科技英语词汇特点

1、第一节（略）第二节 Technical and Semi-Technical Words 科技、半科技专业术语2.1 Technical words 科技专业术语An ordinary reader or listener may find it difficult to understand the writing or speech composed purely in scientific language. Words used in technical language present the first obstacle to those who have little or no

2、 specific knowledge in the related field.The special vocabulary of EST includes technical and semi-technical terms.2.1.1 Highly Specialized in Meaning 意义高度专业化With rapid development of science and technology, new terms are needed to define new phenomena and to explain new things and processes. Often

3、suitable terms have to be invented. Scientists have been extending the vocabularies of their subjects for centuries and each subject has its own store of terms with precise and narrow meanings. For example, stratosphere (同温层), quartz oscillator (石英晶体振荡器), seismology (地震学), polysomic (多倍体的), circumra

4、dius (外接圆半径), polystyrene (聚苯乙烯), leukocyte (白细胞), sequoia (红杉), etc. You may find many such kind of words in this book.2.1.2 The Use of Prefixes and Suffixes 前缀后缀的使用Many technical terms are made up from Latin or Greek roots with prefixes (前缀) and suffixes (后缀). For example, the word polytetrafluoro

5、ethylene (聚四氟乙烯) is made up of five parts: poly- (前缀: 多，复，聚),tetra- (四), fluoro- (氟), ethyl (乙基，乙烷基), and ene (后缀：烯属烃，苯属烃).Another example, geoastrophysics (地球天体物理学): geo-(地球), astro- (星，天体，宇宙), physics (物理学).Therefore, knowing the meaning of prefixes and suffixes can help you understand the meaning

6、 of the words.The following are some of the commonly used prefixes and suffixes in EST. 1) Prefixes 前缀 aero-: 空气，大气；气体；飞机；航空aerobiology (空气生物学，高空生物学); aeronautics (航空学，飞行学); aeromechanics (航空力学)astro-: 星，天体；宇宙astrodynamics (天体动力学); astrogeology (天体地质学); astronomy (天文学)anti-: 反，抗，阻；治，止；防止，中和antibody

7、(抗体); anticancer(抗癌的); anticorrosive 防(腐)蚀(的)auto-: 自动的，自动调整的；自己，本身autocontrol (自动控制); autoignition (自燃); auto-switch (自动开关) bio-: 生命；生物；生物学的biochemistry (生物化学); bioelectricity 生物(电流); biosphere (生物圈)cyber-: 计算机的；互联网的cyberaddict (网迷); cyberattack (黑客攻击); cyberspace (网络空间) de-: 离开；去除，减少deforestation

8、(滥伐森林); desalter (脱盐设备); desensitizer (脱敏药)di-: 二，二倍，二重；双，联dioxide (二氧化物); diode (二极管); diproton (双质子)electro-: 电的；导电的；电解；电子(的)electroanalysis 电(解)分析; electrobiology (生物电学); eletromagnetism (电磁，电磁学) geo-: 地球；土地geodynamics (地球动力学); geochemistry (地球化学); geoscience (地球科学，地学) hydro-: 水；氢化的hydrobiology (

9、水生生物学); hydrocarbon (碳氢化合物); hydrology (水文学) infra-: 在下(部)；亚，低，外infra-acoustic 亚(次)声的; infrared 红外线(的); infrahuman (低于人类的动物，类人动物). in-: 非，无inactive (非活动性的); inorganic (无机的); instability (不稳定性) macro- 大， 宏观的 micro-: 小，微；扩大，放大microcomputer (微型计算机); microorganism (微生物); microscope (显微镜)mono-: 单，一monoch

10、romator (单色仪); monotreme (单孔目动物); monoxide (一氧化物)multi-: 多multiprocessing (多重处理); multipropellant (多元推进剂); multivitamin 多种维生素(的) photo-: 光；光电；照相(术)photoconductor (光电导体，光敏电阻); photochemistry (光化学); photosynthesis (光合作用) radio-: 放射，辐射；无线电；射线radiobiology (放射生物学); radiodetection (无线电探测); radioelement (放

11、射性元素) semi-: 半；部分的，不完全的 （hemi-）semiconductor (半导体); semifluid (半流质的); semisphere 半球(形)sub-: 在.底下；从属；次要；分(支)；近(于)subcircuit (分) 支电路; subcompound (亚化合物); subsonic (亚音速的) super-: 超，超级super altitude (超高空), superfluid 超流体(的), supersonic (超音速) tele-: 远距离；电信telecontrol (遥控); telemechanics (遥控机械学，遥控力学); tel

12、emetry (远距离测量技术) thermo-: 热thermodynamics (热力学); thermo meter (温度计，寒暑表); thermosphere (热大气层) thermostrans-: 转移；超越transgene (转基因); translunar (月球外侧的，月球轨道外的); transplant (移植，移栽) ultra-: 超，过；极端ultrasonic 超声(音速)的; ultraviolet (紫外线); ultravirus 超显微(滤过性)病毒2) Suffixes 后缀-fold: .倍，.重，.次，.方fivefold (五倍的，五倍地)

13、; manifold (多样的，多方面的)-free : 不.，无. duty-free ice-free (不冻的); nuclear-free zone (无核区); oil-free (不含油的); static-free (不受静电干扰的)-gram: 图spectrogram (光谱图); bathygram 水(海)深图; electrogram (电记录图) -cide: 杀灭剂；杀 suicide homicideinsecticide 杀虫(药)剂; weedicide (除草剂) -meter: 剂，仪，表seismometer (地震仪); speedomete

14、r (速度计，里程计); multimeter (万用表)-ology:.学，.论cosmology (宇宙学); psychology (心理学); seismology (地震学)-proof : 不透.的，防.的，抗.的，耐.的airproof (不透气的); fireproof (耐火的，不燃的); water-proof (防水的)；heatproof 抗(隔、耐)热的; shockproof (防震的，防电击的) bulletproof-scope : 用于观察的仪器，镜microscope (显微镜) telescope (望远镜); spectroscope

15、 (分光镜); radioscope (放射镜)-tight: 不透的airtight (密封的，不透气的); watertight (不透水的，防水的)-therapy 治疗方法 thermotherapy 温热疗法 hydrotherapy 水疗法 2.2 Semi-Technical Words 半科技专业术语There are many words whose use is not confined to scientific and technological contexts, but they form an essential part of EST. They include

16、 some words formed from Greek or Latin roots like energy (from Greek) and efficiency (from Latin). However, most of them have been taken from everyday language and given a precise definition for scientific use. In other words, scientists take over these common words and convert them into technical t

17、erms by using them in a special way. As a result, the meanings of these words in their technical use are likely to differ from their non-technical meanings, and they may have different precise meanings in different technical fields.Thus the word “reaction” might in everyday context refer to one'

18、s reaction to hearing of an accident that happened to a family member, while in chemistry it might be used to refer to the reaction of ammonia with carbon dioxide to form another kind of substance; in nuclear physics it might refer to a nuclear chain reaction and in civil engineering it might refer

19、to the reaction of a beam against the weight of a load placed on the beam.There are plenty of semi-technical words in EST, and the following are a few examples: family一般意义：家，家庭；家属，亲属【动植物】科e.g. animals of the cat family (猫科动物)【化学】【数学】【天文】【地质】族e.g. the halogen family (卤族); family of functions (函数族) 【语

20、言】语族，语系e.g. the Indo-European family of languages (印欧语系) focus一般意义：中心，重点【物理】焦点；焦距；聚光点e.g. real focus (实焦点); virtual focus (虚焦点); focus coil axis (聚焦线圈轴)【数学】焦点，中数【地质】震源，震中【医学】病灶；疫源点 force一般意义：力，力量；力气，精力【物理】力；力的强度e.g. force arm (力臂); air force (空)气动力; electromotive force (电动势); component of force (分力)

21、【气象】风力等级e.g. a 12(th) force typhoon 12 级台风【计算机】强行置码 function 一般意义： 功能， 作用；起作用【数学】函数e.g. Pure functions are easy for programmers to understand. 对程序员而言纯粹的函数很容易理解。 mass一般意义：群众；团，块，堆，片，群【物理】物质；质量e.g. the law of conservation of mass (质量守恒定律); mass energy (质能)【采矿】体e.g. t

22、abular mass (板状体，层状体); molten mass (熔融体); ore mass (矿体) matter一般意义：事情；问题；事态，情况【物理】物质e.g. the motion of matter (物质运动); solid matter (固体); liquid matter (液体)【医学】物质；脓e.g. gray matter 灰(白)质 power一般意义：能力；力量；权利；强国【物理】动力；电力；功率e.g. horse power (马力); power source (电源); power network (电力网); rated power (额定功率)

23、【化学】能；能力e.g. chemical power (化学能); catalytic power (催化能力)【光学】倍率，放大率；(透镜的)焦强e.g. 1000-power microscope (千倍显微镜); telescope of high power (高倍望远镜)【机械】力，动力e.g. brake power (制动力); power shaft 动力(传动)轴; power gas (动力气体)【数学】乘方，幂；指数e.g. the fourth power of x (x的4次幂) work一般意义：工作；劳动；职业【物理】功；作功e.g. available wor

24、k (可用功); mechanical work (机械功)【电子】负载【机械、冶金】工件；机件e.g. work holder (工件夹具); work lead (工件引线)【化学】(发酵产生的)泡沫ExercisesI. Match the prefixes in Column A with the words or word roots in Column B. Then translate the terms into Chinese.Column AColumn B1. auto-A. conductor2. bio-B. wave3. thermo-C. virus4. geo-

25、D. pilot5. micro-E. period6. radio-F. clock7. photo-G. thermal8. super-H. operator9. tele-I. nuclear10. ultra-J. therapyII. The following phrases all contain words made up with prefixes and suffixes. Guess the meanings of these words and translate the phrases into Chinese.1. a doctor engaged in the

26、research of aeromedicine2. measures to prevent cybercrime3. a new type of defroster4. a toy powered by photocells5. a car equipped with an autoalarm6. soundproof material7. a widely applied pesticide8. an experiment with radiocarbon9. the development of telecommunication10. a multi-purpose machine t

27、oolIII. Fill in the blank in each sentence with an appropriate prefix or suffix.1. _ organic chemistry is the scientific study of chemical substances which do not contain carbon.2. The core of a nuclear reactor is highly _ active.3. _ therapy is a method of treating people with particular diseases o

28、r injuries by making them exercise in water.4. This kind of drink is recommended to the patient by the doctor because it is caffeine-_.5. The pilots are guided by an _ red optical system that shows images clearly even at night.6. The railway system that has a single rail, or the train that travels a

29、long it is technically called _ rail.7. _ dynamics is the science which studies the movement of gases and the way solid bodies, such as aircraft, move through them.8. According to this report, in the last 50 years there has been a 33-_ increase in the amount of pesticide used in farming.9. Opposite

30、to the _ centric model of the solar system, Copernicus suggested a model in which the sun was central.10. This kind of material is often used for making tents because it is weather _; in other words it does not allow wind or rain to go through.11. The companies are pouring millions of dollars into _

31、 technology research, especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds.12. Some types of _ biotic are used to promote growth in farm animals.IV. Translate the following terms into Chinese.1. power station2. fossil fuel3. sun spot 4. space probe5. ball bearing 6. worm gear7. space shuttle8. tree ring9. c

32、entrifugal governor 10. cardiac performanceVI. Translate the following sentences into Chinese. Pay attention to the use of semi-technical words.1. It is obvious that resistance is responsible for heating and lighting effects of many common household appliances.2. Unless the gas is confined in a rigi

33、d container, it will expand, as may be illustrated with a heated balloon.3. A chemical change is one in which the structure of particles is changed and a new substance is formed.4. This rapid development of electrical devices and the resulting industry took place during the 19th century, when the na

34、ture of electricity was not completely understood.5. Due care must be taken to ensure that the pulse signal itself shall show no irregularities and no interruptions.6. It may be safely said that many other materials besides amber could be charged by rubbing.第三节 Compound Words and Proper Nouns in EST

35、科技英语中的复合词与专有名词3.1. Compound Words 复合词A considerable number of words in EST are compound words (or compounds), which may be written either as a single word (e.g. spaceship), as hyphenated words (e.g. white-hot), or as separate words (e.g. radar chart). The compounds are often used as nouns or adjecti

36、ves.3.1.1 Compound Nouns 复合名词Compound nouns are often composed of the combination of "noun + noun", "adjective + noun", "preposition + noun", etc.e.g. afterburner 喷气发动机的加力燃烧室，(内燃机的)排气后燃气, airscrew (空气螺旋桨), bloodstream (血流), blueprint (蓝图), camshaft (凸轮轴), database / dat

37、abank (数据库，资料库), fiberglass (玻璃纤维), flameout 熄火；(喷气发动机的)停车, gearbox (齿轮箱), greenhouse (温室), rainfall 降水(雨), (降)雨量, shortwave (短波), wavelength (波长), water table (地下水位).3.1.2 Compound Adjectives 复合形容词Compound adjectives are frequently based on the composition of "noun + noun", "adjectiv

38、e + noun", "noun + adjective", "adjective + adjective", "adverb + verb", "noun + verb".e.g. desk-top (台式的), diesel-powered (用柴油驱动的), electrically-charged (带电荷的), fire-resistant (耐火的，耐高温的), general-purpose (通用的), heavy-type (重型的), long-range (远程的，长期的), hig

39、h-speed (高速的), flightworthy (具备飞行条件的，适于飞行的), solid-state (固态的), white-hot (白热的).3.2 The Use of Compound Words in EST Expressions 复合词在科技英语中的使用Compound words are often adopted by specialists to meet the need for brevity and precision.For example, they may use "high-speed data communication"

40、instead of "the communication of data at high speed," "advanced gas turbine generator" instead of "a generator of advanced design driven by gas turbines." The following are more examples: An electrically-charged emitter endcf. an emitter end that is charged electrically

41、 advanced interconnection circuit technologycf. advanced technology that is used to produce the circuit that connects the components highly sophisticated computer-aided-design techniquescf. techniques which are highly sophisticated because they use computers to aid the designing wildlife-related rec

42、reationcf. recreation activities related to wildlife $700 million-per-year industrycf. the industry that turns out products that are worth $700 million every year broad-leaved deciduous treescf. the deciduous trees with broad leaves energy-rich compoundcf. the compound that is rich in energy tempera

43、te-zone plantscf. the plants that grow in the temperate zones human-created combustioncf. combustion that is created by human beings3.3 Proper Nouns 专有名词Some technical words originate from proper nouns, such as the names of scientists and inventors or the trade marks of products. Some of these words

44、 have entered people's life, and are no longer regarded as proper nouns. For example:ampere 安(培)(源于法国物理和数学家Andre Marie Ampere之姓) Bunsen burner 本生灯(源自德国化学家Robert Wilhelm Eberhard Bunsen之姓)Doppler effect 多普勒效应(源自奥地利物理学家Johann Christian Doppler之姓)faraday 法拉第(电量单位)(源自英国化学与物理学家Michael Faraday之姓) mack

45、intosh 防水胶布；雨衣(源自苏格兰发明家Charles Rennie Mackintosh之姓)Morse code 莫尔斯电码(源自美国发明家Samuel F. B. Morse之姓) newton 牛顿(力的单位)(源自英国数学与物理学家Isaac Newton之姓) nylon 尼龙(源自商标名)orlon 奥纶(源自商标名)pasteurize 用巴氏法对消毒(源于法国化学与生物学家Louis Pasteur之姓)volt 伏特(电压单位)(源自意大利物理学家Alessandro Volta之姓)watt 瓦特(功率单位)(源自苏格兰发明家James Watt之姓)Xerox 静

46、电复印机；静电复印术(源自商标名)Zener diode 齐纳二极管，稳压二极管(源自美国物理学家Karl E. Zener之姓)ExercisesI. Match the items in Column A with those in Column B to form single words or hyphenated compounds and translate them into Chinese.Column AColumn B1. heat-A. walk2. bandB. rock3. streamC. work4. bedD. state5. power-E. width6.

47、spaceF. retarded7. water- G. hungry8. liquid-H. resistant9. fire-I. cooled10. netJ. linedII. Use compound expressions to replace the underlined part of the sentences.1. When population densities get very high, organisms often exhibit symptoms of what is called shock caused by stress or diseases rela

48、ted to stress.2. The radio valves which contained a gas at very low pressure were replaced later by the devices made of semiconductor in solid state (called transistors) which were much smaller and had a longer life than gas valves.3. Utility companies are finding it cheaper and more environmentally

49、 sound to finance the appliances which can make use of energy efficiently rather than build new power plants.4. It is estimated that one-third to one-half of the world's current croplands are losing the soil which forms the top layer of ground faster than it is being replaced.5. After the collap

50、se of the Roman Empire there was little progress in communications until the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the engine which is powered by steam and the realization of the potentialities in the use of iron.6. Without the organisms living in soil, the earth would be covered

51、with sterile mineral particles far different from the rich, living soil ecosystems on which we depend for most of our food.7. When plant cover and surface litter are removed from the land by agriculture or grazing, wind lifts loose soil particles and sweep them away; the dust which is borne by wind

52、is sometimes transported from one continent to another.8. For the reaction that takes place in the form of a chain to continue at a steady rate, the number of neutrons which carry on the reaction must be controlled.9. The shortages of the wood that is used as fuel cause local people to cut down the

53、forests that stabilize mountain soils.10. This kind of plastic can be used to impregnate laminated paper sheets from which the surfaces resistant to heat and scratch are made.III. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words based on the explanations provided.1. _: a tough, lightweight, elastic syn

54、thetic polymer often used for making stockings. It is named after the trademark of the product.2. _: the SI (International System) unit of electromotive force named after an Italian scientist, which is the difference of potential that would carry one ampere of current against one ohm resistance.3. _

55、: a process of partial sterilization, especially one involving heat treatment, thus making the product safe for consumption and improving its keeping quality. It is named after a French scientist.4. _: an alphabet or code in which letters are represented by combinations of long and short light or so

56、und signals named after an American inventor.5. _: a small adjustable gas burner used in laboratories as a source of heat named after a German scientist.6. _: a kind of cloth waterproofed with rubber and originally patented by a Scottish inventor.7. _: an increase (or decrease) in the frequency of s

57、ound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move towards (or away from) each other. It is named after an Austrian scientist.8. _: a kind of machine for copying by xerography named after the trade mark of the product.9. _: the SI unit of force named after an English scientist, which is equal to the force that would give a mass of one kilogram an acceleration of one met