The Comparison Between the Languages of English and Chinese

1. The Comparison Between the Languages of English and Chinese Shiliang Yuan

2. Words 正确选词是保证译文质量的重要前提。词的选择应从下列两个方面入手： • Diction • In context

3. 根据上下文正确理解原文的词义 汉语和英语虽属不同语系却都拥有丰富的词汇量。汉字的表意能力及组合能力很强，英语从拉丁语、古法语及其他语言中吸收了大量的词汇，它们都是词汇量非常丰富的语言，有着大量的对应词语。这是汉英翻译的语言基础。 • 词义的对应：日 sun , 月 moon • 部分对应（差异）blue sky 青天，蓝天 (P2) • 无对应（词义空缺)：bed-do 多功能床 这些不对应现象给汉英翻译造成一定的难度, 需通过适当的翻译技巧加以克服。 • 舅舅把花瓶拿走了。 Mother’s brother has taken the vase away. • 我属蛇。 I was born in the Chinese lunar year of the snake.

4. 辨析词义和正确选词 • 广义和狭义: 他从不喝酒。 He never touches wine/ spirit • 强弱：这事激起了人们极大的愤怒。 It aroused the people to great indignation/anger. • 褒贬：他们讲唯心，我们讲唯物。 They preach idealism whereas we advocate materialism. • 语体色彩：不许抽烟。No smoking. • 禁止赌博！Gambling is prohibited.

5. 辨析词义和正确选词 语法：汉语多用动词而英语多用名词,词类转换便成了汉英翻译中常用的技巧。 • 她满意地走了。 She went away with satisfaction. /She went away satisfied. • 他对她的行为有些怀疑。 He was suspicious of her behavior./Her behaviou aroused his suspicion. /He suspected her behavior. • 大小size ; 高矮height ; 长短length; 冷暖temperature; 东西direction; 粗细 thickness；是非 trouble; 参差 variation

6. 辨析词义和正确选词 词的搭配：定语与中心词的搭配 • 浓茶strong tea;浓墨 dark ink; 浓烟dense smoke; 青山green hill; 青天blue sky; 动宾搭配 • 开车drive a car; 开船to set sail; 开机器to start a machine; • 上自行车to get on a bike; 上飞机to board a plane; 上山to go up/ mount a hill

7. 辨析词义和正确选词 词义的发展： • hot-line 热线（原指美国总统与前苏联首脑直接通话的线路。现指人们提意见，咨询或预约的直线电话.) • Home cinema 家庭影院（ 原指场所，现指设备） • sister–city 友好城市) • Water-gate, Iran-gate, Intern-gate （原指门，现指丑闻）

8. 翻译下列句子： 1．在这种情况下。 2．这种情况必须改变。 3．现在情况不同了。 4．他们的情况怎么样？ 5．我们可能去哪里，依情况而定。 6．真是意想不到的事。 7. 我们对这件事情当然有发言权。 8．这本新书的出版是今年文化界的大事。 9．那是件普通的小事。 10.各族人民的代表共聚一堂，商谈国家大事。

9. 译文 1.under this circumstances. 2.This situation must be changed. 3. Now things are different. 4.What s the matter wit them.? 5.We may go there, it all depends. 6.It is a surprise. 7.Of course we have a say in this matter. 8.The new book was the cultural event of the year. 9.That is an incident. 10. Representatives from different nationalities gather in the same hall to discuss the affairs of the state.

10. Chinese sentences 1.语义型，结构宽松 当时我在那儿。 不行！ 2.话题----说明 他五岁时，生了一场大病变成了聋子。 English sentences 1.语法型，结构严谨 I was there at that time. It won’t do！ 2.主谓结构 He became deaf at five after an attack of serious illness. Sentences

11. 3．竹节/板块（并列，并排） 他不去我才去。 知人知面不知心。 人穷志短。 3.多枝共干（子句，复合句） I’ll go there only if he won’t. A man’s face one can know, but not his heart. Poverty stifles ambitions.

12. 4. 左分支 ——— 中心词/意思 ———— 右分支 （从外围到中心） （从中心到外围） ( lion’s head ) ( peacock’s tail ) • 他顶着风冒着雨骑马出去。He went out , against the wind and through the rain on a horse back.

13. Style (语体风格 )（口头，书面，民族，时代，个人） 1.词汇(words ) • 死 die逝世 pass away归西 go to the west；蹬腿儿kick the bucket • 我；俺；自己；鄙人I ; me; myself; 2.句法( syntax) • 结构上：汉语分为单句，复句。英语为简单句，并列句和复合句。功能上：汉语整句，英语复合句，长句多用于书面语；汉语单句 短句，英语简单句，短句，松散句用于口语。 • 句式上：汉语用词多变，句子对仗工整，风格协调一致。英语讲究句型变化，忌单调，各种句式穿插使用。 3.篇章语体 (passage) [P16—P18]

14. Style (语体风格 ) 4. 节奏特点 ( rhythm)： • 汉语是声调语言（tong language），英语是重音语言（stress language ），它们有着各自的节奏特点. • 音节扩充。 • 词语重复。

15. 音节扩充。汉语为了顺应句子节奏的需要，有时将单音词扩充为双音节或四音节词。这只是结构成分，翻译时不要逐词死译。音节扩充。汉语为了顺应句子节奏的需要，有时将单音词扩充为双音节或四音节词。这只是结构成分，翻译时不要逐词死译。 • 1. 他没有父母兄弟，没有本家亲戚。 • He had no parents,or brothers, no relatives at all. • 2. 这是增强保健，避毒消灾的。 • This will make you strong and healthy and keep you out of harm’s way.

16. 词语重复。汉语为了追求音节的平衡和句法的完整，往往需要重复；而英语以简洁为宗旨，尽量避免词语的重复。词语重复。汉语为了追求音节的平衡和句法的完整，往往需要重复；而英语以简洁为宗旨，尽量避免词语的重复。 1．他的工作是洗桌子和漆桌子。 • He was to wash [ ] and paint tables. 2．停止的论点，悲观的论点，无所作为和骄傲自满的论点，都是错误的。 • Ideas of stagnation, [ ] pessimism, [ ] inertia and [ ] complacency are all wrong. 3．但是她都能忍受，。。。没有屈服，没有讨饶，没有流泪。 • But she bore all this with fortitude, never submitting, [ ] pleading for mercy or weeping…

17. Exercises: 1. 老虎;老头;老板;老兵;军属;人大;扫盲;高校 2.丰功伟绩;雄心壮志;真凭实据;奇形怪状;心直口快 3. 昨日贵函已收悉。 4．惠请注意下面的签名。 5．上述规格如有变动，恕不另行通知。 6．小心轻放！切勿倒置！ 7．跑得了和尚跑不了庙。 8．人有脸树有皮。 9．同函奉上有关文件。 10. 兹证明张红（女，1984年12月6日出生，现住广西玉林市人民路560号）在中国居住期间没有受过刑事制裁。

18. Version 1. a tiger ; an old man; a boss an army veteran; a soldier dependent; National People’s Congress; eliminate illiteracy; institution of higher learning 2. signal contributions; lofty aspirations; hard evidence; grotesque in shape; broad minded 3. Your favorite (letter) of yesterday is duly received. 4. We request your kind attention to the signature at foot. 5. Specification are subjected to changed without notice. 6. Handle with care. Keep upright !

19. 7. The monk may run away, but the temple won’t run away with it . 8. The face is as important to a man as the bark to a tree. 9. We have the pleasure of enclosing here with the document. 10. This is to certify that Zhang Hong ( female, born on December 6, 1984, now residing at No.560 Renming Road Yulin , Guangxi) has no record of committing offenses against the criminal law during his residence in China.

20. The Comparison Between the Culture of English and Chinese

21. 1. The relationship between the culture and language • What’s culture? • Culture is the complex whole that consists of knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, customs and other abilities and habits that man acquires as a member of society. • Culture is the way of life of the people in a certain geographic area, particularly their ideas, beliefs, values, patterns of thought and symbles.

22. 2.The explanation to the language from the cultural aspects.1)Words • When talking about the cultural meaning in the words, what we mean is its connotation, not its denotation. The same word has different cultural connotation. These words which have double meanings form the obstacles in the translation.

23. 红（ 喜庆）——red (暴力) • red eye (嫉妒) ——（失眠） • 白 （丧服）——white (婚纱) • His face was white with anger (他气得脸色铁青) • 蓝 （兰色）——blue(清高，忧郁，淫秽 ) • 黄（王权，淫秽）——yellow(怯懦) • 牧童 （休闲）——cowboy (冒险) • 农民（忠厚老实）——peasant(心胸狭窄 ) • 龙（高贵）——dragon （凶恶） • 宣传（中性词 ——propaganda(贬义词)

24. 2) idioms • 成语的结构、语义和用法受到所处的具体文化的制约。其交际价值在于语用意义，具有强烈的文化特征。 • Look at the following examples. They have the similar denotations, but the connotations are different. • 打草惊蛇--- to beat about the bush • 亡羊补牢---- to lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen

25. 1.骨鲠在喉---- to have a bone in one’s throat 2.同舟共济---- to be in the same boat 3.怒发冲冠---- to make one’s hair stand on end 4.翻天覆地---- to move heaven and earth 5.蜀犬吠日---- to bark at the moon 6.洗手不干---- to wash one’s hands of 7.食言---- to eat one’s words 8. 扯后腿---- to pull somebody’s leg

26. 3.骨鲠在喉---- to have an opinion that one cannot suppress. to have a bone in one’s throat---- to avoid making one’s opinion known 4.同舟共济----to cooperate and help each other in order to ride out a difficulty. to be in the same boat---to be in the same difficult situation or dangers 5.怒发冲冠----bristle with anger, to fly into a rage to make one’s hair stand on end----to fill one with fright or horror 6.翻天覆地---- epoch-making, earth- shaking; to move heaven and earth---to do one’s utmost

27. 7.蜀犬吠日----to make a fuss about something that one alone finds strange, un-called for alarm or excitement out of sheer ignorance. to bark at the moon---to make fruitless efforts 8.洗手不干----( of a thief, etc.) to stop doing wrong and reform oneself; to wash one’s hands of sb. Or sth.---to refuse to take any more responsibility for sb. Or sth. 9.食言----to break one’s word to eat one’s words---- to take back what one has said 10.扯后腿----to hinder, to be a hindrance to sb. to pull somebody’s leg---- to tell someone sth. Untrue as a joke, try to make sb. Believe sth. that is untrue as a joke

28. The culture differences in the pragmatic usages • There is a close relationship between the culture and the language. Some expressions and words have their specific features and the striking cultural backgrounds. • in the social circle • “老李”表亲热，“李老”表敬重；但英美人则不喜欢“老”字。还有：老板娘，老儿子，老妹子不表排行在前，而在末了 • Exercises: P27

29. Translation and culture • 翻译时，我们应对原文中的文化含义有敏锐的察觉，准确的把握，对原文蕴涵的文化背景在译文中进行适当的补充，对在异族文化中容易误解的概念进行必要的澄清，帮助译文读者跨越文化障碍。 1.概念意义与文化意义完全相同 (P28) 2.概念意义对应，文化意义空缺 3.概念意义相同，语用意义不同 • Exercises: P33

30. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) • 下面从译文评价的角度在10个方面对原文和译文加以比较: • 1.句法结构; 2.词义搭配; 3.修辞色彩; 4.风格层次; 5.逻辑结构; 6.形象变通; 7.心理转换; 8.社会规范; 9.双关语义; 10.语义连贯

31. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 一．句法结构 他昨天来过这儿了。 1.He came here yesterday. 2.Yesterday he came here. （超额翻译） 二．词义搭配 人大代表一行五人于春节前视察了这个福利中心。 1.A group of five NPC representatives inspected this welfare center on the eve of the Spring Festival. 2.A group of five NPC representatives visited this welfare center on the eve of the Spring Festival.

32. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 三．修辞色彩 • 香港总督尤德爵士今晨于北京逝世。 1.Sir Edward Youde , Governor of Hong Kong, passed away in Beijing this morning. 2.Sir Edward Youde , Governor of Hong Kong, died in Beijing this morning. 3.Sir Edward Youde , Governor of Hong Kong, breathed his last in Beijing this morning. 4.Sir Edward Youde , Governor of Hong Kong, kicked the bucket in Beijing this morning.

33. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 四． 风格层次 我不善于讲话，也不习惯发表演说，我一生就没做过教师。 • I’m not good at talking, and I’m not used to giving lectures. I’ve never done any teaching either. • Talking is not my province, nor is lecturing; never have I taken up teaching as my profession, either 五.逻辑结构 己所不欲，勿施于人。 • Do not do unto others what you do not want to be done by. • Do unto others as you would be done by.

34. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 六．形象变通 瞧你象只落汤鸡。 • You look like a drowned rat! • You look like a bedraggled chicken! • Look ! You are wet through. 七．心理转换 这是一篇八股文。 • This is stereotyped writing. • This is an eight-legged essay. • This is a bagu essay.

35. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 八．社会规范 劳驾，去市场路怎么走？ • Excuse me, but could you show me the way to Market Street? • I bed your pardon, sir. Will you be so kind as to tell me how to reach Market Street? • Chap, tell me how to get to Market Street?

36. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 九．双关语义 骄阳下，柳树上，回答他的是一片“知了，知了”的蝉声 • Under the scorching sun, from the willow tree, came the confirming reply of the cicada’s chirrup: See, see ….. • ……came the cicada’s reply, “ I see, I see …” • .……came the cicada’s chirruping, “ zing-a zing-a …” • ……came the cicada’s reply, “ I know, I know …”

37. 译文评估：(the evaluation of the version ) 十。语义连贯 昨奉大函，诵悉一是。尊稿极佳；唯篇幅甚长，本志地位有限，故不克刊登，良用歉然。 • I received your letter yesterday. Your article is very good, but I am sorry that owing to pressure of space, I find it too long to be published. • I received your letter yesterday. I read it and noted its contents. Your article is very good. But it is very long. This magazine has only limited space. Therefore I cannot publish your article. I’m very sorry.

38. Exercises: • 党八股的第五条罪状是：甲乙丙丁，开中药铺。 • 知己知彼，百战百胜。 • 路遥知马力，日久见人心。 • 千里之行，始于脚下。 • 事实胜于雄辩，水落自然石出。 • 俗话说：“看菜吃饭，量体裁衣。” • 打开天窗说亮话，你到底要什么条件吧！ • 对新药业，老实说，我是擀面杖吹火——一窍不通。 • 喂，不要王婆卖瓜啦，把墙造起来再说吧。 • 他们也是泥菩萨过河——自身难保。

39. The first indictment against stereotyped writing is that it arranges items under a complicated set of headings ,as if starting a Chinese pharmacy. • Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles of other nations. • A long road tests a horse’s strength and a long task proves a man’s heart. • A thousand li journey is started by taking the first step. • Facts speak louder than words, and the truth will always turn out in the end.

40. 6.As the saying goes, “ One should fit the dress to his figure and fit his appetite to the dishes.” 7.Let’s be frank and put all the cards on the table .You just tell us what’s in your mind, whatever be it. 8.To be honest, I don’t know the first thing about the modern drug business. 9.Hey, don’t get too engrossed in self-admiration, first put up the wall, and then see it is so wonderful. 10. They themselves like the clay idol fording the river---it’s as much as they can do to preserve themselves from disaster.