On Chinese-into-English Translation from the Perspective of Mechanics: A Case Study of Translating Chinese Multi-clause Sentences into English
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摘要: 文章从物理力学的角度,根据“英语是心理势能取向而汉语是心理动能取向的语言”的观点,指出汉英两种语言的各自特点促使汉语形成了话题-述题结构而英语形成了主谓结构。这样,在汉英翻译时,英语话语为了减少上升的阻力,获得更大的势能,连续性强的汉语话题-述题结构被分解成用层次和界限更加分明的英语主谓结构来表达是必然的。文章考察了《红楼梦》第三回两个译本的长句翻译,描写了汉语长句英译表现出的分解趋势,并指出分解之后的表达要强调主题的相关性,选择好译文话题和译文述题,保证话语的流畅性和匀称感,采取以浓缩为主的表达方式,减少上升时的阻力,以获得更大的势能。Abstract: Based on the view from the perspective of Mechanics that Chinese is a kinetic-energy-oriented language while English a potential-energy-oriented one, this paper explains the formations of the Chinese topic-comment structure and of the English subject-predicate structure. Hence, inevitably, the Chinese topic-comment structure featuring continuity should be reorganized into the English subject-predicate structure featuring hierarchy and discreteness. With examples taken from Chapter Three of Hong Lou Meng and its two English versions, this paper formulates the tendency of reorganization in translating Chinese multi-clause sentences into English, and points out that English rewording should rely on appropriate uses of topics and often-condensed comments with view to the thematic relevance to ensure discourse fluency and balance that help the discourse acquire greater potential energy when mentally raised.
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