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中国人翻译时最易犯错的30句英语1. I very like itI like it very much.2. 这个价格对我挺合适的。
The price is very suitable for me.The price is right.Ｎｏｔｅ：suitable(合适的、相配的)最常见的用法是以否定的形式出现在告示或通知上，如：下列节目儿童不宜。
The following programme is not suitable for children在这组句子中用后面的说法会更合适。
3. 你是做什么工作的呢？What’s your job?Are you working at the moment?Ｎｏｔｅ：what’s your job这种说法难道也有毛病吗？是的。
因为如果您的谈话对象刚刚失业，如此直接的问法会让对方有失面子，所以您要问：目前您是在上班吗？Are you working at the moment?接下来您才问：目前您在哪儿工作呢？Where are you working these days?或者您从事哪个行业呢？What line of work are you in?顺带说一下，回答这类问题时不妨说得具体一点，不要只是说经理或者秘书4. 用英语怎么说？How to say?How do you say this in English?Ｎｏｔｅ：How to say是在中国最为泛滥成灾的中国式英语之一，这决不是地道的英语说法。
同样的句子有：请问这个词如何拼写？How do you spell that please?请问这个单词怎么读？How do you pronounce this word?5. 明天我有事情要做。
I have something to do tomorrow?Sorry but I am tied up all day tomorrow.Ｎｏｔｅ：用I have something to do来表示您很忙，这也完全是中国式的说法。
中国人常犯的英语错误中国人常犯的英语错误11) 句号后面不空格：接触了点“国内英文”，发现有这个通病。
问了一个朋友才恍然大悟，因为在打中文时，标点符号后面是不用空格的。
但是在太平洋两岸尚未统一之前，劳驾打英文标点时，后面姑且先空一格吧。
2) 喜欢少一点：S.H.E.不是S.H.EU.S. 不是 U.SP.R.C. 不是 P.R.C3) 不该多加了个介词：Seek help, not “seek for help(s)”.楼下那位找人帮忙的别生气。
(Don’t take it pe rsonally.)我每年都替我们公司做campus recruiting。
这个错误是在中国留学生中最普遍的。
看到我这张黄面孔，同胞也最喜欢往我的booth 这里递简历，但是半数的简历开头都写着：seeking for a position that offers…老美是不会往下读第二句的，直接丢进made in China的碎纸机里了。
Seek 后面不要（不应）加for。
因为Seeking = looking for所以Seeking for = looking for for (?)4) 不该少了个介词：Back to China, 或者 back in China，不是back China （“情回中国”网站的英文名。
不过这比我以前看到的那个海军迷的网站叫闹的笑话要小些。
）5) 不该大写的别大写：大写往往是代表缩写。
加复数时，s不要大写。
DINKs (or DINK’s)，别写成DINKS。
PhD，不是PHD。
(PHD=Permanent head damage).Again, 楼下那位找帮忙的别生气。
Nothing personal.另外，在网络刚普及的时候，美国有约定的nettiquette (net etiquette，或称网络礼仪)，全大写的打字被网民视为大声喧哗(shouting)，属无礼行为。
当然我理解中文打字的局限，这条不适用于华人。
中国人最容易说错的30句英语1.误：I very like it正：I like it very much.2. 这个价格对我挺合适的。
误：The price is very suitable for me.正：The price is right.Ｎｏｔｅ：suitable(合适的、相配的)最常见的用法是以否定的形式出现在告示或通知上，如：下列节目儿童不宜。
The following programme is not suitable for children在这组句子中用后面的说法会更合适。
3. 你是做什么工作的呢？误：What's your job?正：Are you working at the moment?Ｎｏｔｅ：what's your job这种说法难道也有毛病吗？是的。
因为如果您的谈话对象刚刚失业，如此直接的问法会让对方有失面子，所以您要问：目前您是在上班吗？Are youworking at the moment?接下来您才问：目前您在哪儿工作呢？Where are you working these days?或者您从事哪个行业呢？What line of work are you in?顺带说一下，回答这类问题时不妨说得具体一点，不要只是说经理或者秘书。
4. 用英语怎么说？误：How to say?正：How do you say this in English?Ｎｏｔｅ：How to say是在中国最为泛滥成灾的中国式英语之一，这决不是地道的英语说法。
同样的句子有：请问这个词如何拼写？How do you spell that please?请问这个单词怎么读？How do you pronounce this word?5. 明天我有事情要做。
误：I have something to do tomorrow．正：Sorry but I am tied up all day tomorrow.Ｎｏｔｅ：用I have something to do来表示您很忙，这也完全是中国式的说法。
《中国人最容易犯的英汉翻译错误》(一)一个词变成一个句著名翻译家奈达说，“翻译就是翻译意思”。
言外之意，翻译一句话不能逐一翻译一串个别的单词，也不是翻译某种句子结构。
初学翻译的人之所以译得不好，就是因为摆脱不了原文各个单词和句子结构的影响，总觉得英语中每一个词译成汉语都是一个词。
殊不知，为了说明原文的意思，有时候要将一个词译成几个词，乃至一个短句。
这就是翻译中对某些词的…增益‟。
例如，英语中有些单词相当于汉语的一个词组：read“看书”，drive“开车”，giggle“咯咯地笑”，stumble“蹒跚而行”，等等。
这些相对而言还比较简单，一般英汉词典上都能查得到。
再如，英语句子中有大量的“副词＋动词”的结构（副词也可能在动词之后）。
在不少情况下这种结构可以译成汉语“副词＋动词”的偏正结构（汉语中副词修饰动词时只能放在动词之前），许多人往往用“……地”来译所有的英语副词，如：（1）They were patiently listening to him. 他们在耐心地听他讲。
（2）He quickly stood up. 他很快地站起来。
（3）I will gladly join you in the work. 我会乐意地和你一起工作。
这三句中都用了“地”字结构，第一句还可以，后两句就显得有点“翻译腔”，“地”字似乎可以省去，可分别改译为：“他很快站起来”和“我乐意和你一起工作”。
但是这三句中的副词和动词仍然译成了偏正结构，这是因为三句中的副词表示的是动作的方式。
但是，是不是英语中所有的这种结构都可以这么译呢？请大家考虑一下下面这一句应如何翻译：This is a NA TO matter and any comment on it should appropriately come from NATO.将appropriately come from NATO译成“合适地来自北约”显然不通。
《中国人易犯的英汉翻译错误》时间和潮流不等人记得我在大学念书时教室后面的墙上有一条英语标语：Time and tide wait for no man. 我们当时都译成“时间和潮流不等人”。
现在知道这样译是错误的：且不说tide不是“潮流”而是每天都会涨落的“潮（水）”，更重要的是没有正确理解其中的and一词，因而未能将这条标语的真正含义译出来。
这里的and其实是英语中一种特殊的用法，其前后的词语构成了一种比喻，即说前者和后者属于同样情况。
我们知道，涨潮落潮是月亮的引力造成的，每天涨落的时间总是比前一天晚40多分钟，不以人的意志为转移。
这句英语标语的确切意思是“时间（尽管看上去好像是无穷的，其实）和潮水一样，是不会等待任何人的。
”这种用法并不是孤立的例子，请看这一句：Kings band bears often worry their keepers. 这一句的意思是说：“国王和狗熊一样，是伺候他们的人日子不好过”，可以借译为中文的谚语“伴君如伴虎”。
下面各句都是由and组成的含有比喻的句子（有的颇有哲理，有的未必正确，还有的可以博诸位一笑。
所付中文译文仅供参考）。
1.Truth and roses have thorns about them.真理和玫瑰一样，往往都带刺儿。
2.Guests and fish stink within three days.鱼放三天会发臭，客待三天讨人嫌。
3.Truth and oil are ever above.真理和水里的油一样，总是（飘在上面）显而易见的。
4.A strong man and a waterfall cut their own path.一个坚强的人就像瀑布，能自己开出路来。
5. A false friend and a shadow attend only when the sun shines.假朋友犹如阴影，只有出太阳时才出现。
6.Noble deeds and hot baths are the best cure for depression.心情不好时，做点儿善事会像洗个热水澡一样，使人振作起来。
The Most Common Habits from more than 200 English Papers written by Graduate Chinese Engineering StudentsBy Felicia BrittmanThis paper presents some of the most common Chinese-English habits observed from over two hundred English technical papers by Chinese writers. The habits are explained and in most cases, example text from an actual paper is given along with preferred text. An attempt is made to explain how to correct and prevent such mistakes. In some cases a possible explanation of why the habit occurs is also given. This paper can serve as an individual guide to editing technical papers especially when a native English-speaking editor is unavailable.IntroductionMost Chinese universities require their doctoral and master candidates in technical and scientific fields to publish at least one English paper in an international journal as a degree requirement. However, many factors make this task difficult to accomplish. First, previous English studies may not have focused enough on writing, let alone technical writing. Current studies may not include English, causing the writers English fluency level to decline. Second, most writers have never lived in an English-speaking country. Third, due to the special aspects of technical writing, even native English-speaking engineering students have a technical writing course as part of their study.Too often, students’ papers are returned unaccepted because of poor English. If available, students may have their papers edited by a native English speaker. However, this can get expensive for a department that has many students with each paper typically needing to be edited twice. Hiring someone to edit papers is difficult, costly and only puts a patch over the problem. A native English speaker can do a good job at getting rid of most of the grammatical mistakes. However, if this person does not have a technical background, particularly in the area of the papers he is editing, he is unable to get rid of all of the mistakes and make sure that the meaning is clear. He cannot recognize the incorrect translation of technical terms for which there is a standard word. Such mistakes will not be picked up by the processor’s spelling and grammar checker. In addition, if they are not familiar with the topic or field, they may not grasp the meaning of the entire article and fail to make critical edits.Hiring a person with a technical background similar to that of the papers being edited is a better option. Nevertheless, while a person with a technical background may be able to edit the paper sufficiently, he may not be able to explain to the writer how to prevent such mistakes in the future. Besides, it is difficult for most Chinese universities to hire such staff simply for editing. Universities may consider inviting a visiting scholar who will edit papers in addition to doing research or teaching as part of an exchange.Although editing may be the fastest way to publish papers, it does little in the way of teaching the writers how to prevent common mistakes and colloquial habits that prevent a clear understanding of the writer’s ideas. Writers who have already obtained animpressing command of the English language can only truly benefit if they are made aware of their common mistakes and colloquial habits and how to prevent them.PurposeThe purpose of this report is to introduce the most common habits in Chinese-English writing as noted from the over two hundred papers I have edited. The habits include grammar mistakes, colloquialisms, and formatting problems and in most cases prevent a clear understanding of the writer’s ideas. A few of the habits, such as writing extremely long sentences, can be corrected with careful use of the MS Word® grammar and style checker. However, most habits, such as missing articles, go unnoticed by automatic grammar checking devices. Still, Chinese-English colloquial habits are not recognized by such software tools.StructureThe common habits are presented in two sections. The first section lists the habits that, in my opinion, need the most attention. These habits interrupt the flow of the paper making it difficult to understand and occur most frequently. In this section, the habits are explained, example sentences from actual papers are given to show the habits, and the sentences are rewritten to show the correct way to write them. In the case of missing articles, a flow chart is also given to aid in choosing the correct articles.In the second section, an additional list of habits is given. In some cases, example sentences are given. In other cases, advice is given. The second section is very useful in becoming familiar with small nuances.Not all of the common habits I observed are presented mainly because they can only be dealt with on an individual basis. For example, writers had difficulty titling their papers and naming new technical ideas to express their contents and functions concisely. This problem frequently occurred but it can only be addressed individually. Once writers are aware of their habits, they would be able to write better technical English articles. Section 1“a, an, the”The single most common habit is the omission of articles a, an, and the. This occurs because Mandarin has no direct equivalent of articles and the rules for using them are somewhat complicated for a non-native speakers.Articles signal that a noun will follow and that any modifiers between the article and the noun refer to that noun (a big blue bicycle / the first award). A and an are indefinite articles; the is a definite article. Every time a singular noncount noun, a common noun that names one countable item, is used the noun requires some kind of determiner.Mistake: The, a, and an are 1) omitted where they are required, 2) used where they are not needed or contribute to wordiness 3) used wrongly in place of the correct article. Examples of incorrect usages:Incorrect Figure 2 shows the distribution of relative velocity on surface of main and splitter blades.15Correct Figure 2 shows the distribution of relative velocity on the surface of the main and splitter blades.15Incorrect The software PowerSHAPE is chosen to be a 3D modeling tool; it is good at dealing with free surfaces and curves.4Correct The software PowerSHAPE is chosen to be the 3D modeling tool; it is good at dealing with free surfaces and curves.4There was only one 3D modeling tool used in this study, therefore ‘3D modelingtool’ is specific and requires the article the.Incorrect A theoretical method for calculating the inner flow-field in centrifugal impeller with splitter blades and investigation of the interactionsbetween main and splitter blades is presented in this paper. The vorticesare distributed on the main and splitter blades to simulate the effects offlows. Systematical study of number and distribution of vortices isconducted.15Correct A theoretical method for calculating the inner flow-field in a centrifugal impeller with splitter blades and an investigation of the interactionsbetween main and splitter blades is presented in this paper. The vorticesare distributed on the main and splitter blades to simulate the effects offlows. A systematical study of the number and distribution of vortices isconducted.15Incorrect Theoretically, remanufacturing could fully take advantage of resources contained in EOF product thereby minimizing impact on environment tothe greatest extent compared to landfill or recycling of materials;consequently it contributes greatly to resource conservation.16Correct Theoretically, remanufacturing could fully take advantage of resources contained in an EOF product thereby minimizing the impact on theenvironment to the greatest extent compared to landfill or recycling ofmaterials; consequently it contributes greatly to resource conservation.16 Definitions:determiners or noun markers, articles are the words a, an, and calledArticles Alsothe. A and an are indefinite articles, and the is a definite article. Articles signal that anoun will follow and that any modifiers between the article and the noun refer to that noun. ( a cold , metal chair/ the lightning-fast computer).Determiners A word or word group, traditionally identified as an adjective, that limits a noun by telling how much or how many about it. (expression of quantity, limiting adjective, marker) They tell whether a noun is general (a tree) or specific (the tree). The is a definite article. Before a noun, the conveys that the known refers to a specific item (the plan). A and an are indefinite articles. They convey that a noun refers to an item in a nonspecific or general way (a plan).Common nouns A noun that names a general group, place, person, or thing: dog, house.Count noun A noun that names an item or items that can be counted: radio,fingernails.streets,idea,Noncount nouns A noun that names a thing that cannot be counted: water, time. Specific noun A noun understood to be exactly and specifically referred to; usesarticlethe.definitetheNonspecific noun A noun that refers to any of a number of identical items; it takesa , an.articlestheindefiniteVery long sentencesVery long sentences are especially common in Chinese-English writing because the writers often translate directly from Chinese to English. Although, in Chinese writing it is acceptable to put several supporting ideas in on sentence to show their relationship, in English, the main idea and each supporting idea is typically written in separate sentences.One can usually recognize a very long sentence by its length – sixty words or more. However, sentences of smaller lengths can also be too long if they contain multiple statements that confuse the main idea. Long sentences can be avoided by limiting each sentence to one or two topics. Semicolons should be used where the writer really wants to emphasize the relationship between ideas.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 andputs forward a new method to gauge cooling named Cooling Metering on the Air-side, which can monitor the individual air-conditioning cooling consumptionduring 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 theparameters 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 anew method to gauge cooling called Cooling Metering on the Air-side . The newmethod can monitor individual air-conditioning cooling consumption during aperiod 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 coolingwater provided by the chiller.Too long The gear transmission is grade seven, the gear gap is 0.00012 radians, the geargap has different output values corresponding to any given input value, non-linearity of the gear gap model can be described by using the phase functionmethod, the existing backlash block in the non-linear library of theMatlab/zdimulink toolbox can be used, the initial value of gear gap in thebacklash block is set to zero.9Correct 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 non-linearity of the gear gap model can be described by using the phase functionmethod. The existing backlash block in the non-linear library of theMatlab/zdimulink toolbox can be used; the initial value of gear gap in thebacklash block is set to zero.Another type of super-long sentence that frequently occurs in technical papers is that of a list. The writer wants to give a large amount of data, usually parameter values, and puts this information into one long, paragraph-sized sentence. However, the bestway to give such type and quantity of information is to tabulate it (put it in a bulleted list).Too long …where m is the mass of the heavy disk mounted at the mid-span of amassless elastic shaft, e is the eccentricity of the mass center from thegeometric center of the disk, φ is the angle between the orientation of theeccentricity and the ξ axis, ξk and ηk are the stiffness coefficients in twoprincipal directions of shaft respectively, c is the viscous damping coefficientof the shaft and the disk, i c is the inner damping coefficient of shaft, ω is therotating speed, s ξ and s η are the components of initial bend in directions ofξ,η axes respectively: θξcos b s r =,θηsin b s r =.1Correct Wherem is the mass of the heavy disk mounted at the mid-span of a masslesselasticshaft,e is the eccentricity of the mass center from the geometric center ofthe disk,φ is the angle between the orientation of the eccentricity and the ξaxis,ξk and ηk are the stiffness coefficients in the two principal directionsof theshaft,c is the viscous damping coefficient of the shaft and the disk,i c is the inner damping coefficient of the shaft,ω is the rotating speed,s ξ and s η are the components of initial bend in directions of ξ,ηaxes, respectively: θξcos b s r =,θηsin b s r =.Too long The clear height of the case is 6.15 meters; the thickness of the roof is 0.85 meters; the thickness of the bottom is 0.90 meters, the overall width is 26.6 meters, the overall length of the axial cord is 304.5 meters, the length of the jacking section is about 148.8 meters; the weight of the case is about 24127 tons.3Clear • Case clearance height 6.15 meters• Roof thickness 0.85 meters• Bottom thickness 0.90 meters• Overall width 26.6 meters• Overall length of the axial cord 304.5 meters• Length of the jacking section 148.8 meters (approx.)• Weight of the case 24127 tons (approx.)Prefacing the main idea of a sentence by stating the purpose,location or reason firstChinese writers often preface the main topic of a sentence by first stating the purpose, location, reason, examples and conditions as introductory elements. However, this has the effect of demoting the importance of the main idea and making the reader think the author is indirect. Bring the main idea to the beginning of the sentence stating any locations, reasons, etc., afterwards.Incorrect For the application in automobile interiors, this paper studies the nestingoptimization problem in leather manufacturing. 5Correct This paper studies the nesting optimization problem in leather manufacturingfor 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.2Correct The advantage of constructing a 3D model [7][8][9] becomes extremely obviousespecially when numerical control (NC) techniques [4] are widely used inindustry and rapid prototype methods [5][6] bring a huge economical benefits.Incorrect Inside the test box, the space was filled with asbestos.15Correct 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.16Correct 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.16Correct 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 sentenceIncorrect 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 emphasisIncorrect Based on the triangulation structure built from unorganized points or a CAD model, the extended STL format is described in this section.4Correct 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.4Correct The 3D dentition defect and restoration element models with complicated surfaces are designed precisely.“w hich/ that”The antecedent (noun or pronoun) to which which refers is not specific, causing confusion.Antecedent The noun or pronoun to which a pronoun refers.‘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’Respectively refers back to two or more persons or things only in the order they were previously designated or mentioned. If two lists are given, respectively pairs the list entries according to the order in which they are given. In this case the use of respectively is to allow the writer to give a lot of information without confusing the reader or writing several short sentences. Respectively is usually at the end of the sentence. In both cases, mentioning the order must be important to the meaning of the sentence otherwise it is not used.For example: Bobby, Nicole and Daren wore red, green and blue coats, respectively.List 1 List 2Bobby wore a red coat.Nicole wore a green coat.Daren wore a blue coat.Respective to two or more persons or things only in the order they were previously designated or mentioned.The uses of these two words are usually incorrect or confusing as in the following examples.1. Respectively is misplaced in the sentence; it is put before the nouns to which it refers. Incorrect Equations 2～6 can be respectively linearized as:......(equations given) (13)Correct Equations 2～6 can be linearized as:……(equations given)…, respectively. Incorrect The weights of the two experts are respectively 0.600 and 0.400.19Correct The weights of the two experts are 0.600 and 0.400, respectively.2. Respectively is inserted to express that there is a certain order in which something was done. However, the order is already implied elsewhere in the sentence or does not need to be expressed because it does not add value to meaning of the sentence.Incorrect I f 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, ifeither is, respectively, above a certain score, then we refer to strategy 2.Similarly, if the core technology and core quality are, respectively, above acertain score, then we refer to strategy 3, otherwise, if either is,respectively,below a certain score, then we refer to strategy 4.19Correct I f 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 isabove a certain score, then we refer to strategy 2. Similarly, if the coretechnology and core quality are above a certain score, then we refer to strategy3, 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 aretransformed into two singularities on the ζ-plane and integrate the inducedvelocity along the blades respectively.20Correct Then, the rows of vortex due to both of the long and short blades aretransformed into two singularities on the ζ-plane and integrate the inducedvelocity along the blades.3. In addition to 2, it is unclear to what ‘respectively’ refers.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.17Correct The inlet and outlet temperature of the air cooler were measured by using two thermocouples.‘In this paper’, ‘in this study’Two errors occur when these phrases are used. The first is overuse. In some papers written by Chinese, these phrases can occur as much as twice per page. In papers written by native English writers these phrases are reserved for primarily two uses1.In the introduction and conclusion to emphasize the content of the paper.2.In the body of the paper, after referring to work not done by the author such as inother journal articles or in standard.Therefore, if either phrase occurs more than three times in a paper, its use is questionable. Actually, the reader is aware that the work presented is by the author (unless the author states otherwise) so there is no reason to repeat these phrases.The second error is more subtle. The two phrases are interchanged.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, itcomponents equivalent physical parameters are obtained by UG design andtesting.9Correct In this study, a SZG4031 towing tractor is used as the sample vehicle, itcomponents equivalent physical parameters are obtained by UG design andtesting.The ‘study’ is the work the author/s did. The paper is the mode to present this work andis what the reader is holding/ reading. Keep in mind the writer can also use other phrases such as ‘in this research’, and ‘this paper present’.N umbers and EquationsTwo very common errors are those concerning the presentation of Arabic numerals, and equations. Chinese writers usually write Arabic numerals instead of spelling out the word. The use of Arabic numerals, itself, is not an error however; they should never be used at the beginning of sentences.Incorrect 12 parameters were selected for the experiment.Correct Twelve parameters were selected for the experiment.In addition, Arabic numerals are overused. Arabic numerals should be used to give datain technical papers, however they should not be used to give general information. 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.This probably stems from the fact that Mandarin is a symbolic language and not alphabetic. Thus, the writer will find it easier to write a symbol that expresses the idea instead of the word. This problem is even more serious when equations are used in place of words in a way that is not practiced by native English speakers. Consider the following examples.Equations should be introduced as much as possible, not inserted in place of words. Most journals, like the International Journal of Production Research, discourage the use of even short expressions within the text.Incorrect If the power battery SOC > SOC lo and the driving torque belongs to themiddle load,…Correct If the power battery SOC is greater than SOC lo and the driving torquebelongs to the middle load,…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.FormatParagraphsA paragraph is a group of sentences that develop one topic or thought. Paragraphs are separated to indicate the end of one idea or thought and the beginning of another. All English paragraphs start on a new line with an indent of about one inch orwith an extra line between the two paragraphs. The latter is more typical for business writing.Chinese students are often puzzled by separating paragraphs; the may perform one of two error. One error occurs when the writer fails to distinguish between two paragraphs. Although the new paragraph starts on a new line, there is no indentation, therefore, the reader in is not aware of the change in paragraphs or ideas. The second error occurs when a paragraph is preceded by a single sentence on a single line. The single line is indented along with the succeeding paragraph as in example #. This commonly occurs in Chinese texts but is never done in English.‘Figure’ and ‘Table’The abbreviations for figure and table are Fig. and Tbl, respectively. However, the abbreviation of table is rarely seen in text. One can also write fig. for figure. However, one should choose one convention and use it throughout the paper. You should not switch between, Figure, figure, Fig, or fig. In addition, abbreviations are not used at the beginning of sentences and a space belongs between the word/ abbreviation and the number.Incorrect Figure.6, Figure6, Fig.6, Tbl10Correct Figure 6, Fig. 6, Tbl. 10VariablesVariables, especially those of the English alphabet, should be italicized in technical papers to distinguish them from English words. Of course, this depends on the style required by the journal.CapitalsBe careful that capitals are not in the middle of the sentence.Incorrect In table 1, The mark…Correct In table 1, the mark…‘such as’ and ‘etc.’Such as and etc. are commonly misused by Chinese-English writers. Such as means ‘for example’ and implies that an incomplete list will follow; etc. means ‘and so on’ and is used at the end of a list to show it is not complete. Therefore, using such as and etc. together is redundant.Incorrect Studies of methodology and process of implementing remanufacturing mainly focus on durable products such as automobile motors, printers, and etc.11Correct Studies of methodology and process of implementing remanufacturing mainly focus on durable products such as automobile motors, and printers.Such as means that an incomplete list will be given and should not be used when a complete list is given.Incorrect Compared to traditional industry, Micro-electronic fabrication has threecharacteristics such as high complexity, high precision and high automation. Correct Compared to traditional industry, Micro-electronic fabrication has threecharacteristics: high complexity, high precision and high automation.Section 21) Some words have identical singular and plural forms and do not need an s added on to make them plural. These words include:•literature (when referring to research)•equipment,•staff (referring to a group of people)•faculty2) Avoid redundancy in the following types of phrases frequently used by Chinese English writersInstead of Say Or say Research work Research WorkLimit condition Limit conditionKnowledge memory Knowledge MemorySketch map Sketch mapLayout scheme Layout schemeArrangement plan Arrangement planOutput performance Output performanceSimulation results results simulationKnowledge information Knowledge informationCalculation results results calculationApplication results Results Application3) Certain words demand that the noun they modify is plural. These include different, various, and number words.Don’t write Instead writeDifferent node Different nodesVarious method Various methodsTwo advantage Two advantagesFifteen thermocouple Fifteen thermocouples4) Never begin an English sentence with abbreviations and Arabic numerals such as Fig. and 8. Instead write Figure and Eight.5) Do not write ‘by this way’. Instead write ‘by doing this’, or ‘using this method’.6) Never write ‘How to…’ at the beginning of a sentence. (Don’t say it ither.)。
英语知识6. Only 18 percent are officially unemployed.据官方统计，只有18%的人是失业者。
7. Real-estate prices in downtown Manhattan looked prohibitively expensive.市中心曼哈顿的房价贵得使人望而生畏。
8. She was remarkably silent when the others all talked and laughed. 别人有说有笑时她却沉默不语，显得很突出。
9. It was a vast and treacherous landscape, but breath-takingly beautiful.这是一片广阔而变幻莫测的景致，但却美得令人惊讶。
10. A schoolmaster, finding such errors in a schoolboy's essay, would be justly indignant.校长在小学生的作文里发现这样的错误一定会生气，这不是没有道理的。
11. Voters were understandably confused by the identical Caser names on the ballot, and the split vote sent the real candidate Caser down to defeat in the primary.选举人被选票上一模一样的凯撒的名字弄糊涂，因而选票分散，导致真正的候选人在初选时就落选，这是可以理解的。
有时候，形容词做定语或表语时，也无法用一个词将其意思充分表达出来，翻译这个形容词时也需要进行增译，如：12. The sleek turbines of the American windmills made economic and ecological sense.美国造了许多风力磨坊，这从经济和生态角度看是有道理的。
Live and learn又学习到新东西了Learn and live只有学会如何生活才能活得有意义Live and let live自己好好活，也让别人好好活Kings and bears often worry their keepers伴君如伴虎Daughters and dead fish are no keeping wares 女大不中留House of adultsWelcome to Beijing北京欢迎您You are always welcome欢迎下次光临Plain clothes便衣警察Homely meal家常便饭It is really more than I can tell you实在不方便告诉你Well, yes and no视情况而定More or less so或多或少是这样的if my memory serves me right我记得是这样的If need be如果必要的话Head-on clash正面冲突Distort facts歪曲事实Vacuum flash保暖杯Honey trapStop watch秒表Pigeon-toe内八字Contact lens隐形眼镜Go back on one’s words食言Eat one’s words收回并更正说错的话Straight talker直来直去Blame-shifter老是怪别人的Clock-watcher老看着钟A late starter大器晚成Master complicate老爱无事生非The ceaseless emergence and ceaseless resolution of contradiction constitute the dialectical law of the development of thing矛盾不断出现，又不断解决，这就是事物发展的辩证规律More than enough to fill my time实在忙不过来A stab of guilt因良心谴责而感到刀扎一样痛苦What is the population询问多少人口I have no opinion of him他给我印象太坏Stand on one’s hands站在手上Fall on one’s knees跪下Sleep late睡懒觉Between two lights晚上Place Tender Exact Fare不设找零If you want to impute a crime to someone, you do not have to discuss yourself at the want of an excuse愈加其罪，何患无辞Let us get real别废话了，说点正经的吧Can you dig it?你搞明白了吗？I can not help it我也无能无力Cool it悠着点闭嘴Hit it well with…相处得好…You will live to rue it总有一天你要后悔的I give it to him ht and strong我让他吃不完兜着走Bach it all his life一辈子光棍Golf course高尔夫球场Shooting range靶场Water cube水立方Dressage盛装舞步Trampoline蹦床Sandstorm control project治沙工程Initial success初步成就Inhalable particles可吸入颗粒物Inhale/exhale吸，呼Non-driving day无车日Cars with odd/even number plates are allowed to go on the road only on odd/even dates单双号车牌出行计划Embrace the world走向世界Show compassion奉献爱心Foul play小动作Give them precedence t show politeness主动礼让Make catcalls喝倒彩Careless about one’s appearanceJumping the queue插队graffiti in tourist spots乱倒乱涂Snap your finger打响指Barebacked光膀子的Shelf life存放时间Barrier-free passage无障碍通道Snooker壁球Aquiline nose鹰钩鼻Pug nose狮子鼻Turn-up nose朝天鼻Snub nose塌鼻子Vegetable nose蒜鼻子Brandy nose酒糟鼻A respectful distance敬而远之Comparison, more than reality, makes men happy or wretched 使人感到幸福或不幸的与其说是现实，不如说是比较Preliminary预赛Intermediary复赛Selective选拔赛Dual meet对抗赛Elimination match淘汰赛DJ: disk jockey调音师GED: General Equivalent diploma高中毕业文凭NOW: National organization of Women 全国妇女组织Have a short fuse脾气暴躁BBQ野外烤肉。
中国人最易犯错的1. I very like it I like it very much.2.这个价格对我挺合适的。
The price is very suitable for me. The price is right.Note：suitable（合适的、相配的）最常见的用法是以否定的形式出现在告示或通知上，如：下列节目儿童不宜。
The following programme is not suitable for children 在这组句子中用后面的说法会更合适。
3.你是做什么工作的呢？What's your job？Are you working at the moment？Note：what's your job这种说法难道也有毛病吗？是的。
因为如果您的谈话对象刚刚失业，如此直接的问法会让对方有失面子，所以您要问：目前您是在上班吗？Are you working at the moment？接下来您才问：目前您在哪儿工作呢？Where are you working these days？或者您从事哪个行业呢？What line of work are you in？顺带说一下，回答这类问题时不妨说得具体一点，不要只是说经理或者秘书4.用英语怎么说？How to say？How do you say this in English？Note：How to say是在中国最为泛滥成灾的中国式英语之一，这决不是地道的英语说法。
同样的句子有：请问这个词如何拼写？How do you spell that please？请问这个单词怎么读？How do you pronounce this word？5.明天我有事情要做。
I have something to do tomorrow？Sorry but I am tied up all day tomorrow.用I have something to do来表示您很忙，这也完全是中国式的说法。
中国人最易犯错的30句英语1. I very like itI like it very much.2. 这个价格对我挺合适的。
The price is very suitable for me.The price is right.Ｎｏｔｅ：suitable(合适的、相配的)最常见的用法是以否定的形式出现在告示或通知上，如：下列节目儿童不宜。
The following programme is not suitable for children 在这组句子中用后面的说法会更合适。
3. 你是做什么工作的呢？What’s your job?Are you working at the moment?Ｎｏｔｅ：what’s your job这种说法难道也有毛病吗？是的。
因为如果您的谈话对象刚刚失业，如此直接的问法会让对方有失面子，所以您要问：目前您是在上班吗？Are you workingat the moment?接下来您才问：目前您在哪儿工作呢？Where are you working these days?或者您从事哪个行业呢？Whatline of work are you in?顺带说一下，回答这类问题时不妨说得具体一点，不要只是说经理或者秘书4. 用英语怎么说？How to say?How do you say this in English?Ｎｏｔｅ：How to say是在中国最为泛滥成灾的中国式英语之一，这决不是地道的英语说法。
同样的句子有呵胛收飧龃嗜绾纹葱矗縃How do you spell that please?请问这个单词怎么读？How do you pronounce this word?5. 明天我有事情要做。
I have something to do tomorrow?Sorry but I am tied up all day tomorrow.用I have something to do来表示您很忙，这也完全是中国式的说法。
