简明语言运动及其对美国科学界科学传播的影响

The Plain Language Movement and Its Influence on the Science Communication in US Scientific Community

二战后期开始,美国政府公文及法律条款因抽象名词过度使用及文件数量激增,受到包括普通语义学者在内的社会各方批评,这在一定程度上直接激发了20世纪70年代的简明语言运动,直至2010年《简明写作法案》成功颁布。由于清晰、简洁、易理解的特点,“简明语言”不仅被美国政府推行,也被美国科学界运用于科学传播实践之中。本文在梳理美国简明语言运动历史的基础上,重点关注其对美国科学界的科学传播工作的影响,以及对我国科学传播工作的启示。

Since the end of World War II,the U.S government was criticized for the overuse of abstract nouns in official documents and law’s provisions by the people of various circles,including scholars of General Semantics.To a certain extent,this inspired the Plain Language Movement in the 1970s.In 2010,the Plain Writing Act was enacted.Plain language was promoted by the U.S.government due to its clearness,concision and understandability.It has been widely used in official documents and legal provisions and applied in science communication practices.This article reviewed the history of the Plain Language Movement,discussed the practices of science communication in plain language under the influence of the movement in the US scientific community.These practices will provide references to Chinese scientific research institutions for science communication.