A.B.D.

Chinese translation: “准博士”

12:58 Jan 11, 2008

English to Chinese translations [PRO]
Science - Education / Pedagogy

English term or phrase: A.B.D.

"Years later on XXX I was horrified to notice quant résumés listing the nonexistent degree A.B.D. That, I soon discovered, was a common business-world acronym for “All But Dissertation,” a way of describing those who had tried to obtain a PhD but left academia before they had completed their dissertation."
"除论文以外的所有" - 好难听。
先谢过。

franksf

Chinese translation:“准博士”

Explanation:
词典上的用法，供参考

Selected response from:

Jinhang Wang
China
Local time: 22:11

Grading comment

Thank you for your effort. I also like to be backed (have my tail covered) by some dictionary.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +2

“准博士”

Jinhang Wang

课程上完而未交论文的博士生

rchan

未提交论文的博士候选人(博士研究生)

ttyang

棄考博士

Angus Woo

来不及论文

Naikei Wong

Discussion entries: 8

Answers

37 mins confidence:

a.b.d. 未提交论文的博士候选人(博士研究生)

Explanation:
I think it is referred to those graduate students who finish all the course works but don't complete/submit the dissertations. That's why they can't claim they get the Ph.D. Sometimes, they refer to themselves as Ph.D. candidates as well.

ttyang
United States
Local time: 10:11
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese

Notes to answerer

Asker: Yes, tt, you are right. Some of them do come back to school to defend their dissertation after a year or so, while getting employed with a full time job off compus. Some never get to do that. It's at least 1/2-dependent on the dissertation advisor and school. Thank you for your entry, that briefly brought my soul back to those unforgettable campus years.

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +2

a.b.d.

“准博士”

Explanation:
词典上的用法，供参考

Jinhang Wang
China
Local time: 22:11
Works in field
Native speaker of: Chinese
PRO pts in category: 39

Grading comment

Thank you for your effort. I also like to be backed (have my tail covered) by some dictionary.

10 mins confidence:

a.b.d. 来不及论文

Explanation:
"all but" means "almost" in British English.

From Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

all but
almost:
The game was all but over by the time we arrived.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 50 mins (2008-01-11 13:49:00 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

最近刚好查过"all but" 这个用法，不是很常见（或者说以前即使见过也没有搞清楚）。作为书面语，还得想一想才弄明白意思。

It's different from "anything but":

(from Cambridge)
anything but
If you say that someone or something is anything but a particular quality, you mean that the person or thing is the opposite of that particular quality:
She's meant to be really nice but she was anything but nice when I met her.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-01-11 16:36:55 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

亦可试译作“缺辩论文”

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2008-01-11 16:40:29 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

another try: “弃辩论文”， “弃辩博士”

Naikei Wong
Local time: 22:11
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Naikei, I really like your initial entry and all follow-ups. 来不及论文 seems to be a rather positive way to put it as I know that some students were quickly hired by industry way before their dissertation writing. Moreover, your 缺论文 I adopted in the answer. I am sorry but I can only give one answerer the points. Thank you!

Asker: Thank you for your confirmation on 准博士.

13 hrs confidence:

a.b.d. 棄考博士

Explanation:
I think that's what it is. NK's 弃辩博士 also works.

Angus Woo
Local time: 22:11
Works in field
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 4

Notes to answerer

Asker: Hi Angus. I agree with you, those are the candidates who gave up their dissertation work. Thank you very much.

6 hrs confidence:

a.b.d. 课程上完而未交论文的博士生

Explanation:
"All but" refers to everything else, in this case, all the coursework.

In translating I would leave the A.B.D. as is, and then add the explanation of the acronym "All but Dissertation".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 20 hrs (2008-01-12 09:11:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A.B.D. carries the implication that the student will never submit the dissertation.

rchan
Local time: 15:11
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Hi rchan. Your explanations are all correct, especially your added note that "A.B.D. carries the implication that the student will never submit the dissertation." I had to select a more concise answer in Chinese. Thank you for your help.

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations