科技英语阅读

EST Reading科技英语阅读

1. Main Features of EST科技英语的主要特点

①Objectivity (客观性)

◆文学作品：描写生动，文字优美，而内容大都是人们曾经有过的经历或类似情况，人们读了之后会产生

共鸣，而加以欣赏。

◆科技文章：传授知识，提供不具备或者是不全面具备的新的科技内容，因而着重文章的科学性、事实性

和客观性，体现科学工作者的非主观的科学态度。

试比较：描写大海(文学作品)

Break, break, break,

On thy cold grey stones, O sea!

And I would that my tongue could utter

The thought that arise in me.

---- A. Tennyson

描写大海(科技文章)

A sea is smaller than an ocean, and may be more or less landlocked. As powerful agents of corrosion (侵蚀), sea

waves carrying gritty sediment (沉淀物) can cut into rock and wear down coastlines.

②Clarity (明确性)

◆科技文章一般不用意义含糊、会引起误解的词汇和表达方式。

--in a couple of days

--in two or three days (better)

◆在语法结构方面，科技文章里的句子一般都结构比较严密，条理比较清楚，很少有结构上模棱两可的情

况。

There are many problems concerning the project to be discussed at the meeting. (可能产生歧义)

--将在会上讨论的计划，是有很多问题的。

--关于这计划，有许多问题要在会上讨论。

How to rewrite?

--将在会上讨论的计划，是有很多问题的。The project to be discussed at the meeting has many problems in it.

--关于这计划，有许多问题要在会上讨论。The project has in it many problems to be discussed at the meeting.

③A ccuracy (准确性)

科技文章要求内容准确、结构严密、概念清楚。文字不必讲究华丽，但内容必须表达无误，体现出科技文章的科学、严谨的性质。

--one fifth of the whole （better）

--a small part of the whole

④Formality (正式性)

科技文章的科学、严谨的性质，以及语言客观、明确、准确的特点，决定了其正式的文体风格。

…正在改建中

…is under reconstruction (more formal)

…is being reconst ructed

The Ways to Achieve Objectivity & Formality

①The Use of Nouns and Noun Phrases (使用名词和名词短语)

Cf.

--in case of the power interruption (better in an EST writing)

--in case the power is interrupted

Cf.

--If the pressure is decreased, the boiling point of water will become lower.

--A decrease in pressure will bring the boiling point of water lower. (better in an EST writing)

Cf.

--People are all familiar with heat causing metals to expand. (better in an EST writing)

--People are all familiar with the fact that heat causes metals to expand.

②The Use of Passive Voice (使用被动语态)

Cf.

-- Madame Curie is one of the world’s greatest woman scientists and will always be remembered as the discoverer of radium. (better in an EST writing)

-- Madame Curie is one of the world’s greatest woman scientists and people will always remember her as the discoverer of radium.

③The Use of Anticipatory “it” (使用先行词it)

科技文献中常见it is…that/to do句型。

It is stated/ evident/ necessary/ natural/ inevitable/ unavoidable that…/to do …

The Ways to Achieve Accuracy:

①Using Specific Expressions (使用更为明确的表述方式)

◆一词多义：通过某种方式限定该词在某句话中的具体含义。

Cf. 统计价值以数字表示

--The statistical values are given in figures.

-- The statistical values are given in numerical figures. (more specific)

(figure: 数字；图表)

◆多词近义：选取最为准确的词汇。

--The reflected light was taken in by the transducer .

-- The reflected light was absorbed by the transducer . (more specific)

◆专业词汇的使用。

专业词汇严谨、规范、词义单一、使用范围狭窄。有很大一部分由源于希腊语和拉丁语的词缀和词素构成。

这两种语言自十九世纪以来变成了一种形态和词义上不再起变化的死语言，但其构词能力很强的基本词缀和词素符合科技术语概念准确、形式固定、一词一义的客观需要。

eg. hydroxide(氢氧化物)，isotope (同位素)，etc.

②Using Statistics and Figures (使用数据和图表)

◆数字和图表的使用，使得科技文章的读者能够更加准确、直观的获得相关信息。

2. Technical/ Semi-Technical Words科技、半科技专业术语

I. Technical Words:

◆不同专业中使用的专业技术词汇。

◆它们严谨、规范、词义单一、使用范围狭窄，而且多是国际上通用的。

◆随着科技发展，新词不断出现。

Features：

①Highly Specialized in Meaning (意义高度专业化)