缩写单词是否要加点People are often uncertain about whether or not to use full stops in
abbreviations. Here are some guidelines:
人们经常不确定到底什么时候要在缩写词后面加个点,什么时候不用。 下文是遥规则:
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:
在英国英语和美国英语中,如果缩写是从各单词的首字母得来的,通常无须加点,如:
BBC(British Broadcasting Corporation英国广播公司)
CNN(Cable News Network美国有线电视资讯网)
UK(the United Kingdom联合遥国)
NATO(the North Atlantic Treaty Organization北大西洋公约组织)
IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency遥原子能遥)
2. In American English, however, it is common to use a full stop as an
alternative style for certain abbreviations, in particular:
但是,在美国英语中,有些缩写可以加点也可以不加点,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:
如果缩写是由首字母和末尾字母组成的,则无须加点,如:
Mr(Mister先生)
Dr(Doctor医生)
4. If the abbreviation consists only of the first part of a word, then you
should put a full stop at the end:
如果缩写只是某个单词开头的几个字母组成,则需要加点,如:
Wed. (Wednesday周三)
Dec. (December十二月)