.現在分號使用的也逐漸減少,一般用句號取代.一篇論文中只是使用逗號和句號也是正常的.句號的使用比較明確,下面主要對逗號的使用作一些說明.逗號雖然很小，但要表達清楚你要傳達的資訊卻離不開它.比如下面的例子，沒有逗號時句子不好讀.加逗號後,逗號放在不同的地方,意思完全不同 .
  • Although it was incubated at 50 o C for 24 hours no reaction occurred.
  • Although it was incubated at 50 o C for 24 hours, no reaction occurred.
  • Although it was incubated at 50 o C, for 24 hours no reaction occurred.
• 逗號是用來分開兩個獨立的句子，下面的句子是可以的 .
  • Ethanol is used to replace gasoline, and it is produced from corn.
• 下面的句子就不合適 , 因為逗號後面不是一個完整的句子 .
  • Ethanol is used to replace gasoline, and is produced from corn.
• 當一個長的語句出現在句子的前面時，要用逗號分開.若語句不長，不需要停頓，也可以不用逗號 .
  • During the process of solvent removal, some crystalline solid was formed.
  • During the process precipitate was formed.

數字的寫法

• 科技論文離不開數字.數字的一種寫法是用英文字，如 three, thirteen. 另一種是寫阿拉伯數字.具體用哪種寫法可參照以下幾個簡單的規則.

少於10的整數用英文字，大於或等於10的數字用阿拉伯數字

thee experiments
one assay
23 birds
6,500 miles

有小數點和單位的數字用阿拉伯數字

1.2 hours
5 percent
3 am
Page 3

在句子開頭的數字用英文字

• 英語的一個句子的開始是用大寫字母來表明的.如果是一個數字,那就不能起到表示一個句子開始的作用.所以不能用數字開始一個句子.這時要把數字用英文字寫出,或最好能修改句子不用數字開頭.一個經常被使用的辦法是把表示數量的數字放到括號中去.
• 10 ml ethanol was added.(不推薦)
• Ten ml ethanol was added.
• Ethanol (10 ml) was added.
• 30 eggs were used daily during the study.
  宜改為： During the study, 30 eggs were used daily.

當兩個數字前後並列出現時 , 一個要用英文，另一個使用數字表示，當兩個數字前後並列出現時， 若都寫成數字或文字， 容易產生混亂.

three eight-rat groups 改成 three 8-rats groups
3 8-rats groups 改成 three 8-rats groups
two 5-day study
12 two-engine airplanes

小於1的數字的單位用單數，大於1的數字的單位複數

0.25 gram
0.8 second
1.5 grams
3.45 seconds

零後面的單位用複數

zero meters
0 meters

單位的縮寫單數和複數是一樣的

0.1 ml
15 ml

冠詞的使用

• 使用冠詞是英語的特點，中文沒有相應字詞.對定冠詞the和不定冠詞a/an 的使用往往掌握不好,最常見的是漏掉 不定冠詞 .
  • There has been increase in loss of agricultural land.
    宜改為： There has been an increase in the loss of agricultural land.
  • Stresses at various locations in crank are calculated by using sets of unit load cases applied to single throw FE model .
    宜改為： Stresses at various locations in the crank are calculated by using sets of unit load cases applied to a single throw FE model.
• 定冠詞the多用
  • The alcohol is produced by the fermentation of the grains like corn and wheat.
    酒精是通過玉米和小麥等穀物的發酵生產的。
    宜改為： Alcohol is produced by the fermentation of grains like corn and wheat.
    Alcohol 和 grains 都是泛指 , 不需要加定冠詞 the.
• 除了是第一個字， 題目中的冠詞不要大寫
  • The Dependence of Crystal Growth on the Solvents.

同位詞的使用

• 寫作中有時需要對新引述的事物或概念做簡單解釋和描述，但單寫一個句子又會打斷前後的連線.這時用同位詞來解釋是一個經常使用的方式.
  • The Hallervorden – Spatz syndrome, a neurological disorder associated with iron accumulation, has been linked to a decline in cysteine dioxygenase activity.
    Hallervorden - Spatz綜合徵是一種與鐵積累相關的神經系統疾病，與半胱氨酸雙加氧酶活性下降有關。
• 同位詞應該同修飾的事物等位,說明是什麼,而不能用來解釋要修飾的事物的性質.下面句子中的同位詞的使用就不合適.
• Penicillin, not stable in water , was developed during WWII.
  青黴素，在水中不穩定，在第二次世界大戰時被髮明

多餘的用詞

• The supernatant was collected and concentrated in vacuum to evaporate the solvent.
  • Concentrate 就是 evaporate the solvent ， 後面的 to evaporate the solvent 是多餘的.類似的把一些詞的含義再次重複說明是最容易出現的多餘用詞.類似的 8PM in the evening, blue in color, small in size, in vivo animal models, in vitro cell cultures 都有多餘用詞的情況 .
• The results of activities of tested compounds were listed in Table 1.
  • Results 是多餘的.中文中經常寫作“ 實驗結果”“ 活性檢測結果”，但英文中“結果”是不需要翻譯出來的.
    宜改為： The activities of tested compounds were listed in Table 1.
• 下面的例句中， their 就是 acid B and D,二者要去掉一個
  • The chemical mechanisms of their antioxidant activities of acid B and D were not well understood.
    宜改為： The chemical mechanisms of the antioxidant activities of acid B and D were not well understood.
• 一些片語，如 it should be mentioned, it should be pointed out, it was found, it was determined, … 都是冗長和委婉地說法，應該直接說明.