談一談主動語態和被動語態的選擇
本文首發於立文悉通微信公眾號(Transystom)
一般而言,英文里盡量使用主動語態,主動語態通常更為直接、有力,比如:
- I shall always remember my first visit to Boston.
這樣就比下面這個句子要好:
- My first visit to Boston will always be remembered by me.
被動語態顯得拖沓,不夠簡潔,如果把「by me」省略,又會使得指代不夠明確,是作者還是其他人always remember this visit?
當然,這並不是說被動語態完全不能用,根據強調的對象不同,也可以選擇被動語態,比如:
- The dramatists of the Restoration are little esteemed today.(強調 dramatists of the Restoration)
- Modern readers have little esteem for the dramatists of the Restoration.(強調 Modern readers)
不過總體來說,一個平庸的句子(比如含有「there is」或「could be heard」)變成主動語態(使用及物動詞)後會更加生動、有力。以下例子可以說明:
- There were a great number of dead leaves lying on the ground. > Dead leaves covered the ground.
- At dawn the crowing of a rooster could be heard. > The cocks crow came with dawn.
- The reason he left college was that his health became impaired. > Failing health compelled him to leave college.
- It was not long before she was very sorry that she had said what she had. > She soon repented her words.
以上例句變成主動語態後,不僅更加有力,而且也更加簡短了。
但是,在科技論文里情況卻有所不同,主動語態和被動語態的選擇一般考慮以下幾個因素:
1.讀者是否需要知道動作(action)的實施者(actor)?
在Methods部分,實驗本身才是重點,至於是誰做的實驗一般不重要,所以一般用被動語 態。比如:
The hippocampal MAP-2 expression was measured by immunohistochemistry.
但是要用主動語態也並非不可,如果用主動語態的話,就會經常使用人稱代詞,比如「We」,這就涉及到以下第二點。
2.總是使用「We」顯得重複而不夠正式。
在Methods部分如果用主動語態的話,就要經常使用「We」作為主語,為了避免重複,一般還是以被動語態為主。
比如:
- We calculated overall survival and progression-free survival by the Kaplan-Meier method
不如寫成:
- Overall survival and progression-free survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.immunohistochemistry.
3)用被動語態也存在一些問題,比如主語過於冗長。
比如:
- A total of 100 patients with chronic hepatitis B admitted to this hospital from June 2012 to June 2014 were included in this study.
可以寫成:
- This study included 100 patients with chronic hepatitis B admitted to this hospital from June 2012 to June 2014.
總之,主動語態和被動語態的選擇不是絕對的,一般考慮句子需要強調的重點在哪裡,以及句子是否簡潔有力。
部分內容參考The Elements of Style
推薦閱讀:
※2017年7月15日 英國人分析雅思寫作
※熟練掌握四門外語,我是如何做到的?(4)
※「百萬英語閱讀計劃」書目
※創造自己的繽紛彩虹
※This is us 第九集打卡08