科技英语角

Broadly speaking, there are two types of explanation. One invokes ....... For example, ....... A different explanation states that ....... These two explanations are not mutually exclusive; however, at present, we have no clear example of .......

表示道歉

1. Please accept my apologies for not having ......
2. I apologize for not having ......
3. I offer an apology [my apologies] for not having ......
4. I owe you an apology for not having ......
5. I am sorry that I have not been able to ......
6. We hasten to apologize.
7. We hasten to reply to your letter of 3 March.
8. We hasten to correct ......
9. We hasten to clarigy ......
10. We thank you for your letter of 3 March enquiring about ...... We regret the delay in answering and hasten to supply you with the information that you requested.

[注] hasten的意思是"急忙""赶快"。其中也包含抱歉的心情，经常用在商用，公务书信中。

-- from "English letter writting for scientist" by Toshio Kuroki & Frances Hunter-Fujita

回信晚了的情况：

1. I offer my apologies for the delay in replying to your letter of 3 May.
2. I regret that I have not been able to reply sooner to your letter of 3 May.
3. I regret not having replied sooner to your letter of 3 May.
4. I am very ashamed that I have not written to you earlier.
5. I realize, with shame, that I have not yet replied to your letter of 3 May, and ask for your forbearance [you to forgive this oversight].
6. I realize that the date by which I should have sent you my comments is long past but hope that they will [may] still be of some use.
7. I am sorry for the delay in answering your queries but hope that my comments will still be of some help.
8. I apologize for not having kept you informed concerning ......

[注] 1~3：一般表现；4,5：至亲友的表现；6~7：意见回复已经晚了，但是希望能来得及的情况；8：抱歉没有联络。

拖延的理由：

1. Thank you for your letter of 3 May. I must apologize for the delay in replying but I was away on sick leave.
2. I apologize for the delay in replying which was due to my being on holiday.
3. I must apologize for failing to reply at an earlier date but was too busy (to put pen to paper).
4. I must apologize for not having ...... This was due to my being [having been] so busy.

委托的一般表现：

• I should [would¹] appreciate your booking me a room at a hotel.
• I would [should¹] appreciate it² if you would [could³] (kindly) book me a room at a hotel.
• I should be obliged if you would [could³] (kindly) send me a copy of ......
• I should be pleased if you would [could³] ......
• Would you kindly oblige me by sending ......

[注]

1. would和should 基本上是一样的，相对来讲would要生硬一点儿。美语里常用would。
2. it不可以省略。它代表if后面的从句。
3. if从句中使用could的话，有"如果可能的话..."的隐含义。另外，if的后面不可以使用should。

相对上面的表现，更直接的表现有：

• I have a favour to ask of you. Would you (kindly) send me a copy of ......
• I should like [want¹] you to interview Dr. T. concerning his application for a research fellowship.

[注]

1. want是比较直接的表现，近乎于命令。

随信寄上......

• 一般表现：
• I am enclosing [ I enclose ] herewith a copy of ......
• I am sending [ I send ] herewith a copy of ......
• I have pleasure in enclosing a copy of ......
• Please find enclosed a copy of ......
• Enclosed is a copy of ......

在信的最后如果有附件的时候可以 使用如上表现。herewith是用来强调"一起送上"。

• 其他表现：
• 另外会寄去，用：under separate cover。I am sending a copy of ...... under separate cover。
  
• together with ...... 。I have great pleasure in enclosing herewith copies of my research publications together with a book entitled "......", which I hope you will find interesting.
  
• 送去文件或者参考资料。I enclose herewith a copy of ...... for your records [ files / information ].
• 送去的附件内容"你读了就会明白"。I am sending you a copy of my letter to Dr. ABC, which I think you will find self-explanatory.

很高兴（乐意）做......

是英语书信中很常用的表达。注意副词的用法，以及从句的连接方式。

• 一般表现：
  

1. I am (absolutely) delighted that ...... [to ......]
2. I am (very / so / extremely) happy that ...... [to ......]
3. I am (very / so / extremely) glad that ...... [to ......]
4. I am (very / very much / much / so / extremely) pleased that ...... [to ......]
5. I have (much / great) pleasure in ...... ing.
6. I am (quite) willing to ......
7. I am willing to present a seminar.
8. (x) I am willing to enclose a copy.

注：willing to: 有表示将来很乐意做某事的含义。所以例句7中可以，而例句8中就是错误的。

• 使用should的含义区别：

1. I should be happy (glad / pleased) to learn that ......
2. (x) I should be happy that ......

• 假设条件。I should be happy to learn that ... = I shall be happy if I learn that ...
• happy的后面直接接that从句的话，就变成了：I ought to be happy that ...... （我应该为......高兴）的意思。含有：I may not be happy的隐含意，所以，最好不用。
  

Style mavens from some of the larger newspapers passed the buck, claiming that they'd wait until "the dictionaries" recognized internet as legitimate usage. The dictionaries, bless their descriptivist hearts, passed the buck right back, stating that they couldn't possibly declare internet to be common currency until newspapers started using it.

• pass the buck = [口]推卸责任，把为难的事推给别人。

---- from <<No "I" in "internet">> of IEEE Spectrum Dec. 2004

All of the above examples are different to the biological clocks associated with circadian or daily rhythms, which are associated with external periodicities, in that they are more reasonably described as autonomous oscillators. Limit cycle oscillators, of the kind we consider here, must of couse be open systems from thermodynamic arguments, but they are not periodic by virtue of some external periodic forcing function.

• by virtue of = in virtue of = 由于，靠......的力量。
• associate with = 把......联系起来。
• autonomous = 自律的。
• thermodynamic = 热力学动态系统。

The periodic pacemaker in the heart is, of course, an important example, which is touched on in Chapter 9. The book by Keener and Sneyd discusses this aspect at length: it is an excellent introduction to mathematical models in physiology in general, covering a wide spectrum of topics.

• touch on = 略微谈到
• at length = 详细地

from Chapter 7.1 of <<Mathematical Biology>> by Murray

• 给未曾谋面的人发信

给未曾谋面的人写信或者Email，我们一般会用"很抱歉冒昧的给你发信"这类的客套话。但是在英文中是不必的。首先就是说明为什么写信，如何知道对方的。例句如下：

1. Although I have not met you in person I am familiar with your name through the many papers you have published.
2. Professor xxx of xxx University, UK, has suggested that I write [my writting] to you.
   
3. I read with interest your paper entitled ...... which appeared in Science 36, p.4~19, 1987 and wonder whether you could give me more information concerning ......
4. As we are particularly interested in ...... we should be grateful for a copy of ......
5. I am writing to enquire [inquire] if [whether] it would be possible to ......

作自我介绍：

1. I should [would] like to introduce myself. I am working at ......
2. I should like to take this opportunity of introducing myself. I am working in the Department of ... at the University of ......
3. I have recently been appointed to the staff of the National Cancer Center and am writing to introduce myself. I have taken over some of the functions previously performed by Dr S. Sato and shall in future be responsible for the organization of, and correspondence concerning, the International Symposium of ......

注：should like to ... 比较直接的表示意愿。但还是比want to要柔和一些。would like to比should要稍微缓和一点。美语中基本上使用would。

摘译自《针对科学工作者的英文信件写法》黒木登志夫 著