Реферат: APPENDIX I

DICTIONARIES AND REFERENCE GUIDES

We would like to present in some detail the dictionaries and reference books which we recommend you to use while writing your papers in English. We provide a brief description and some summary-abstracts/ abstracts of this editions, as well as our comments, so that you could get a better idea of the books and dictionaries we recommend you to use.

ABBYY Lingvo Multilingual Electronic Dictionary

We start with this electronic dictionary (which is rather a collection of dictionaries) because we can't avoid mentioning it. It proved to be the most popular electronic dictionary, and it is being constantly expanded and updated. Essentially, we are interested in the English-Russian/ Russian-English version. It comprises a dictionary of general English (LingvoUniversal), explanatory (defining) dictionaries, and specialized (branch) dictionaries, e.g., LingvoComputer, LingvoScience, LingvoEconomics, etc., to say nothing of reference and teaching materials, including grammar. It is easy to use, saves time, and is actually a helpful guide to scientific reading and writing.

We included this information just in case you had not used this dictionary before enrolling in the graduate program. Have it installed on your computer. It is considerably easier to master reading and writing skills with an electronic dictionary like this.

Рябцева Н.К.Научная речь на английском языке: Новый словарь-справочник активного типа (на английском языке) – М.: Флинта: Наука, 2000. – 600с.

The book consists of the “Guide to Academic Writing” and the “Combinatory Dictionary of Scientific Usage”. The aim of the Guide “is to promote an active linguistic competence in scientific English and to apply it to generating one’s own paper”. The “Combinatory Dictionary of Scientific Usage” serves practically the same purpose as a dictionary.

Though at the first sight the Guide seems too complicated, it is easy to use and appears to be almost exhaustive. You are really urged to write and to write in good English. The Guide includes three parts. Part I entitled “Text Organization: The Structure of the article” contains extensive vocabulary as well as speech patterns and phrases pertinent to the corresponding section of the paper you are writing. In addition, it gives examples of using some Latin expressions and abbreviations, as well as the wording of acknowledgments. Part II concentrates on the use of rhetorical devices and Part III introduces patterns and examples of abstracts, resumes, summaries, reviews, titles, etc.

The Combinatory Dictionary of Scientific Usage should be referred to whenever you are not sure about using a preposition/ noun / verb/ adjective with this or that word. The Dictionary contains 5000 entries, and more than 30,000 expressions, as well as examples of scientific usage. It significantly improves one's writing and helps express one's ideas clearly and precisely. It is an indispensable dictionary to all those who are engaged in scientific writing in English.

Comments: As is seen, you have an excellent Guide to Academic Writing and a Combinatory Dictionary at your disposal. We recommend you to study the structure of the book in detail and address it when you are writing in English. It really «helps one use» the language.

“English for Scientific Purposes” by N.K. Riabtseva is intended, first of all, «for graduate students and scholars in all disciplineswith reading skills in English».The structure of this reference guide is described in detail in the preface to the book. Read it attentively in case you want to use all the resources provided and address it from time to time. You have reading skills in English and you read a lot of papers on your research field (by the way, the more you read, the better you write, which is a well-established fact). But you are not sure about writing and it is quite understandable—writing requires knowledge, experience, and mastering these productive skills. What is peculiar about this book is that «it does not „teach“ English, but helps one use it».

(Based on the abstract and preface to the edition).

ВладимирскаяЕ.В. и др.Русско-английский словарь и фразеология новых разделов физики полупроводников.СПб.: Наука, 2000. – C. 108.

The study guide is intended for undergraduate and graduate students preparing their publications in English. It includes a Russian-English Dictionary of New Semiconductor Physics Terms (pp. 5-28) and a Reference Guide to Writing (pp. 29-100). Though mostly aimed at students majoring in various areas of physics and electronics, the Guide introduces the structure of a scientific paper and vocabulary typical of many fields of science and engineering. The role (function) of each compositional part of the scientific paper and the extensive vocabulary are explained satisfactorily, and each unit is accompanied by exercises and keys except for the first unit (abstract) which has a somewhat peculiar format and does not include a vocabulary list and exercises). The explanations are given in Russian, which makes the manual available to students with different levels of language proficiency.

Кузнецов Б.В.Русско-английский словарь научно-техническойлексики. М., 1992.

«This Dictionary has no analogue either in Russian or foreign lexicography. It covers a broad range of verbs, adjectives, prepositions, and adverbs as they are used in special fields. A further distinction of the Dictionary is that it widely illustrates the use of everyday language in the scientific and technical context. Collocations take up much space in the Dictionary. The Dictionary offers a wide choice of illustrative examples, both as complete phrases and as verbs patterns. The Dictionary is aimed at translators, engineers as well as undergraduate and graduate students, and teaching staff of technical universities.

(Based on the abstract and the preface to the dictionary).

Comments:We recommend you to consult this dictionary whenever you experience difficulties in finding the proper word combination or when you are not sure about using a verb or preposition with this or that term. The dictionary could help and it helps in most cases. It is really unique. And remember: it is a Russian-English dictionary which could help you find the proper term related to your field of research and the English equivalents of Russian words and word combinations as they are used in scientific literature.

Циммерман М., Веденеева К.Русско-английский научно-технический словарь переводчика. – М., Наука; Нью-Йорк, 1991.

This dictionary covers a wide range of word combinations and expressions as they are used in English-language scientific and technical literature. The user can easily find an equivalent of a Russian-language phrase to be used in the text being written/ translated as all the entries are arranged in strict alphabetical order. Cross-references are also provided thus facilitating the user's search.

Though directly addressed to translators of scientific and technical literature, the dictionary proves invaluable to research scientists publishing their papers and books in international editions.

»When a translator of scientific or technical literature from Russian into English seeks the counterpart of some specialized term he turns to a dictionary or an original source in English. But the terms are not the whole problem. They must be couched in the language of a particular branch of science or technology. A translation should be free of unidiomatic or amateurish passages. «The right word in the right place» is the translators' motto.

The present dictionary is an attempt to supply word combinations and expressions that may be of help in achieving this aim. It is not dictionary of terms or idioms, but a collection of typical examples from scientific and technical sources. The words that make up the combinations are usually common to a number of branches of science and technology. The remaining words of illustrative context are not so important since they are only meant as «fillers» to link the combination elements together. The user's attention should be focused on the words in bold type." [M.G. Zimmerman, An extract from the preface to the first edition].

Comments:It is difficult to add anything to the author's words. But what we do want to emphasize is that this unique dictionary will be very helpful to you as a reference guide. Writing papers in English is becoming much easier with a dictionary like this at hand.