留学生英文paper写作中如何更好的提升表达方法?
在英文paper写作中,连字号(-)一般被用来连接或区隔两个以上的单字,以构成复合词和形容词片语,例如carbon-based、long-term、over-the-counter,而且不应与破折号「–」和「—」混为一谈。连字号也常见于书写英文数字时,如:twenty-three 和eighty-nine 等。以连字号连接二个以上的单字所组成的修饰语,请看下列范例。
well-researched
high-risk
state-of-the-art
low-molecular-weight
然而,只有当作修饰语(形容词)时,才需要以连字号连接这些词,请看下列例句。
His paper presents a well-researched argument.
Using the proposed method required conducting a high-risk assessment.
We examined the patient in our hospital's state-of-the-art cardiovascular department.
Shellac is a natural resin and low-molecular-weight polymer.
要注意,这些句子中的修饰词语是位于被修饰名词的前方。当修饰词语位于被修饰名词的后方时则不得以连字号连接,请看下列例句。
The argument in his paper is well researched.
Using the proposed method required conducting an assessment that was high risk.
Our hospital's cardiovascular department, where we examined the patient, is state of the art.
Shellac is a natural resin and a polymer of low molecular weight.
在学术写作中,连字号通常不会用来连接字首和字根,这是因为字首并非独立存在的单字。美国医学会(American Medical Association, AMA)写作手册则建议字首后不要加上连字号,例如:
nonessential
coworker
overproduced
除非该字首与大写字(如专有名词)、缩写字或数字相连:
pan-Asian
pre-RNA molecule
mid-1970s
大部分熟悉正式写作的读者都会遵循此规范,但是仍有例外存在:
ex- 用以表示「先前」的意思时,如ex-husband
双母音结构,如re-edit 和intra-aortic(cooperate 和microorganism 为例外)
去歧义(如un-ionize 和re-formation)
适当使用连字号可以加强写作的清晰度,相反的,不当的使用将导致措词不清;且连字号的有无可能完全改变描述的意思。举例来说:
The city requires a new industrial waste management system.
本句的措词意思十分模糊,可以指该城市需要(1)处理工业废弃物的系统,或是(2)处理废弃物的工业系统。下面两句为修正后的版本,两者皆可清楚、适合地表达语意,而其语意依写作者打算传达的意思而定:
The city requires a new industrial-waste management system.
The city requires a new industrial waste-management system.
第一句中,industrial-waste 是形容词片语,用来修饰management system,而第二句中,形容词industrial 修饰waste-management,waste-management 则修饰其后的system。
在以-ly 结尾的副词后加上连字号不仅没必要,还可能造成文法错误,即使是修饰词语也不需要加连字号:
This paper addresses the large-scale distribution of organically-grown food.(不适当)
让字尾-ly发挥其应有的功用即可:
This paper addresses the large-scale distribution of organically grown food.(适当)
这些只是连字号在学术写作中约定俗成的部分用法,其他相关用法大多视期刊格式而定,而这需要对文章特定格式指引有相当的了解。不过,记得本篇所列这些有用的建议可以让写作程序事半功倍,不管学术或科技领域写作都十分受用。更多学术paper写作技巧请访问:Assignment.lxws.net
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