1. 程式人生 > >英文學術寫作:十個語言風格上應注意的點(書摘)

英文學術寫作:十個語言風格上應注意的點(書摘)

While you may prefer to closely follow the stylistic conventions of your field, you may also want to seek ways to “push gently at the boundaries of convention”(Casanave,2010), more strongly position yourself, and create your scholarly identity. What follows are some other considerations that you can investigate and possibly incorporate in your academic writing style. These are not rules to follow, but rather choices you can make.
儘管你可能希望儘可能遵循學術界的文字載體規定,但你仍舊可能想尋找“將文字規定溫和地融入”的方式,也就是更有力地明確自己的想法、闡明提出的定義的方式。下述一些寫作時可以考慮的點,它們不是規定而是一些可以採取的建議。(我亂翻的)

  1. As indicated earlier, single authors in some fields use the first-person pronoun I(note that in some Engineering and hard science fields, single authors may choose we, given the collaborative nature of research in these areas).We, of course, is common in co-authored papers, which are increasingly the norm in publications.Research indicates that I or we can be used in academic writing, but many new authors are very reluctant to use I.
    一般用we而不是I。例如:
    In this papere I argue that small incentives can lead to greater participation in surveys.

    This paper argues that small incentives can lead to greater participation in surveys.
  2. Again we remind you that in a few fields contractions may be common; in most they are not.
    儘量不要使用縮寫。例如:
    Export figures won’t improve until the economy is stronger.
    Export figures will not improve until economy is stronger.
  3. Some authors prefer some negative forms over others, believing that those on the right are more academic.
    在表示否定的意義時個人有個人偏好的說法,但是不夠學術。例如:
    The analysis didn’t yield any new results.
    The analysis yielded no new results.
    The government didn’t allocate much funding for the program.
    The government allocated little funding for the program.
    This problem doesn’t have many sustainable solutions.
    This problem has few sustainable solutions.
  4. Some readers (for example, journal editors) object to the use of vague(模糊的) expressions such as and so forth and etc. These expressions may sometimes be used, but keep in mind that they are imprecise and require readers to “fill in” the missing information.
    不要使用“等等”這類的表述模糊的詞。例如:
    Micropumps can be used in drug delivery, lab-on-a-chip analysis, etc.
    Micropumps can be used in drug delivery, lab-on-a-chip analysis, ink dispensing, and other specialized applications that require self-contained, low power, miniature pumps.
  5. In many fields writers typically avoid addressing the reader as you (except, of course, if you are writing a textbook or other instructional materials). Note that this means you may need to use passive voice.
    不要用you,使用被動句進行轉換。例如:
    You can see the results in Table 1.
    The results can be seen in Table 1.
  6. Sometimes the use of a direct question can be a very effective means to draw your reader’s attention to a point. This may be particularly useful when laying out an argument or research questions to be answered. However, indirect questions, such as those on the right, are likely more common.
    不要提出疑問(使用疑問句)。例如:
    Why has antibiotic resistance increased?
    Many studies have investigated why antibiotic resistance has increased.
    It is important to understand why antibiotic resistance has increased.
    It remains unclear why antibiotic resistance has increased.
  7. Adverb placement might be important. Often in academic writing adverbs are placed in mid-position rather than in the initial or final positions of sentences. In other contexts, English adverbs often occur at the beginning or end of the sentences.
    副詞常見於句首或句尾。例如:
    This model was developed by the International Monetary Found (IMF) originally and was adapted by Lalonde and Muir(2007) later.
    This model was originally developed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and was later adapted by Lalonde and Muir (2007).
    Then the morphology of the samples was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM).
    The morphology of the samples was then analyzed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM).
  8. Consider whether you should split infinitives(to + verb). The prescriptive view of grammar condemns the use of infinitives (placing an adverbial modifier between to and the infinitive as in to sharply rise).Although we would agree that split infinitives are not so common in some areas of academic writing, they are sometimes used, particularly to avoid awkwardness or ambiguity.(儘管拆分不定式內的搭配不是很常見,但可以避免尷尬和含糊表述) (Both Chris and John regularly use split infinitives in their writing.)
    例如:
    We need to adequately meet the needs of those enrolled in the program.
    We need to meet the needs of those enrolled in the program adequately.
    Neural networks have the ability to correctly classify new patterns.
    Neural networks have the ability to classify correctly new patterns.
    The size of the container could be modified to downwardly adjust the portion size and amount of consumption.
    The size of the container could be modified to adjust the portion size and amount of consumption downwardly.
  9. Use as many words as you need to express your points, but try not to use too many words. If you are wordy(口頭的,冗長的), readers may have difficulty following your point.
    避免過於口語化。例如:
    It may be difficult to make a decision about the method that should be used.
    Choosing the proper method may be difficult.
    There are some inorganic materials that can be used in tissue engineering by bioengineers in the process of tissue engineering that have been shown to be very promising.
    Some inorganic materials have shown great promise in tissue engineering.
  10. Consider using both active and passive voice. Both active and passive voice are used in academic writing ; the key is to choose the right voice for the right purpose. Although grammar checkers may caution against using passive voice, it is commonly used in academic writing.