专业英语: Technical English or English for the Professionals ?
专业英语是某专业内特有的英语 (Technical English)还是专业人士用之英语 (English for the Professionals) ?
During my first time of visiting专业英语翻译 forum, I supposed that this was a forum in respect of English for the Professionals. But later I found that this forum was mainly for the translation of technical English. After becoming a regular visitor of this forum for about one year, I have some suggestions.
Before elaborating further, I would like to share my experience regarding “Professionals - 专业人士” and “English for the Professionals - 专业人士用之英语”.
“Professionals” are generally:
(1) Experts in a particular field;
(2) Members of some nationally or internationally recognized institutions (有人戏称这是合法黑社会);
(3) Registered to practice exclusively in a particular field under the law (有人戏称这是合法小圈子垄断);
(4) Bear the legal responsibility for their works;
(5) Higher income and social status.
In US and Canada, Registered Engineers, Lawyers, Medical Doctors…… are professionals. In UK, Chartered Chemist, Certified Accountants, Chartered Engineers…… are professionals. In China, 一级注册建筑师, 注册xx师etc. are professionals (臭老九已经翻身了, 但与外国的同行比, 还未得到应有的重视).
“English for the Professionals” generally consists of:
(1) Oral English used in meeting, conference, presentation, negotiation, social gathering etc.
(2) Written English used in drafting reports (reports regarding test, feasibility study, progress, subordinates’ performance appraisal, investigation…), manual (equipment operation manual, quality manual etc.), proposal, contract document, minutes of meeting, technical paper, instructions, memo, circular, letter etc.
Good language skill is essential for a successful professional (所以我们首先应精于中文). If a professional involves in international business, he should also be good at the “English for the Professionals”.
Since many 版主/版友 are professionals (if not yet, soon or later they will become the professionals), I hope that this forum can be helpful for us to improve our English for the Professionals.
I therefore suggest:
(1) In addition to翻译, we should broaden the scope of our study to cover the other applications of English (such as the English for organizing a conference as posted by六脉神剑 http://www.instrument.com.cn/bbs/shtml/20070529/856081/)
Do not consider that I am not working in Beijing or Shanghai, English for the Professionals is useless for me. In the fast developing China, no body knows what will happen in the coming 5 to 10 years.
机会只是留给有准备的人!
(2) (略)