写好英语科技论文的诀窍-（中文多，适合看英文头疼的新手）

2012-9-2 17:06| 发布者: admin| 查看: 12540| 评论: 0

摘要: 1写好英语科技论文的诀窍：主动迎合读者期望，预先回答专家可能质疑周耀旗印地安那大学信息学院印地安那大学医学院计算生物学和生物信息中心以此文献给母校中国科技大学五十周年校庆前言我的第一篇英语科技论文写作是 ...

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读者期望什么
读者对句子的期望
1. 读者希望在句子的开始看到熟悉的信息。句子是文章的最小功能单元。最容易理解的句子是整句都在说读者
知道的东西。但这对科技论文是不可能的，因为只有新的东西才会被发表。事实上科技论文通常会包含很多新术语。
所以一个容易理解的句子应该从读者熟悉的信息（或刚刚提过的）开始而以新信息结束，并在它们之间平滑地过渡。
好文章的所有句子都应该这样从旧到新地平滑过渡。帮助你写好一句开头的金科玉律是问问你自己：“我以前有没
有提过这个概念？”大多数文章很难读是因为很多新概念在没有被介绍之前就使用了。例如：
Samples for 2-dimensional projection of kinetic trajectories are shown in Figure 7. The coil
states are loosely gathered while the native states can form a black cluster with extreme high
density in 2-dimensional projection plane.
这里从第一句到第二句信息无法流动。“The coil states”不知道是从何而来的。读者会发现下面改动后的句子更容
易明白。
Kinetic trajectories are projected onto xx and yy variables in Figure 7. This figure shows two populated
states. One corresponds to loosely gathered coil states while the other is the native state with a high
density.
在这个新段里，新插入的第二句使每句均能从旧信息出发到新信息结束。第一句与第二句之间以“Figure”相连而
第二句与第三句之间以“two states”相连。而新信息“coil states”则出现在第三句的最后。整段环环相连，成为一
个整体。再看一个例子：
The accuracy of the model structures is given by TM-score. In case of a perfect match to
experimental structure, TM-score would be 1.
在第二个句子里，旧信息“TM-score”被埋在中间，被新信息“a perfect match to experimental structure”打断了。这
里建议修改如下：
The accuracy of the model structures is measured by TM-score, which is equal to 1 if there is
a perfect match to the experimental structure.
科技写作中的最大问题就是新旧信息顺序颠倒。新信息和旧信息对作者来说可能不是很好区分，因为他非常熟悉所
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有的信息。为了避免这种问题，不管什么时候，每当你开始写新句，你应该问问自己，这些词前面有没有被提到过。
一定要把提到过的放前面，没提过的放后面。
2. 读者想在主语之后立刻看到行为动词。对一个说明谁在做什么的句子，读者需要找到动词才能理解。如果动
词和主语之间相隔太远，阅读就会被寻找动词打断。而打断阅读就会使句子难以理解。这里有个例子：
The smallest URFs (URFA6L), a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the
NH2-terminal portion of the adenosinetrip hosphatase (ATPase) subinit 6 gene has been identified as the
animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H+-ATPase subunit 8 gene.
同样的句子，将动词放在主语之后：
The smallest of the URFs is URFA6L, a 207-nucleotide (nt) reading frame overlapping out of phase the
NH2-terminal portion of the adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) subinit 6 Gene; it has been identified as
the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H+-ATPase subunit 8 gene.
这样新的句子就更加平衡了。尽量避免过长的主语和过短的宾语。这就像头重脚轻的人很难站稳。短的主语紧跟着
动词加上长的宾语效果会更好。
3. 读者期望每句只有一个重点，这个重点通常在句尾。比较下面两个句子，我们可以感觉到他们着重强调不同
的东西。
URFA6L has been identified as the animal equivalent of the recently discovered yeast H+-ATPase
subunit 8 gene.
Recently discovered yeast H+-ATPase subunit 8 gene has a corresponding animal equivalent
gene URFA6L.
很明显，前面的句子是关于一个最近发现的酵母基因，而第二句则着重强调了它有一个和动物一致的基因。另外一
个例子：
The enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation between the nucleoside bases 2-deoxyguanosine (dG) and
2-deoxycytidine (dC) has been determined by direct measurement.
这个句子看起来好像是在强调“direct measurement”。这不太像是原作者的目的。颠倒一下会使句子更加平衡。
We have directly measured the enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation between the nucleoside bases
2-deoxyguanosine (dG) and 2-deoxycytidine (dC).
新的句子更简单而且更短，同时避免了头重脚轻的症状。总之，句尾是读者对该句最后的印象。把最好的，最重
要的，和想要读者记住的东西放在句尾。
读者对段落的期望
每一个段落都应该只讲一个故事。在一段里表述多个观点会使读者很难知道该记住什么、这段想表达什么。一
段的第一句要告诉读者这一段是讲什么的。这样读者想跳过这段就可以跳过。一段的最后一句应该是这段的结论或
者告诉读者下一段是什么。段落中的句子应该由始到终通过逻辑关系连接，实现由旧信息到新信息的流动。比如这
一段：
4
The enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation between the nucleoside bases 2-deoxyguanosine
(dG) and 2-deoxycytidine (dC) has been determined by direct measurement. dG and dC were
derivatized at the 5 and 3 hydroxyls with triisopropylsilyl groups to obtain solubility of the
nucleosides in non-aqueous solvents and to prevent the ribose hydroxyls from forming hydrogen
bonds. From isoperibolic titration measurements, the enthalpy of dC:dG base pair formation is
-6.650.32 kcal/mol.
很难知道作者在这段里想表达什么。从这段的起始和结束看来，焓(enthalpy)应该是他想表达的重点。下面是
重新组合后的段落。
We have directly measured the enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation between the nucleoside bases
2-deoxyguanosine (dG) and 2-deoxycytidine (dC). dG and dC were derivatized at the 5 and 3 hydroxyls with
triisopropylsilyl groups; these groups serve both to solubilize the nucleosides in non-aqueous solvents and
to prevent the ribose hydroxyls from forming hydrogen bonds. The enthalpy of dC:dG base pair formation is
-6.650.32 kcal/mol according to isoperibolic titration measurements,
首句描述了整段的主题。原段里的第一句颠倒是为了1）使新信息“dG”和“dC” 在句子最后并强调他们。 2）
更好地跟下面一句衔接。原段里的第二句被分成两部分，这样每一部分只表达了一个观点。最后一句时总结整
段。再看另一个例子：
Large earthquakes along a given fault segment do not occur at random intervals because it
takes time to accumulate the strain energy for the rupture. The rates at which tectonic plates
move and accumulate strain at their boundaries are approximately uniform. Therefore, in first
approximation, one may expect that large ruptures of the same fault segment will occur at
approximately constant time intervals. If subsequent main shocks have different amounts of slip
across the fault, then the recurrence time may vary, and the basic idea of periodic main shocks
must be modified.
在这个例子里，前两句共同阐明了积累张力的速度（Rate Of Strain Accumulation)。然而，第一句里的旧信息并
没有放在第二句的开始。读者读到第三句的时候通常就不明白这段到底要讲什么了。更清晰的描述应该如下：
Large earthquakes along a given fault segment do not occur at random intervals because it
takes time to accumulate the strain energy for the rupture. The rates of strain accumulation at the
boundaries of tectonic plates are approximately uniform. Therefore, nearly constant time intervals
(at first approximation) would be expected between large ruptures of the same fault segment.
[However?], the recurrence time may vary; the basic idea of periodic main shocks may need to be
modified if subsequent main shocks have different amounts of slip across the fault.
新段现在着重阐明了地震的发生频率。下划线标明了以前描述过的旧信息。很明显，新旧信息的连接是理解这段
的关键。从旧信息到新信息的流动是使读者轻松阅读的最佳方式。写文章的目的不是去测试读者的阅读能力，
而是考验作者的表达能力。不能怪人没看懂，只能怪自己没写清楚。常常听到这样的抱怨：那审稿人连这
都不懂! 审稿人也可以说：连这个也写不清楚。
读者对表格和图示的期望
一些没有耐心的读者会直接通过图表来判断一篇文章是否值得一读。怎样能使读者不需读正文就能理解图
表是至关重要的。
对于表来说，由于我们是从左向右阅读的，我们熟悉的信息应该出现在左边而新的信息出现在右边。例如，下
面列出的表1和表2是仅仅调换了两列。比较一下那个表格更易理解。

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