人們經(jīng)常不確定到底什么時(shí)候要在縮寫詞后面加個(gè)點(diǎn),什么時(shí)候不用。下文是使用規(guī)則:
1. In both British and American English, if you are using initial (i.e. first) letters to represent words, you don’t normally need to put a full stop after them:
在英國(guó)英語(yǔ)和美國(guó)英語(yǔ)中,如果縮寫是從各單詞的首字母得來(lái)的,通常無(wú)須加點(diǎn),如:
BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation英國(guó)廣播公司)
CNN(Cable News Network美國(guó)有線電視新聞網(wǎng))
UK(the United Kingdom聯(lián)合王國(guó))
NATO(the North Atlantic Treaty Organization北大西洋公約組織)
IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency國(guó)際原子能機(jī)構(gòu))
2. In American English, however, it is common to use a full stop as an alternative style for certain abbreviations, in particular:
但是,在美國(guó)英語(yǔ)中,有些縮寫可以加點(diǎn)也可以不加點(diǎn),如:
USA or U.S.A.
US or U.S.
3. If an abbreviation consists of the first and last letters of a word, you don’t need to use a full stop at the end:
如果縮寫是由首字母和末尾字母組成的,則無(wú)須加點(diǎn),如:
Mr(Mister先生)
Dr(Doctor醫(yī)生)
4. If the abbreviation consists only of the first part of a word, then you should put a full stop at the end:
如果縮寫只是某個(gè)單詞開(kāi)頭的幾個(gè)字母組成,則需要加點(diǎn),如:
Wed. (Wednesday周三)
Dec. (December十二月)