| Lost in translation: 英文职位翻成中文时的误解 |
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ResearchScientist 应该译成 研究员 还是助理研究员? 在我们单位应该是助理研究员, 但在有的学校或研究所, ResearchScientist 是研究员, Research Scientist 可以写grants, supervise post-docs, RAand student. 有博士的研究人员在我们单位分为五级: 1. CSO or CTO, 科学/技术总监; 2. PrincipleScientist, 翻不准, 可译成 首席科学家? 3. Senior Scientist, 高级 或资深 研究员; 4.StaffScientist, 研究员; 5. Research Scientist, 助理研究员. 1-4 级别的都是 principleinvestigator (PI), 有 Research scientist (Ph.D level), researchassociate (MS level), and research assistant (B.S level) 帮着干活. 以前开会时碰到一位老中, 送上来的business card上印着 CEO, CSO, Chairman 的位置, 问他单位几号人,他说还没hire employees. 原来是光杆司令, 正在创业初始. 拿着这卡可能回国能混个高位置. 还有一个位置特别能忽悠人:就是Group leader 可以译成"小组长". 但是小组可以三个人, 也可能是三十个人. 这Group leader要是管30人,那权力和责任就大得多了. 美国大学里的职位比较一致: Dept. chairman, professor, associateprofessor, assistant professor, research professor (non-tenture track)or research scientist, research associate, research fellow, post-doc,research assistant, research technician. 但在Harvard, MIT 这些名校, Researchassociate, research scientist 都有Ph.D. 而且写grant, 手下也有RA或学生. 我另外询问一位从英国来的Ph.D.有关英国大学职位, 基本上是 Professor, Senior lecturer, Lecturer,research fellow, post-doc, RA. 但还有一个位置叫Reader, 比Professor 位置稍低. 另外我认识一位在Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center工作的Ph.D. 此研究所只有Member andAssociate member 两种. 其余都是Non-tenured 的. 听药厂研究所的同学说, 他们单位Ph.D level是:Principle investigator, senior investigator, investigator. MS 和B.S.levels 的: Research scientist, research associate, research assistant.所以总的来说, 英文职位翻成中文时要看这个单位的位置分类, 不可直译. 不然会出笑话. 就象前阵子有人把 Staff Scientist自译成首席科学家. 附件： Appendix: Below is a description of the UK academic system from a friend: In the UK…..and most of Europe……Professor is different to in the US. It is a senior academic position that you get promoted to, usually after passing through the stages of Lecturer and Senior Lecturer. Reader is a less common status which is similar in rank to Professor but not quite as high.
Traditionally, the tenure process took place at the Lecturer stage so if you start off as a Lecturer and you are eligible for tenure after between 3 and 5 years…….assuming you pass. That is what I did. Hence a Lecturer could be tenured or non-tenured depending on their stage in the process. All of the higher ranks are by definition tenured. Once you have tenure at one institution it is essentially transferable to another, simply because nobody would accept a position at a new University if the job offer required them to re-start the tenure process.
However, in principal, people can be appointed to academic positions at any level if they have the necessary experience……..and the University is prepared to pay. So a Senior Lecturer or Reader might seek a Professor position in another University if their current institution refuses to promote them. This results in a lot of mobility between Universities especially as pay scales only rise as you move up in job status.
Instructor/Teaching Assistant positions don’t really exist in the UK. I do not know about elsewhere in Europe. Research Fellows and Post-Docs are obviously non-tenured.
