【英語論文の書き方】第36回　％と℃の前にスペースを入れるかどうか 論文翻訳・英文校正　研究者専門の翻訳会社　ワールド翻訳サービス

前回の第35回では
(1) ”good” "bad" などの主観的な表現について。
(2)  略語を書き出すときによくある間違いとは？
(3) ”trouble”　という単語について。 論文で使う時の注意点とは？
を取り上げました。

今回の3つのテーマはこちらです！

(1) The question of spaces before percentage and degree signs:
Differences between the SI system and standard American English style
英語論文で「％と℃については、数値との間にスペースを入れない」と
覚えている方が多いと思いますが、この件について詳しく解説します。

(2) The middle of or mid-? Which is better?
”the middle of”と"mid-”ではどちらがよりふさわしい表現でしょうか？ 
ネイティブから見た印象をお伝えします。

(3) X or more versus more than X: An important distinction in English
”X or more”と ”more than X”はハッキリとした違いがあることをご存知ですか？
日本人によくある間違いなので、要チェックです。

In this review, first we investigate some differences between the SI system and standard American English style, particularly with regard to spaces used with abbreviated units of measure. We then compare the expression middle of with the prefix mid-, and end with a reminder about the importance of distinguishing between expressions such as “X or more” and “more than X,” which are quite different in meaning.

In the Winter 2012 issue of Quarterly Review, toward the end of item (2), we looked briefly at the question of whether to insert a space between a numeral and a degree sign (indicating temperature), noting that some scientific bodies have a policy of inserting a space (the “open style”; e.g., 10 °C) while others do not use a space (the “closed style”; e.g., 10°C). Since this problem comes up from time to time, let’s examine it in a little more detail here.
 
The use of the closed or open style basically comes down to the difference between the standard American English style and the style prescribed by the International System of Units (abbreviated SI, from the French name for this system, Système international d’unités). The word units refers to units of measurement such as meters, grams, liters, and so on, particularly to their abbreviated forms (m, g, L, etc.). In the SI style, which has been adopted by many countries including most European countries, the open style is used for virtually all units including the degree sign and the percentage sign. In American English style, on the other hand, the open style is used for virtually all units except for the degree sign and the percentage sign.
 
Since English scientific papers in Japan are usually written in American English style (unless they are to be submitted to a journal that specifies a different style), we don’t usually insert a space before the degree sign nor before the percentage sign. On the other hand, in Japan we use the metric system (which is prescribed in the SI system) rather than the U.S. customary system of units, so we describe things in terms of centimeters rather than inches, kilometers rather than miles, grams rather than ounces, and so on.
 
This can all become quite confusing, so let me give some examples here to clearly show the differences:

• Degree sign (indicating temperature)

Japan: 10°C (closed)            U.S.: 10°F (closed)         SI style: 10 °C (open)

• Percentage sign

Japan and U.S.: 10% (closed)           SI style: 10 % (open)

• Degree, minute, and second signs (indicating geographic coordinates)

Japan and U.S.: N 35°21'14" (closed)           SI style: N 35° 21' 14" (Open, but note that in the case of geographic coordinates there is no space between the numeral and the degree, minute, and second signs.)
 
To summarize, I recommend that you use the American (closed) style as your default style for the degree sign (indicating temperature) and the percentage sign, unless the journal that your paper will be submitted to uses the SI (open) style, in which case you should conform with that journal’s style.

Expressions indicating the middle part of a month such as in the middle of January are not wrong, but mid-January has exactly the same meaning and is preferable in scientific writing because it is more concise and has a slightly more sophisticated feeling. The same applies to years and seasons: in mid-2016 would be preferable to in the middle of 2016, and in midsummer (no need for a hyphen) would be preferable to in the middle of summer.
 
We normally use a hyphen between the prefix mid and the subsequent word in the following cases:
(a) if the subsequent word is a proper noun or part of a proper noun (e.g., mid-May, mid-Atlantic Ocean), or
(b) if the combination of mid and the subsequent word is rather unusual (e.g., mid-bite, as in the expression “a photograph of a predator taken mid-bite”).
 
In example (b), the expression mid-bite (meaning “in the middle of biting”) is rarely seen, so it is hyphenated. However, many expressions that previously had a hyphen between mid (or another prefix) and the subsequent word have become so familiar that the hyphen is usually omitted nowadays (e.g., midmorning, midweek). Note that in British English, hyphens are more commonly used between a prefix and the subsequent word (e.g., co-operate) whereas a prefix and the subsequent word are more often joined without a hyphen in American English (e.g., cooperate).
 
Needless to say, a hyphen is not used the case of whole words such as early or late (e.g., late May, early autumn), unless the expression forms a compound adjective (e.g., late-summer temperatures; an early-August deadline).

For some reason, Japanese researchers often tend to overlook the difference between “X or more” (X ijō: 以上) and “more than X” (X chō: 超), as well as that between “X or less” (X ika: 以下) and “less than X” (X miman: 未満). I often find that, when I query such expressions in a paper, the writer wrote “more than X” without realizing that X was not included in that statement.
 
In English scientific writing, this distinction is generally strictly observed, so please be careful not to write, for example, “more than 10” (which excludes 10) when you actually mean “10 or more” (which includes 10), nor to write “less than 10” (which excludes 10) when you mean “10 or less” (which includes 10). Otherwise, you might be expressing quantities incorrectly.
 
Until next time, sincerely yours,
 
Bob Gavey
For World Translation Services, Inc.

第１回　if、in case、when の正しい使い分け：確実性の程度を英語で正しく表現する
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbunwriting-1/index.html
 
第2回 「装置」に対する英語表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun-equipment/index.html
 
第3回　助動詞のニュアンスを正しく理解する：「～することが出来た」「～することが出来なかった」の表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun3/index.html
 
第4回　「～を用いて」の表現：by と with の違い
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun-writing4/index.html
 
第5回　技術英文で使われる代名詞のitおよび指示代名詞thisとthatの違いとそれらの使用法
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun-daimeishi/index.html
 
第6回　原因・結果を表す動詞の正しい使い方：その1 原因→結果
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun6-kekka/index.html
 
第7回　原因・結果を表す動詞の使い方：その2 結果→原因
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun-kekka/index.html
 
第8回　受動態の多用と誤用に注意
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun-writing8/index.html
 
第9回　top-heavyな英文を避ける
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigoronbun-topheavy/index.html
 
第10回　名詞の修飾語を前から修飾する場合の表現法
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun10/index.html
 
第11回　受動態による効果的表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun11/index.html
 
第12回　同格を表す接続詞thatの使い方
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun12/index.html
 
第13回 「技術」を表す英語表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun13/index.html
 
第14回　「特別に」を表す英語表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun14/index.html
 
第15回　所有を示すアポストロフィー + s ( ’s) の使い方
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun15/index.html
 
第16回　「つまり」「言い換えれば」を表す表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun16/index.html
 
第17回　寸法や重量を表す表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun17/index.html
 
第18回　前置詞 of の使い方: Part 1
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun18/index.html
 
第19回　前置詞 of の使い方: Part 2
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun19/index.html
 
第20回　物体や物質を表す英語表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun20/index.html
 
第21回　句動詞表現より1語動詞での表現へ
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun21/index.html
 
第22回　不定詞と動名詞: Part 1
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun22/index.html
 
第23回　不定詞と動名詞の使い分け: Part 2
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun23/index.html

第24回　理由を表す表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun24/index.html

第25回　総称表現　（a, theの使い方を含む）
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun25/index.html
　
第26回　「研究開発」を表す英語表現
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun26/index.html

第27回　「0～１の数値は単数か複数か？」
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun27/index.html

第28回　「時制－現在形の動詞の使い方」
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun28/index.html

第29回 　then, however, therefore, for example など接続副詞の使い方
​http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun29/index.html

第30回　 まちがえやすいusing, based onの使い方－分詞構文
​http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun30/index.html

第31回　 比率や割合の表現（ratio, rate, proportion, percent, percentage）
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun31/index.html

第32回　英語論文の書き方　総集編
http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun32/index.html

第33回　Quality Review Issue No. 23　report, show の時制について
​http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun33/index.html

第34回　Quality Review Issue No. 24　参考文献で日本語論文をどう記載すべきか
​http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun34/index.html

第35回　Quality Review Issue No. 25　略語を書き出すときによくある間違いとは？
​http://worldts.com/english-writing/eigo-ronbun35/index.html