科技英语词汇特点分析解析

第一节（略）

第二节 Technical and Semi-Technical Words

科技、半科技专业术语

2.1 Technical words 科技专业术语

An ordinary reader or listener may find it difficult to understand the writing or speech composed purely in scientific language. Words used in technical language present the first obstacle to those who have little or no specific knowledge in the related field.

The special vocabulary of EST includes technical and semi-technical terms.

2.1.1 Highly Specialized in Meaning 意义高度专业化

With rapid development of science and technology, new terms are needed to define new phenomena and to explain new things and processes. Often suitable terms have to be invented. Scientists have been extending the vocabularies of their subjects for centuries and each subject has its own store of terms with precise and narrow meanings. For example, stratosphere (同温层), quartz oscillator (石英晶体振荡器), seismology (地震学), polysomic (多倍体的), circumradius (外接圆半径), polystyrene (聚苯乙烯), leukocyte (白细胞), sequoia (红杉), etc. You may find many such kind of words in this book.

2.1.2 The Use of Prefixes and Suffixes 前缀后缀的使用

Many technical terms are made up from Latin or Greek roots with prefixes (前缀) and suffixes (后缀). For example, the word polytetrafluoroethylene (聚四氟乙烯) is made up of five parts: poly- (前缀: 多，复，聚),tetra- (四), fluoro- (氟), ethyl (乙基，乙烷基), and –ene (后缀：烯属烃，苯属烃).

Another example, geoastrophysics (地球天体物理学): geo-(地球), astro- (星，天体，宇宙), physics (物理学).

Therefore, knowing the meaning of prefixes and suffixes can help you understand the meaning of the words.

The following are some of the commonly used prefixes and suffixes in EST.

1)Prefixes 前缀

aero-: 空气，大气；气体；飞机；航空

aerobiology (空气生物学，高空生物学); aeronautics (航空学，飞行学); aeromechanics (航空力学)

astro-: 星，天体；宇宙

astrodynamics (天体动力学); astrogeology (天体地质学); astronomy (天文学)

anti-: 反，抗，阻；治，止；防止，中和

antibody (抗体); anticancer(抗癌的); anticorrosive [防(腐)蚀(的)]

auto-: 自动的，自动调整的；自己，本身

autocontrol (自动控制); autoignition (自燃); auto-switch (自动开关)

bio-: 生命；生物；生物学的

biochemistry (生物化学); bioelectricity [生物(电流)]; biosphere (生物圈)

cyber-: 计算机的；互联网的

cyberaddict (网迷); cyberattack (黑客攻击); cyberspace (网络空间)

de-: 离开；去除，减少

deforestation (滥伐森林); desalter (脱盐设备); desensitizer (脱敏药)

di-: 二，二倍，二重；双，联

dioxide (二氧化物); diode (二极管); diproton (双质子)

electro-: 电的；导电的；电解；电子(的)

electroanalysis [电(解)分析]; electrobiology (生物电学); eletromagnetism (电磁，电磁学)

geo-: 地球；土地

geodynamics (地球动力学); geochemistry (地球化学); geoscience (地球科学，地学)

hydro-: 水；氢化的

hydrobiology (水生生物学); hydrocarbon (碳氢化合物); hydrology (水文学)

infra-: 在下(部)；亚，低，外

infra-acoustic [亚(次)声的]; infrared [红外线(的)]; infrahuman (低于人类的动物，类人动物).

in-: 非，无

inactive (非活动性的); inorganic (无机的); instability (不稳定性)

macro- 大，宏观的

micro-: 小，微；扩大，放大

microcomputer (微型计算机); microorganism (微生物); microscope (显微镜)

mono-: 单，一

monochromator (单色仪); monotreme (单孔目动物); monoxide (一氧化物)

multi-: 多

multiprocessing (多重处理); multipropellant (多元推进剂); multivitamin [多种维生素(的)]

photo-: 光；光电；照相(术)

photoconductor (光电导体，光敏电阻); photochemistry (光化学); photosynthesis (光合作用)

radio-: 放射，辐射；无线电；射线

radiobiology (放射生物学); radiodetection (无线电探测); radioelement (放射性元素)

semi-: 半；部分的，不完全的（hemi-）

semiconductor (半导体); semifluid (半流质的); semisphere [半球(形)]

sub-: 在...底下；从属；次要；分(支)；近(于)

subcircuit [(分) 支电路]; subcompound (亚化合物); subsonic (亚音速的)

super-: 超，超级

super altitude (超高空), superfluid [超流体(的)], supersonic (超音速)

tele-: 远距离；电信

telecontrol (遥控); telemechanics (遥控机械学，遥控力学); telemetry (远距离测量技术)

thermo-: 热

thermodynamics (热力学); thermo meter (温度计，寒暑表); thermosphere (热大气层) thermos

trans-: 转移；超越

transgene (转基因); translunar (月球外侧的，月球轨道外的); transplant (移植，移栽)

ultra-: 超，过；极端

ultrasonic [超声(音速)的]; ultraviolet (紫外线); ultravirus [超显微(滤过性)病毒]

2) Suffixes 后缀

-fold: ...倍，...重，...次，...方

fivefold (五倍的，五倍地); manifold (多样的，多方面的)

-free : 不...，无... duty-free

ice-free (不冻的); nuclear-free zone (无核区); oil-free (不含油的); static-free (不受静电干扰的)

-gram: 图

spectrogram (光谱图); bathygram [水(海)深图]; electrogram (电记录图)

-cide: 杀灭剂；杀 suicide homicide

insecticide [杀虫(药)剂]; weedicide (除草剂)

-meter: 剂，仪，表

seismometer (地震仪); speedometer (速度计，里程计); multimeter (万用表)

-ology: ...学，...论

cosmology (宇宙学); psychology (心理学); seismology (地震学)

-proof : 不透...的，防...的，抗...的，耐...的

airproof (不透气的); fireproof (耐火的，不燃的); water-proof (防水的)；heatproof [抗(隔、耐)热的];

shockproof (防震的，防电击的) bulletproof