Linguistic features and translation strategies of English for Chemical Science

Abstract

This study aims to systematically analyze the linguistic features of English for Chemical Science and to develop a set of practical translation strategies tailored for English-to-Chinese translation. Through a descriptive and applied linguistic analysis, we examine its characteristic lexical and syntactic patterns. The lexical features include systematic terminology with prevalent polysemy, frequent use of abbreviations and symbols, and strict adherence to international nomenclature standards. The syntactic features encompass nominalization, prevalent use of passive voice, employment of complex long sentences for logical integration, and highly precise experimental descriptions. Based on this analysis, we propose targeted translation methods that emphasize terminological accuracy, syntactic conversion, and the logical deconstruction of complex sentences to ensure faithful and intelligible communication across languages. It holds significant practical importance for enhancing the professional English application skills of practitioners and learners in the chemical field, as well as for facilitating knowledge sharing and technical collaboration both domestically and internationally.