摘 要

科技写作是以科学和技术为主要内容的写作，而国著名海洋生物学家蕾切尔卡森所著的《寂静的春天》，在写作上不仅做到了科学严谨，有理有据，更不失艺术性。本论文从《寂静的春天》和一般科技写作的写作风格的比较入手，首先从科技写作层面简单介绍《寂静的春天》和一般科技写作的切合点，然后主要从写作顺序，视角和语言特色三个方面分析两者的不同点。

关键词：《寂静的春天》；科技写作；写作风格

Contents

1. Introduction 1
2. Demonstration 2
   1. Introduction of Technical Writing 2
   2. Difference in Writing Order 4
      1. Basic Writing Order of Common Technical Writing 4
      2. Biological-evolution Sequence in Silent Spring 5
   3. Difference in Point of View 7
      1. The Use of Third-person Point of View in Common Technical Writing 7
      2. The Use of Multiple Points of View in Silent Spring 7
   4. Difference in Language Style 8
      1. The Use of Simple and Unadorned Language in Common Technical Writing

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• • 1. The Use of Artistic Language in Silent Spring 10

1. Conclusion 11

Notes 13

Works Cited 14

Bibliography 15

A Study of the Style of Silent Spring in Contrast to Common Technical Writing

1. Introduction

Rachel Louise Carson (May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964) was an American marine biologist and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. In this book, Carson elaborates at length the effects of chemical poisons both on human beings and the environment. According to her analysis, she presents a choice which involves either continued destruction or the setting of a new direction based on preservation, namely alternate methods of pest control.

Aside from being a concerned woman who awakened the world to the dangers in air, earth, and water, Rachel Carson was a gifted writer who created memorable images and finely crafted sentences. Carson accepts the responsibility for the accuracy and validity of the scientific research the book represents.

Carson’s works share a common character that she artfully translates the scientific expertise into general reader’s terms. Although most of her works are classified into technical writing, what impresses readers most is her artful writing style. For example, in Under the Sea Wind, another masterpiece of Carson, she makes an accurate description of the behavior of fish and seabirds in story form, and she creatively names those characters in the story after the scientific names of those species. And such style is especially distinct in Silent Spring.

However, based on what have been searched via CNKI and other sources, most of researchers have paid their attention to the theme of Silent Spring, for example, its idea of ecological philosophy and its significance to the environmental movement. Fewer have put their focus on the writing style and techniques of this book within the limits of technical writing.

So in the first part of this thesis, I will give a brief explanation of Silent Spring’s writing style in the aspect of technical writing, which shows some characters of this book that agree with common technical writing.