简短的句子更能强调句子的含义 , 句子越长读者越难判断句中哪部分最重要。因此，单个从句的句子比含有多重从句的句子更有分量。在段落或章节的开头部分使用短句，这样可以突出主题的重要性，也可以确保一下就抓住读者的眼球，让他们专注于主题。 同样，相对于依附其他句子的从句，读者会赋予那些独立存在的句子（独立句）更多关注。因此，独立句比从属句有分量，而从属句又比短语有分量。 例 1 a Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune disease. b It is generally accepted in the field of medicine that rheumatic fever is an autoimmune disease . a 中 “Rheumatic fever is an autoimmune disease” 独自出现，而 b 中却作为长句的一部分，显然前一种形式的表达更有力。 科技论文的句子不需要太复杂。总的指导原则是，不要用一句话表述太多的含义。找出最重要的信息，只有确定了最重要的，才能依次确定次要的，然后省略掉不重要的。通常，可以考虑将次要信息剥离为独立的句子。 D 例 2 Skin swabs were cultured at the time of the removal of the catheter from seven patients with catheter-related bloodstream infection and in five of these cases (71%), the culture yielded bacteria of the same species with a DNA fingerprint pattern similar to that of the isolates from the catheter and the blood, whereas a different organism grew from skin cultures in the other two patients (29%), suggesting that catheter infection may have originated from contamination of the catheter hub. (79 个词 / 句 ) 该例中， “and” 之前是第一个含义， “whereas” 之前是第二个含义，而 “suggesting” 之前是第三个含义。这三个含义应该在三个独立的句子中分别表述。 C 修改后的例 4-12 Skin swabs were cultured at the time of the removal of the catheter from seven patients with catheter-related bloodstream infection. In five of these cases (71%), the culture yielded bacteria of the same species with a DNA fingerprint pattern similar to that of the isolates from the catheter and the blood . However, a different organism grew from skin cultures in the other two patients (29%). These observations suggest that catheter infection may have originated from contamination of the catheter hub. ( 平均 20 个词 / 句 ) 相比原句每句 79 个词，修改后每句平均只有 20 个词，理解起来容易很多。原因不仅在于句子短了，更在于不同的含义分别由不同的句子来表达。 统计表明，科技论文的平均句长超过 30 个词，而报纸上多数文章的句长为 15-20 个词（这也是报纸通俗易懂的原因之一）。然而，并非要求句句简短，若果真如此，非但达不到引人入胜的目的，反而使文章缺乏连贯性。用于传达复杂含义的句子就需要长。作者应该明确这样一个目标，有些句子可长，有些句子可短，只要平均句长为 20-22 个词即可。 练习：分解以下各句 1. These results show that ATP and GTP are capable of binding to the same site in the mRNP but higher specificity is shown for ATP than for GTP, while the other nucleotides tested (CTP, UTP, AMP)did not stimulate the initiation of the translation, on the contrary , they produced some inhibition being most pronounced for UTP and CTP, suggesting that these nucleotides compete with ATP and GTP for the same site in the mRNP. (71 个词 / 句 ) 分解： These results show that ATP and GTP are capable of binding to the same site in the mRNP. Higher specificity is shown for ATP than for GTP. The other nucleotides tested (CTP, UTP, AMP) did not stimulate the initiation of the translation. On the contrary, they produced some inhibition being most pronounced for UTP and CTP, suggesting that these nucleotides compete with ATP and GTP for the same site in the mRNP. ( 平均每句 18 个单词 ) 2. The Dengue virus, a Flavivirus belonging to the family Flaviviridae , which includes over 60 known human pathogens such as those causing yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis, and West Nile encephalitis, is classified into four different serotypes, Types 1, 2, 3, and 4, and infection with any of these four serotypes can result in dengue fever (DF) or dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), which is particularly a concern during heterologous secondary dengue virus infections. (74 个词 / 句 ) 分解： The Dengue virus is a Flavivirus and belongs/belonging to the family Flaviviridae. This family includes over 60 known human pathogens such as those causing yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, tick-borne encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis, and West Nile encephalitis . The Dengue virus is classified into four different serotypes, Types 1, 2, 3, and 4. Infection with any of these four serotypes can result in dengue fever (DF) or dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The latter is particularly a concern during heterologous secondary dengue virus infections. ( 平均每句 16.4 个单词 ) 3. Two combinations of half-wave plates and polarizing beam splitters, together with on/off photodetectors in the reflected channel, form the photon-subtraction modules that are placed in the path of the thermal light field, respectively, before and after the parametric crystal that, with the on/off photodetector in the trigger channel, forms the photon-addition module. (52 个词 / 句 ) 分解： Together with on/off photodetectors in the reflected channel, two combinations of half-Wave plates and polarizing beam splitters form the photon-subtraction modules. These modules are placed in the path of the thermal light field before and after the parametric crystal, respectively. Together with the on/off photodetector in the trigger channel, the crystal forms the photon-addition module. ( 平均每句 18 个单词 ) 4. An international team of researchers says that some key elements of modern behavior were in place by 164,000 years ago, pushing back the appearance of complex tools and manipulating symbols by 25,000 to 40,000 years as evidenced by complex stone bladelets and ground red pigment—advances usually seen as hallmarks of modern behavior—coupled with the shells of mussels, abalone, and other invertebrates in a cave in South Africa, which showed that also include marine resources in their diet. (89 个词 / 句 ) 分解： An international team of researchers says that some key elements of modern behavior were in place by 164,000 years ago. This date pushes back the appearance of complex tools and manipulating symbols by 25,000 to 40,000 years. The date is evidenced by complex stone bladelets and ground red pigment advances usually seen as hallmarks of modern behavior coupled with the shells of mussels, abalone, and other invertebrates in a cave in South Africa. These ancient clambakes are the earliest evidence of humans that also include marine resources in their diet. ( 平均每句 22 个单词 ) 5. Negative global coupling changes pattern formation only qualitatively if the system oscillates and can result in the formation of standing waves with wave Number 1 just like for N-NDR-systems, but for parameter values for which the migration coupling leads to the formation of Turinglike structures, the interaction of both instabilities can yield a complex wave pattern characterized by two wave numbers, n=1 and n1. (64 个词 / 句 ) 分解： Negative global coupling changes pattern formation only qualitatively if the system oscillates. Such coupling can result in the formation of standing waves with wave Number 1 just like for N-NDR-systems. However, for parameter values for which the migration coupling leads to the formation of Turing-like structures, the interaction of both instabilities can yield a complex wave pattern characterized by two wave numbers, n = 1 and n 1. (21 个词 / 句 ) 摘编自《科技写作与交流》 ( 任胜利 等 译 . 科学出版社 , 2012 年出版 )
科技论文中常用的两种时态是现在时和过去时。一般而言， 在表述观察结果、已完成的行为及特定结论时应使用过去时 。例如，描述实验结果时要使用过去时，因为实验已经结束，而你的结果尚未成为公认的 “ 事实 ” 。因此，那些主要涉及你自身工作的内容，如 “ 摘要 ” 、 “ 材料和方法 ” 以及 “ 结论 ” 部分都应使用过去时。 C 例 1 a Higher temperatures resulted in less bud formation. b The three images were taken about 90 minutes apart. 对于那些普遍认可的概念和观点用现在时表述 。已经发表的结果通常被视为 “ 事实 ” 。 “ 前言 ” 部分要使用现在时，因为其所介绍的是前人构建的知识。 C 例 2 a The newly discovered planet is at least as big as Pluto. b Most regions where this problem arises belong to category X. 如果用过去时描述已经发表的工作的结果，则表示你不认为该结果是 “ 事实 ” ，而仅仅是观察结果 。 C 例 3 Sultan observed that certain species of bacteria respond to light stimuli. 该句描述的是一个已经完成的实验。因此 “observed” 使用了过去时，然而 “respond” 却使用了现在时，这是因为这部分句子表述的是事实，是发表过的、已经存在的知识。 “ 讨论 ” 部分是探讨你的工作与前人工作的关系，这部分最难写，因为同时涉及现在时和过去时。记住，通常情况下，展现数据图表时用现在时，描述假说和原理时也用现在时。 C 例 4 The effect of TXY addition is shown in Figure 5. 当观察被重复进行或从过去持续到现在，则使用现在完成时。 C 例 5 X has been of interest for the past three decades. 只有一种情况使用将来时，就是你的实验计划于将来实施。未来的实验一般不会出现在研究论文中，但会出现在基金申请中。 C 例 6 We will examine if parallel universes exit. 练习： 下列各句应使用过去时还是现在时（如果答案不只一个，请解释原因）。 1. In our study, tree size __________ (increase) with reduction of pesticides. 2. The larva of the monarch butterfly__________ (feed) on milkweed. 3. In our study, we__________ (find) that there are significant flattenings of the PES along the reaction Pth with increasing cluster size, as Fig. 5__________ (indicate) . 4. In a study by Fermi, the vibrational levels__________ (diverge) into the so-called Fermi dyad. 5. Females of this species__________ (have) a unique projection from he dorsal part of the thorax. 6. Recent work by deValt (2001)__________ (show) that nematodes __________ (reproduce) readily in the laboratory. 7. A phagemid construct encoding 2 transgenes in tandem_________ _(can) be used to transform E . coli cells. 8. Table 3__________ (show) that in our study, polychaetes__________ (be) most abundant at depths of 10 to 16 m. 9. Baumann (1997)__________ (find) that this bacterium__________ (is) highly sensitive to pH. 10. We__________ (observe) chemoattraction within 30 min of Shh addition. 11. Identification of restriction factors__________ (give) us more knowledge of the host cell restriction system. 12. Our results__________ (suggest) that the Asn5 glycosylation site _________ _(play) a critical role in the function of the KCEN 1 protein. 13. We__________ (investigate) high-quality single crystals of vanadium oxide. 14. We__________ (do) not observe rods in the diffraction patterns but instead well-defined Bragg spots, suggesting that at least 10 interatomic layers in the surface-normal direction__________ (be) contributing to the interferences. 15. Coupled climate-carbon cycle models__________ (suggest) that Amazon forests__________ (be) vulnerable to droughts, but satellite observations__________ (show) a green-up in intact evergreen forests of the Amazon in response to a short, intense drought in 2005. 16. The Ka value for β-cellobiosyl (approaching 10 3 M -1 )______(be)comparable to that for many carbohydrate/protein interactions. 17. Hundreds of species of reef-building corals__________ (spawn) synchronously over a few nights each year, and moonlight_________ (regulate) this spawning event. 18. Arctic wind anomalies______ (be) part of a global-scale pattern of highly unusual circulation in 2007, the causes of which_____ _(be) as yet unclear. 19. To map pathways of motion, all observed Bragg diffractions of different planes and zone axes__________ (be examine) on the femtosecond to nanosecond time scale. 20. ABSTRACT: The average translational energy____ _(be) significantly lower than expected for the calculated surface temperature. 21. SUMMARY: In conclusion, we_____ (find) significant deviations from the equilibrium behavior in fs-laser induced desorption of CO/Ru. 参考答案 1. increased 2. feed 3. found … indicates 4. diverged 5. have 6. showed … reproduce 7. can 8. shows … were 9. found … is/was 10. observed 11. gives 12. suggest … plays 13. investigated 14. did … are 15. suggest … are … showed 16. is 17. spawn … regulates 18. were … are 19. were examined 20. was 21. found 摘编自《科技写作与交流》 ( 任胜利 等 译 . 科学出版社 , 2012 年出版 )
过多运用被动语态会使文章变得乏味且笨拙，如： No change in activity was observed . 如果改用主动语态句子会生动、有趣得多： We observed no change in activity. 但是也不能完全拒绝被动语态。在不需要读者了解行为的执行者为何许人时，可使用被动语态。在被强调的是某个特定论题，或者需要考虑单词的位置时，也可使用被动语态。如： Viral DNA was isolated 24 hours after inoculation. 还有一些情况适合使用被动语态：主语特别长，使用被动语态可以使主语缩短，并且使观点更加前后一致（比如，在一段话中连续使用同一个主语），或者可以使你达到强调重点的目的。 D 例 1 ： Volcanic pipes are subterranean geological structures formed by the violent, supersonic eruption of deep-origin volcanoes. Volcanic pipes are composed of a deep, narrow cone (described as “carrot-shaped”). Solidified magma usually fills the cone . Volcanic pipes are made up of kimberlite or lamproite rock and are well known as the primary source of diamonds. C 修改后的例 1 ： Volcanic pipes are subterranean geological structures formed by the violent, supersonic eruption of deep-origin volcanoes. Volcanic pipes are composed of a deep, narrow cone (described as “carrot-shaped”). The cone is usually filled with solidified magma . Volcanic pipes are made up of kimberlite or lamproite rock and are well known as the primary source of diamonds. 从修改后的例句可以看出，使用被动语态达到了强调 “cone” 的目的，而不是展现新的信息。修改时也考虑了单词的位置。 练习：将下列各句改写为主动语态。 1. The following results were obtained:.... 2. Isolated tissues were examined for parasites. 3. The collected specimens and videotape recorded during 25 dives were analyzed by the team. 4. Recovery of several cytosine deaminases occurred after 2 days. 5. Insight into the dynamics of the excitation process can be obtained from two–pulse correlation measurements. 6. Phosphorylation is stimulated by the addition of KA-1 to the reaction. 7. Preliminary findings were unveiled by expedition members. 8. The same dosage of antitumor drugs was administered to patients for 60 days. 9. The emerging field of spintronics was launched by the advent of giant magnetoresistance (GMR). 10. Another way of treating the translational cooling is provided by the principle of detailed balance. 11. Computational studies and searches in the CSD (Fig.S1) and the PDB were carried out to investigate the conformational preferences of the aromatic OCH 3 , OCH 2 F, OCHF 2 , and OCF 3 groups. 参考答案 1. We obtained the following results: ... 2. We examined the isolated tissues for parasites. 3. The team analyzed the collected specimens and videotape recorded during 25 dives. 4. We recovered several cytosine deaminases after 2 days. 5. Two-pulse correlation measurements provide insight into the dynamics of the excitation process. 6. The addition of KA-1 to the reaction stimulated phosphorylation. 7. Expedition members unveiled their preliminary findings. 8. We administered the same dosage of antitumor drugs to patients for 60 days. OR Patients received the same dosage... 9. The advent of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) helped launch the emerging field of spintronics. 10. The principle of detailed balance provides another way of treating the translational cooling. 11. We carried out computational studies and searches in the CSD (Fig. S1) and the PDB to investigate the conformational preferences of the aromatic OCH 3 , OCH 2 F, OCHF 2 , and OCF 3 groups. 摘编自《科技写作与交流》 ( 任胜利 等 译 . 科学出版社 , 2012 年出版 )
在科技论文中曾经流行避免使用 “I” 或 “we” ，因为这样表述显得主观，而科学应该是客观的。然而，科学并非完全客观，可适当使用第一人称 (“I” or “we”) 进行科技写作，如果期刊禁止这种用法，或者句子的焦点为研究对象或其他主题时，请不要使用。 D 例 1 a To determine the mechanism for the direct effect of contrast media on heart muscle mechanics, the study on heart muscles isolated from cats was carried out . b The authors show here that two separate parameters are important to describe the physical effects of an earthquake: seismic moment and radiated energy. 上面两个句子分别取自两篇文章的引言。如果以第一人称 “we” 分别取代 4-la 中的 “the study” 和 4-1b 中的 “the authors” ，句子会更准确更有说服力。使用第一人称的好处是会迫使作者使用与之对应的生动的主动语态。 C 修改后的例 1 a To determine the mechanism for the direct effect of contrast media on heart muscle mechanics, we carried out the study on heart muscles isolated from cats . b We show here that two separate parameters are important to describe the physical effects of an earthquake: seismic moment and radiated energy. 虽然科技论文中的大部分章节都适合使用第一人称，但在 “ 材料 ” 和 “ 方法 ” 部分存在争议，第一人称 “we” 很少用作主语。此处，通常是材料、方法或生物体作为主语。此外，执行试验的可能不是作者，而是技术员或雇工，所以使用第三人称更加恰当。 练习 改写句子，以第一人称取代第三人称。 1. It is one of the aims of the present paper to study the performance of different functionals with the size of clusters. 2. The authors thank Dr. T. J. Guiermo for useful discussions. 3. It is recommended by the authors of the present study that a triple regimen of antibiotics is given to infants with HIV. 4. Based on our results, it is concluded that the measurements on translational cooling in desorption contain information about the dynamics of vibrational energy transfer. 5. No delay in replication was observed. 6. To remove PAH, transgenic E. coli were constructed. 7. we also studied the effect of Mg 2+ and K + concentrations on ［ 14 C ］ ATP-pmRNA, complex formation. It was found that binding is dependent on magnesium concentration with an optimum at 6 mM and an apparent linear decrease at higher concentrations (Figure 2D). 8. Genetic drive mechanisms are being investigated in the laboratory and field, including the incompatibility mediated by Wolbachia symbionts, which will allow us to apply this technology for disease control. 9. The twisted conformation is predicted to have only one C-Y bond in an anomeric position. 10. The authors propose a mechanism of electrocyclic rearrangements initiated by N-silylation. 11. J. D. Beckerle and colleagues studied vibrational energy relaxation on metals; but in this report, the authors establish a new class of non-equilibrium surface reactions. 参考答案 1. We studied the performance of different functionals with the size of clusters. 2. We thank Dr T. J. Guiermo for useful discussions. 3. We/l recommend that a triple regimen of antibiotics is given to infants with HIV. 4. Based on our results, we conclude that the measurements on translational cooling in desorption contain information about the dynamics of vibrational energy transfer. 5. We observed no delay in replication. (In a Materials and Methods section, authors may prefer third person or passive voice for this example.) 6. To remove PAH, we constructed transgenic E. coli. (In a Materials and Methods section, authors may prefer third person or passive voice for this example.) 7. We also studied the effect ofMg 2+ and K + concentrations on ATP-pmRNA complex formation: We found that binding is dependent on magnesium concentration showing an optimum at 6 mM and an apparent linear decrease at higher concentrations (Figure 2D). 8. We are investigating genetic drive mechanisms in the laboratory and in the field, including the incompatibility mediated by Wolbachia symbionts, which will allow us to apply this technology for disease control. 9. We predict that the twisted conformation has only one C-F bond in an anomeric position. 10. We propose a mechanism of electrocyclic rearrangements initiated by N-silylation. 11. J. D. Beckerle and colleagues studied vibrational energy relaxation on metals; but in this report, we establish a new class of nonequilibrium surface reactions. 摘编自《科技写作与交流》 ( 任胜利 等 译 . 科学出版社 , 2012 年出版 ) 相关信息： 《英语科技论文撰写与投稿》：再版面世
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