Lecture 2 Lecture 2 A Brief Comparative Study A Brief Comparative Study

of English & Chineseof English & Chinese

Translation Theory & Practice(I) Course No. 1400141

Lecturer:

◇ ◇ Significance of comparative study between Significance of comparative study between English and Chinese on the lexical, syntactic, English and Chinese on the lexical, syntactic, textual, rhetoric and pragmatic level to textual, rhetoric and pragmatic level to translation.translation.(Q)(Q)

2.1 On the lexical level:2.1 On the lexical level:Lexical denotation, connotation, and Lexical denotation, connotation, and

collocationcollocation

A. Totally correspondent, e.g.A. Totally correspondent, e.g.

SARS

Tuberculosis

The U.S. State Department

B. Partially correspondent, e.g.B. Partially correspondent, e.g.

owl

magpie

marriage

C. No correspondent expressions found in C. No correspondent expressions found in ChineseChinese

Reasons: 1. Different living environment. 2. Different practices, customs and conventions.

3. Religious difference. 4. Cognitive difference.

More examples:More examples:

Watergatecall a spade a spade eat one’s words pull one’s leg

Seemingly correspondent, e.g.Seemingly correspondent, e.g. beautify beautify 美化 美化 individualism individualism 个人主义个人主义LiberalismLiberalism 自由主义自由主义Egalitarianism Egalitarianism 平均主义平均主义pragmatism pragmatism 实用主义实用主义

D. Correspondence of polysemous words.D. Correspondence of polysemous words.

1.He is apt to 1.He is apt to introduceintroduce new ideas into the new ideas into the business. business. 2.They have 2.They have introducedintroduced a new job-contract a new job-contract system into the factory’s reform project. system into the factory’s reform project.

For classroom exercise:

3.Tobacco was introduced into Europe from America. 4.Dressing designers introduce new fashions each year.

7.I introduced my country cousin to the big city by showing him the sights.

5.The doctor introduced a log tube into the sick man’s throat so he could breathe. 6.Television and space travel are introducing many new words into our language.

Meaning difference caused by number marking, Meaning difference caused by number marking, e.g. e.g. custom custom 习惯 习惯 customs customs 海关海关 // 关税关税economy economy 节约 节约 economies economies 节约措施节约措施damage damage 损坏 损坏 damages damages 赔偿费赔偿费ground ground 场地 场地 grounds grounds 理由理由export export 出口 出口 exports exports 出口货物出口货物

unemployment unemployment 失业失业现象现象 // 状况状况tension tension 紧张紧张局势局势 // 态势态势 // 状况状况arrogance arrogance 傲慢傲慢态度态度 / / 情绪情绪 values values 价值价值观观 // 观念观念morality morality 道德道德问题问题

Addition of categorical markers:

Contrast:Contrast:sweet milk sweet milk 加糖牛奶加糖牛奶 (?) (?) good sailor good sailor 好水手好水手 ( ?) ( ?) horseplay horseplay 马戏马戏 (?) (?) blackbird blackbird 乌鸦 乌鸦 (?) (?) I dare say I dare say 我敢说 我敢说 (?) (?) bus boy bus boy 公交男乘务员 公交男乘务员 (?) (?) busybody busybody 忙人（忙人（ ?? ））dog-eared dog-eared 狗耳的（狗耳的（ ?? ））

Compare:Compare:dry goods dry goods 谷物；织物 谷物；织物 free-living free-living 沉溺于吃喝玩乐沉溺于吃喝玩乐sweet water sweet water 淡水 淡水 industrial relations industrial relations 劳资关系 劳资关系 familiar behavior familiar behavior 亲昵行为 亲昵行为 to pull one’s socks to pull one’s socks 鼓起勇气 鼓起勇气 outstanding issues outstanding issues 悬而未决的事 悬而未决的事 to send somebody to the chair to send somebody to the chair 处以电（椅）刑处以电（椅）刑

Concluding: Concluding: To obtain thorough comprehension of the To obtain thorough comprehension of the intended meaning of a word or expression in intended meaning of a word or expression in an English sentence, we should make full use an English sentence, we should make full use of various dictionaries and analyze the context of various dictionaries and analyze the context where the word or expression is used. In too where the word or expression is used. In too many cases, we should not accept the words many cases, we should not accept the words literally at their face value.literally at their face value.

2.2 On the syntactic level2.2 On the syntactic levelwhere the two languages show their essential where the two languages show their essential

differencesdifferences

(1) A(1) A ．． He was puzzledHe was puzzled / that I did not want // what / that I did not want // what was obviously a “step-up” toward /// what all was obviously a “step-up” toward /// what all Americans are taught to want //// when they grow up: /// Americans are taught to want //// when they grow up: /// money and power.money and power. 他感到百思不得其解的是他感到百思不得其解的是 , , 金钱和权力是所有金钱和权力是所有美国人从小就受教育要在长大后努力争取的东西美国人从小就受教育要在长大后努力争取的东西 , , 而这此机会显然是让我升官发财的“垫脚石”而这此机会显然是让我升官发财的“垫脚石” , , 我我却不想要。却不想要。((English syntactic tree: trunk + branch + twig) English syntactic tree: trunk + branch + twig)

BB ．．这屯子里还是老孙头能干，又会赶车，又会这屯子里还是老孙头能干，又会赶车，又会骑马，摔跤也摔得漂亮，叭哒一声，掉下地来，骑马，摔跤也摔得漂亮，叭哒一声，掉下地来，又响亮又干脆。又响亮又干脆。(The Chinese bamboo shoot sentence) (The Chinese bamboo shoot sentence)

Interpretation:Interpretation:（在）这屯子里还是（数）老孙头（最）能干，（在）这屯子里还是（数）老孙头（最）能干，（因为他）又会赶车，又会骑马，（而且）摔跤（因为他）又会赶车，又会骑马，（而且）摔跤（时）也摔得漂亮，（他）叭哒一声，掉下地来，（时）也摔得漂亮，（他）叭哒一声，掉下地来，（声音）又响亮（动作）又干脆。 （声音）又响亮（动作）又干脆。

InIn the village, anyway the village, anyway it isit is Lao Sun, the old chap, Lao Sun, the old chap, whowho is is most most deservedly deservedly aa dab hand, dab hand, for he for he can not can not only driveonly drive his his horse-drawn cart, but ride horse-drawn cart, but ride on the on the horsehorse, and even, and even when when he falls off the horseback, he falls off the horseback, he he is is very much skilful: very much skilful: he would he would “click”to the ground “click”to the ground with sowith so clear clear a a sound sound andand soso neat neat a a move. move.

A Chinese translation:

Syntax Syntax English hypo-taxis vs. Chinese para-taxis English hypo-taxis vs. Chinese para-taxis

well-knit vs. loosely knit in structurewell-knit vs. loosely knit in structure

(2) (2) 子曰：“三人行，必有我师焉。择其善者而从子曰：“三人行，必有我师焉。择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。” （《论语》）之，其不善者而改之。” （《论语》）The Master said, even when walking in a party of no more than three I can always be certain of learning from those I am with. There will be good qualities that I can select for imitation and bad ones that will teach me what requires correction in myself. ---The Analects

The three most striking features of English The three most striking features of English syntax compared with Chinese:syntax compared with Chinese:

The use of anticipatory it;The use of introductory there;The use of post-modification.

(3) (3) There is There is no reasoning with that sort of creature. no reasoning with that sort of creature. (4) (4) It’sIt’s no cinch to get through even the preliminary no cinch to get through even the preliminary round of competition. round of competition.

(5) (5) The sagaThe saga of the White Star liner Titanic of the White Star liner Titanic, , which which struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in 19121912,, carrying more than 1,500 passengers to their carrying more than 1,500 passengers to their deathsdeaths, has been celebrated in print and one film, in , has been celebrated in print and one film, in poetry and song. [poetry and song. [post-modificationpost-modification]]

白星公司的班轮泰坦尼克号在白星公司的班轮泰坦尼克号在 19121912 年处女航年处女航中因撞上冰山而沉没，船上中因撞上冰山而沉没，船上 15001500 多名乘客遇难，多名乘客遇难，而而此后关于她的传说便成为各种刊物、电影以及此后关于她的传说便成为各种刊物、电影以及诗歌、歌曲的内容而广为流传诗歌、歌曲的内容而广为流传。。 ((Unit 3: Para. 1)Unit 3: Para. 1)

(6) (6) TheThe horse is horse is a a useful animal. useful animal.(7) (7) One should help those One should help those whowho are in difficulties. are in difficulties.(8) One should never pretend to know(8) One should never pretend to know what what one one does not. does not. (9) (9) Write to me Write to me whenwhen you have time. you have time. (10) (10) In In 1987, he left1987, he left his his old mother alone old mother alone for for New York.New York.(11) He dared not risk the (11) He dared not risk the uncertaintiesuncertainties of a of a night action. night action.

Concluding classroom exerciseConcluding classroom exercise::To a generation that believed a massive military To a generation that believed a massive military industrial complex was brutalizing the American industrial complex was brutalizing the American dream, jeans symbolized a return to the dream, jeans symbolized a return to the friendlier, simpler values of the frontier, where friendlier, simpler values of the frontier, where each man had control over his life and where each man had control over his life and where people cooperated to survivepeople cooperated to survive. . [Aldous Huxley: [Aldous Huxley: The The country.country.]]

ConclusionConclusion ：：Familiarity with the main aspects of difference Familiarity with the main aspects of difference between English and Chinese will help us to be between English and Chinese will help us to be in a well-grounded position in translating. in a well-grounded position in translating. With this familiarity, we can choose different With this familiarity, we can choose different versions according to our translation purpose versions according to our translation purpose or specific translation strategy.or specific translation strategy.

What was discussed today?What was discussed today?

Assignments:Assignments:Exercise A; Exercise A; Exercise B; Exercise B; Self-learning: Unit 3-4Self-learning: Unit 3-4

Thank you and Thank you and Goodbye!Goodbye!