摘 要

目前，国内许多学者研究汽车专业术语，比如词根词缀、缩略语、类比词、复合词等等方向。“专业英语”一词曾流行一时，学者们发表了大量相关的研究文章，甚至出版了教科书。然而，这些材料、专著和文章大多侧重于翻译理论、方法和策略。如今，英语不仅是英语专业的学生，而且是每个领域的从业人员所应具备的的技能和工具。汽车英语及相关研究应树立明确的受众。本文主要面向汽车专业学生，研究汽车工程领域的词汇。科技英语虽然严谨而专业，但它也呈现许多生活化的表现和规律。其次，汽车机械英语有其研究的难度和价值，由于专业知识的缺乏和机械英语本身的枯燥性，更体现出汽车专业英语学生掌握专业词汇的急迫性。本文试图将较专业的词汇理论以更生动和生活化的方式阐述。所以本文没有任何崭新的词汇学理论出现，但是却是将现有词汇学理论迁移至汽车专业英语的实例展示。

关键词：英语学习；汽车专业英语词汇； 非英语专业；

Abstract

So far, there are many scholars in China who study technical automobile terms, and most of them focus on root affixes, abbreviations, analogical words, compound words, and so on. The term "technical English" used to be popular and hot, and a number of related research articles, even Textbooks have been published. However, these materials, monographs and articles focus mostly on translation theories, methods and strategies. Nowadays, English is not only for English majors, but skills and tools for everyone in a certain field. Automobile English and relevant researches should set up a definite audience. This paper mainly focuses on vocabulary in the field of automotive engineering, and take the view of students of automobile majors. Although scientific English is rigorous and professional, but it is also constituted of living expression and regularity. secondly, automobile mechanical English has its research difficulty and value, due to the lack of professional knowledge and the tedium of mechanical English, many automobile major students are looking forward to it. This paper will put professional theories in vocabulary into automobile English in a more vivid way for non-English majors. Thus, no new theories will be listed in this paper, but it is the transfer of professional vocabulary theories we already have to automobile English vocabulary.

Key Words: English learning; Automobile English vocabulary: Non English major

Contents

1 Introduction 1

2 Characteristics of automobile English 2

2.1 Classification 2

2.2 Characteristics 3

2.3 Productivity of terms 4

3 Examples 5

3.1 calque 5

3.2 Pictographic characters 6

3.3 Combination of general meaning 7

3.3.1 Compoud word 7

3.3.2Phrase 8

3.4 Abbreviations 8

4 Discussion 9

4.1 Automobile English vocabulary memorizing 9

4.2 Automobile English vocabulary teaching 9

5 Conclusions 11

References 12

Acknowledgements 14

Comparison of Meanings of English Words Used in General VS in Special Field Based on an Automobile Dictionary

1 Introduction

Under the Chinese educational system, the the author, as an English major, has also acquired knowledge of mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, and many other natural sciences. During the University, the English major offered the course of technical English. Moreover, as far as students are concerned with non English majors, then the author feels that as a student in China, it seems to have been a past goal to be able to communicate in English. However, it is difficult to combine English with natural science, and it can also arouse people's interest. In the English major, the author is also exposed to more systematic knowledge of the word level, but is devoted to the study of English literature in this subject. Therefore, the author hopes to combine the systematic theories of English major with the major of automobile, and touch some sparks. And the author will combine some well-known public knowledge of words. In the course of data searching, the author founds that there were quite a few scholars and English educators specializing in automotive English. Many theories are very perfect and of great reference value. Very few articles, however, are devoted to the study of automotive English from the perspective of students. The author's theoretical knowledge is limited, and the knowledge is limited, and many things can not be discussed. Therefore,the author discusses the vocabulary of English major from the students' point of view, give more examples and make it easier to understand. The author hopes to make up for the deficiency of theory. From the point of view of the automotive majors, the overly professional theory hinders understanding. This paper provides a classification of professional English, science and technology, the word as a separate category. This is because sub tech words will be the focus of discussion in this article. Sub - scientific words are based on English high-frequency words, that part of Chinese college students already know. To discuss the profound and long or uncommon words are meaningless. Compare the meanings of words in several ways. Then the author tries to convince the reader that part of the scientific word is derived from the meaning of the high-frequency word. Words that cannot be explained by this theory are explained by derivatives. By analyzing the meanings of roots and affixes, we can also determine the meaning of some specialized English words. If we explain these two theories in detail, it will take hundreds of thousands of words and more, and the author's knowledge can not explain them clearly. Therefore, the choice of easy to master part of the exposition, when students master these simple theory, and then contact the more advanced and perfect theory, will also receive better results.

2 Characteristics of automobile English

This part is intended to give a basic concept of how to classify automobile English vocabulary on the basis of understanding and memorizing. Although for college students of automobile major in China, there seems to be countless automobile English vocabulary and they seem to be of great difficulty and tedium, after having a clear classification, most of them can be divided into limited groups. After make a distinction between different types of Automobile English, according to this kind of classification rule, there will be concrete examples.

2.1 Classification

The term "technical vocabulary" refers to the concise and unified title of industry which is extracted in a specific field. The prominent feature of specialized vocabulary is that the meaning of a certain word in a particular field is relatively fixed and the application is unified. One may consume that the professional vocabulary is representative of the general concept of a particular subject or field. In practical applications, they can not be replaced by other words at a given location, and in a particular field of expertise, the use of different words often represent a certain meaning not even close to what it means generally. In the field of mechanical engineering, many specialized words also have such a similar characteristics. For example, the shaft in the field of mechanical engineering usually denotes the meaning of the shaft, which represents the shaft in the field of Geology and mineral resources (Tan, 2013). While, Automobile specialty English is mainly used to introduce modern car knowledge, including professional knowledge and industry application of automobile manufacturing, testing and maintenance, so the automobile professional English has its own special vocabulary and terminology, the word strict standard, high degree of specialization. Such as crankshaft, piston, gear, solenoid, valve, and so on (Lian, 2011). For Chinese students, English vocabulary that used in daily life is enough to breed fear to English, saying nothing of specialty English. Thus, the classification is based on how Chinese students can memorizing this difficult “kind” of English.

In this way, there are three main categories of technical English vocabulary: technical vocabulary and sub scientific words which refers to words that introduced in general English, functional words which refers to prepositions, conjunctions, and etc. As you may know, this paper will focus on sub scientific words, considering that the target is students with foundation of English study.

2.2 Characteristics

To clearly classify English vocabulary, no one shall escape the step of explore origin of English vocabulary. In period of Old English(AD449-1150), there are fifty to sixty thousand of Germanic which belongs to Anglo-Saxon that take a leading position. Today, they become the main part of “Native Words”. It can be precisely explained by the following examples. In general English, the phenomenon of multiple meaning of word and polysemy are common, such as the universal word, "make", "do", “think”, "have". Representative characters of this type of words is “wr”, “th”, “c”. In different contexts, different meanings can be assigned. Besides, probably all the functional words like "on", "in", "and". Most of them are monosyllabic words. Even most verb, like “work”, “worry”, “cook”, This kind of vocabulary is also called “Non-affixation words”, also “Zero Derivation”. Precising speaking, they share an obvious feature, short. 33% of vocabulary of Modern English is constituted by Germanic(Li，2008). Thus, with experiences of English study, when one begins to learn automobile English, this part is where we might feel no difficulty and be beneath one’s attention.

When Chinese students learn English, zero derivation which is also called simple words is simple to master. Longer words, derivation is the real point. Sub scientific words belong to this classification. It refer to those words which are assigned different meanings according to different subjects and fields, and are confined to a wide range of scientific English. According to statistics, in the EST vocabulary, the proportion of such words is very large, accounting for more than 80%. These words are often extended to different subject areas according to their different contexts, forming a semantic field. Take the example of how we use the word “dog”adjustable dog (可调行程限制器)，locking dog (制动爪)，spike dog(道钉），stop dog(止动器）, watch dog（密码识别软件). While we begin to learn automobile English, semantic field is exactly what we are going to focus on, or type of words with same features. The reason is that with such a large amount of vocabulary, Sub scientific words are not 100% new words for a Chinese students with foundation of basic English learning experience.

After Old English, the main development of “Middle English” vocabulary was the introduction of thousands of Latin and French words, because the Norman who used French and Latin ruled England during this period. Representative characters of Middle English is “j”, “-ch”. The development of modern English vocabulary begins with the influence of the European renaissance. Because of great attention and imitation of ancient Greek and ancient Rome culture, Latin words poured into English again. At the same time, tens of thousands of Greek words such as language, literature, medicine, chemistry, and other social sciences and natural sciences have begun to enter English directly or indirectly.Today, Latin words and Greek are called “Classical Words”, also “Borrowed Words”. Representative characters of Middle English is “gh”, “ph”, “rh”(Li, 2008). Fro example, “cylinder block”, “gasket”, “margin”. Since eighteenth Century, with the development of society, economy and science and technology, English has also created a large number of new words and concepts, such as “New-classical Words”, with classical morpheme as the raw material. This is because native words are mostly words that represent basic things, basic concepts, and basic relationships. It also means that it is difficult to make too much change in the native language, in addition to forming phrases. Today, Latin and Greek etymology of words in English vocabulary for the proportion of the total is 56%. New-classical words in automobile English is what we called technical vocabulary. Technical vocabulary are generally longer in morphology and more complex in structure, but have a specific meaning, such as hydrometer, turbotrain, synchronizer inner cone, diaphragm spring, hydraulic front disc breaks, superconductivity, and so on. They are difficult for Chinese to read and remember, even the word-formation seems to be strange and unfamiliar. While, they are relatively difficult, the proportion it takes is low, and the frequency that people use this kind of word is also not high.

2.3 Productivity of terms

There are two main trends of English words for science and technology: one is the new words and the new emergence of a large number of two, is widely used in many scientific and technical terms is widely penetrated into everyday language. The productivity of the term is embodied in the speed of vocabulary generation and transformation. One example of this type is the use of words within the English language, which refers to the names of animals, articles of common use, and human organs, and extends them to professional terms. First, The names of animals, articles of common use, and human organs are borrowed , such as, “cock, fish, fox, horse, pig, monkey”, refers to “旋塞/吊车，夹板，绳索，支架，金属锭块，活动扳手”. Second, everyday Objects, “bed, bench, cap, coat, cup, desk, shoe”, “for “底座，拉床，轴承盖，镀层，轴套，控制屏，履带片”. Third, “ ear, eye, foot, hand, nose, tooth” for “吊钩，孔环，支座，手柄，喷嘴，粗糙面”.

3 Examples

3.1 calque

The appearance of a large number of imitations, the words that are about to express one thing, are used to express another thing of the same kind. Such as blue-collar worker is not collar of blue color but the superior of manual labor. Grey-collar worker，means not the color of collar but service industry workers. In addition to the use of metaphor, that is because the two things are similar in character, and it refers to the use of a word that refers to another thing metaphor is based on similarity and association. It produce neologisms with a variety of forms or grounds. For example, the similar to the shape. “Wing”, the general meaning of the word "wings", the two forelimbs of most birds, the scientific meaning of "wing", “a part of building projecting on one side of, or subordinate to, a central or main part”, or “a position to the side and just to the rear of another airplane”. "crane ", “any large wading bird of the family Gruidae”, means “crane” that is a device for lifting and moving heavy weights in suspension. "tooth", “one of the hard bodies or processes usually attached in a row to each jaw”, also means “gear”, etc. The second is functional similarity. Such as “monkey”, the general sense of the word "any mammal of the order Primates, including the guenons, macaques, langurs", science and technology meaning "piling hammer"."pecker”- which refers to “woodpecker” also means “perforator”. Finally, the similar relationship. Such as “baby”, the general meaning of the word "an infant or very young child", in scientific and technical English, is used to refer to small things, “baby car” (micro car), “baby carrier “(light aircraft carrier), “baby tower” (small distillation tower). (Wu, 2013)

“housing” (壳体) in machinery means “a fuel enclosed case and support for a mechanism”. While generally means”any shelter, lodging, or dwelling place”. The high frequency word, “starter”, refers to “起动机” in automobile English. “reverse” which means “opposite or contrary in position, direction, order, or character” refers to “producing movement in a mechanism opposite to that made under ordinary running conditions；a reverse gear，or a reverse turbine” in automobile English，Chinese meaning is “倒档”. (Zhang, 2015)

At last, an interesting type is words with images. It refers to the words of the shape of the word according to the term. In English words, the shape of an object is usually represented by letters, and has no specific meaning. For example, “H-beam, I-bar, O-ring, T-rest, U-steel, V-belt, V-notch”, and so on. The shape is obvious put in the word formation, like “H, I, V , T, U”. That is also the same in Chinese words, such as, “工字梁，工字钢，O 形环，T 字刀架，槽钢，三角皮带，V 形切口”. While some words are like “cross-bit” for “十字钻头”, “twist drill” for “麻花钻”.

3.2 Pictographic characters

The memory strategy of picture impression transfer is to obtain the image of the word in the brain by pictures. The position, shape, function, or function of the word can be transferred to the position, shape, function or function of the automobile parts. For example, from the crown image, the crown is often worn on top of the head and its position is moved to the piston. There we get the word “piston crown”, which means “the head of the piston. The memory strategy of image transfer can make abstract concepts become images and simplify complex professional vocabulary. This memory strategy can also be divided into human organs, image transfer, jewelry or clothing, image transfer, and other objects or utensils image transfer. (Wu, 2013)

3.3 Combination of general meaning

3.3.1 Compound word

What is the matter of automobile vocabulary and compound words. There are several examples. “flyweights” (飞快), “camshaft”（凸轮）, “manifold” (歧管), “transmission” (汽油机）, and so on. Words like flyweights and synchronizer are words never heard by Chinese college level students, while “fly-”, “-weight”, “-shaft” are high frequency affix or suffix for us. Theoretically, since the basic meaning of the derived words comes from the root semantics and the affix semantics, then all the semantic information provided by the root affixes can be derived from the whole meaning of the derivative words. The basic meaning of a considerable number of words is almost equal to the sum of the root meaning and the meaning of the affix. Even the equivalent words in Chinese are also quite a few. These words are called dominant words. For this kind of word, making a guess of the whole meaning according what we have already knew can always get the right answer.

Of course, the situation is more complex. A considerable number of derivatives belong to hidden words. Their original meaning is not simply equal to the sum of the meanings of the morphemes of word formation. On the one hand, the original meaning of derivative words often contains the original intention of coinage.On the other hand, with the development of society, the meanings of derivatives also becomes more complex. This is not regular in automobile English, so here we just give several examples, but not explain more. “equ- (相等)”plus “-ator (使...者)”, there will be “equator” (赤道). “ori- (上升)” plus “-ent (...地方)”, there will be “orient”, which means “东方”, because that is where the sun rises.

3.3.2 Phrase

Words like “value seat”(气门座圈), is not compound words, but like phrase. Two or more words with general meaning being put together are used in Automobile English as a new concept. Others like “value keeper”(气门锁块）, “value guide”(气门导管), “rocket arm”(摇臂), “locket nut”(锁紧螺母), “rocket arm pivot seat”(摇臂支点球座), and so on. Words like arm, locket, nut, seat, are high frequency words used in daily life. They will not be able to form up complex automobile-field meaning by itself. But putting them together like compound word makes an amazing result. In fact, this type of word is the easiest kind to be remembered, because they also show a same feature that they both are high frequency words. One may easily rise his vocabulary with thousands of words without hard memorizing only one can expand the meaning of a normal high frequency words.

3.4 Abbreviations

Automobile English used abbreviations in large numbers. In the course of the development of automobile specialized English, a part of the word is gradually used for convenience. Abbreviations are mostly professional phrases that are concise and intuitive and consist of the first letter of each word. They are usually capitalized. For example: A/C (Air Conditioning) air conditioning, ABS (Anti - lock Brake System) the anti lock brake system, BDC (Bottom Dead Center) under CMFI (Central Multiport Fuel center, Injection) central point fuel injection, EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) electronic controlled gasoline direct injection system, IA (Intake Air) intake. There is also one word abbreviated vocabulary, such as: IN (Intake) air intake, BAT (Battery) battery, CHG (Charge) charge, SOI (Solenoid) coil, T (Torque) torque, HP (horse power) horsepower, km (kilometer) km.

4 Discussion

4.1 Automobile English vocabulary memorizing

What has been listed in this paper is artless learning and memorizing theory of Automobile English with plenty examples, like calque, Pictographic characters, and Combination of general meaning. Derivative, which is not a small number in English vocabulary. It is a new word which is changed from root to affix into another meaning. Affix divided into prefix and suffix, each prefix and suffix have certain meanings and functions, such as: “pre-”, means “said in advance..., Before preview, preview”; “over-” , means “across, in..., on and over”, such as “overhead”, “overcharge” , “overcharge excessive”. “dis/un/in/im/il/ir-” is the negative prefix, “dis-like” means “does not love”, “infinite” means “unlimited”, “impossible” refers to “can not”, “illegal”, means “not legal”. Master affix will play a great help for the expansion of the memory of the words and vocabulary. That works both in general English and Automobile English.Mnemonics. On the other hand, the pronunciation of some words in English can be translated directly into Chinese vocabulary, these are well mastered. Such as “Jeep” as “JiPu”, “Olympic” as “AoLinPiKe”, “modern” as “MoDeng”, “tank” as “TanKe”.