as well as 的用法是什么?

As well as用作并列连词,在科技英语中是很常见的.普遍流行的一种见解认为："as well as用作并列连词时,着重的不是as well as之后的词,而是它之前的词.所以翻译时,通常应先译as well as之后的词,然后再译它之前的词."（《科技英语问题解答》）,P.129）"作为并列连词使用时,虽然连接的是两个并列部分,但其重点在前者,不在后者.汉译时要先译后者,再译前者."（《英语辅导》）
但是,笔者在翻译英语科技文章时,发现很多情况并非如此.例如下面的两个例句都是从同一本书（Santokh S.Basi,Semiconductor Pulse and Switching Circuits,John Wiley and Sons,Inc.,1980）的同一章中摘录下来的,但它们强调的重点并不相同.
如：It is to be noted that Thevenin 's theorem applies to AC as well as to DC circuits.
要注意,代文宁定理不仅适用于直流电路,也适用于交流电路.
在这句话中,作者所强调的是as well as前面的部分.翻译时把这个重点正确地表达出来是很必要的.但是作者接下去又说：
The above theorems and laws hold true for DC as well as for AC circuits.
上述定理和定律不但对直流电路而言是正确的,对交流电路而言也同样是正确的.
显然,这句话所强调的恰好是as well as 后面的部分.值得注意的是,强调后面部分的情况并非个别.下面这些句子都是从近年出版的英文原著中摘抄下来的：
1.The term IMPEDANCE is applicable only to AC circuits.Its unit of measurement is the ohm.It has a magnitude as well as phase angle.It is a complex quantity.
"感抗"这个术语只适用于交流电路,其测量单位为欧姆.感抗不但有幅值,而且有相角,它是一个复数量.
2.Note that Ohm's law holds true for DC as well as for AC circuits.However,when analyzing AC circuit,it is important to consider the magnitude as well as the direction of phasor quantities.
要注意,欧姆定律不仅适用于直流电路,对交流电路也同样适用.不过,在分析交流电路时,重要的是不仅要考虑相量的幅值,还要考虑相量的方向.
3.The electrical power supplied by the source to the circuit is given by P=VI(watts).The equation is applicable to a circuit as well as to a component in a circuit.
电源供给电路的电功率公式为P=VI（瓦特）.此公式不但适用于某一条电路,而且适用于电路中的任一元件.
在上述数例中,作者所强调的显然都是as well as后面的部分.可见,当as well as用作并列连词时,究竟是强调前者还是强调后者,必须根据上下文来判断.
然而,是否能由此得出"不是强调前者,就是强调后者,二者必居其一"的结论呢?也不能.有时候,也可能并不明显地强调哪一个.翻译时只要用"以及"、"和"这样的连词将前后顺连就可以了.例如：
4.Using the multimeter,measure and record the rms values of the input as well as the output (volts) in table E2-2.
用万能表测量并记下表E2-2中输入量和输出量的有效值（伏特数）.
5.Air,as well as water,is needed to make plants grow.
空气和水都是植物生长所必需的.
6.In many instances it is necessary to consider the rate at which work is done as well as the total amount of work done.
在许多情况下,必须考虑做功的速率以及所做功的总量.
总而言之,as well as用作并列连接词时,所强调的是前者还是后者,或者二者均不明显地强调,必须根据上下文,仔细斟酌,然后才能判定.