Introduction : Beaucoup de Français, bien qu’ayant étudié l’anglais de la sixième à la terminale, se trouvent souvent incapables, à la fin du lycée, de comprendre un interlocuteur anglais ou américain, ou de s’exprimer correctement en anglais.

Ayant poursuivi une carrière de chercheur scientifique, je me suis trouvé ainsi très handicapé en début et même en milieu de carrière. Après une année sabbatique passée en Californie, mes capacités de compréhension et d’expression orale ou écrite s’étaient sensiblement améliorées, mais la rédaction d’articles scientifiques en anglais était encore loin d’être parfaite. Or, pour un chercheur - qu’on le déplore ou non - publier en anglais demeure incontournable s’il veut être reconnu au plan international.

Pour un Français, il est difficile de rédiger avec précision et concision un bon texte en anglais en suivant la structure de phrase française. Un manuscrit d’article soumis à une revue internationale passe systématiquement par un comité de lecture, présidé par un éditeur-associé, lui-même entouré de deux lecteurs-arbitres (reviewers), qui vont examiner sur le fond et sur la forme le manuscrit de façon critique, proposer ou non sa recevabilité pour parution dans la revue et, en cas d’acceptabilité, suggérer des améliorations de forme.

Lorsqu’un article, écrit par un Français, passe entre les mains d’un reviewer anglais qui prend son rôle à cœur, l’article, même accepté sur le fond, revient souvent « peint à l’encre rouge » en raison des innombrables corrections de forme et de maladresses, qui se bornent souvent à la suppression de nombreux mots d’ordre littéraire ou inutiles, qui n’ont pas leur place dans une publication scientifique.

Le reviewer anglais peut ainsi (time is money) vous supprimer 20 ou 30 % des mots employés, réduire ainsi la taille de l’article pour la revue, sans pour autant perdre de sa pertinence ou de sa précision.

J’ai ainsi trouvé important de noter, pendant une dizaine d’années, les suggestions de corrections qui m’avaient été faites (« comment fonctionnait le cerveau anglais »), de façon à en tenir compte par la suite pour améliorer mes textes.

On trouvera ci-dessous, un tableau à deux colonnes avec, pour chaque phrase ou paragraphe : « Ne pas dire » et « Dire plutôt ».

Ce tableau est issu de rédactions touchant aux sujets propres à ma carrière professionnelle, c’est-à-dire la science et la technologie des céréales, mais une partie de ces recommandations peut s’appliquer à tout autre domaine de rédaction scientifique.

D’une façon générale, il peut être recommandé au débutant de ne pas essayer de se mettre devant une feuille blanche et de rédiger directement en anglais à partir de la structure de phrase française qu’on a en tête, mais plutôt de « plagier la forme » (et non le fond, bien sûr) des expressions dont a besoin en s’appuyant sur des textes écrits par des Anglais sur des sujets ou dans des contextes analogues. Le tableau ci-dessous peut y aider. Naturellement, aujourd’hui, des traducteurs élaborés, ne proposent pas simplement des traductions mot à mot, mais proposent des traductions adaptées à différents contextes. Il suffit alors de rechercher celle qui correspond le mieux à son propre contexte.

Quelques autres expressions couramment utilisées dans la rédaction scientifique en anglais :

A diam. of 1.95 and a pitch of 1.45.
A keen, a weak sight.
A steeper gradient ≠ A shallower gradient.
All parameters examined showed significant differences between cultivars at both optimum cooking time and overcooking time.
All values given herein should be considered estimates.
Alternatively, the results could equally accounted for if...
Although this phenomenon is probably of little practical significance, it may provide a valuable clue concerning the basis for pasta quality.
Any further questions, or remarks, or disagreements ?
A-PAGE can uncover more variation than SDS-PAGE.
Are there any indication of... ?
As a result, we do not feel that it would be sensible to continue with our plans and with the greatest reluctance we have decided to cancel the meeting.
As many as the Reviewer's specific comments were addressed.
As stated earlier, the data from this study illustrated that there appear to be no fundamental difference in behaviour between the two classes of wheats.
Currently, we are attempting to prepare and characterize...
Differences in quality appear to be attributable mainly to protein content and gluten strength
Further information was gained on the nature of the proteins involved in the solubility change by subjecting some of the samples to breadmaking.
Furthermore,...
Gliadins are constant, irrespective of conditions or locations of growth
Gluten was the main factor contributing to...
High accuracy fitting to asymetric densitometric curves‚...
HMW protein appears to be critical in determining breadmaking quality.
I am now giving the floor to...
I am sure that you will share in our desappointment; I thank you for your support and apologise for any inconvenience that this cancellation has caused you.
I shall be writing you again as matters develop. I look forward to seeing you in June.
I'd better to shut up soon, it's time for coffee
I'll conclude by...
I'm loosing the thread
In a limited survey of unrelated varieties, an association was found between...
In addition to these factors considered in the preliminary study, spaghetti stickiness could be dependant on a large number of other factors as well.
In addition, a significant tendency to increased pigment loss at increased N fertilization...
In order to gain further knowledge of the genetic control
In the current study, however...
It is a possibility that...
It is not clear why...
It is well established (it is generally recognized) that...
It must be borne in mind that... [Il faut considérer que...]
No commercial breakthrough (percée) will happen overnight
Nonapeptides occur in an interspersed fashion
Of particular interest to the bread was the finding of ...
Ongoing research programme
Optimise---, build---, conduct---, characterise---, investigate
People come up with new ideas (to update the technical annex)
Perhaps you will let me know your travel plans as soon as they are made.
Previous work supported this hypothesis, showing that...
Previously, it was demonstrated that...
Pros and cons of the method (to consider the pros and (the) cons [= considérer le pour et le contre]; much was said pro and con the proposal
Quantitation has not so far been properly studied
Recent studies have conclusively demonstrated that...
Regardless of cause, however, our results demonstrate that...
Researches are continuing to ascribe HMW subunits to good and poor breadmaking quality
Set against this is the result with...
Subsequently, X showed that...
Sufficient time has not elapsed (écoulé, passé) for the accumulation of mutations
The authors have attempted to break new ground in the area of...
The best flour is used for breadmaking because it gives a viscoelastic dough when wetted
The decisive criteria are...
The differences merit (deserves) further studies.
The different tests are all strongly related to gluten strength.
The general tendency was...
The most consistent trend observed in the current study was a tendency for... to...
The pasta data suggested that...
The picture for LMW is much less complete.
The project addresses the influence of... on quality of...
The properties of this dough are largely determinated by the proteins in it
The purpose of the present study was to examine further the interrelationship between pasta dough rheological properties, spaghetti cooking quality and protein properties.
The results of the present study (the effects of... on...) appear to be generally consistent with...
There was an obvious tendency for cooking quality to...
There were significant differences between cultivars for all the spaghetti parameters.
These results can be explained on the basis of...
These results support previous reports that...
They cannot yet be included in the classical scheme.
This holds promise as a new tool for...
This point has not been addressed today [n'a pas été traité]
This reflects the generally inferior...
This review focuses on the use of biochemical tools to predict or evaluate the end-use potential of durum semolina in pasta (in pasta-type products such as pasta or noodles).
This suggested that a fundamental change is occurring.
This was corroborated in the present study.
This work was made in New Zealand; therefore it may not be relevant to our situation.
To come on to sth, I'll come on to that later... [Revenir sur qqch]
To develop and use alternative and novel processing technologies.
To evaluate the proposals that are put forward [Evaluer les projets qui sont presentés].
To fractionate proteins into groups that would be more amenable to quantitative analysis by RP-HPLC
To plot the log Mw of the markers against the log distance travelled
To retain the questions
To select for both glutenin type and smaller amounts of deleterious proteins.
To take sth into account [Prendre qqch en considération]
To this end [à cette fin, à cet effet]
Turns form both between the repeat motifs and spanning the junctions between them
Variation among LMWG subunits is very much less.
We gazed at the view.
We have a very good chance to succeed in our aim to...
We pooled all the cooking data.
When all wheats were considered...
Which proteins are harmful for breadmaking ?
Within sight, out of sight [En vue, hors de vue]
Without tests, reasons for such differences are not easily determined
You will recall our correspondence concerning this meeting to be sponsored by our Institute.
You will watch at it at your leisure.

Phrases de conclusions et de perspectives

Concluding remarks

It' time to bring this meeting to a close

Future trends

Research needs

Views about the future

Opportunities and need

Areas of future research

The future

Epilogue

Summary and future research

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