這個題目能夠分解爲兩個問題,第一個問題:hyphen、en dash、em dash 三者的通常用法爲什麼?第二個問題:這三者的用法在科技論文中有什麼特別須要注意的地方?
關於第一個問題,知乎上其實已經有很多問答,@Lawrence Li 和@梁海 都解答過。不過我仍是想從新梳理一遍,下面我把美國人奉爲圭臬的
The Chicago Manual of Style 中關於這幾種符號的用法摘譯出來,並做了一些補充:
HYPHEN (-)
1. 用於複合詞,如:
upper-case letter
2. 用於分隔數字或字母,例如電話號碼:
或名字的拼寫:
1-800-621-2376
My name is Phyllis; that's p-h-y-l-l-i-s.
3. 用於排版時鏈接因斷行而被打斷的單詞,例如:
Trust Law ranks the Congo as one of the most dangerous coun-
tries for sexual violence.
EN DASH (–)
1. 至關於 to。主要用於鏈接數字或單詞,表示「到幷包括」(up to and including)。不過應注意,在 from...to... 和 between...and... 的結構中,不要用 en dash 去替代中間的 to 和 and。
例句:
Her college years, 1998–2002, were the happiest in her life.
For documentation and indexing, see chapters 16–18.
In Genesis 6:13–22 we find God's instructions to Noah.
Join us on Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m., to celebrate the New Year.
The London–Paris train leaves at two o'clock.
I have blocked out December 2002–March 2003 to complete my manuscript.
Her articles appeared in Postwar Journal (3 November 1945–4 February 1946).
Green Bay beat Denver 31–24.
The legislature voted 101–13 to adopt the resolution.
2. 後面什麼也不接。好比用於表示年代,若事件仍在進行中,en dash 後面不要加空格。
例句:
Professor Plato's survey (1999–) will cover the subject in the final volume.
Jane Doe (1950–); or Jane Doe (b. 1950)
3. 代替 hyphen 的用途。在複合型形容詞中,若是其中一個構成元素是開放型複合詞,或者若是其中兩個或多個構成元素是開放型複合詞或帶 hyphen 的複合詞,那麼應使用 en dash。
例句:
the post–World War II years
a hospital–nursing home connection
a nursing home–home care policy
a quasi-public–quasi-judicial body (or, better, a judicial body that is quasi-public and quasi-judicial)
在上述前三例中,post 和 World War II,hospital 和 nursing home,以及 nursing home 和 home 都是所屬新的複合詞中的元素,這些元素自己已是開放型複合詞,爲了不混淆和層次清晰,應使用 en dash 來鏈接。第四例中,quasi-public 和 quasi-judicial 是兩個獨立的均帶 hyphen 的複合詞,它們須要進一步鏈接起來,因此中間用了 en dash。
用來對照的反例以下:
non-English-speaking peoples
a wheelchair-user-designed environment (or, better, an environment designed for wheelchair users)
U.S.-Canadian relations
上述前兩例都是單個詞的複合,儘管由三個以上元素構成,一概都用 hyphen。第三例中,複合詞的縮寫(U.S.)視爲一個詞,因此也用 hyphen。
4. 其餘用法:en dash 有時用做減號,儘管二者原則上並不是同一個符號。另外,它也能夠用於鏈接擁有不一樣校區的大學。
例句:
the University of Wisconsin–Madison
the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
EM DASH (—)
1. 它的用法最複雜、最靈活。爲了不混淆,一個句子不該包含超過兩個 em dash,若是實在須要,應使用圓括弧。
2. 用於詳述或解釋。基本至關於一組逗號、圓括弧,或冒號的用途。
例句:
It was a revival of the most potent image in modern democracy—the revolutionary idea.
The influence of three impressionists—Monet, Sisley, and Degas—is obvious in her work.
The chancellor—he had been awake half the night—came down in an angry mood.
She outlined the strategy—a strategy that would, she hoped, secure the peace.
My friends—that is, my former friends—ganged up on me.
3. 用於分隔引導從句的代詞。
例句:
Consensus—that was the will-o’-the wisp he doggedly pursued.
Broken promises, petty rivalries, and false rumors—such were the obstacles he encountered.
Darkness, thunder, a sudden scream—nothing alarmed the child.
Kingston, who first conceived the idea; Barber, who organized the fundraising campaign; and West, who conducted the investigation—those were the women most responsible for the movement's early success.
4. 表示思考或對話中句子結構的忽然中斷,有時也可用省略號代替。
例句:
"Will he—can he—obtain the necessary signatures?" asked Mill.
"Well, I don't know," I began tentatively. "I thought I might—"
"Might what?" she demanded.
但若是中斷來自於所引用材料的外部,em dash 應當出如今引號的外面。例如:
"Someday he's going to hit one of those long shots, and"—his voice turned huffy—"I won't be there to see it."
5. 替代逗號,或與逗號一塊兒使用。若是在須要使用 em dash 時,須要用逗號來分隔從句和獨立分句時,逗號能夠省略。
例句:
Because the data had not been fully analyzed—the reason for this will be discussed later—the publication of the report was delayed.
但若是 em dash 出如今引用材料的末尾表示中斷,應當在說話人的身份以前用逗號。例句:
"I assure you, we shall never—," Sylvia began, but Mark cut her short.
6. 和其餘標點連用。通常來講,em dash 能夠跟在問號、感嘆號的後面,但不能跟在逗號、冒號、分號的後面,也幾乎不能跟在句號的後面。
例句:
All at once Richardson—can he have been out of his mind?—shook his fist in the ambassador's face.
Only if—heaven forbid!—you lose your passport should you call home.
7. 用於代替引號。有些法語做家經常使用 em dash 代替引號表示對話,每段話另起一段。
例句:
—Will he obtain the necessary signatures?
—Of course he will!
8. 用於索引。
例句:
—body armor: cuirass, 135–36, 147, 152,
244, 258, 260, 311; greaves, 135, 179,
260; helmets, 101, 135, 147, 221, 243,
258
2-EM 和 3-EM DASHES (—— and ———)
雙重和三重的 em dash 相對少見,但也是正規的標點符號,能夠介紹一下。
2-em dash 用來表示單詞拼寫不全,或名字的省略,或粗話的省略,或沒法識別的字跡等。若是整個單詞都丟失了,2-em dash 的左右兩側都應留出空格,若是隻有一部分丟失,那麼在 2-em dash 和單詞現存部分之間不該有空格。若是 2-em dash 表明整個單詞的結束,那麼以後應留出正常的詞間空格。
例句:
"The region gives its —— to the language spoken there.
Admiral N—— and Lady R—— were among the guests.
David H——h [Hirsch?] voted aye.
3-em dash 用於參考文獻(bibliography),後面接一個句號(.),表示和上一條是同一個做者。
例句:
———. The Last Dinosaur Book. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998.
關於 en dash 和 em dash的用法,在英、美略有習慣差別,例若有的英國出版機構,如劍橋大學出版社、企鵝、勞特里奇等,喜歡用兩邊帶空格的 en dash 來替代兩邊不帶空格的 em dash,但這在美國不多見,而另外一部分英國出版機構,如牛津大學出版社,也支持美國那種兩邊不帶空格的 em dash 風格。
下面解決第二個問題,在科學論文中,這幾種標點的使用有什麼特殊之處。
通常性的使用,如鏈接複合詞、數字、年代等,和上面介紹的普通用法一致,但有兩點或許須要特別注意。
1. 慎用 en dash
爲了不和減號混淆,有的地方最好不要用 en dash。
例句:
with temperature of −5 to 25°C 【正確】
with temperature of −5–25°C 【錯誤】
−4 to −6°C 【正確】
−4– −6°C 【錯誤】
2. 少用 em dash
有一部分科技論文寫做參考書,例如
Mastering Scientific and Medical Writing: A Self-help Guide,認爲在科技論文中三種 em dash 一概不該採用,em dash 常常表示一種強有力的打斷,若是可能,最好用更平滑、更柔和的圓括弧替代。
權威的
Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers 也不推薦在參考文獻中使用 3-em dash 來表示相同做者這一格式。