医学英语文章段落写作模式新探索

张 琦 解宏甲

大连医科大学中山学院 辽宁大连 116085

医学英语文章的写作作为正式英语文章写作极其重要的一部分,已经越来越引起跨学科探索研究和专业人士的重视。而对于这方面研究和探索的材料却并不常见。本文本着从基本段落的结构写法出发,结合正式书面英语文章的写作方法特点与专业的医学英语知识相结合,着重从段落构成的主题句,展开说明句群,及结论句三大方面着手分析并揭示医学英语文章段落写作的方法和途径。

1 段首的主题句

什么是主题句呢?主题句指的是概括说明了本段中心和主旨的句子。在正式的医学英语文章中通常位于每个段落的段首。起到提示本段主题,概括本段大意的作用。

例如:

Cell differentiation is the process whereby cells are transformed into different and more specialized cell typesas they proliferate.Cell differentiation determines what a cell looks like,how it functions,and how long it will live.For example,a red blood cell is programmed to develop into a concave disk that functions as a vehicle for oxygen transport and lives 120 days.

在本段中,第一句话即为主题句。其含义为细胞分化是细胞增值时转化为不同的,更具专职性的细胞类型的过程。此句位于本段段首第一句的位置,其充分概括了这一段的中心含义。即本段意在说明什么是细胞分化以及其相关过程特点并在本段后面加以举例说明。

例如:

A third type of cell,called a stem cell,remain incompletely differentiated throughout life.Stem cells are reserve cells that remain quiescent until there is a need for cell replenishment,and then they divide to replenish or increase the progenitor cell population.Stem cells are the main ingredient of bone marrow transplantation;the stem cells in the transplanted marrow reestablish the recipient’s blood production and immune system.

在本段中,段首句即第一句话为本段主题句,其含义为第三类细胞被称作干细胞,它们在整个生命过程中都保持不完全分化的状态。其提示出本段内容即围绕干细胞这个主题展开。先提示了干细胞的特点特性,之后在本段后面再展开说明并结合实际情况举例。

2 段中的展开及解释说明句

展开和解释说明句指的是什么呢?在医学英语这类正式文章的每一个段落内部,段首句即为主题句起到概括说明中心的作用,那么紧随其后的一到两句话即为展开句群,意在进一步解释说明主题句的含义或所指,或把概括性强的主题句换一种更加具象的句群加以解释和解构,因此,解释说明的展开句群多数起到承上启下过渡段落内部语境含义的作用。

例如:

All of the different cell types of the body originate from a single cell-the fertilized ovum.As the embryonic cell increase in number,they engage in an orderly process of differentiation that is necessary for the development of all the various organs of the body.What makes the cells of one organ different from those of another organ is the type of gene that is expressed.Although all cells have the same complement of genes,only a small number of these genes are expressed in postnatal(生后的)life.When cells,such as those of the developing embryo,differentiate and give rise to committed cells of a particular tissue type,the appropriate genes are maintained in an active state whereas the rest become inactive.Normally,the rate of cell reproduction and the process of cell differentiation are precisely controlled in both prenatal and postnatal life so that both of these mechanisms cease once the appropriate numbers and types of cells are formed.

在本段中,第二句为解释说明句,其含义为,随着胚胎细胞数目的不断增长,它们进行着形成各种不同器官所必需的有条不紊的分化过程。此句是对段首主题句,所有不同的细胞类型来源于唯一的细胞——受精卵,这句的进一步解释说明。之后的第三四五句话构成的句群是对第二句解释说明句的进一步展开和举例说明使本段要阐释的主题更加形象具体。

例如:

3 段末结论句

所谓段尾的结论句又是指什么呢?通常结论句位于每一段的最后一句,其作用起到总结本段大意的作用,和主题句是首次提出并概括每段的中心不同的是,结论句是在每段中再次总结段落主旨并通常会是主题句的另一种表达和重申。但在每一段的段落结构中,段首主题句一般是一定会出现的,而段末的结论句偶尔也有省略的情况。

例如:But even in the continuously renewing cell populations,there are highly specialized cells that are similarly unable to divide.An alternative mechanism provides for their replacement.In this case,......The progenitor cells,however,have limited capacity for self-renewal and they become restricted to producing a single type of cell.

在本段中,最后一句为全段的总结句。其含义为,母细胞的自我更新能力有限,只能产生单一类型的细胞。而与此同时,本段段首主题句的含义为,在不断更新的细胞群体中,也有一些同样不能分裂的高度专业化的细胞。所以,可以看出段首和段尾句的含义是彼此呼应的。这就构成了正式医学英语文章写作的完整段落体系。

同时,也有省略结论句的段落结构。例如:

Inflammation is the reaction of vascularized tissue to local injury.Although the effects of inflammation are often viewed as undesirable because they are unpleasant and cause discomfort,the process is essentially a beneficial one that allows a person to live with the effects of everyday stress.Without the inflammatory response,wounds would not heal,and minor infections would become overwhelming.However,inflammation also produces undesirable effects.The crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis,for example,result from inflammation.

在本段中,省略了段尾的结论句。这种情况也是可以的。因为纵观整个段落的结构,开头第一句主题句的含义是炎症是供血丰富的组织对局部损伤的反应。紧随其后展开说明句群用让步解释的方式进一步阐释炎症反应虽然让人不悦,但总体是一个有益的过程,最后用举例子的方式具体形象阐释了主题句的含义。在这样丰富和完整的论据之后是可以适当省略结论句的。因为段落本身的语义论述已经非常完整的得到了阐释。