Writing Habbits

Abstract

• 本文从中国作家的 200 多篇英文技术论文中观察到一些最常见的中英习惯。在大多数情况下，解释习惯，从实际论文的例子文本与首选文本一起给出。试图解释如何纠正和防止这类错误。在某些情况下，也给出了这种习惯产生的可能解释。这篇论文可以作为编辑技术论文的个人指南，特别是当没有母语为英语的编辑时。

Introduction

• 大多数中国大学要求技术和科学领域的博士和硕士研究生在国际期刊上发表至少一篇英文论文作为学位要求。然而，许多因素使这一任务难以完成。首先，以前的英语研究可能对写作关注不够，更不用说技术写作了。目前的研究可能不包括英语，导致作家的英语流利程度下降。第二，大多数作家从未在说英语的国家生活过。第三，由于技术写作的特殊方面，即使母语是英语的工程专业学生也有技术写作课程作为他们学习的一部分

• 学生的论文经常因为英语不好而被退回。如果可能，学生的论文可以由英语母语人士编辑。然而，对于一个有很多学生的院系来说，这可能会很昂贵，因为每篇论文通常需要编辑两次。雇人编辑论文是困难的、昂贵的，而且只能解决一个小问题。一个以英语为母语的人可以很好地摆脱大多数语法错误。然而，如果这个人没有技术背景，特别是在他所编辑的论文领域，他就无法消除所有的错误，并确保含义清楚。他不能识别有标准词的技术术语的错误翻译。这样的错误不会被处理器的拼写和语法检查程序发现。此外，如果他们不熟悉主题或领域，他们可能无法抓住整篇文章的意思，无法做出批判性的编辑

• 雇佣一个与被编辑论文的技术背景相似的人是一个更好的选择。然而，虽然一个具有技术背景的人可能能够充分地编辑论文，但他可能无法向作者解释如何防止未来出现这样的错误。此外，对于大多数中国大学来说，仅仅为了编辑工作就很难雇佣这样的员工。作为交流的一部分，大学可以考虑邀请访问学者，除了做研究或教学外，还可以编辑论文

• 虽然编辑可能是最快的发表论文的方法，但它在教授作者如何防止妨碍清楚理解作者思想的常见错误和口语化习惯方面几乎没有什么作用。那些已经掌握了令人印象深刻的英语语言的作家，只有意识到他们的常见错误和口语习惯以及如何预防它们，他们才能真正受益。

Purpose

• 这篇报告的目的是介绍从我编辑的两百多篇论文中发现的中英写作中最常见的习惯。这些习惯包括语法错误、口语化和格式问题，在大多数情况下会妨碍对作者思想的清晰理解。一些习惯，比如写特别长的句子，可以通过仔细使用MS Word语法和风格检查器来纠正。然而，大多数习惯，如遗漏的文章，自动语法检查设备是不会注意到的。尽管如此，这些软件工具仍然无法识别汉英口语习惯。

Structure

• 常见的习惯分为两部分。第一部分列出了我认为最需要注意的习惯。这些习惯会打断文章的流畅性，使文章难以理解，而且经常发生。在这一节中，解释了习惯，给出了实际论文中的例句来说明习惯，并改写了句子来说明正确的书写方式。在缺词的情况下，还提供了一个流程图，以帮助选择正确的词。

• 在第二部分，给出了一个额外的习惯列表。在某些情况下，会给出例句。在其他情况下，会给出建议。第二部分对于熟悉细微差别非常有用。

• 并不是所有我观察到的常见习惯都被呈现出来，主要是因为它们只能在个人的基础上处理。例如，作者很难给他们的论文命名和命名新的技术思想，以简洁地表达他们的内容和功能。这个问题经常发生，但只能单独解决。一旦作者意识到他们的习惯，他们就能写出更好的技术性英语文章。

Section 1

“a, an, the”

• 最常见的习惯是省略冠词 a、an 和 the。这是因为普通话没有直接对应的冠词，而且对于非母语人士来说，使用冠词的规则有些复杂。

• 冠词表示后面会有一个名词，冠词和名词之间的修饰语指的是那个名词 (a big blue bicycle / the first award)。A 和 an 是不定冠词；The 是定冠词。每当一个单数的不可数名词，一个命名一个可数项目的普通名词被使用时，这个名词都需要某种限定词。

错误

• The, a, and an 在需要的地方被省略

• The, a, and an 在不需要它们的地方使用，或者导致冗长

• 用错冠词代替正确的冠词。

示例

• Incorrect: Figure 2 shows the distribution of relative velocity on surface of main and splitter blades
• Correct: Figure 2 shows the distribution of relative velocity on the surface of the main and splitter blades

• Incorrect: The software PowerSHAPE is chosen to be a 3D modeling tool; it is good at dealing with free surfaces and curves
• Correct: The software PowerSHAPE is chosen to be the 3D modeling tool; it is good at dealing with free surfaces and curves
• 本研究仅使用了一种三维建模工具，因此三维建模工具是特定的，需要冠词 the

• Incorrect: A theoretical method for calculating the inner flow-field in centrifugal impeller with splitter blades and investigation of the interactions between main and splitter blades is presented in this paper. The vortices are distributed on the main and splitter blades to simulate the effects of flows. Systematical study of number and distribution of vortices is conducted
• Correct: A theoretical method for calculating the inner flow-field in a centrifugal impeller with splitter blades and an investigation of the interactions between main and splitter blades is presented in this paper. The vortices are distributed on the main and splitter blades to simulate the effects of flows. A systematical study of the number and distribution of vortices is conducted

• Incorrect： Theoretically, remanufacturing could fully take advantage of resources contained in EOF product thereby minimizing impact on environment to the greatest extent compared to landfill or recycling of materials; consequently it contributes greatly to resource conservation
• Correct: Theoretically, remanufacturing could fully take advantage of resources contained in an EOF product thereby minimizing the impact on the environment to the greatest extent compared to landfill or recycling of materials; consequently it contributes greatly to resource conservation.16

定义

• 冠词 Articles：冠词也被称为限定词 determiners 或名词标记词 noun markers，冠词由 a、an 和 the 组成。A 和 an 是不定冠词，the 是定冠词。冠词表示后面跟着一个名词，冠词和名词之间的修饰语指的是那个名词。(a cold , metal chair/ the lightning-fast computer)。

• 限定词 Determiners：一个词或词组，传统上被认为是形容词，通过说明名词的含量或数量来限制名词它们区分一个名词是一般的 (a tree) 还是具体的 (the tree)。The 是定冠词。在名词前，the 表示已知指的是一个特定的项目 (the plan)。A 和 an 是不定冠词。它们表示名词以一种不具体或笼统的方式指一个项目 (a plan)

• Common nouns: A noun that names a general group, place, person, or thing: dog, house.
• 命名一般群体、地点、人或物的名词

• Count noun: A noun that names an item or items that can be counted: radio, streets, idea, fingernails.
• 命名一个或多个可计数的物品的名词

• Noncount nouns: A noun that names a thing that cannot be counted: water, time.
• 用来命名一个不可数的东西的名词

• Specific noun: A noun understood to be exactly and specifically referred to; uses the definite article the.
• 被理解为确切而具体地指的名词

• Nonspecific noun: A noun that refers to any of a number of identical items; it takes the indefinite articles a , an.
• 指许多相同的事物中的任何一个

如何判断

Very long sentences

• 非常长的句子在汉英写作中特别常见，因为作者经常直接从汉语翻译成英语。虽然在汉语写作中，可以在一个句子中放入几个支持观点来表示它们之间的关系，但在英语中，主旨和每个支持观点通常都写在单独的句子中

• 人们通常可以通过 60 个单词或以上的长度来识别一个很长的句子。然而，如果句子中包含了多个混淆大意的语句，那么较短的句子也可能太长。长句可以通过限制每个句子的一个或两个主题来避免。分号应该用在作者真正想强调观点之间的关系的地方

示例

• Too long: According to the characteristic of fan-coil air-conditioning systems, this paper derives the cooling formula of fan-coil units based on the heat transfer theories and puts forward a new method to gauge cooling named Cooling Metering on the Air-side, which can monitor the individual air-conditioning cooling consumption during a period of time by detecting the parameters of inlet air condition temperature and humidity – of the fan-coil air-conditioning system as well as the parameters of inlet cooling water provided by the chiller.
• Correct: This paper derives the cooling formula of fan-coil units based on the characteristics of fan-coil air-conditioning systems and heat transfer theories, and puts forward a new method to gauge cooling called Cooling Metering on the Air-side. The new method can monitor individual air-conditioning cooling consumption during a period of time by detecting the condition of inlet air – temperature and humidity of the fan-coil air-conditioning system as well as the parameters of the inlet cooling water provided by the chiller.

• Too long: The gear transmission is grade seven, the gear gap is 0.00012 radians, the gear gap has different output values corresponding to any given input value, nonlinearity of the gear gap model can be described by using the phase function method, the existing backlash block in the non-linear library of the Matlab/zdimulink toolbox can be used, the initial value of gear gap in the backlash block is set to zero
• Correct: The gear transmission is grade seven. The gear gap, which is 0.00012 radians, has different output values corresponding to any given input value. The nonlinearity of the gear gap model can be described by using the phase function method. The existing backlash block in the non-linear library of the Matlab/zdimulink toolbox can be used; the initial value of gear gap in the backlash block is set to zero.

• 另一种在技术论文中经常出现的超长句类型是列表句。作者希望提供大量的数据(通常是参数值)，并将这些信息放入一个长、段落大小的句子中。然而，给出此类信息的类型和数量的最佳方法是将其制成表格(将其放入项目符号列表中)。

Prefacing the main idea of a sentence by stating the purpose, location or reason first

• 中国作家经常在句子的主题之前，先说明目的、地点、原因、例子和条件，作为引言。然而，这样做会降低主旨的重要性，使读者认为作者不直接。把大意放在句子的开头，然后陈述地点、原因等。

示例

• Incorrect: For the application in automobile interiors, this paper studies the nesting optimization problem in leather manufacturing
• Correct: This paper studies the nesting optimization problem in leather manufacturing for application in automobile interiors.

• Incorrect: Especially when numerical control (NC) techniques[4] are widely used in industry and rapid prototype methods[5][6] bring a huge economical benefits, the advantage of constructing 3D model[7][8][9] becomes extremely obvious
• Correct: The advantage of constructing a 3D model[7][8][9] becomes extremely obvious especially when numerical control (NC) techniques[4] are widely used in industry and rapid prototype methods[5][6] bring a huge economical benefits.

• Incorrect: Inside the test box, the space was filled with asbestos.
• Correct: The space inside the test box was filled with asbestos.

• Incorrect: In practice, we employed this approach to dispose of a wheelhouse subassembly of one kind of auto-body, and the results show that this method is feasible
• Correct: We employed this approach to dispose of a wheelhouse subassembly of one kind of auto-body, and the results show that this method is feasible.

• Incorrect: To ensure sheet metal quality as well as assembly quality, CMMs are widely used in automotive industry production.
• Correct: CMMs are widely used in automotive industry production to ensure sheet metal quality as well as assembly quality

Tendency of placing phrases which indicate time at the beginning of a sentence

• 倾向于把表示时间的短语放在句子的开头

示例

• Incorrect: When U is taken as the control parameter, the BDs for ∆ =0.0, 0.001, 0.005 are shown in Fig. 8.
• Correct: Figure 8 shows the BDs for ∆ =0.0, 0.001, and 0.005 when U is taken as the control parameter.

Place the most important subject at the beginning of the sentence for emphasis

• 为了强调，把最重要的主语放在句子的开头

示例

• Incorrect： Based on the triangulation structure built from unorganized points or a CAD model, the extended STL format is described in this section
• Correct: The extended STL format is described in this section based on the triangulation structure built from unorganized points or a CAD model.

• Incorrect: The 3D dentition defect and restoration element models are designed precisely with complicated surfaces
• Correct: The 3D dentition defect and restoration element models with complicated surfaces are designed precisely.

“which/ that”

• which 所指的先行词 (名词或代词) 不明确，容易引起混淆。

• 先行词 Antecedent：代词所指代的名词或代词

• ‘The Shijiazhuang south road underground bridge possesses the largest jacking force, which is built at 1978(10680t).’ [‘Shijiazhuang south road underground bridge possesses the largest jacking force which is built at 1978(10680t).’

• Absolute truths in paleontology are often elusive, and even the filmmakers were surprised at the fierce arguments that split the scientists when an initial brainstorming session was else.

‘Respectively’ and ‘respective’

• 分别 Respectively 指的是两个或两个以上的人或事，只是按照他们之前被指定或提到的顺序。如果给出了两个列表，则根据给出的顺序分别对列表项。在这种情况下，分别 respectively 的使用是为了让作者在不混淆读者或写几个短句的情况下提供大量的信息。分别 Respectively 通常在句末。在这两种情况下，提及的顺序对句子的意思一定很重要，否则就不会使用。

• 例如：Bobby, Nicole and Daren wore red, green and blue coats, respectively. 意思就是：
• Bobby wore a red coat.
• Nicole wore a green coat.
• Daren wore a blue coat.

• 属于两个或两个以上的人或事物的，只按先前指定或提到的顺序

• 这两个词的用法通常是不正确的或令人困惑的，如下面的例子所示。

示例

• 分别 Respectively 被放在句子错误位置；它被放在它所指代的名词前面。
• Incorrect: Equations 2～6 can be respectively linearized as:......(equations given)…
• Correct: Equations 2～6 can be linearized as:......(equations given)..., respectively.
• Incorrect: The weights of the two experts are respectively 0.600 and 0.400
• Correct: The weights of the two experts are 0.600 and 0.400, respectively.

• 分别 Respectively 是表示某件事是按一定的顺序做的。然而，顺序已经隐含在句子的其他地方，或者不需要表示，因为它没有为句子的意思增加价值。
• Incorrect: If both the core technology score and core quality score of a bottleneck process are, respectively, below certain scores, then we refer to strategy 1, otherwise, if either is, respectively, above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 2. Similarly, if the core technology and core quality are, respectively, above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 3, otherwise, if either is, respectively, below a certain score, then we refer to strategy 4.
• Correct: If both the core technology score and core quality score of a bottleneck process are below certain scores, then we refer to strategy 1, otherwise, if either is above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 2. Similarly, if the core technology and core quality are above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 3, otherwise, if either is below a certain score, then we refer to strategy 4.
• Incorrect: Then, the rows of vortex due to both of the long and short blades are transformed into two singularities on the ζ-plane and integrate the induced velocity along the blades respectively.
• Correct: Then, the rows of vortex due to both of the long and short blades are transformed into two singularities on the ζ-plane and integrate the induced velocity along the blades.

• 除了上一条之外，还不清楚“分别 ‘respectively’”指的是什么。
• Incorrect: The dynamic characteristics of a rotor with asymmetric stiffness or with initial warp have been studied before respectively [1-4]
• Correct: The dynamic characteristics of a rotor with asymmetric stiffness or with initial warp have been studied before [1-4].
• Incorrect: The inlet and outlet temperature of the air cooler were measured using two thermocouples respectively.
• Correct: The inlet and outlet temperature of the air cooler were measured by using two thermocouples.

‘In this paper’, ‘in this study’

• 使用这些短语时会出现两个错误。首先是过度使用。在一些用中文写的论文中，这些短语每页最多出现两次。在以英语为母语的作者所写的论文中，这些短语主要有两种用法：
• 在引言和结语中强调论文的内容
• 在论文正文中，在引用作者未完成的工作后，如 in other journal articles or in standard

• 因此，如果任何一个短语在一篇论文中出现超过三次，它的使用就值得怀疑。事实上，读者知道所呈现的作品是作者的 (除非作者另有声明)，所以没有理由重复这些短语

• 第二个错误更为微妙。这两个短语互换了。
• Awkward: In this paper, IDEAS was used to .…
• Correct: In this study, IDEAS was used to.…
• Awkward: In the paper, a SZG4031 towing tractor is used as the sample vehicle, it components equivalent physical parameters are obtained by UG design and testing
• Correct: In this study, a SZG4031 towing tractor is used as the sample vehicle, it components equivalent physical parameters are obtained by UG design and testing.

• 这项研究 Study 是作者的工作。论文 Paper 是作品呈现的方式，是读者所持有/阅读的内容。

• 请记住，作者也可以使用其他短语，如 in this research，和 this paper present。

Numbers and Equations

• 两个非常常见的错误是关于阿拉伯数字和方程的表示。中国作家通常写阿拉伯数字而不是拼写单词。然而，使用阿拉伯数字本身并不是错误：它们永远不应该用在句子的开头。
• Incorrect: 12 parameters were selected for the experiment.
• Correct: Twelve parameters were selected for the experiment.

• 此外，阿拉伯数字被过度使用。在技术论文中，阿拉伯数字应用于提供数据，但不应用于提供一般信息。
• Incorrect: All 3 studies concluded that the mean temperature should be 30°C.
• Correct: All three studies concluded that the mean temperature should be 30°C.

• 这可能是因为普通话是一种符号语言而不是字母。因此，作者会发现写一个表达思想的符号比写一个单词更容易。当以英语为母语的人不习惯用方程式代替单词时，这个问题就更加严重了。考虑下面的例子。

• 应该尽可能多地引入方程式，而不是插入到文字的地方。大多数期刊，如《International Journal of Production Research》，都不鼓励在文章中使用哪怕是简短的表达。

Format

• Paragraphs: 段落是发展一个主题或思想的一组句子。
• 段落是分开的，以表明一个观点或思想的结束和另一个观点或思想的开始。所有英文段落都以一个新行开始，缩进约一英寸，或在两段之间多加一行。后者在商务写作中更为典型。
• 中国学生经常对段落之间的分离感到困惑；可能会执行两种错误中的一种。当作者没有区分两个段落时，就会出现错误。虽然新的段落以新的行开始，但没有缩进，因此，读者不会意识到段落或思想的变化。第二个错误发生在一个段落之前的单行上的单句。单行与后面的段落一起缩进。这种情况经常出现在中文文本中，但在英语文本中从未出现过。

• ‘Figure’ and ‘Table’
• 图和表的缩写分别是 Fig. 和 Tbl。然而，表的缩写在文本中很少见到。我们也可以用 fig. 来表示 figure.。然而，你应该选择一个惯例，并在整个论文中使用它。你不应该在，Figure, Figure, Fig，或 Fig 之间切换。此外，缩写不能用在句子的开头，单词/缩写和数字之间要有空格。
• Incorrect: Figure.6, Figure6, Fig.6, Tbl10
• Correct: Figure 6, Fig. 6, Tbl. 10

• Variables
• 在技术论文中，变量，特别是英文字母的变量，应该用斜体显示，以区别于英文单词。当然，这取决于期刊要求的风格。

• Capitals
• 注意句子中间不要用大写字母。
• Incorrect: In table 1, The mark…
• Correct: In table 1, the mark…

‘such as’ and ‘etc.’

• Such as and etc. 常被汉英作家误用。Such as 意为例如和暗示后面会有一个不完整的列表；etc. 的意思是等等 and so on，用在列表的末尾表示它是不完整的。因此，把such as 和 etc. 一起使用是多余的。
• Incorrect: Studies of methodology and process of implementing remanufacturing mainly focus on durable products such as automobile motors, printers, and etc.
• Correct: Studies of methodology and process of implementing remanufacturing mainly focus on durable products such as automobile motors, and printers.

• Such as 表示将给出一个不完整的列表，而不应在给出完整列表时使用。
• Incorrect: Compared to traditional industry, Micro-electronic fabrication has three characteristics such as high complexity, high precision and high automation.
• Correct: Compared to traditional industry, Micro-electronic fabrication has three characteristics: high complexity, high precision and high automation.

Section 2

• 有些单词有相同的单复数形式，不需要加 s 就变成复数形式。这些词包括：
• literature (when referring to research)
• equipment
• staff (referring to a group of people)
• faculty

• 以下是中国英语作家经常使用的短语，避免重复使用

• 某些词要求它们修饰的名词是复数。这包括 different ，various 和 number words

• 不要用缩写和阿拉伯数字(如Fig. 和 8 )开始英语句子。而是写 Figure 和 Eight。

• 不要写 ‘by this way’ 。相反，你可以写 ‘by doing this’，或者 ‘using this method’。

• 不要写 How to… 在句子的开头。(也不要这么说。)
• No: How to find the optimal parameter is the main objective.
• Yes: Determining how to find the optimal parameter is the main objective.

• 一定要写：‘the results are shown in Figure 2’，而不是 ‘the results are showed as Figure 2’

• 将文本中出现的变量斜体化，以区别于单词。当变量是英语字母时，这一点尤其重要。
• Write ‘The graph shows t, a, and C as a function of time’.
• Do not write ‘The graph shows t, a, and C as a function of time’.

• 避免在技术论文中以下列方式使用 “obviously” 这个词
• No: Obviously, detecting regimes by means of PMH maps is a novel method
• Yes: Detecting regimes by means of PMH maps is a novel method

• 国际论文不应该使用与地理位置相关的术语，如 ‘at home’, ‘abroad’, ‘here’, ‘our country’，因为读者很可能不是中国人，也不是在中国。相反，写 in China。

• 避免过度使用短语 ‘that is to say’ 以及 ‘namely’。 相反，试着用一句话来表达你的意思

• 不要在书面的句子后面使用too，特别是在技术论文中。
• 尝试将单词替换为 “also” 或 “as well”