What language structure issues should be reflected in the translation of medical papers?


Release time:

2020-01-16

In medical translation, when translating the specialized vocabulary of medical papers, there are many aspects we need to pay attention to, the first being the issue of language structure.

1. Vocabulary Features

 

1. The specialized vocabulary in medical paper translation usually appears in a specific field and is generally divided into two categories: one is the specialized vocabulary of a certain profession, which typically has a one-to-one correspondence between words and meanings; the other is polysemous words that evolve from common vocabulary. Therefore, in translation practice, it is necessary to comprehensively apply language knowledge and professional knowledge, continuously enriching and expanding.

 

2. For example, affixes: From an etymological perspective, the proportion of Greek and Latin morphemes in medical English vocabulary is very high. It is said that among 10,000 medical words, 46% come from Latin and 72% from Greek. Greek and Latin morphemes are an important foundation of medical English vocabulary. Greek and Latin have a rich variety of affixes, each with a fixed meaning, which can form countless new words from different stems.

 

3. Verbs usually use standard written English vocabulary, which can be divided into common vocabulary and formal vocabulary. Common words are often authentic English, commonly used in spoken English and literary works, while formal words are often loanwords, commonly used in more formal articles in science, technology, economics, and politics.

 

2. Characteristics of Grammatical Structure in Medical Paper Translation

 

1. The use of nominalization in medical paper translation is one of its characteristics, as the style requires concise writing, objective expression, accurate content, a large amount of information, and an emphasis on existing facts rather than a specific course of action.

 

2. A large number of long sentences and attributive clauses are used in medical paper translation, which serve to connect information and emphasize argumentative information.

 

3. The frequent use of noun modifiers and abbreviations in medical paper translation requires the translation to be concise and structurally compact. The frequent use of noun modifiers and abbreviations simplifies sentence patterns and increases information density.

 

4. The widespread use of passive voice in medical paper translation emphasizes the objectivity and accuracy of narrative reasoning. Overuse of the first and second person can create an impression of subjective speculation. Therefore, it is advisable to use third-person narration and passive voice as much as possible.