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

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