写好SCI论文的诀窍（六）：

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印地安那大学信息学院

印地安那大学医学院计算生物学和生物信息中心

读者对段落的期望

每一个段落都应该只讲一个故事。在一段里表述多个观点会使读者很难知道该记住什么、这段想表达什么。一段的第一句要告诉读者这一段是讲什么的。这样读者想跳过这段就可以跳过。一段的最后一句应该是这段的结论或者告诉读者下一段是什么。段落中的句子应该由始到终通过逻辑关系连接，实现由旧信息到新信息的流动。

比如这一段[1]：

The enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation between the nucleoside bases2-deoxyguanosine (dG) and 2-deoxycytidine (dC) has been determined by directmeasurement. dG and dC were derivatized at the 5 and 3 hydroxyls withtriisopropylsilyl groups to obtain solubility of the nucleosides in non-aqueoussolvents and to prevent the ribose hydroxyls from forming hydrogen bonds. Fromisoperibolic titration measurements, the enthalpy of dC:dG base pair formationis -6.650.32 kcal/mol.

很难知道作者在这段里想表达什么。从这段的起始和结束看来，焓(enthalpy)应该是他想表达的重点。

下面是重新组合后的段落[1]。

We have directly measured the enthalpy of hydrogen bond formation betweenthe nucleoside bases 2-deoxyguanosine (dG) and 2-deoxycytidine (dC).dG and dC were derivatized at the 5 and 3 hydroxyls withtriisopropylsilyl groups; these groups serve both tosolubilize the nucleosides in non-aqueous solvents and to prevent the ribosehydroxyls from forming hydrogen bonds. The enthalpy of dC:dG base pairformation is -6.650.32 kcal/mol according to isoperibolic titrationmeasurements,

首句描述了整段的主题。原段里的第一句颠倒是为了1）使新信息“dG”和“dC”在句子最后并强调它们。2）更好地跟下面一句衔接。原段里的第二句被分成两部分，这样每一部分只表达了一个观点。最后一句时总结整段。

再看另一个例子[1]：

Large earthquakes along a given fault segment do not occur at randomintervals because it takes time to accumulate the strain energy for therupture. The rates at which tectonic plates move and accumulate strain at theirboundaries are approximately uniform. Therefore, in first approximation, onemay expect that large ruptures of the same fault segment will occur atapproximately constant time intervals. If subsequent main shocks have differentamounts of slip across the fault, then the recurrence time may vary, and thebasic idea of periodic main shocks must be modified.

在这个例子里，前两句共同阐明了积累张力的速度（Rate Of Strain Accumulation)。然而，第一句里的旧信息并没有放在第二句的开始。读者读到第三句的时候通常就不明白这段到底要讲什么了。

更清晰的描述应该如下[1]：

Large earthquakes along a givenfault segment do not occur at random intervals because it takes time to accumulatethe strain energy for the rupture. The rates of strainaccumulation at the boundaries of tectonic plates are approximatelyuniform.Therefore, nearly constant time intervals (at first approximation)would be expected between large ruptures of the same fault segment. [However?],therecurrence time may vary; the basic idea of periodic main shocksmay need to be modified if subsequent main shocks have different amounts ofslip across the fault.

新段现在着重阐明了地震的发生频率。下划线标明了以前描述过的旧信息。很明显，新旧信息的连接是理解这段的关键。从旧信息到新信息的流动是使读者轻松阅读的最佳方式。写文章的目的不是去测试读者的阅读能力，而是考验作者的表达能力。不能怪人没看懂，只能怪自己没写清楚。常常听到这样的抱怨：那审稿人连这都不懂! 审稿人也可以说：连这个也写不清楚。

待续……

原文下载地址：http://www.journaladvancedultrasound.com/EN/column/column34.shtml