一、科技论文中涉及时态的地方比较多,这里只讨论描述算法、协议、方案等方面时的时态,因为这时可能会使人产生困惑。
在阐述算法、协议、方案等时,只能使用一般现在时和一般将来时,用表示时间的副词或连词then、after、before等指示先后。例如:After A sends a message, B sends an ACK if he/she receives it.(A 发送一个消息之后,B如果收到就发送一个回执。)
这里绝对不能使用一般过去时,After A sent a message, B sends an ACK if he receives it是错误的!不能因为A的动作在B的动作之前就用一般过去时。
上面的例子可以有三个变体:
A sends a message. Then B sends an ACK if he/she receives it.
或者A sends a message. B will send an ACK if he/she receives it.
或者最简单的A sends a message. B sends an ACK if he/she receives it.
二、被动语态的一般现在时就蕴含“完成”,所以一般不要使用被动语态的现在完成时。例如:After the message is split into packets, the protocol delivers the packets to the other end. (消息被分成包以后,协议把这些包发送给另一端。)
下面的写法是不当的:After the message has been split into packets, the protocol delivers the packets to the other end.
注意被动语态慎用by 短语,例如:The message is sent from the server. 不要写成:The message is sent by the server.
The message is split into packets in the server. 不要写成The message is split into packets by the server.