Strange English sentence

[Kenny同志]

I need to translate this passage into Chinese as my homework.

Batch reactions are dedicated for good quality in polymerization schemes. Condensation polymerizations with exacting stoichiometric requirements are best done in batch weighings give stoichiometry control than continuous flow metering. Reactions with a potential for crosslinking are also best done in batch since a flow reactor might eventually foul. Condensation polymers and living polymers such as anionically polymerized vinyl addition polymers give the lowest polydispersity when done in batch. This limiting polydispersity is 2.0 for batch polycondensations carried to high conversion and 1.0 for batch anionic polymerization which go to high molecular weights. Anionic polymerization may foul flow reactors because molecular weights become arbitrarily high in the low-velocity regions near a wall.

I find the second sentence puzzling.

Condensation polymerizations with exacting stoichiometric requirements are best done in batch weighings give stoichiometry control than continuous flow metering.

Is "give" properly used? I mean, is the sentence grammatical? There seem to be two predicates here, "are" and "give".

Thanks in advance.

PS: there is "tighter" between "give" and "stoichiometry". I am sorry.

Edited January 5, 2010 at 05:19 AM by kenny2006woo

[imron]

It feels like there are some words missing in that sentence.

At a bare minimum I would say it should be something like "and give more", or "because they give less", however I have no idea what stoichiometry control means so I can't tell you which one of those, if any is actually suitable.

I would speak with your teacher for further clarification. You never know, that actually might be part of the homework - e.g. testing to see who actually asks when they encounter something that doesn't make sense, compared to those who try to translate it anyway In translation, the former is perfectly acceptable (especially when dealing with specialist subject matter), but the latter is a sin.

[HedgePig]

I find it puzzling too The comparative "than" also seems to be missing something.

Maybe this should be two sentences?

Condensation polymerizations with exacting stoichiometric requirements are best done in batch. Weighings give [better?] stoichiometry control than continuous flow metering.

Apologies for quick reply. I'm sure you'll get a better answer from someone else.

HedgePig

[abcdefg]

Is "give" properly used? I mean, is the sentence grammatical?

Kenny, I think it's a typo or a mistake.

Condensation polymerizations with exacting stoichiometric requirements are best done in batch weighings give stoichiometry control than continuous flow metering.

I think "give" should be "given." With this change, the sentence makes sense.. The meaning then becomes that *batch weighings* produce more accurate results than *flow metering* in this situation. The rest of your paragraph explains why.

This isn't really English, it's Scientific-eze. It's somewhat related to Medical-eze, which I speak as a second language. Glad I don't have to translate it into Chin-eze.

Edited January 4, 2010 at 08:56 PM by abcdefg

[Kenny同志]

Thank you all for your reply.

I need to sit an exam at 9 a.m. and don't have enough time to go into detail. Till afternoon then.

[anonymoose]

fishy English sentence

I don't think using the word "fishy" here is very appropriate. "Fishy" usually means strange in the sense that someone is trying to hide something, or there is an ulterior motive which is being disguised. For example, say your husband comes home later than usual, and then you find out he's having an affair, you could say "I knew there was something fishy going on when he came home late". But in the case of your sentence, there is just something wrong with it, but it is not because of anything else happening that shouldn't be happening. You could say "Strange English sentence".

[Kenny同志]

Thanks for letting me know that, Anonymous.

[Lugubert]

Probably too late, but I think only a (semi)colon is missing (or you could split it into two sentences):

Condensation polymerizations with exacting stoichiometric requirements are best done in batch; weighings give stoichiometry control than continuous flow metering.

And I would have written

weighing gives better stoichiometry ...