一、句子结句——短句是准则

 

用清楚的英语书写的文章更容易被发表，这一点需要牢记。

 

据统计，1600 年，平均每个英文句子有40到60个单词；1900 年，平均每个英文句子有21 个单词；1970 年，平均每个句子有17个单词；而现在，平均每个英语句子只有12到17个单词。由此可见，现代英语的发展趋势是由繁至简的。

 

中文写作惯用长句，而英语，特别是科技英语，通常使用非常精炼的句子。短句是准则，使用简短而表意清楚的句子并不显得幼稚。

 

专业的英语作者使用短句。

 

 

二、可数名词和不可数（物质）名词

 

单数可数名词（可以计数的事物）通常用冠词修饰；复数可数名词有时用冠词修饰。

 

不可数名词（难以计数的事物；也称物质名词）没有复数形式；不可数名词有时也用冠词修饰。

 

首先要确定该名词是可数名词还是不可数名词，然后问自己如何对这个名词计数：

 

名词：

- sensor one sensor, two sensors, three sensors

- mice one mouse, two mice, three mice

- fish one fish, two fish, three fish

- water one drop of water, two liters of water, three flasks of water

更多用法示例请参考词典：http://www.ldoceonline.com

 

 

三、逗号的正确使用方法

 

逗号是最难掌握的标点符号类型，逗号使用不当会改变句子的意思。在表示重要的和非重要的信息时，请多留意逗号的用法。

 

推荐用法：

The equipment that we used was made by the XX Company.

 

可行用法：

The equipment which we used was made by the XX Company.

 

错误用法：

The equipment, which we used, was made by the XX Company.

 

正确用法：

The equipment, which was made in Shanghai, was very expensive.

 

当你校对标点符号的使用时，要特别注意以下单词：that、which 和who；此时应再次确认，此信息是重要信息还是可以省略的多余信息。

- 如果此信息是重要的，切勿使用逗号。

- 如果此信息是附加的、不重要的，必须使用逗号。

 

 

四、动词时态

 

一般过去时用于表示你所做过的事：

In this study, a number of functional and structural properties of sodium were compared to determine the underlying reason for the observed functional changes.

 

过去时通常用于描述研究的结果：

Assessment of size using standard denaturing gel conditions showed multiple bands whose size was consistent with discrete oligomeric forms of A.

 

一般现在时用于陈述事实：

Alzheimer's disease is a fatal progressive dementia.

 

一般现在时用于指代图表内容：

The amino acid sequence of the synthetic Vpu (1-40) peptides used in this study is shown in Figure 1A.

 

现在完成时用于指代持续有效的已经进行过的研究或过去开始的现正正在进行的动作：

The current state of GPCR research has evolved in large measure from observations made in two parallel systems.

Jones et al have shown that …

 

检查文章是否使用了正确的动词时态：

- 介绍性的语言的时态应该主要使用现在时和现在完成时。

- 描述材料和方法的语言的时态应该主要使用一般过去时。

- 对于结果和讨论的描述，结果应该主要使用过去时；而对于其他研究的观察一般使用现在时或现在完成时。

 

 

五、冠词使用规则

 

定冠词

“the”指代当前情况：We began the experiment；

“the”指代常识：The situation in Iraq is deteriorating；

“the”指代之前提到的名词：We tested a new measuring device and a new mixer. The

new mixer worked well.

 

不定冠词

“A/an”指代在前面没有提到的名词：

We planned a new experiment.

The fluid was separated with a centrifuge.

冠词的使用取决于冠词出现的上下文以及冠词之后名词的类型。什么时候使用“a/an”或者

“the”（所有例句选自最近的ACS Chemical Biology）：

The emergence of antibiotic resistance poses a major threat to human health, prompting interest in the exploration of new antibiotic targets.

Zinc is the second most abundant “trace” element in the body. This metal ion is vital for normal cellular function as a cofactor in numerous enzymes, in transcription factors, in the immune system, and in the reproductive system.

These data provided solid evidence that the observed IgG antibody response is T-cell

dependent.

 

 

六、词首词词大小写问题

 

有客户最近向理文编辑咨询关于地名和地理学术语如何正确大写的问题。因为中文不牵涉大写问题，所以中文词语的作者可能会有点迷惑。其实大写问题对于英语母语的作者而言也不太容易理顺。大写问题虽然棘手，但是下面的小贴士会对您有所帮助。

 

一般而言定义明确的地区的首写词要大写，以下是The Economist Style Guide 的建议：

“Use upper case for definite geographical places, regions, areas and countries, and for vague but recognised political or geographical areas…lower case for east, west, north, south except when part of a name.”

（大写用于明确的地理学位置、地区、区域、国家以及模糊但是被认可的行政或地理区域。east, west, north, south 等用小写，但当他们是名称一部分的时候除外。）

这条通用法则也适用于地球表面的地带，如North Temperate Zone, the Equator 等。

 

以下是更多法则：

- 通常而言，指南针上的方位（如north, southeast 等）和形容词（如western, central, upper, lower 等）不需要大写

- 专有名词中的一般地理学名词需要首字母大写，如Atlantic Ocean, Mt. Muztagata 等

- 首字母大写的地理学名词之后的一般术语不需要大写，如Yangtze River valley

- 名词复数要小写，如Gobi and Taklamakan deserts

- “the”只有在其为正式地名一部分的时候才大写，如The Bahamas, the Netherlands

 

关于某个地名如果你不清楚正确的大写方法，你可以在Google Scholar 上搜索一下。多数人的意见不见得就是正确的，但是可以给你一些关于正确大写的线索。请记住，你写作的目的是要清楚地表述你的科研成果。注意正确的大写不仅仅是为了遵守某些专断的规则，你的论文需要正确运用大写的原因是，给读者一个关于你的采集地的更精确的概念，特别是当他们还不熟悉你的研究领域的时候。

 

以下是一些地理学术语例子，告诉你哪些需要大写而哪些不需要：

 

Upper case （大写举例）

- East Asia

- South-East Asia

- Central Asia

- Central America

- North Korea

- South Africa

- the North Atlantic

- the Middle East

- The Arctic

- The Hague

- The Gambia

 

Lower case （小写举例）

- central Europe

- western China

- southern Beijing

- western Mongolia

- eastern Africa

- northern North Korea

- the central Gobi

- the lower Yangtze River

- the Philippines

The Columbia Gazetteer of the World (
http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/)或者Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary 可能会对你有所帮助。

 

 

七、常见易混单词

英语中有许多对单词很容易混淆。此贴士主要讨论拼写相近而意义不同的单词，或者充当不同词性的单词。

 

在看常用易混单词的释义之前，请先做以下小测试检验一下自己的知识。答案解答在页末。

affect = A, effect = B, capability = C, capacity = D, continually = E, continuous = F, adverse = G, aversion = H

 

1. The _______ conditions caused by the hurricane prevented the plane from taking off.

 

2. Despite the skill of its employees, the small factory did not have the ________ to produce large amounts of goods.

 

3. The _________ noise of the waves crashing on the beach was very relaxing.

 

4. Luckily, the medicine did not adversely ______ the patient.

 

5. Because he had not received any training, John did not have the __________ to repair the complicated machinery.

 

6. Many scientists believe that global warming is the ______ of greenhouse-gas emissions.

 

7. Because of she is a vegetarian, Susan had an ________ to the idea of going to the Korean Barbeque restaurant.

 

8. The website is ___________ updated.

 

常见易混单词列表

 

1. capability/capacity

capability: a certain ability, the quality of being capable, a potential aptitude.

capacity: the ability to contain; the volume or amount that fits in a certain container.

 

2. compliment/complement

complement: a worthy addition (n.)

(e.g., The girl’s pink cheeks were the perfect complement to her dark eyes.)

compliment: to praise (v.); a piece of praise (n.)

(e.g., The girl accepted the compliment with a shy blush.)

 

3. trial/trail

This is often the result of a simple typing error.

trial: a tryout or experiment to test quality, value, or usefulness of something (e.g., clinical trial). It also refers to the number of repetitions of an experiment.

trail: a marked or established path or route, or a course followed or to be followed (e.g., mountain trail).

 

4. intercellular/intracellular

intercellular: located between cells

intracellular: occurring or situated within a cell or cells (e.g., intracellular fluid).

 

5. principal/principle

principal (adjective): chief, main, leading, most important.

principal (noun): the most important person or group of people ("After much debate, the two principals reached an agreement"); the head of a school (the principal person in the administration); borrowed money (as distinct from interest).

principle (always a noun): a rule, standard, law, guideline, or doctrine.

 

6. adverse/averse

adverse: bad, opposed

(e.g., Benjamin ate zongzi every day for lunch and suffered no adverse effects.)

averse: feeling unwilling; experiencing distaste

(e.g., Benjamin’s mother was averse to the idea of an all-zongzi lunch.)

 

7. affect/effect

affect (verb): “to influence”

(e.g., Xiao Wang’s wild partying on Thursday night affected his performance on the history test.)

effect (noun): “result”

(e.g., Xiao Wang’s wild partying on Thursday night had a terrible effect on his performance on the history test.)

 

8. continually/continuously

continual: repeatedly (e.g., For two weeks, the travelers continually went on trips to the Great Wall.)

continuous: without interruption (e.g., The flow of water is continuous.)

 

9. criterion/criteria

criterion: singular form (e.g., one criterion)

criteria: plural form (e.g., some criteria)

 

10. ensure/insure

ensure: “to make sure or certain”

insure: “to guarantee with insurance against risk or loss of life”

*However, in American English, “insure” can be used for both of these meanings.

References:

http://cgi.sparknotes.com/

http://forum.wordreference.com/

http://www.m-w.com/

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/

参考答案: 1) G 2) D 3)F 4) A 5) C 6) B 7) H 8) E

 

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