文献阅读与翻译(精华版)

U1 General DescriptionII. Translation1. Put the following sentences into Chinese, using either literal or free translation. 1) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; itwas the season of the Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of Hope,it was the winter of Despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.这是最美好的时期，这是最坏的时期，这是智慧的年代，这是愚蠢的年代，这是从满信仰的时代，这是顾虑重重的时代，这是光明的季节，这是黑暗的季节，这是富有希望的春天，这是充满绝望的寒冬；我们拥有一切，我们一无所有；我们正笔直走向天堂，我们正笔直走向地狱。

2) A greeting card can warm a heart, hold a hand, lend an ear, pat a back, light up a face, tickle a funny bone, dry an eye, surprise a child, woo a sweetheart, toast a bride, welcome a stranger, wave a good-bye, shout a bravo, blow a kiss, mend a quarrel, ease a pain, boost a morale, stop a worry and start a tradition.一张小小贺卡可以温暖一颗心，握紧一双手，倾听肺腑言，轻拍友人背；它另人喜洋洋，撩得心痒痒，抹去泪汪汪；它给孩子以惊喜，给恋人以温纯，给新娘以祝福，给路人以欢迎；它可用以挥手道别，高声喝彩，遥寄飞吻，也可用以弥补嫌隙，减轻痛苦，提高士气，解除忧虑，开创一种新风尚。

Unit 1 General Description of Literature Reading and Translation (4hrs)1. Definition of LiteratureWhat is literature? There seems no substantial difference among its definitions in different dictionaries:Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English: a set of works on a particular subject; printed material, esp. giving information. (p. 639)The Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary of Current English: the writing or the study of books, etc. (technical books and journalism); books dealing with a special subject. (p. 573)Webster‟s New Collegiate Dictionary: the body of writings on a particular subject (scientific literature). (p. 672)《英汉案头大字典》: literature——文献(P. 1038) 。

《新英汉词典》: literature——(关于某一不科或专题的)文献(p. 744)。

《新华词典》: 文献——有历史价值的、或同某一学科有关的图书资料(p.880)。

From the above interpretations, we can arrive at an identical definition of literature: a general term for professional writings in the form of books, papers, and other documentations.As an important means for preserving knowledge, literatures have become precious resources or treasures for the mankind, which have greatly contributed to the social progress of the human race.Professional literatures have been regarded as “intangible assets” of the whole world because they are, on the one hand, the summary, generalization, and development of the achievements obtained on the basis of previous experiences or studies; and on the other hand, they have been accumulated and handed down from generation to generation. In this sense, therefore, all kinds of literature are records of precious research findings and academic achievements, and the crystallization of human civilization.The word literature used in this textbook does not mean “文学”, but “文献” or “文献资料”, specifically referring to various documentations in the field of international industrial business and academic exchanges. Since literature is the general term for printed materials, it should be further classified according to what a specific documentary work is.2. Classification of LiteratureAs is known to all, we are now in an information era marked with the rapid development of science and technology. According to statistics, within the recent decade alone, the achievements in science and technology have amounted to the totality of inventions and discoveries of mankind since ancient times. Facing such a vast ocean of professional literature, how should we conduct our literature search, reading and translation? Here, we just put various literatures under the following headings:1) TextbooksIn general, a textbook is a kind of professional writing specially designed for the students in a given branch of learning. Textbooks are compiled in a rigidly scientific,systematic and logical way. Comparatively, the content of a textbook is mature and well established, because it has been compiled through the writer‟s careful selection, verification, discrimination, integration and comprehensive study of the subject. If you intend to acquire a general knowledge of a certain subject over a larger area, or if you want to have a preliminary understanding of a certain issue, you‟d better go over the relevant textbooks, which proves the best policy.2) MonographsA monograph is “an arti cle or short book on one particular subject or branch of a subject that the writer has studied deeply” (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, p. 704). It is also a “detailed scientific account, esp. a published report on some item of research” (The Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary of Current English, p. 632). The content of a monograph usually includes the history and present status of a particular subject, observed data, experimental methods and results, existing problems and the developing trend, various viewpoints and discussions of different schools of thought, research achievements and further exploration, and so on. A monograph usually functions as an important guide for the reader to understand the particular study comprehensively and deeply.3) PapersPapers are the most important and reliable sources for textbooks, monographs, and all the other documentary works. A complete paper is usually composed of the following elements: title, author, affiliation, abstract, keywords, introduction, theoretical analysis and/or experimental description, results and discussion or conclusion, acknowledgments, references, etc. (detailed description and exemplification of these elements in a professional paper are given in a separate textbook entitled Paper Writing and Publication, by Hu Gengshen, et al., Beijing: Higher Education Press, 2000.) A paper usually deals with a relatively specific topic, and with a comparatively narrow subject.4) EncyclopediasAn encyclopedia is “a book or set of books dealing with every branch of knowledge, or with one particular branch, in alphabetical order.” The difference between a dictionary and an encyclopedia is that “A dictionary explains words and an encyclopedia explains facts.” (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, p.361) As a basic reference book of generalized and summarized knowledge, an encyclopedia is usually compiled by many experts of many branches through many years. The contents of an encyclopedia, therefore, are comparatively mature and correct. It virtually serves as an important information retriever, providing comprehensive and systematic information about everything.The information retriever as such also includes yearbooks, dictionaries, guides, handbooks, and the like.5) PeriodicalsA periodical is a series of publications that appear at regular intervals. Periodicals are of various categories. From the perspective of names, for example, they are journals, acta, magazines, bulletins, rapid communications, letters, proceedings, records, abstracting services, reviews, indexes, etc., which constitute themain body of literature.Periodicals are characterized by being large in number and in variety, extensivein content and in circulation, mixed in language and in form, etc.Along with the rapid development of science and technology, periodicals have been rapidly increasing and have‟ been gradually professionalized, integrated and computerized.6) Special DocumentationThe so-called special documentation refers to all the printed materials that are non-books or non-periodicals. This special documentation mainly includes: standards, patent documents, trademarks, copyrights, contracts/agreements, reports, conference papers, dissertations (or theses), Product specifications, government publications, proposals, technical archives, electronic hypertexts, etc. Though neither books nor periodicals published regularly or publicly, the special documentation proves to be most effective resources for information retrieval. Insofar as literature search and reading are concerned, this kind of special documentation should not be overlooked. On the contrary, it calls for our special attention--that is why we have placed special emphasis on special documentation in the present textbook.Notes:1. journals, Acta, magazines, bulletins, rapid communications, letters, proceedings, records, abstracting services, reviews, indexes, etc. 会刊，学报，杂志，通报，快讯，通信稿，会议录，文献记录，世界文摘服务，评论，索引等2. hypertext 超级文本(指信息高速公路上的文件)3. Linguistic Features of Scientific LiteratureStylistically, literature is a kind of formal writing. Compared with an informal writing which usually utilizes an informal tone and colloquial language, a formal writing is a more serious approach to a subject of great importance and it avoids all colloquial expressions. Since the functions of scientific literature are to reveal creative research achievements, facilitate professional information retrieval, and help improve the development of science and technology, it deals objectively with the study of facts or problems; analyses on literature are based on relevant data, not on personal feelings, and discussions or conclusions are made on the basis of specific experiments or investigations.Syntactically, scientific literature has rigorous grammatical structures, and in most cases is rather unitary. Frequently used are indicative sentences, imperative sentences, complex sentences, and “It be + adj. (participle) + that ...” sentence patterns, etc.Morphologically, scientific literature is featured by high specialization, the use of technical terms and jargons, unambiguous implication and the fixed sense of the word. There are more compound words, Latin and Greek words, contracted words, noun clusters and so on in scientific literature than in other informational writing.Besides, non-verbal language is also very popular in various literatures such as signs, formulas, charts, tables, photos, etc. for the sake of accuracy, brevity, and clarity.Different literatures may have different linguistic features although they do havesimilar characteristics in common. The linguistic features of an individual literature will be discussed together with the specific category of documentation in the corresponding Unit of this textbook. To learn the linguistic features of various literatures will be beneficial not only to documentation reading but also to the translation and writing of such documentary works.4. Search for Relevant LiteratureThe search for relevant literature needed for professional study and research has become a practical skill for professionals. This is important because an effective way of literature search and reading will facilitate our information retrieval within a shorter period of time. In fact, everyone may have his/her own way of literature search and reading. And the following are some usual approaches:1) Global SearchBy “global search” we mean to search for materials around the subject in a larger dimension or within a wider range, i.e., conducting the extensive reading. For example:(1) Search for relevant books through the Classified and Specified Catalogues.(2) Search for periodicals through the Newspapers and Journals Indexing.(3) Search for domestic literature through the Domestic Sci-tech Data Catalogues.(4) Search for current foreign literature through the Sci-Tech Translation Bulletin.(5) Search for literature at home and abroad through INTERNET, WWW (World Wide Web), and other electronic retrieval means.2) Specific SearchBy “specific search” we mean to search for literature about a certain topic withina specific area or in a narrower scope. For example:(1) Select some most-related papers for intensive reading.(2) Expand the scope of the reading only on the basis of the references of the selected papers.(3) Try to find out relevant “reviews” on the topic so as to know the authoritative comments, the experts‟ views, the global developing trend and the general on-goings, etc.3) Processed SearchBy “processed search” we mean to accumulate and absorb essential information in the course of literature search and reading. For example:(1) Store the searched literature by careful note-taking and self-abstracting.(2) Sort out the searched documentation by timely putting them into different categories.(3) Digest/Absorb the searched information by creatively analyzing and synthesizing.It is very important to identify and then make generalization of the essential parts of the research papers, because the author of a paper should and must present his/her achievements or research findings through these parts. For this purpose, as a researcher, one has to be good at doing retrieval reading. By retrieval reading wemean retrospect reading of the manuscript in a very careful way so as to identify, register and generalize the gist or the main parts of work, or contributions we have made in a given paper. Literally, we mean reading the manuscript in a thorough manner and making notes: (1) as to the subjects dealt with, particularly subjects concerning with new information given incidentally; and (2) as to the new result and conclusive ideas reported. Material relating to each subject should then be gathered together in a logical way; and (3) all the sentences generalizing the main ideas of all the original materials should be put together so as to be well-versed, abstract-brief, condensed, complete, yet easily readable.In the final analysis, to digest and absorb useful information is the ultimate purpose of literature search and reading. This is a process of discarding the dross and selecting the essential, eliminating the false and retaining the true, proceeding from the easy to the difficult and from the outer to the inner. It is also a process of reading, selecting, sorting, synthesizing, commenting, rationalizing, systematizing, reprocessing, etc.One thing that needs to be mentioned is that an awareness of information discrimination is highly necessary, for the collection and absorption of erroneous knowledge and information is harmful. Just as a western scientist says: “The fool collects data and the wise man selects them.” This remark, th ough drastic, is indeed philosophical.Notes1. through the Classified and Specified Catalogues 通过《分类目录或专题目录》2. through the Newspapers and Journals Indexing 通过《全国报刊索引》3. through the Domestic Sci-Tech Data Catalogues 通过《国内资料科技目录》4. Sci-Tech Translation Bulletin 《科技译文通报》5. the fool collects data and the wise man selects them 愚者采集资料，智者选择资料5. Review of this chapterDefinition of Literature: a set of works on a particular subject; printed material, esp. giving information; the body of writings on a particular subject (scientific literature)Classification of Literature: textbooks, monographs, papers, encyclopedias, periodicals, special documentation, etc.Linguistic Features of Scientific Literature: stylistically, a kind of formal writing, with rigorous and unitary grammatical structure, highly specialized and unambiguous wording for semantic accuracy, etc.Search for Relevant Literature: global search, specific search, and processed search Supplementary Readings on Informational Retrieval: retrieval system, microfilm, internet. database, reformat, on, e-mail, information infrastructure, information superhighwayTranslation Skills (1): Translation in General and Translation of Special LiteratureTranslation is a rendering of ideas or concepts from one language into another,i.e., the faithful representation in the target language of what is written or said in the original language.As a means of communication, translation plays an important role in human civilization. In the West, literary translation can be traced back to 300 BC; while in China, recorded translation activities are even earlier, dating from Zhou Dynasty (1100 BC). However, not until the recent centuries, especially by the end of the 19th century did systematic study of translation get under way. The recent decades have seen rapid development in translation theories and translation activities both at home and abroad.A modern society sees an extensive use of translation on various occasions. Proper and dexterous translation helps promote mutual understanding between peoples of different cultural and social backgrounds, whereas improper rendering of words or expressions leads to confusion. Take the ordinary word “menu” for example. Its original meaning is “a list of dishes in a meal or to be ordered as separated meals, esp. in a restaurant”, and the Chinese equivalent seems to be clear: 菜单. However, when it is used in computer science, its meaning shifts to “a list shown on the display of a computer from which a user can select the operation the computer is to perform.”Evidently the Chinese counterpart should be something like “选项、项目单” It is a pity that the initial translator neglected this definition, and as a result, this very popular term of computer science fails to convey its true meaning in Chinese--the translated term”菜单” sounds incongruous with its actual content. So is the rendering of “Renaissance”--commonly known as “文艺复兴” in Chinese. Although we know today that the movement extended far beyond the literature and art circle, and the connotation of “Renaissance” is much more profound than that of the Chinese term “文艺复兴”, yet it is generally accepted through common practice. Such improper rendering is not uncommon in Chines-English translation. A sweet and melodious trademark in Chinese, by improper translation, may cause uneasiness or even create a loathsome image in the mind of people of different social and cultural backgrounds. For example, a popular Chinese lipstick with the trademark “芳芳”, when transliterated into English as “Fangfang”, assumes a hideous image--the English word “fang” happens to have two disagreeable definitions: a, a long, sharp tooth of a dog; b.a snake‟s poisonous tooth. Consequently, this awkward transliteration has resulted in a complete failure in marketing. Similar translation blunders are not unusual in social or economic activities in our country. To name a few, translating “五讲四美、三热爱”into “five stresses, four beauties and three loves”, “抓紧施肥” into “grasp manure”, “街道妇女” into “street women”, “白酒”into “white wine”, etc. Had the translators had sufficient translation knowledge, such blunders would have been avoided.1. Nature and Scope of TranslationWhat is translation? Some people believe it is a science, others take it as an art; and yet many consider it a craft, or rather, a skill.Of these varied definitions, which one holds true for our purpose? The answer depends on how w e understand or interpret the word “translation”, for the very word “translation” itself is ambiguous. And the Chinese equivalent fanyi sounds even fuzzier. Fanyi, in Chinese, may either stand for a subject in the curriculum, a jobpeople engage in, a piece of literary work, or the translating or interpreting work itself. Sometimes, fanyi may even refer to the translator or interpreter himself/herself.If the word “translation” refers to a subject, namely, the study of translation theory and skills, it is no doubt a science, just as any subject is, with its own rules, laws and principles for the translators to observe; however, if it refers to some specific pieces of translation, then it is more like an art, with each piece of them manifesting its own charms and style in the creative hands of the translator; whereas, if it refers to a process, in which something is translated, then we may regard it as a craft or skill. For unlike any branch of natural science, the process of translation has its own nature, and none of its rules and principles are universally applicable. Therefore, it entails a lot of practice, and particular craftsmanship and skills are reflected by the touches of different translators.Translation covers a very broad range. In terms of languages, it can be divided into two categories: from native languages into foreign languages and vice versa; in terms of the mode, it can be divided into oral interpretation and written translation; in terms of materials to be translated, there are translation of scientific materials, translation of literary works such as novels, stories, prose, poetry, drama, etc., translation of political essays such as treatises on social problems, repons, speeches, etc., and translation of practical writing (as official documents, contracts and agreements, notices, receipts, etc.); in terms of disposal, it can be either full-text translation, abridged translation or adapted translation.2. Principles or Criteria of TranslationThe so-called principles and criteria of translation are actually the two sides of the same coin. That is, on the part of the translator, he or she should follow them while translating; whereas on the part of the reader or critic, he or she may use the principles and criteria to evaluate translation works. Whenever principles or criteria of translation are under discussion in China, Yan Fu‟s “three-character guide”--xin, da, ya, namely, “faithfulness (信), expressiveness (达), and elegance (雅)”, which was first proposed in 1898, would evoke controversy.In the past decades, Mr. Yan‟s principle has always been regarded as aplumb-line for measuring the professional level of translation and a goal for translators to strive after. However, in the application of this principle, people come to find some unsatisfactory aspects of the three-character guide and have put foreword a variety of new standards or criteria of translation.Despite a variety of opinions, two criteria are almost unanimously accepted by all, namely, the criterion of faithfulness/accuracy (忠实/准确) and that of smoothness (流畅). We may also take these two criteria as the principles of scientific literature translation. By faithfulness/accuracy, we mean to be faithful not only to the original contents, to the original meaning and views, but also to the original form and style. By smoothness, we mean not only easy and readable rendering, but also idiomatic expression in the target language, free from stiff formula and mechanical copying from dictionaries.3. Literal Translation and Free TranslationThe process of translation consists of two phases: comprehension and expression.Generally speaking, comprehension is of foremost importance, and expression is the natural consequence of thorough comprehension. However, in the practice we may find that now and then some words or phrases in their usual senses are very difficultto deal with because of the disparity between English and Chinese. In this case, we have to resort to some special means of translation. Literal translation (直译) and free translation (意译) are two dynamic approaches in dealing with such awkward situations.The so-called literal translation, superficially speaking, means “not to alter the original words and sentences”; strictly speaking, it strives “to keep the s entiments and style of the original.” It takes sentences as its basic units and takes the whole text (discourse) into consideration at the same time in the course of translation. Furthermore, it strives to reproduce both the ideological content and the style of the original works and retains as much as possible the figures of speech. There are quite a lot of examples of successful literal translation that have been adopted as idiomatic Chinese expressions. For example, crocodile‟s tears (鳄鱼的眼泪), armed to the teeth (武装到牙齿), chain reaction (连锁反应), gentlemen‟s agreement (君子协定), and so on. Similarly, some Chinese idioms also find their English counterparts through literal translation. For example, 纸老虎(paper tiger),一国两制(one country, two systems ), and so on.Free translation is an alternative approach which is used mainly to convey the meaning and spirit of the original without trying to reproduce its sentence patterns or figures of speech. This approach is most frequently adopted when it is really impossible for the translator to do literal translation. For example:Adam‟s Apple 喉结at sixes and sevens 乱七八槽It rains cats and dogs. 大雨滂沱Don‟t cross the bridge till you get to it. 不必担心过早。

1.Definition of Literaturea set of works on a particular subject;printed material,esp.giving information;the body of writings on a particular subject(scientific literature)2.Classification of LiteratureHere,we just put various literatures under the following headings:1）TextbooksIn general,a textbook is a kind of professional writing specially designed for the students in a given branch of learning.2）MonographsA monograph is“an article or short book on one particular subject or branch of a subject that the writer has studied deeply”3）PapersPapers are the most important and reliable sources for textbooks,monographs,and all the other documentary works.4)EncyclopediasThe difference between a dictionary and an encyclopedia is that“A dictionary explains words and an encyclopedia explains facts.”5)PeriodicalsA periodical is a series of publications that appear at regular intervals.6)Special DocumentationThe so-called special documentation refers to all the printed materials that are non-books or non-periodicals.3.Linguistic Features of Scientific LiteratureStylistically,literature is a kind of formal pared with an informal writing which usually utilizes an informal tone and colloquial language,a formal writing is a more serious approach to a subject of great importance and it avoids all colloquial expressions.Syntactically,scientific literature has rigorous grammatical structures,and in most cases is rather unitary.Morphologically,scientific literature is featured by high specialization,the use of technical terms and jargons,unambiguous implication and the fixed sense of the word.non-verbal language is also very popular in various literatures such as signs,formulas, charts,tables,photos,etc.for the sake of accuracy,brevity,and clarity.4.Search for Relevant LiteratureSearch for Relevant Literature:global search,specific search,and processed search Supplementary Readings on Informational Retrieval:retrieval system,microfilm, internet.database,reformat,on,e-mail,information infrastructure,information superhighwayNotes:1.journals,Acta,magazines,bulletins,rapid communications,letters,proceedings, records,abstracting services,reviews,indexes,etc.会刊，学报，杂志，通报，快讯，通信稿，会议录，文献记录，世界文摘服务，评论，索引等2.hypertext超级文本3.through the Classified and Specified Catalogues通过《分类目录或专题目录》4.through the Newspapers and Journals Indexing通过《全国报刊索引》5.through the Domestic Sci-Tech Data Catalogues通过《国内资料科技目录》6.Sci-Tech Translation Bulletin《科技译文通报》7.the fool collects data and the wise man selects them愚者采集资料，智者选择资料Translation Skills(1):Translation in General and Translation of Special LiteratureTranslation is a rendering of ideas or concepts from one language into another,i.e., the faithful representation in the target language of what is written or said in the original language.A modern society sees an extensive use of translation on various occasions. Proper and dexterous translation helps promote mutual understanding between peoples of different cultural and social backgrounds,whereas improper rendering of words or expressions leads to confusion.Take the ordinary word“menu”for example.Its original meaning is“a list of dishes in a meal or to be ordered as separated meals,esp.in a restaurant”,and the Chinese equivalent seems to be clear:菜单However,when it is used in computer science,its meaning shifts to“a list shown on the display of a computer from which a user can select the operation the computer is to perform.”1.Nature and Scope of TranslationTranslation covers a very broad range.In terms of languages,it can be divided into two categories:from native languages into foreign languages and vice versa;in terms of the mode,it can be divided into oral interpretation and written translation;in terms of materials to be translated,there are translation of scientific materials, translation of literary works such as novels,stories,prose,poetry,drama,etc., translation of political essays such as treatises on social problems,repons,speeches, etc.,and translation of practical writing(as official documents,contracts and agreements,notices,receipts,etc.);in terms of disposal,it can be either full-text translation,abridged translation or adapted translation.2.Principles or Criteria of TranslationThe so-called principles and criteria of translation are actually the two sides of the same coin.That is,on the part of the translator,he or she should follow them while translating;whereas on the part of the reader or critic,he or she may use the principles and criteria to evaluate translation works.Whenever principles or criteria of translation are under discussion in China,Yan Fu’s“three-character guide”--xin,da, ya,namely,“faithfulness(信),expressiveness(达),and elegance(雅)”,which was first proposed in1898,would evoke controversy.In the past decades,Mr.Yan’s principle has always been regarded as a plumb-line for measuring the professional level of translation and a goal for translators to strive after.However,in the application of this principle,people come to find some unsatisfactory aspects of the three-character guide and have put foreword a variety of new standards or criteria of translation.Despite a variety of opinions,two criteria are almost unanimously accepted byall,namely,the criterion of faithfulness/accuracy(忠实/准确)and that of smoothness (流畅).We may also take these two criteria as the principles of scientific literature translation.By faithfulness/accuracy,we mean to be faithful not only to the original contents,to the original meaning and views,but also to the original form and style.By smoothness,we mean not only easy and readable rendering,but also idiomaticexpression in the target language,free from stiff formula and mechanical copying from dictionaries.3.Literal Translation and Free TranslationThe so-called literal translation,superficially speaking,means“not to alter the original words and sentences”;strictly speaking,it strives“to keep the sentiments and style of the original.”For example,crocodile’s tears(鳄鱼的眼泪),armed to the teeth(武装到牙齿),chain reaction(连锁反应),gentlemen’s agreement(君子协定),and so on.Similarly,some Chinese idioms also find their English counterparts through literal translation.For example,纸老虎(paper tiger),一国两制(one country,two systems),and so on.Free translation is an alternative approach which is used mainly to convey themeaning and spirit of the original without trying to reproduce its sentence patterns or figures of speech.Adam’s Apple喉结at sixes and sevens乱七八槽It rains cats and dogs.大雨滂沱Don’t cross the bridge till you get to it.不必担心过早。

2.1.Definition of professional papers• A professional paper is a typewritten paper in which professionals present their views and research findings on a chosen topic.2.2.Classification of professional papers1)Report PaperThe report paper summarizes and reports the findings of another on a particular subject. The writer neither judges nor evaluates the findings, but merely catalogs them in a sensible sequence2) Research paperA research paper can be intelligent, well informed, interesting, and original in its conclusions.3) Course Papercourse papers are written after a specific course is learned or are designed at the end of a term. This type of paper is, therefore, also called “term paper”.4) Thesis Paperthe thesis paper takes a definite stand on an issue. A thesis is a proposition or point of view that a writer or speaker is willing to argue against or defend. A paper that argued for ratification of a certain event would therefore be a thesis paper. Writing a thesis paper requires a writer to exercise judgment, evaluate evidence, and constructa logical argument, whereas writing a report paper does not2.3. Linguistic Features of Professional Papers1) Formal StyleA professional paper deals with the study of some objective facts or problems, and the conclusion that is drawn should be based on relevant data, not on personal likes and dislikes.It is particularly important in any kind of scientific inquiry; it does not matter who is conducting the experiment or investigation. Being impersonal and free from emotional factors is one of the important features in professional writing.The need to be formal comes from the fact that science reflects the objective facts, and it is free from bias and prejudice. The need for objectivity becomes a matter of special concern whenever a research or investigation touches upon human actions or attitudes.2) Specialized Terms（自行举例）The terms in professional papers are typically specialized.Take the word “normal” as an example. Generally, it means “正常”; but in mathematics, it represents “法线”; and in the field of chemistry, “当量” Again the word “power.” In electronics, it is rendered as “电力” or “电源”; in mechanics, “动力”; whereas in mathematics, “幂”Even in the same field, the meanings of the same word may vary slightly due to its different collocations.•filter 滤波器, 滤色器tramp filter 干扰滤除器•amplitude filter 振辐滤色器filter paper 滤纸•primary filter 基色滤色器What is more, a great number of professional words and terms can only be understood by the specialists in the fields.decoder (译码器), photophor (磷光核), multi-quantum transition (多量子跃迁), Read Only Memory (只读储存器) and conversational implicatures (会话含义),Unit 4Abstracts4.1. Definition of AbstractsAn abstract is a brief and self-contained summary and an accurate representation of the contents of a document such as a research paper, a journal article, thesis, review, conference proceeding, and other academic documents.4.2. Classification of AbstractsIt can be a description of what kind of information it is, which includes the purpose, scope, and methods of the research or it can be the informative content of the document,which includes results and conclusions of the research.如何分类：Depending on which information they contain,abstracts can be classified into major types:indicative abstract informative abstracts,indicative-informative abstract and author abstracts. As they have different aims ,they have different components and styles,4.2.1. Indicative (or descriptive abstracts)An indicative abstract or descriptive abstract is one that describes the type and nature of the work abstracted, indicating the principal subjects covered and providing a brief description of the way the facts are treated and the methods or techniques that are being reported.4.2.2. Informative abstracts4.2.3. Indicative / informative abstracts (综合性)Indicative/ informative abstract is more common than either the pure indicative or the pure information style.4.2.4. Author abstract4.2.5. Slanted abstract4.2.6. Telegraphic abstract4.2.7. Mini-abstract4.2.8 Mission-oriented abstract4.2.9 Finding-oriented abstract4.2.10 Highlight abstract4.3.Linguistic Features of Abstracts4.3.1 Using Topic, Supporting, and Concluding Sentences•An abstract often starts with a “topic” or “lead” sentence. This first sentence attempts to summarize any essential information that is not conveyed by the title. The objective is to enable the reader to eliminate possibly relevant documents, which, in fact, prove to be of little interest without delving into the body of the abstract.4.3.2 Using Brief but Informative SentencesThe abstractor must resist the temptation to use long sentences in striving to avoid repetition.4.3.3 Arranging in One ParagraphAll abstracts, barring possibly those of exceptional length, should consist of one paragraph only. This should be a coherent paragraph, and not a series of disjointed sentences.4.3.4 Being ConciseConciseness is paramount. Redundant phrases such as: “the authors studied”, “in this work”, “the paper concludes by”, etc. should be avoided if possible.4.8. Translation Skills :Technical Terms4.8.1. Affixation•Affixation, which includes prefixation and suffixation, is an important means of coining English technical terms, with prefixes and suffixes as inseparable elements of the words being coined.4.8.2. CompoundingThe combination of two or more words to form a new word is called compounding. English technical terms formed by compounding generally take three forms: with a hyphen or without it, or two or more separate words.4.8.3. Blending•This is a variant of compounding, consisting in omitting the latter part of the first word and clipping off the first part of the second word. Sometimes, however, either the first part or the second part of the overlapped word may happen to be a full word.4.8.4. AcronymsBy acronym, we mean the formation of a word made up of the first letters of the name of something. Since it is very convenient to use this brief form, acronym emerges very frequently in English technical terms.4.8.5. Proper NounsMany of the technical terms in English are borrowed from proper nouns such as names of people, places, firms, trade marks, organizations, and so on. In such cases, consulting relevant dictionaries will be of great help.Unit 5Proposals5.1.Definition of ProposalA proposal is a suggestion or request that some particular action be taken. (A proposal is a written offer to solve a technical problem in a particular way, under a specified plan of management, or for a specified compensation.)三个要素：Tips: written offer to a solve technical problems, specified plan to management , and specified compensation are the main elements of proposal.5.2.Classification of Proposals• 5.2.1. Informal Suggestions• 5.2.2. Semiformal Proposals• 5.2.3 Formal Proposals5.3.Format of ProposalUnit 7Reviews7.1. Definition of Review:A review, as opposed to a survey, should be a critical summary, commentary and literally documented assessment of a work on a specific subject or in a particular field.7.2. Classification of Reviews1) Literature Review•Literature review is written on a particular subject (or a specialty) through analysis, study, synthesis, comment on the basis of extensively referencing professional materials both at home and abroad. It is a kind of comprehensive, summary and commentary article.2) Book Review•Book review is a kind of research writing, an article published in a newspaper or periodical that announces the publication of a new book. It tells what the book is about and evaluates it. The value of a book review depends on the knowledge and ability of the reviewer and on the reviewer's fairness in judging the book. For this reason, the reviewer should have a broad knowledge of the subject of the book under review, the ability to analyze a piece of writing, and the skills to communicate with the reader.7.3. Linguistic Features of Review1) General Contents of Book Reviews• A good book review is always within the scope of three elements: (1) it tells what the book is about, (that is to bring it to the attention of people who may not know of it or may not have considered it properly;) (2) it asserts a judgment of the book's worth,( that is to offer an assessment of its worth and usefulness; and) (3) it defends that judgment. Besides, some reviews undertake to familiarize the reader with the background of the book, (the history of the subject, or the context of issues the book is related to.)2) General Contents of Literature Reviews• A good literature review usually (1) includes the background, the prior work, present disputes, current development and prospect, etc. of the subject the review is about; (2) reveals the author's rigorous and objective comments; (3) provides the reader with a great number of references.只背画横线的部分即可，其他可作为理解。