中文的「縮寫」，英文有可能是 abbreviation, acronym, 或 initialism。英文的 abbreviation 則是個上位詞 (superordinate/hypernym)，它包括 acronym 和 initialism。
acronym 和 initialism 有什麼區別呢？
Photo: Wikimedia Commons l 照片：維基共享資源
譬如 LASER 是雷射 (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) 的縮寫；NASA是美國航太總署 (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) 的縮寫；OPEC 是石油輸出國家組織 (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) 的縮寫；我們若把這些縮寫當一個字來唸，LASER 唸 /ˈleɪ•zər/，NASA 唸 /ˈnæs.ə/，OPEC 唸 /ˈoʊ.pek/，這樣的縮寫就是 acronym。
至於 initialism 則只是照縮寫後的個別字母唸：
FBI 是 Federal Bureau of Investigation（聯邦調查局）的縮寫，唸 F, B, I； CIA 是 Central Intelligence Agency（中央情報局）的縮寫，唸 C, I, A， 這樣的縮寫就是 initialism。
The abbreviation formed with initialism is not pronounced as a word, rather you say the individual letters, such as FBI & CIA.
世衛組織 2020 年 2 月 11 日宣布，為避免污名化特定地區 (to avoid references to a specific geographical location . . . aimed at preventing stigmatization)，正式將新型冠狀病毒病 (2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease)命名為 COVID-19，並說明 CO 代表冠狀 (Corona)，VI代表病毒 (virus)，D 代表疾病 (disease)。
COVID-19 唸成 /koʊ.vɪd.naɪnˈtiːn/ ，而不是唸 C, O, V, I, D, 19，像這樣的縮寫，英文叫 acronym，不是 initialism。
台灣人熟悉的葉克膜 (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO)，最早引入台灣時，主要用於支持換心患者在接受心臟移植前，或心臟移植後的過渡期，暫時取代心臟功能。然而目前葉克膜已經廣泛用於需要短期心肺功能支持的病患身上。
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) uses a mechanical heart and lung to support the body and give a patient’s organs time to rest. ECMO does the work your heart and lungs would normally do to support your body when your own organs are too sick to do the job alone. ECMO, pronounced EK-moe, will not heal you. It simply allows your body time to heal on its own.
ECMO 唸 /ˈek-ˌmō/ ，不唸成 E, C, M, O，也是 acronym。
至於「應用程式」(Application) 的縮寫 App，應唸 /æp/，也是 acronym。台灣許多人喜歡以 initialism 的方式，唸成 A, P, P.，不符英文習慣。
另外，全球資訊網 (World Wide Web) 的縮寫 WWW，應以 initialism 的方式，讀作 W, W, W /’dʌblju dʌblju dʌblju/，不讀“triple W”。(Jerome Su, Nov. 20, 2024)
防疫必備詞彙：病名相關詞彙
冠狀病毒 Coronavirus
新型冠狀病毒 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎 Coronavirus Disease 2019
嚴重急性呼吸綜合症冠狀病毒2型 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
新型冠狀病毒病 COVID-19
致死率 case fatality rate (CFR)
世衛組織 World Health Organization (WHO)
文章由書林出版公司提供：
www.bookman.com.tw
蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《英語的對與錯》，《世紀病毒：必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等
Historians are rethinking the way the Holocaust is being presented in museums as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the last Nazi concentration camps this month. Shocking images of the mass killings of Jews were “used massively at the end of World War II to show the violence of the Nazis,” historian Tal Bruttmann, a specialist on the Holocaust, told AFP. But in doing so “we kind of lost sight of the fact that is not normal to show” such graphic scenes of mass murder, of people being humiliated and dehumanized, he said. Up to this
When people listen to music today, they typically use streaming services like YouTube or Spotify. However, traditional formats like vinyl records have regained popularity in recent times. Vinyl records are circular discs that store music in grooves on their surfaces and are played on a turntable. As the turntable’s needle runs along these grooves, it picks up vibrations and translates them into sound. The history of vinyl records dates back to the late 1800s, but material and technological challenges delayed mass production until the 1950s. Despite early versions having short playtimes and poor sound quality, vinyl records introduced a new era
A: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, known as “BJJ,” has become more and more popular. Even Hollywood stars like Halle Berry and Tom Hardy are obsessed with it. B: Some Asian stars, such as Taiwanese actor Eddie Peng and South Korean actor Lee Joon-gi, have also practiced this martial art. A: BJJ is not just a martial art, but also a combat sport. B: I’ve always wanted to try it, but I’m worried about getting injured. A: Diana Wang, a US doctor of physical therapy, is holding a BJJ seminar at PMA Brazilian Jiu-jitsu in Taipei Friday night. Let’s go check out how we
Dos & Don’ts — 想想看，這句話英語該怎麼說？ 1. 能做的事都做了。 ˇ All that could be done has been done. χ All that could be done have been done. 註︰all 指事情或抽象概念時當作單數。例如： All is well that ends well. （結果好就是好。） All is over with him. （他已經沒希望了。） That’s all for today. （今天到此為止。） all 指人時應當作複數。例如： All of us are interested in his proposal. All of us are doing our best. 2. 我們這麼做有益於我們的健康。 ˇ What we are doing is good for our health. χ What we are doing are good for our health. 註︰以關係代名詞 what 引導的作為主詞的子句，動詞用單數。如： What he said is true. 3. 大家都沿著步道跑。 ˇ Everybody runs along the trail. χ Everybody run along the trail. 註︰everyone 是指一大群人，但在文法上一般用單數。 4. 桌上有一本筆記本和兩支筆。 ˇ There were two
RSS