葉濟(jì)蓉
(福建農(nóng)林大學(xué)科研院學(xué)術(shù)期刊部,福州350002)
農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要的寫作及常見問題舉例分析
葉濟(jì)蓉
(福建農(nóng)林大學(xué)科研院學(xué)術(shù)期刊部,福州350002)
指出農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要寫作的完整性、準(zhǔn)確性和簡(jiǎn)練性尤為重要,是保證英文摘要寫作質(zhì)量的關(guān)鍵。對(duì)農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要寫作的常見錯(cuò)誤進(jìn)行歸納、舉例,并予以更正,旨在為英文摘要的正確寫作提供參考。同時(shí)對(duì)提高農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要質(zhì)量提出一些建議。
農(nóng)業(yè)期刊;英文摘要;舉例分析
英文摘要是農(nóng)業(yè)期刊科技論文的重要組成部分,它是國(guó)際間知識(shí)傳播、學(xué)術(shù)交流的橋梁。英文摘要的寫作質(zhì)量關(guān)系到期刊是否被國(guó)際知名數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù)收錄,進(jìn)而影響到我國(guó)科技論文可否在國(guó)際上傳播、交流[1]。農(nóng)業(yè)期刊科技論文的英文摘要一般采用信息性摘要形式,即結(jié)構(gòu)性摘要,主要包括“目的”“方法”“結(jié)果”“結(jié)論”[1-2]。筆者在多年的編輯實(shí)踐中發(fā)現(xiàn),農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要寫作的完整性、準(zhǔn)確性和簡(jiǎn)練性[3]尤為重要,它是保證英文摘要寫作質(zhì)量的關(guān)鍵。本文基于作者多年對(duì)英文摘要的編輯經(jīng)驗(yàn),對(duì)農(nóng)業(yè)期刊論文英文摘要寫作的常見錯(cuò)誤進(jìn)行歸納,并予以更正,旨在為英文摘要的正確寫作提供參考,同時(shí)對(duì)提高農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要的質(zhì)量提出一些具體可行的建議。
英文摘要應(yīng)“具有獨(dú)立性和自明性,并擁有與一次文獻(xiàn)等量的重要信息”,一般要求有100~300個(gè)英文單詞[2]。結(jié)構(gòu)性摘要中的4個(gè)元素,即“目的”“方法”“結(jié)果”“結(jié)論”,必須提及。通常是以“To investigate …”或者“For the purpose of …”等開頭來(lái)講述研究目的;以“… was carried out”“by the method of …”等來(lái)講述研究方法;以“The resulted showed that …,”“The results were as follows: …”等來(lái)描述研究結(jié)果;最后以“The result implied that …,”“It suggest that …”等來(lái)講述你得出的結(jié)論。
有些作者只重視論文的中文摘要,在將中文摘要翻譯成英文摘要的過程中,常常有所遺漏,比如,遇到翻譯有困難的詞句就不翻譯,跳過。有的中文摘要中 4個(gè)元素都有,可是在英文摘要中就沒有全部陳述,造成英文摘要的不完整。
英文摘要寫作的準(zhǔn)確性主要體現(xiàn)在語(yǔ)法的正確性,目前農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要寫作上常見的語(yǔ)法錯(cuò)誤主要包括以下幾方面。
2.1數(shù)量詞表達(dá)錯(cuò)誤
英文摘要的句首不能采用阿拉伯?dāng)?shù)字,應(yīng)采用文字表示。
例4 strains of Beauveria bassiana Vuill and 5 strains of Metarhizium anisopliaeSorokin were tested for the pathogenicity to Spodoptera exigua larvae.
這是某篇論文英文摘要的第一句,其中句首為阿拉伯?dāng)?shù)字,故應(yīng)改為:
Four strains of Beauveria bassiana Vuill and 5 strains of Metarhizium anisopliae Sorokin were tested for the pathogenicity to Spodoptera exigua larvae.
在英文中碰到數(shù)字時(shí),1~9的一位數(shù)一般用文字(one,two,three,…)表示;大于10(或等于10)的數(shù)字一般采用阿拉伯?dāng)?shù)字表示;數(shù)字符號(hào)與單位符號(hào)一起出現(xiàn)時(shí),數(shù)字用阿拉伯?dāng)?shù)字表達(dá)[4]。
例The best medium for in vitro conservation of M.officinalis plantlets was MS medium with eighteen g·L-1sugar.
上句中單位“g·L-1”之前的數(shù)字應(yīng)改為阿拉伯?dāng)?shù)字,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The best medium for in vitro conservation of M.officinalis plantlets was MS medium with 18 g·L-1sugar.
2.2冠詞使用錯(cuò)誤
有所特指的名詞之前應(yīng)加定冠詞“the”[5]。
例Effects of high temperature stress on photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence of Rhododendron hybridum.
句中photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence不是泛指,而是特指,因此之前應(yīng)加定冠詞“the”,故上句應(yīng)改為:
Effects of high temperature stress on the photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence of Rhododendron hybridum.
最高級(jí)前面要加“the”。
例The extraction rate of triptolide was highest.
句中highest表示最高,因此前面必須加“the”,上句應(yīng)改為:
The extraction rate of triptolide was the highest.
序數(shù)詞之前應(yīng)加the。
例Second region was mainly in south coastal of Fujian Province.
句中second為序數(shù)詞,之前應(yīng)加the;south coastal是有所特指,之前應(yīng)加定冠詞the,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The second region was mainly in the south coastal of Fujian Province.
英文摘要中名詞的首字母為元音的,其前面的不定冠詞應(yīng)為“an”而非“a”。
例A excellent geographical provenance of P.kadsura was screened.
句中excellent首字母為元音,故上句應(yīng)改為:
An excellent geographical provenance of P.kadsura was screened.
2.3介詞搭配錯(cuò)誤
英文中一些介詞的搭配是固定的,而不能隨意改動(dòng)。
例The influences of temperature,pH value and light on the sporulation and conidia germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were studied.
句子中介詞搭配有錯(cuò)誤,Influence后面跟的介詞應(yīng)是“to”,而不是“on”,因此上句應(yīng)改為:
The influences of temperature,pH value and light to the sporulation and conidia germination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides were studied.
例The toxicities of five insecticides on Bemisia tabaci.
句中toxicities后面跟的介詞應(yīng)是to,而不是“on”,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The toxicities of five insecticides to Bemisia tabaci.
例The ratio of material and liquid was 0.6.
句中ratio of material and liquid(液料比),ratio of … to …是固定搭配,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The ratio of material to liquid was 0.6.
例The result showed the content of DNA had significant differences between five treatment combinations.
句中介詞between是指兩者之間,上句中five treatment combinations(5個(gè)處理組合)之間應(yīng)用介詞among,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The result showed the content of DNA had significant differences among five treatment combinations.
2.4謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞、分詞的使用錯(cuò)誤
英文摘要中謂語(yǔ)及物動(dòng)詞后面必須有賓語(yǔ),而不及物動(dòng)詞后面不能直接跟賓語(yǔ)。
例The content of free gossypol in the fruit did not raise.
句中raise為及物動(dòng)詞,后面必須有賓語(yǔ),而rise為不及物動(dòng)詞,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The content of free gossypol in the fruit did not rise.
英文摘要中分詞與其相連的名詞之間如果是動(dòng)賓關(guān)系,則該分詞采用過去分詞;分詞與其相連的名詞之間如果是主謂關(guān)系,則該分詞采用現(xiàn)在分詞。
例The temporal and characteristics of annual precipitation in Fujian Province were analyzed based on the data collecting from 64 observational stations.
句中collect與data之間是動(dòng)賓關(guān)系,不是主謂關(guān)系,因此collecting應(yīng)改為collected,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The temporal and characteristics of annual precipitation in Fujian Province were analyzed based on the data collected from 64 observational stations.
2.5比較對(duì)象不明確
在英文摘要中二者進(jìn)行比較時(shí),比較對(duì)象要明確,而且詞性及其單復(fù)形式要一致。
例SOD activity in seedling stage was higher than flowering stage.
句中SOD activity in seedling stage是與SOD activity in flowering stage相比較,而不是SOD activity in seedling stage與flowering stage進(jìn)行比較,因此上句應(yīng)改為:
SOD activity in seedling stage was higher than that in flowering stage.
例The resistant level and resistant spectrum of Yinong A were significantly higher than that of control group.
句中比較對(duì)象是resistant level and resistant spectrum,顯然是復(fù)數(shù),因此that應(yīng)改為those,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The resistant level and resistant spectrum of Yinong A were significantly higher than those of control group.
2.6專有名詞的表達(dá)錯(cuò)誤
專有名詞的準(zhǔn)確標(biāo)示是編輯工作的難點(diǎn),特別是基因和蛋白質(zhì)的正斜體區(qū)分,編輯要在正確理解表達(dá)對(duì)象的基礎(chǔ)上準(zhǔn)確標(biāo)示。
例The qRT-PCR results showed that HMGS relative expression levels at the varieties are not obviously differential.
句中HMGS表示一種基因,而基因應(yīng)采用斜體表示,故上句應(yīng)改為:
The qRT-PCR results showed that HMGS relative expression levels at the varieties are not obviously differential.
例The homologous serum could not react with protein VP1.
句中VP1是表示一種蛋白質(zhì),而蛋白質(zhì)應(yīng)采用正體表示。故上句應(yīng)改為:
The homologous serum could not react with protein VP1.
2.7格式方面的錯(cuò)誤
“、” “《》”和“~”等符號(hào)在英文中不能出現(xiàn)。英文中書名是采用斜體表示。中文中用頓號(hào)的地方,在英文中都是用“,”表示。英文中表示數(shù)字范圍是用半字線“-”表示,而不是用“~”表示。
英文摘要中引號(hào)內(nèi)單句、從句或其他獨(dú)立成分,其末尾的標(biāo)點(diǎn)符號(hào)要放在引號(hào)內(nèi)。
英文摘要必須言簡(jiǎn)意賅,避免重復(fù)和拖泥帶水。例如英文摘要首句要避免重復(fù)題目;另外,英文題目要簡(jiǎn)練,可刪去一些表示研究、介紹等詞,如“Study on …”“Research on …”“Introduction to …”。除此之外,還可以通過以下幾種方法達(dá)到英文摘要寫作的簡(jiǎn)練性。
3.1可用短語(yǔ)替代從句
例Three structural proteins could response with homologous serum,which were named as VP1,VP2 and VP3.
上句可通過利用分詞短語(yǔ)named as VP1,VP2 and VP3替代后面定語(yǔ)從句,達(dá)到更精煉、緊湊。上句可改為:
Three structural proteins named as VP1,VP2 and VP3 could response with homologous serum.
例In October it was suitable for the growth of S.cusia,light compensation point was 0.015 mmol m-2s-1,light saturation point was 0.86 mmol m-2s-1.
上句可利用“with …”結(jié)構(gòu)對(duì)后面的兩個(gè)句子進(jìn)行壓縮,故可將上句壓縮為:
In October it was suitable for the growth of S.cusia with the light compensation point and light saturation point of 0.015 and 0.86 mmol m-2s-1.
3.2縮略詞的使用
縮略詞在英文摘要中第一次出現(xiàn)時(shí)需要列出全稱,之后出現(xiàn)就可以采用其簡(jiǎn)寫形式(縮略詞)。如:rapid-amplification of cDNA ends可以采用其簡(jiǎn)化形式即縮略詞 RACE來(lái)表達(dá);quantitative trait loci可以采用其簡(jiǎn)化形式即縮略詞QTL來(lái)表達(dá)。
針對(duì)目前農(nóng)業(yè)期刊英文摘要寫作質(zhì)量欠佳的實(shí)際情況,提出如下幾點(diǎn)建議,旨在提高英文摘要寫作質(zhì)量:①通過舉辦有關(guān)英文摘要寫作的培訓(xùn)班提高作者以及編輯的英文摘要寫作水平;②在稿約中明確指出該刊對(duì)英文摘要寫作的一些規(guī)范、要求;③在編輯初審時(shí),對(duì)英文摘要寫作太差的論文直接予以退稿處理,提高投稿作者對(duì)論文中英文摘要寫作的重視程度;④聘請(qǐng)一些英文水平高的專家在刊物出版前對(duì)英文摘要進(jìn)行把關(guān)。
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