学术论文摘要英译声音的学科比较——以第一人称代词为例

First Person as a Realization of Voice in Research Article Abstracts: A Disciplinary Perspective

是学术论文不可或缺的一部分,其英语译文关系到研究成果在国际学术界的接受和认可。从声音视角出发,以第一人称代词为例,比较分析了社会科学和自然科学论文摘要的英译,并借助相同学科的国际期刊论文的英文摘要反观中文论文摘要的英译。与社会科学论文摘要的英译相比,自然科学论文摘要的英译更为普遍地使用第一人称代词,作者声音更加突出。这种声音的学科差异可能源于社会科学和自然科学的软硬之分。

constitutes an essential part in academic research article and its English translation plays an important role in determining the acceptance and recognition of the research itself. Taking voice as its starting point,this paper examines the use of first persons in both social science abstracts and natural science abstracts. We also use the analysis of abstracts in international papers as a reference for the investigation of English translation of Chinese abstracts. It is found that much more first persons are used in English translation of natural science abstract than that of social science abstract. Therefore,the writer’s voice is realized more explicitly in English translation of natural science abstract than that of social science abstract. We suggest that such disciplinary difference in voice could be explained by the distinction between natural science as hard science and social science as soft science.