讓表達更加規範的幾個細節要點

本文首發於立文悉通微信公眾號（Transystom）

a difference還是differences

• 原句：There were significant differences in treatment outcome between the three groups (χ2 = 13.64, P <0.05).
• 改進：There was a significant difference in treatment outcome between the three groups (χ2 = 13.64, P <0.05).

雖然是三組之間的比較，但是只有一個χ2值，所以三組間只作了一次總體比較，應該用a difference，而不是differences；如果是多個χ2值就用differences。

基因型頻率分布

對於「基因型頻率分布符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡」這句話，很多同學表達成：

• The distribution of genotype frequencies was in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

雖然中文裡有「分布」，但是這句話在英文中不需要把distribution譯出，如下：

• The genotype frequencies were in accordance with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

relapse和recur

relapse和recur都可以表示複發，但使用上有一些不同。

recur一般和「疾病」搭配，所以它的主語或形容的對象都是疾病，如：the disease recurs、recurrent disease。

relapse既可以和「疾病」搭配，也可以和「病人」搭配，雖然是不及物動詞，但使用起來有時又像個及物動詞，比較有意思，如：The patients relapse、relapsed patients、relapsed and refractory disease、chronic relapsing disease。

distinguish和differentiate

很多同學會這樣寫：distinguish/differentiate the difference between the two things。

distinguish/differentiate本身已經含有「區別」的意思，所以不需要再和difference搭配了（類似的例子見：精簡的秘鑰 — 避免重複），如下表達即可：

• distinguish/differentiate between the two things

和difference搭配的動詞可以是：determine/examine/identify the difference between the two things。

幾個介詞搭配

誤：recovery of a disease

正：recovery from a disease，

誤：immunization of a vaccine

正： immunization with a vaccine

（相關內容請看：一句話講清楚該用of還是with）

正：Patients were cured of a disease.

正：an interval of less than 6 months