最近在学习standford《Scientific Writing》这门课，这门课主要目的是让研究人员学会英文科学写作，课程采用的主要形式是给例句，然后对其进行修改。课程链接：Youtube－Scientific Writing。以下是我的课程笔记，笔记为个人原创，转载请注明作者与出处。
Module 1.1 Introduction
- what makes a good writer? Having something to sayLogistic thinkingA few simple, learnable rules of styleTalk about your research before trying to write about itWrite to engage your readers rather than bore them Stop waiting for “inspiration”Revise. Nobody gets it perfect on the first try
Module 1.2 Examples of what not to do
- Ask yourself: Is your sentence easy to read?Is this sentence enjoyable and interesting to read?Is this sentence readable?Is it written to inform or to obscure（使难以理解）?
2.Nouns to verbs:
Origin:
“These findings imply that the rates of ascorbate rdical production and its recycling via dehydroascorbate reductatse to replenish the ascorbate pool are equivalent at the lower irradiance with the rate of ascorbate radical production exceeding its recycling back to ascorbate”
Revised:
“This findings imply that, at low irradiation, ascorbate radicals are produced and recycled at the same rate, but at high irradiation, they are produced faster than they can be recycled back to ascorbate.”
Module 1.3 Overview: principles of effective writing
1.note the use of vague words: the use of vague words(模糊的词) can be hard to form a concrete picture in reader’s head.
- note the use of unnecessary jargon（专业术语） and acronyms(首字母缩略词)
- note the distance between the subject and the main verbs of the sentence.(注意句子的主语和句子的动词之间的距离不宜过长)
4.try to use the active voice(subject+verb+object)
超长的句子和短语可以缩短一点
Origin:
“Dysregulation(异常) of physiologic(生理学的) microRNA(miR) activity has been shown to play an import role in tumor initiation and progression, including gliomagenesis. Therefore, molecular species that can regulate miR activity on their target RNAs without affecting the expression of relevant mature miRs may play equally relevant roles in cancer.”
Revised:
“Changes in microRNA expression play a role in cancer, including glioma. Therefore, events that disrupt(破坏) microRNAs from binding to their target RNAs may also promote cancer.”
Module 1.4 Cut the clutter(乱七八糟的东西)
能少用单词就少用单词
少用一些比较空洞的词和短语，比如basic tenet of, important 等等
尽量不要使用像very,really,quite,basically,generally这样的词
1.Example 1:
Origin:
“This paper provides a review of the basic tenets(原则、机理) of cancer biology study design, using as examples studies that illustrate the methodological challenges or that demonstrate successful solutions to the difficulties inherent(内在的，固有的) in biological（生物学的） research.”
Revised:
“This paper reviews cancer biology study design, using examples that illustrate challenges and solutions.”
2.Example 2:
像As it is well known等一些短语尽量不要用
Origin:
“As it is well known, increased athletic activity has been related to a profile of lower cardiovascular risk, lower blood pressure levels, and improved muscular and cardio-respiratory performance.”
Revised:
1.”Increased athletic activity is associated with lower cardiovascular risk, lower blood pressure, and improved fitness.”
2.”Increased athletic activity lowers cardiovascular risk and blood pressure, and improved fitness.”
3.Example 3:
be 动词可能会比较无聊，我们可以换成其他动词
Origin:
“The experimental demonstration is the first of its kind and is a proof(证明) of principle for the concept of laser driven particle acceleration in a structure loaded vacuum.”
Revised:
“The experiment provides the first proof of principle of laser-driven particle acceleration in a structure-loaded vacuum.”
4.Example 4:
长的短语可以变短一点，比如说：a majority of==most; less frequently occurring==rare; give rise to==cause
Origin:
“The expected prevalence of mental retardation, based on the assumption that intelligence is normally distributed, is about 2.5%.”
Revised:
“The expected prevalence of mental retardation, if intelligence is normally distributed, is about 2.5%.”
5.Example 5:
不要表达重复的意思，就算是不同的单词，比如illustrate/demonstrate，successful/solutions等,尽量简洁
Origin:
“A robust cell-mediated immune response is necessary, and deficiency（缺乏）in this response predisposes an individual towards active TB.”
Revised:
“Deficiency in T-cell-mediated immune response predisposes an individual to active TB.”
Module 1.5 Cut the clutter: More tricks
1.A few other small tricks
Eliminate negatives(少用否定)Eliminate superfluous(多余的) uses of "there are/there is"Omit needless prepositions（省略无用的介词）
2.Example 1:
negative—->positive
not honest==dishonest; not harmful==safe; not important==unimportant; does not have==lacks; did not remember==forget; did not pay attention to==ignored; did not succeed==failed.
Origin:
“She did not want to perform the experiment incorrectly”
Revised:
“She wanted to perform the experiment correctly.”
Origin:
“They did not believe the drug was harmful.”
Revised:
“They believed the drug was safe.”
3.Example 2:
Eliminate there are/there is
Origin:
“There are many ways in which we can arrange the pulleys.”
Revised:
“We can arrange the pulleys in many ways.”
Origin:
“There are a long line of bacteria on the plate.”
Revised:
“Bacteria lined the plate.”
Origin:
“There are many physicists who like to write.”
Revised:
“Many physicists like to write.”
Origin:
“The data confirm that there is an association between vegetables and cancer.”
Revised:
“The data confirm an association between vegetables and cancer.”
3.Example 3
omit needless prepositions.such as “that” and “on”
Origin:
“They agreed that it was true.”
Revised:
“They agreed it was true.”
Origin:
“The meeting happened on Monday.”
Revised:
“The meeting happened Monday.”
Module 1.6 Practice cutting clutter
1.practice 1
Origin:
“Anti-inflammatory drugs may be protective for the occurance of Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Mine:
“Anti-inflammatory drugs may protect Alzheimer’s Disease.”
Reference:
“Anti-inflammatory drugs may protect against Alzheimer’s Disease.”
2.practice 2
Origin:
“Clinical seizures have been estimated to occur in 0.5% to 2.3% of the neonatal（新生的） population.”
Reference:
“Clinical seizures occur in 0.5% to 2.3% of newborns.”
3.practice 3
Origin:
“Ultimately p53 guards not only against malignant translation but also plays a role in developmental processes as diverse as aging, differentiation, and fertility.”
Mine:
“p53 guards plays a role in malignant translation and development as diverse as aging, differentiation, and fertility.”
Reference:
“Besides preventing cancer, p53 plays roles in aging, differentiation, and fertility.”
4.practice 4
Origin:
“Injuries to brain and spinal cord have long been known to be among the most devastating and expensive of all injuries to treat medically.”
Mine:
“Injuries to brain and spinal cord are the most devastating and expensive to treat.”
Reference:
“Injuries to brain and spinal cord are among the most devastating and expensive”
5.practice 5
Origin:
“An IQ test measures an individual’s abilities to perform functions that usually fall in the domains of verbal communication, reasoning, and performance on tasks that represent motor and spatial capabilities.”
Mine:
“An IQ test measures an individual’s abilities in the domains of verbal communication, reasoning, and performance on tasks that represent motor and spatial capabilities.”
Reference:
“An IQ test measures an individual’s verbal, reasoning, or motor and spatial abilities.”
6.practice 6
Origin:
“As we can see from Figure 2, if the return kinwtic energy is less than 3.2 Up, there will be two electron trajectories associated with this kinetic energy.”
Mine:
“As we can see from Figure 2, if the return kinwtic energy is less than 3.2 Up, two electron trajectories will be associated with it.”
Reference:
“Figure 2 shows that a return kinetic energy less than 3.2 Up yields(产生，生出) two electron trajectories.”
子夜星河 