进行一项医学研究,在实验开始之前就应当将专业知识与统计知识结合起来，制定出周密完善的实验设计。在实验设计时,应遵循对照的原则。因此，在医学论文
中,经常涉及有关比较内容的描述，但由于中英文表达习惯和方式的差异，中文作者在撰写英语医学论文时，对比较方法和结果的描述存在的问题较多，下面是对部
分国际英文科技期刊比较句型的应用规律的总结：
1、自身对照的描述
表示“经过某种处理”或“一段时间后”,某项(些) 指标的变化。句中常含表示时间变化的形容词、副词或介词词组,如preoperative
,previously , after , during , with time ,over time 等。另外,也常含有表示变化的动词,
如become ;reach ; increase , elevate ; decrease , decline , fall
,diminish 等。
[ 例1 ] These data suggest that the HEV could be more wide spread than previously thought . 这些数据提示HEV 的传播范围可能比先前认为的更广。
[例2 ] The effect of H/ RZ on tuberculosis diminished over time. H/ RZ 对结核病的效果随时间延长逐渐降低。
2、组间对照的描述
用于实验组与对照组相互比较,或实验组之间相互比较。在描述比较方法时最常用的标志词为compare
[
例1 ] Standardized incidence ratios were calculated to compare the
incidence of malignant disease in patient s with inflammatory myopathy
and the general population. 计算标准化发病率比较炎性肌病患者和普通人群恶性病的发病率。
3、在描述比较的结果时，根据结果有无统计学差异及差异大小分为下面几种情况。
（1）结果无统计学差异，用be similar , did not differ , be not different , had no difference 等表示
[
例1 ] In hospitalized patients , performance on Piagetian tasks of
judgment w as similar to that among children younger than 10 years of
age. 住院患者Piagetian 题目的完成情况与小于10 岁的儿童类似。
[ 例2 ] Patient s with
Karnof sky scores greater than 50 did not perf orm dif f erently than
controls. Karnof sky 评分高于50 的患者的答题正确率与对照组的无区别。
（2） 结果有差异,但不直接说明孰高孰低,而是客观地交待数值,句中常含有表示转折或比较的词,如but ,however ,versus 等
[例
1 ] Male cells were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells f
rom one healthy cont rol at a level of 1 male cell per 10 (6) female
cells , but were not detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of
women with primary biliary cirrhosis. 一个健康对照者外周血单个核细胞中每1/ 10 (6)
个雌性细胞可以检测到1 个含Y-染色体的细胞,但原发性胆汁性肝硬化女性患者外周血单个核细胞中未检测到。
[例2 ] In
all , 86. 5 %of these polyps were recisely diagnosed by EUS. However ,
only51. 7 % were diagnosed by US. EUS 诊断胆囊息肉的准确率为86. 5 % , US 仅为51.7 %。
4 、一(几) 组指标高(早) 于另一(几) 组,常含有more , higher , greater ,earlier 等副词或形容词,或elevate , increase ,rise 等动词或由其演变而来的分词
[
例1 ] Whole- body MR imaging has a higher sensitivity than skeletal
scintigraphy for the detection of bone marrow metastases. 全身MR
诊断骨髓转移的敏感性高于核素扫描。
5 、一(几) 组指标低于另一(几) 组,常用含lower ,decrease ,decline 等词的句子表达
[例
1] Maximum mean relative enhancement ratio and mean slope of relative
enhancement of lung cancer patient s were significantly decreased
compared with those of the healthy volunteers.
肺癌患者的最大平均相对强化率和平均相对强化斜率都明显低于健康人。
6、描述比较内容的注意事项
比较对象要对应。国内作者在使用比较句型时,经常出现比较对象不一致现象。如The levels of lymph TNF and IL-6 of
group A were increased than group B. B 组淋巴液中TNF 和IL-6 水平高于A 组。该例中level
与group B 相比,比较对象之间不对应。应改为: The levels of lymph TNF and IL-6 of group A
were increased than those of group B.
一般来说,可用下面三种方式保持比较对象的对应关系。
a 直接列出比较对象
如1例为patients 与controls 相比，例2为biopsy 与biopsy 相比。
[例
1] Patients with Karnof sky scores of 50 or less responded correctly to
fewer Piagetian tasks than controls . 评分小于等于50 的患者Piagetian 题目正确率小于对照组。
[
例2 ] Stereotactic 11-gauge vacuum-as-sisted biopsy , as compared with
14-gauge automated core or 14-gauge vacuum-assisted biopsy ,was
significantly more likely to spare a surgical procedure . 与14-
G自动核心针或14- G真空探针立体定位活检相比较,11- G真空探针立体定位活检更可能避免外科手术活检。
b 用that 或those 指代比较的对象如下例中用those 指代nonprecipitated amylase levels。
[例
1 ] The nonprecipitated amylase levelsof the patient s were not
different f rom those of the controls. 病例组非沉淀性淀粉酶水平与对照组无明显差异。
c 当对两组对象的某一指标进行比较时,可以将比较的对象放在句子后面,用compared with或than 连接
[例1 ] Telomerase was higher in the dis-tal three segments w hen com pared with the ce-cum . 与盲肠相比,在远端的三段肠管中端粒末端转移酶活性较高。
[例
2 ] The cumulative risk of tuberculosis in the first 2.5 years was
significantly lower in the H/ RZ group than the placebo group. H/
RZ组前2. 5 年的结核病累积危险率明显低于安慰剂组。