<p>Where do you dig up these words? And how long is it since I sat in a chemistry lesson?!?</p>
<p>不成比例: disproportionate</p>
<p>不成比例的时间被用在一个话题上。<br />
A disproportionate amount of time was devoted to one topic.</p>
<p>So, disproportionation is the noun form of disproportionate, &quot;not in proportion&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In a disproportionation reaction, the <strong>same element</strong> is simultaneously
oxidized and reduced. The decomposition reaction 2H₂O₂ → 2H₂O + O₂ is
also a disproportionation reaction because O is reduced in forming H₂O
and oxidized in forming O₂. Some disproportionation reactions are not
decompositions, but they all involve the simultaneous oxidation and
reduction of the <strong>same element</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I can't see what is not &quot;in proportion&quot; in the above reaction. 2 x (2 hydrogens share an electron with 1 oxygen) and 2 oxygens share 2 valence electrons make up the magic 8.</p>
<p>The Chinese term 歧化反应, (diverging reaction)  &quot;disproportionation reaction&quot; just emphasises the the dual nature of &quot;the simultaneous oxidation and reduction of the same element.&quot;</p>
<p>Personally, I think the English-speaking chemists should adopt the Chinese term!</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-03T13:35:37.110Z
Technical terms are acquired knowledge. I can't make sense out of either the English or the Chinese term. Both terms are not intuitive to me. Why isn't it called self-redox reaction, which is one letter less than disproportionation?
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-03T22:51:13.573Z
You are right about technical terms. How this phenomenon got the disproportionately long and unituitive name “disproportionation" is a mystery to me. "proportion" can mean "give". Maybe they just meant to say, "un-give the electrons" or "re-divvy up the electrons"
Pedroski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-02T22:53:22.277Z
2022-07-02T22:53:22.277Z
Pedroski
<p>Google translate gives:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>歧化</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And Baidu gives:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>歧化反应</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-02T02:19:19.240Z
2022-07-03T23:50:08.507Z
2022-07-03T23:50:08.507Z
DialFrost
<p>I found it in Dict.cn:</p>
<p>&quot;disproportionation&quot; - (noun) 歧化作用；不均；不相均；氢原子转形.</p>
<p>Example:</p>
<ul>
<li>This reaction involves disproportionation of the aldehyde. - 这个反应就是醛的歧化作用。</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-02T02:16:56.890Z
2022-07-02T02:16:56.890Z
r13
<p>Chemistry term:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>disproportionation</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What is the Chinese translation of this?</p>
<p>The cambridge dictionary gave this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>disproportionate translate: 不成比例的；不相称的；太大（或太小）的</p>
</blockquote>
<p>But I found this very unreliable.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-04T00:42:57.017Z
The dictionary definition is not the chemistry term; it's "disproportionate" in the sense of "lobby groups have a disproportionate influence on public policy".
Becky 李蓓
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-04T00:47:35.500Z
Yes @Becky李蓓, exactly the reason why I was confused at first, r12 helped em outthough
DialFrost
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-05T11:35:55.880Z
I think that the best translation only exists in the context. Since there is no any contextual clue, it is hard to give a good translation.
sheliacheng
<translation><terminology>
Chinese translation of "disproportionation"
# Chinese translation of "disproportionation"

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-02)

Chemistry term:

> disproportionation

What is the Chinese translation of this?

The cambridge dictionary gave this:

> disproportionate translate: 不成比例的；不相称的；太大（或太小）的

But I found this very unreliable.

**Tags:** translation, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The dictionary definition is not the chemistry term; it's "disproportionate" in the sense of "lobby groups have a disproportionate influence on public policy".  
> **username_0**: Yes @Becky李蓓, exactly the reason why I was confused at first, r12 helped em outthough  
> **username_2**: I think that the best translation only exists in the context. Since there is no any contextual clue, it is hard to give a good translation.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_5 on 2022-07-02. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I found it in Dict.cn:

"disproportionation" - (noun) 歧化作用；不均；不相均；氢原子转形.

Example:

* This reaction involves disproportionation of the aldehyde. - 这个反应就是醛的歧化作用。


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-07-02. Score: 1

Where do you dig up these words? And how long is it since I sat in a chemistry lesson?!?

不成比例: disproportionate

不成比例的时间被用在一个话题上。  
A disproportionate amount of time was devoted to one topic.

So, disproportionation is the noun form of disproportionate, "not in proportion".

> In a disproportionation reaction, the **same element** is simultaneously
> oxidized and reduced. The decomposition reaction 2H₂O₂ → 2H₂O + O₂ is
> also a disproportionation reaction because O is reduced in forming H₂O
> and oxidized in forming O₂. Some disproportionation reactions are not
> decompositions, but they all involve the simultaneous oxidation and
> reduction of the **same element**.

I can't see what is not "in proportion" in the above reaction. 2 x (2 hydrogens share an electron with 1 oxygen) and 2 oxygens share 2 valence electrons make up the magic 8.

The Chinese term 歧化反应, (diverging reaction) "disproportionation reaction" just emphasises the the dual nature of "the simultaneous oxidation and reduction of the same element."

Personally, I think the English-speaking chemists should adopt the Chinese term!

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Technical terms are acquired knowledge. I can't make sense out of either the English or the Chinese term. Both terms are not intuitive to me. Why isn't it called self-redox reaction, which is one letter less than disproportionation?  
> **username_3**: You are right about technical terms. How this phenomenon got the disproportionately long and unituitive name “disproportionation" is a mystery to me. "proportion" can mean "give". Maybe they just meant to say, "un-give the electrons" or "re-divvy up the electrons"  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2022-07-02. Score: 0

Google translate gives:

> 歧化

And Baidu gives:

> 歧化反应


---

