Основы теории и практики научно-технического перевода и научного общения. Учебное пособие

The popularity of pseudoscience is assured, because it invariably tells us things that are reassuring far past the point of being too good to be true. You are grieving over your beloved lost pet dog? Well, this psychic lady can tell you precisely where to find it, all she has to do is touch its photo! You are 75 years old and in poor health, but this hippy-looking professor says he's right on the verge of discovering how people can live for 5,000 years, even you! Wow, where do we send our money?!? You're 100 pounds overweight and have never been able to slim down? Well, here's a new miracle diet: eat as much as you want of anything you want and still lose weight, by taking this mystical special wonder herb! Only $100 for a 2-week supply!

Moreover, the media provide a continuous bombardment of sheer nonsense, misinformation, fantasy and confusion - proclaimed to be “true facts.” Sifting sense from nonsense is an almost overwhelming job. A typical reporter asked to write an article on astrology thinks he has done a thorough job if he interviews six astrologers and one astronomer. The astronomer says it's all total bunk; the six astrologers say it's great stuff and really works and for $50 they'll be glad to cast anyone's horoscope. Everything in pseudoscience seems to generate something for sale; look for courses in how to remember past lives, how to do remote viewing, how to hunt for ghosts, how to become a prophet, how to heal yourself of any disease mentally, how to get the angels on your side, how to... you name it, you got it... but pay up first.

It is, unfortunately, vital for each citizen to learn to distinguish carefully between science and pseudoscience. In a democracy, every voter must be capable of seeking and recognizing authentic sources of information. Pseudoscience often strikes educated, rational people as too nonsensical and preposterous to be dangerous, a source of amusement rather than fear. Unfortunately, this is not a wise attitude. Pseudoscience can be extremely dangerous. Penetrating political systems, it has justified atrocities in the name of racial or religious purity; penetrating the educational system, it drives out science and sensibility; penetrating the health professions it dooms thousands to unnecessary death or suffering; penetrating religion, it generates fanaticism, intolerance, and holy war; penetrating the communications media, it makes it nearly impossible for voters to obtain factual information on public issues of extreme importance.

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So, to overcome illusion we have to resort to a bit of critical thinking the goal of which is to arrive at the most reasonable beliefs and take the most reasonable actions.

NOTES:

*A Quija board (correctly pronounced "wee-jah" /wiʤə/ although often pronounced "wee-gee" ) is any flat surface printed with letters, numbers, and other symbols, to which a planchette or movable indicator points, supposedly in answer to questions from people at a séance. The fingers of the participants are placed on the planchette that then moves about the board to spell out messages.

Упражнение 10. Прочитайте текст и определите, какое из предложенных ниже утверждений соответствует содержанию текста.

1)Library science is very important today.

2)Social science is treated as synonymous with natural philosophy .

3)«Arts» or «humanities» and physical science are not the same.

4)Natural and physical sciences deal with testable explanations and predictions.

THE MEANING OF THE WORD SCIENCE

1.Science (from Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge") is an enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the world. An older and closely related meaning still in use today is that of Aristotle for whom scientific knowledge was a body of reliable knowledge that can be logically and rationally explained.

2.Since classical antiquity science as a type of knowledge was closely linked to philosophy. In the early modern era the words "science" and "philosophy" were sometimes used interchangeably in the English language. By the17th century, natural philosophy

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3.However, in modern use, "science" is still mainly treated as synonymous with 'natural and physical science', and thus restricted to those branches of study that relate to the phenomena of the material universe and their laws, sometimes with implied exclusion of pure mathematics. This is now the dominant sense in ordinary use. The word "science" became increasingly associated with the disciplined study of physics, chemistry, geology and biology. This sometimes left the study of human thought and society in a linguistic limbo, which was resolved by classifying these areas of academic study as social science.

4.In its turn the term «humanities» or «arts» refers to the sub-

Упражнение 11. Круглый стол.

Panel discussion is the format of a debate in which participants representing various shades of opinion on a topic argue the case, usually under the guidance of a chairperson.

Research Work. Look for the information on the following TOPIC in various sources of information.

Economic and social causes of low birth rates in Russia.

The relevant issues may be useful to consider while discussing the TOPIC:

Financial and social incentives that the Russian government has announced to ensure a stable population.

Survey of the Internet discussions of the birth rate issue. Younger generation opinions on the issue.

Modern families: a profile of a typical family, its living habits, challenges, prospects.

Arrange the information in the written form. Choose a CHAIRPERSON to lead the discussion.

CONTRIBUTE to the discussion.

Strategy Point for PANEL DISCUSSION

Voice opinions you are a party to.

Take turns to practise reporting your ideas on the issue.

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When you report ideas in discussion, you must not read your source material. It is more usual to summarise or paraphrase the ideas in your own words.

Listen carefully to the other students’ reports on their reading and make notes on the key points.

Respond to the arguments of the participants with your own

ideas.

You have to take care to make it very clear to your listeners when you are expressing your own opinions, and when you are reporting ideas you have read or heard about.

Use a repertoire of expressions for voicing strong agreement, disagreement, and all the shades of opinion in between.

Упражнение 12. Подготовьте презентацию на одну из следующих тем и представьте её.

1)A scientific breakthrough, an invention or a discovery that has revolutionised the way we live (both positive and negative consequences of it).

2)Current scientific research that is likely to affect our life in the near future.

3)Scientific research and governmental control over it: is science subject to tighter public control?

4)Nanotechnology: a fake or panacea?

5)The way science fiction films portray human cloning: issues raised and discussed.

6)Curious inventions in Guiness Book of World Records. Their practical value.

ПРИЛОЖЕНИЕ

Key Terms POSTGRADUATE STUDIY academic council – ученый совет

associate professor – доцент университета certificate – удостоверение, сертификат

graduate (from) – закончить высшее учебное заведение graduation paper – дипломная работа

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grant – стипендия

compulsory course – обязательный курс optional course – факультативный курс field of study – область изучения post-graduate (student) – аспирант

to take a post-graduate course – учиться в аспирантуре full time department – дневное отделение

part time department – вечернее отделение

teaching/academic staff – профессорско-преподавательский состав science – наука

scientist – ученый (естественные науки) scholar – ученый (гуманитарные науки)

scientific method /approach/ principle – научный метод /подход/

принцип

scientific work/research – научная работа/исследование scientific society – научное общество

scientific journal – научный журнал

to do/carry out /conduct research – проводить исследования

to devote oneself to academic / research work — посвятить себя науке

research degree – ученая степень

research institute – научно-исследовательский институт research center – исследовательский центр

to award a degree – присвоить степень

to get/take / receive a degree – получить степень to hold / have a degree – иметь степень

a scientific supervisor — научный руководитель

– руководство

research / scientific supervision – научное руководство guide – направлять

offer advice and guidance – дать совет и направление

to define a program of research/study – определить программу (об-

ласть) исследования

expert in the chosen area of research – специалист в избранной об-

ласти исследования

to design work on the thesis – спланировать работу по диссертации research interests – научно-исследовательские интересы

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throughout the period of study – во время всей учебы innovative approach – новаторский подход

holistic approach – целостный подход

dissertation / thesis – научная работа, диссертация

to complete one’s research – завершить исследование

to present one’s thesis for examination – представить диссертацию на обсуждение

to defend one’s thesis – защитить диссертацию

to submit a thesis for hearing at the session of the Academic Council –

представить диссертацию для обсуждения на заседании Ученого совета

to put theory into practice – применять теорию на практике to acquire skills – приобретать умения

to specialize (in) – специализироваться (в)

to undertake further study – продолжить обучение to gain success – добиться успеха

to submit a paper/ an article - представлять статью для публикации a peer-reviewed journal - рецензируемый журнал

SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE conference – конференция

to hold a conference – проводить конференцию

to organize conference – организовать конференцию

to host conference – быть принимающей стороной (устроителем) конференции

to sponsor conference – спонсировать конференцию annual conference – ежегодная конференция regular conference – очередная конференция

forthcoming conference – предстоящая конференция

to take part (participate) in conference – принимать участие в кон-

ференции

participant – участник edition/editor – издание/издатель

organizing committee – организационный комитет preliminary announcement – информационное письмо paper(s) – научная работа(ы), доклад(ы)

poster papers – стендовые доклады review papers – обзорные доклады abstracts – тезисы доклада

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abstract style guidelines – требования к оформлению тезисов agenda – повестка дня

agenda items – пункты повестки

letter/notification of acceptance or rejection – уведомление о приня-

тии (доклада) или отказа

registration – регистрация участников конференции conference proceedings – сборник трудов конференции opening/welcoming address – вступительное слово working language – рабочий язык

speaker – докладчик

to deliver/present a report – выступить с докладом to take the floor – выступить, взять слово

plenary session – пленарное заседание

workshops – секционные заседания/мастерская/семинар discussion – обсуждение

issue/problem under discussion – обсуждаемая проблема to exchange opinions (on) – обменяться мнениями

to fix the date – установить дату

to close a conference – закрыть работу конференции final sitting/session – заключительное заседание closing speech – заключительное слово

INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS study/research visit – научная стажировка

research project – научно-исследовательский проект

to do research on the exchange program(me) – стажироваться по программе обмена

application – заявка на участие

deadline/closing date – конечный срок (подачи документов) a three-months visit – трехмесячная стажировка

to fund the program(me) – финансировать программу to bear/cover expenses – оплачивать расходы

to provide accommodation – предоставлять жилье to arrange a visit – организовать посещение identical approach – идентичный подход collaboration – совместная работа

to be (of) mutual interest – представлять взаимный интерес related fields – сходная проблематика

supplementary documentation – дополнительная документация

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Useful Language for Preparing Reports

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The article deals with …

As the title implies the article describes ...

The paper is devoted to (concerned with)… The fact that … is stressed.

It is reported that …

The text gives valuable information on… Much attention is given to…

It is shown that…

The research includes (covers, consists of) ….

The data (the results of …) are presented (given, analyzed, compared with, collected)

The paper looks at recent research dealing with… The main idea of the article is…

The new method (technique) is discussed (tested, described, shown)… It is stressed that…

The results agree well with the theory …. This method (theory) is based on …. The following conclusions are drawn… The article is of great help to …

The article is of interest to … / The results proved to be interesting (reliable) ….

The study / investigation / research is devoted to… (deals with…, dwells upon…)

An extensive study of the problem of… has been undertaken in the paper.

A comprehensive analysis of … has been presented in the research. The research is aimed at revealing the ways of …

The paper focuses on …

An attempt has been made …

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The main purpose of the paper is to establish the difference in … / to reveal the causes of…/ to eliminate undesirable effect …/ to present systematic description of …

The research is aimed at providing new facts in support of … The novelty of the research can be seen …

We tried to interpret the phenomenon of …

Modern methods of scientific analysis have been applied… Appropriate technique has been used …

We have applied an alternative method which is more flexible … The data obtained enables us to determine …

The findings are in agreement with …

The present observation supports the viewpoint … This phenomenon is closely connected with … The study has revealed a better understanding of …

Certain correlation between … and … has been established. From the analysis of the data it was determined that …

The results obtained show/confirm/indicate/make it possible to conclude/to draw a conclusion that …

The results of … are presented …

As a result of the study some practical recommendations can be given. The findings may find practical application in …

It is suggested that …

To sum up, it should be noted that …

Linking Words and Phrases Used in Academic English

In my opinion/view, to my mind, to my way of thinking, I am convinced that, it is my firm belief that, it seems to me that, as far as I am concerned, I think that...

Firstly, first of all, secondly, thirdly, finally, to start/begin with, concluding: finally, lastly, last but not least … what is more, furthermore, apart from this/that, in addition …

Indeed, naturally, clearly, obviously, of course, needless to say …. However, nevertheless, but, although, even though, in spite of the fact that…

In short, briefly, to put it briefly, all in all, taking everything into account/consideration, on the whole, to sum up …

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