括号的使用要点

原创 立文悉通主编 立文悉通 2021-12-26 14:33

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常见的括号有三种

小括号：parenthesis或round bracket

中括号：bracket或square bracket

大括号：brace或curly bracket

从英文可以看出，狭义的bracket是中括号，广义的bracket包括了小括号（round bracket）、中括号（square bracket）和大括号（curly bracket）。

括号的使用有以下几点需要注意。

1. 文字内容避免小括号嵌套小括号

如果需要嵌套，应该是中括号嵌套在小括号里。

✗ Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with concurrent smoking (odds ratio (OR) = 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.0-1.4).

✓ Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with concurrent smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 1.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0-1.4). 

没错，就是中括号嵌套在小括号里，这跟很多人的认知相违背。

在大多数人的印象中，应该小括号嵌套在中括号里，中括号嵌套在大括号里，但实际上这仅限于数学式子里，在文字内容中应该是中括号嵌套在小括号里。

2. 两个括号不要并列放在一起。

可以把两个括号里的内容放在一个括号里，用分号连接。

✗ Gender differences may reflect underlying continuous attributes, such as personality (e.g., communion and agency) (Spence & Helmreich, 1978). 

✓ Gender differences may reflect underlying continuous attributes, such as personality (e.g., communion and agency; Spence & Helmreich, 1978). 

也可以通过改写句子避免这种情况的发生。

✗ Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919) (also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv) was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.

✓ Nikifor Grigoriev (c. 1885–1919), also known as Matviy Hryhoriyiv, was a Ukrainian insurgent leader.

3. 在数学式子里，小括号嵌套在中括号里，中括号嵌套在大括号里。

✗ Participants were asked to solve the following math problem for x after completing the priming measures: 6(x + 3[x + 1]) = 96

✓ Participants were asked to solve the following math problem for x after completing the priming measures: 6[x + 3(x + 1)] = 96

可见括号的嵌套规则在数学式子和文字内容里是不一样的。

4. 对于统计学表达，避免括号嵌套。

可以使用逗号将统计学表达与文字内容隔开。

✗ The results were statistically significant (F[1, 32] = 4.37, p = 0.045).

✗ The results were statistically significant [F(1, 32) = 4.37, p = 0.045].

✓ The results were statistically significant, F(1, 32) = 4.37, p = 0.045.

这种情况下，既避免中括号嵌套在小括号里，也避免小括号嵌套在中括号里。

参考：

https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/parentheses/

https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2013/05/punctuation-junction-parentheses-and-brackets.html

https://p2k.unkris.ac.id/IT/3065-2962/Wikipedia:Manual-of-Style_22575_p2k-unkris.html