科技英语的特点

1、科技英语的特点 1. The range of a voltmeter may be extended by means of a series resistor called a multiplier as shown in Fig. 2 The fullscale reading of the meter alone may be 15 volts. With the multiplier 250 volts may be required to move the pointer to full-scale, 135 volts across the multiplier and 15 v

2、olts across the meter.从上述的一段科技文章，不难看出其文体与修辞手段与文艺小说，新闻报道等迥然不同。科技文体崇尚严谨周密，概念准确，逻辑性强，行文简练，重点突出，句式严整，少有变化，常用前置性陈述，即在句中将主要信息尽量前置，通过主 语传递主要信息。科技文章文体的特点是：清晰、准确、精练、严密。一、大量使用名词化结构nominalization 当代英语语法（A Grammar of Contemporary）在论述科技英语时提出，大量使用名词化结构（Nominalization）是科技英语的特点之一。因为科技文体要求行文简洁、表达客观、内容确切、信息量大、强调存在的事实

3、。而非某一行为。Archimeds first discovered the principle of displacement of water by solid bodies.阿基米德最先发现固体排水的原理。“of displacement of water by solid bodies” 系名词化结构，一方面简化了同位语从句，另一方强调displacement 这一事实。More examples:一般文体：Eliot refused the offer and it made us angry.科技英语文体: Eliots refusal of the offer made us a

4、ngry.(refuse refusal)科技英语的特点二、广泛使用被动语句根据英国利兹大学John Swales 的统计，科技英语中的谓语至少三分之一是被动态。这是因为科技文章侧重叙事推理，强调 客观准确。第一、二人称使用过多，会造成主观臆断的印象。因此尽量使用第三人称叙述，采用被动语态，例如：Attention must be paid to the working temperature of the machine.应当注意机器的工作温度。而很少说：You must pay attention to the working temperature of the machine .你们必

5、须注意机器的工作温度。此外，如前所述，科技文章 将主要信息前置，放在主语部份。这也是广泛使用被动态的主要原因。试观察并比较下列两段短文的主语。一般文体：We can store electrical energy in two metal plates separated by an insulating medium. We call such a device a capacitor, or a condenser, and its ability to store electrical energy capacitance .It is measured in farads.科技英语文体

6、：Electrical energy can be stored in two metal plates separated by an insulating medium. Such a device is called a capacitor, or a condenser and its ability to store electrical energy capacitance. It is measured in farads.电能可储存在由一绝缘介质隔开的两块金属极板内。这样的装置称之为电容器，其储存电能的能力称为电容。电容的测量单位是法拉。 三、非限定动词科技文章要求行文简练，结

7、构紧凑，为此，往往使用分词短语代替定语从句或状语从句；使用分词独立结构代替状语从句或并列分句；使用不定式短语代替各种从句；介词十动名词短语代替定语从句或状语从句。这样可缩短句子，又比较醒目。试比较下列各组句子。一般文体：A direct current is a current which flows always in the same direction.科技英语文体：A direct current is a current flowing always in the same direction.直流电是一种总是沿同一方向流动的电流。英语上根据动词在句法上是否受到主语的限定，英语动词又

8、可以分为限定动词(Finite Forms of Verbs)和非限定动词(Non-Finite Forms of Verbs)。 非限定动词，又叫非谓语动词，在句中不能单独充当谓语（但可以和情态动词或助动词一起充当谓语），它们不受主语的限定，没有人称和数的变化，具有名词、形容词和副词的特征，在句中可以充当主语、宾语、表语、定语、状语、补足语等。同时非限定动词也保留了动词的部分特征，有时态和语态的变化，也可以有自己的宾语、表语、状语等，构成非限定动词短语，在逻辑意义上也有其动作的执行者或承受者，叫非限定动词的逻辑主语(Logical Subjects)。 英语非限定动词有三种基本形式：不定式(

9、Infinitives)、动名词（gerund）、分词（现在分词Present Participle和过去分词ed Participles) 1. 不定式 (1) Jean aims to go tomorrow.h (2) I was delighted to meet him. (3) The clothes are easy to wash 2.动名词 （1）Reading is an art. （2）Swimming is a good sport in summer. 3. 现在分词 （1）I saw the dog digging holes in the yard. （2）Hea

10、ring the news, they immediately set off for Shanghai. （3）He walked down the hill, singing softly to himself. （4）If traveling north, you must change at Leeds. 4. 过去分词 （1）developed country; fallen leaves; lost child （2） Half of the guests invited to the party were foreigners. （3）She cant make herself

11、understood in English. 大量使用后置定语也是科技文章的特点之一。常见的结构有以下五种：1、介词短语The forces due to friction are called frictional forces.由于摩擦而产生的力称之为摩擦力。A call for paper is now being issued .征集论文的通知现正陆续发出。2、形容词及形容词短语。In this factory the only fuel available is coal.该厂唯一可用的燃料是煤。In radiation, thermal energy is transformed

12、into radiant energy, similar in nature to light.热能在辐射时，转换成性质与光相似的辐射能。四、后置定语3、副词The air outside pressed the side in .外面的空气将桶壁压得凹进去了。The force upward equals the force downward so that the balloon stays at the level.向上的力与向下的力相等，所以气球就保持在这一高度。4、单个分词，但仍保持校强的动词意义。The results obtained must be cheeked .获得的结果

13、必须加以校核。The heat produced is equal to the electrical energy wasted.产生的热量等于浪费了的电能。5、定语从句During construction, problems often arise which require design changes.在施工过程中，常会出现需要改变设计的问题。The molecules exert forces upon each other, which depend upon the distance between them.分子相互间都存在着力的作用，该力的大小取决于它们之间的距离。科技文章

14、中经常使用若干特定的句型，从而形成科技文体区别于其他文体的标志。例如It-that-结构句型，被动态结构句型，比较结构句型，分词短语结构句型，省略句结构句型等。It is evident that a well lubricated bearing turns more easily than a dry one .显然，润滑好的轴承，比不润滑的轴承容易转动。It seems that these two branches of science are mutually dependent and interacting.看来这两个科学分支是相互依存，相互作用的。It has been pro

15、ved that induced voltage causes a current to flow in opposition to the force producing it.已经证明，感应电压使电流的方向与产生电流的磁场力方向相反。五、常用句型为了表述一个复杂概念，使之逻辑严密，结构紧凑，科技文章中往往出现许多长句。有的长句多达七八十个词。The efforts that have been made to explain optical phenomena by means of the hypothesis of a medium having the same physical character as an elastic solid body led, in the first instance, to the understanding of a concrete example of a medium which can transmit transverse vibrations, and at a later stage to the definite conclusion that there is no luminiferous medium having the physical ch