科技英语中的被动语态.docVIP

科技英语中的被动语态 摘要: 科技人员在用英语说明情况或讨论问题时, 习惯于多用能够体现客观性的无人称被动句。因此在科技文献中频繁出现被动语态。本文先用将被动语态与主动语态进行对比的方法介绍有关被动语态的基础知识。然后参考和引用一些论述科技问题的例句来具体说明被动语态在科技英语中的应用情况。 关键词: 被动语态; 无人称句; 科技英语 Abstract: Scientists prefer to use impersonal passive sentences when they talk or write about their work. After a brief introduction of the fundamentals of passive voice, its application in scientific English will be discussed in this thesis. Key Words: Passive voice; impersonal sentence; scientific English 在科技文章中, 多数句子是无人称被动句,因为科技著作者想要客观地对待事物, 而不强调行为的主体, 所以通常不用“I”、“you” 或“the operator”等作为句子开头。(P64) 一、被动语态 语态表示句中主语和谓语动词之间的关系。若主语是动作的执行者, 动词用主动语态, 当主语是动作的承受者, 动词要用被动语态。只有及物动词才有被动语态。[2](P178)例如: His father planted this tree.( 主动语态) This tree was planted by his father.( 被动语态) A pump supplies compressed air. ( 主动语态) Compressed air is supplied by a pump. (被动语态) 被动语态由动词be 和及物动词的过去分词构成。被动语态与主动语态的对应关系、被动语态一般时、进行时和完成时的常用句型, 可用以下各组例句概略说明: They will find it out. It will be found out. We keep the butter here.[3](P263) The butter is kept here. Did she open that letter? Was that letter opened by her? A mechanic is repairing your car. Your can is being repaired by a mechanic. They were painting that house. That house was being painted by them. They have already found him. He has already been found. They had opened this road to traffic. This road had been opened to traffic. 构成被动语态的动词be, 在口语中有时可用get代替, 例如: You ll get sacked if you often leave early. Look out, you may get hurt. The eggs got broken when I slipped. Mr. Li got married last week. 二、使用被动语态的主要场合[3](P266) (1) 表述人认为不必提及动作的执行者, 例如: Your leg will be X- rayed. Are the streets swept everyday? Considerable progress has already been made. ( 2) 表述人不知道或不能肯定动作的执行者, 例如: Is your bike stolen? You will be met at the airport. They ve been told that he is no longer here. He is supposed to be living in Shanghai. This sort of ad is seen everywhere. ( 3) 为了缓和语气, 回避责任, 故意不说明动作的执行者, 例如: Someone has opened this letter. We are going to reduce overtime rates. 可以