英语论文-The Translation of Chinese Neologisms into English

毕业论文(设计)

The Translation of Chinese Neologisms into English

1． Introduction

Nida points out that ―nothing is of greater strategic importance than the language through which its beliefs are expressed and transmitted and by which most interaction of its members takes place‖ (2001:78).

Language, serving as a tool in social interaction, reflects the changes of social life. Each period has its own features, so does language. The created words and sayings are neologisms of that age. Neologisms are both a historical and cultural phenomenon because they record history and preserve culture. By following the track of vocabulary development, people can trace the cultural and social evolution.

In 1978, China launched the unprecedented policy of reform and opening-up to the outside world. With the impact of the sweeping reform and the irresistible global current, China, by continually adapting itself, has become more integrated with the world economy to meet challenges and seize opportunities. Compared with decades ago, the whole nation has transformed beyond recognition ranging from social framework to subtle psychology. Chinese people have never welcomed new things and new concepts with so strong desire as now. Whenever there is something new emerge, material or ideological, people will try all means to convey them through language, and a sea of neologisms are thus created. The faster the society is advancing, the more and quicker are the neologisms created,

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which are widely spread through mass media. According to some statistics, hundreds of Chinese neologisms sprout up each year. This phenomenon has been increasingly arousing the attention of sinologists, translators, Chinese linguists and even journalists, who have contributed to the research of neologisms in some ways.

What is the Chinese neologism? In brief, neologisms is:1) a new word, meaning, usage or phrase; 2)an old word or expression with new senses; 3) a borrowing word or expression from other languages; 4) an adopting word or expression from dialects(John Algeo: 2006). The Chinese neologisms mentioned in this paper refer to any words, idioms or phrases that have been frequently found in radio broadcasting, TV, newspapers, books and magazines since the policy of reform and opening-up to the outside world carried in China.

2. The translation of Chinese neologisms into English

2.1 The criteria and characteristics of translating Chinese neologisms

Before the discussion of translating Chinese neologisms into English, the criteria and characteristics should be discussed first.

Criteria are not only the scales which measure the translation quality, but also the aims translators make great efforts to realize. Criteria play an instructional role in translating, which have been being the core problem for translators to discuss. The domestic or foreign translators did much research and presented various criteria of translating, such as American translator Eugene A.Nida‘s ―Functional Equivalence‖,

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Chinese translator Qian Zhongshu‘s principle of ―transmigration‖, Yanfu‘s three-character principle ―Faithfulness, Expressiveness, Elegance‖ and so on. Among them, Yanfu‘s principle is the most influential one. ―Faithfulness‖ means that the translation should be as faithful as the content of the original; ―Expressiveness‖ means that the translation should be as readable and understandable as the original; ―Elegance‖ means that the style of the translation should be as elegant as the original.

The characteristics of translating Chinese neologisms are generally the same as translating other Chinese-English literatures, except two different ones. The first one is the creativeness, for Chinese neologisms have not been translated into English before, and there is no any precedent to follow, so most of the translation of neologisms should be the original. The second one is the timeliness, the translation of neologisms always should be translated in a short time, for the neologisms should be translated as soon as possible when there is something new happened, translators have no enough time to lucubrate and make deep consideration.

2.2 Improper translation of Chinese neologisms and reasons leading the

improper translations. 2.2.1 Lack of English knowledge

There are three kinds of problems which reflect the lack of the English knowledge of translators. Firstly, the translation of a neologism could be understood by Chinese, but not by English. Take ―外卖(food taken away from the restaurant and eat somewhere else)‖, ―一路平安，一路顺风(have a pleasant/safe journey)‖, ―流行字眼( words liked and used by a large number of people)‖, ―远景规划(plan made for a

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period of time that will last a long way into the future)‖ for example , they have been translated respectively into ―take out‖, ―speed somebody on their way‖, ―vogue word‖, ―perspective long-term plan‖. These translations could be understood by Chinese people, but for the English, they may be confused, because these translations are improper ones due to the lack of English knowledge of translators. Actually, according to English expressing way, they should be translated into ―takeaway‖ or ―takeaway meals‖, ―enjoy your trip‖, ―buzzword‖, ―long-term vision‖.

Secondly, the translation is of gild the lily. For instance, ―访谈(to ask somebody questions about their life, opinions etc, especially on the radio or television or for a newspaper or magazine)‖, ―说服教育(the act of persuading somebody to do something or to believe something)‖, ―个人隐私(the state of being alone and not watched or disturbed by other people)‖, ―医德医风(moral principles that control or influence a person‘s behavior in medical field)‖, ―参政议政(to take part in or become involved in the administration and discussion of state affairs)‖, ―歪风邪气(the trends and practices which have harmful effects on people)‖ should be translated into ―interview‖, ―persuasion‖, ―privacy‖, ―medical ethics‖, ―participate in management of state affairs‖, ―evil winds‖ instead of ―interview and discuss‖, ―persuasion education‖, ―individual privacy‖, ―medical ethics and conduct of medical workers‖, ―participate and discuss in management of state affairs‖, ―evil winds and noxious influences‖. The former ones can fully render the meaning of those neologisms. For the lack of English knowledge of translators, unnecessary and redundant words like ―discuss‖, ―education‖, ―individual‖, ―conduct of medical workers‖, ―noxious

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influences‖ are added.

Thirdly, the translation does not express the original meaning. For instance, ―情结(a very strong feeling of love, hatred, anger, enthusiasm etc)‖ is translated into ―complex‖, which does not express the original meaning. in fact, ―complex‖ is only used in such kind of expressions as ―Electra/Oedipus complex(恋父/恋母情结)‖ or ―inferiority complex(自卑情结)‖, it means a kind of psychic syndrome. For more examples, ―实现零的突破(get the gold medal in competition)‖ is translated into ―fulfill the zero breakthrough‖, ―zero breakthrough‖ means no breakthrough, it is far away from the original meaning. If translators know well the English knowledge, the translations would be done better. 2.2.2 Lack of Chinese knowledge

If translators want to translate the neologisms into English properly, they should grasp the real meaning of these neologisms firstly. Here are some examples which show that translators have not got the real meaning of these neologisms in Chinese. 1) ―失学儿童(children who leave school before they have finished their studying)‖ should be ―school dropouts and children who are unable to go to school‖ but not ―dropout‖, for the latter only means the students who discontinue their studying, however, ―失学儿童‖ include not only the dropouts but also the children who are unable to go to school for various reasons. 2) ―师资(a supply of teachers that a school has)‖ should be ―teaching staff/resources‖ but not ―qualified teachers‖, for the latter means competent teachers. 3) ―集资房(houses built on the funds collected by the country, the company and the buyers)‖ should be ―triad-input housing‖ but not

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―houses built with the funds collected from the buyers‖. ―集资‖ means that the house fund is paid by three parts: the country, the company and the individual. This is a kind of beneficial policy carried in China. 4) ―半拉子工程‖ should be ―never-to-be-finished project‖ but not ―uncompleted project‖, ―半拉子工程‖ means that the project was started before, but was end up with nothing definite, it will be never-to-be-finished. ―Uncompleted project‖ means the project which is underway and would be finished. They are different from each other. 5) ―安居工程‖ has been translated into ―comfortable housing project‖. ―安居工程‖ means that everyone has house to live, and people can afford the house, so ―affordable housing project‖ is better than ―comfortable housing project‖. These improper translations result from the lack of Chinese knowledge of translators. 2.2.3 Lack of knowledge in cultural differences

The professor Wang Zuoliang once said: the biggest problem of translation is the difference between two cultures (王佐良，1989：8). If there is someone who wants to master one language, he must know well the relevant culture. People, with different culture, especially between the western and the Chinese, may have different understanding of the same thing or the same concept.

For instance, ―野蛮装卸‖ means the workers ignore the rules when loading and unloading goods, that is to say, they load and unload the goods in a rash way in order to finish the task as soon as possible. It was translated, according to the literal meaning, into ―the barbarous loading and unloading,‖ which leave an impression to foreign readers like this: the Chinese workers are barbarous. It is obviously untrue, so

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―the rash-and –rough way of loading and unloading‖ would be better.

For another instance, ―又红又专‖, which means ―to require the intelligentsia to adhere to the socialism and to be professional‖, is translated into ―be both red and expert‖, it is obviously not so good. In English, the derivative meanings of ―red‖ are almost with derogatory senses, such as ―bloody‖ and ―violent‖. thus, ―又红又专‖ can be translated into ―both socialist-minded and professionally qualified‖.

The two examples vividly show that translators would not translate Chinese neologisms properly if they don‘t grasp the cultural differences between China and other countries.

2.2.4 Chinglish and China English

Chinglish is the abbreviation of ―Chinese English‖, which refers to the improper use of words and idioms，illogical sentences of English and wrongly make-up English . China English refers to the English expressions and sentences which describe the status of China. The difference between Chinglish and China English lies in that Chinglish disobey the linguistic rules, such as grammar rules, rhetorical rules, and semantic logic, which result in the meaning of the translation far from the original text; while China English use canonical way to translate the neologisms following the basic English grammar rules, which result in the meaning of the translation accord with the original text. Some examples will show the difference:

1) ―三讲(讲学习,讲政治,讲正气)‖ . ―讲学习‖ means ―to learn the Marxism, the theory of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping‖, ―讲政治‖ means ―to insist on the socialism‖, ―讲正气‖ means ―persist in servicing for people with heart and soul‖. It is

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translated word by word into ―three emphases: study, politics and integrity‖. Obviously, it is a typical Chinglish. Although the format is corresponding to the original, its core meaning is destroyed. The meaning of ―study‖ is excessive and nonfigurative, which is not equal to ―学习‖, and the ―politics‖ is a derogatory term, which is not fit for ―政治‖. Instead, ―three emphases: to stress theoretical study, political awareness and good conduct‖ can properly express the core meaning, it is a typical China English.

2) Literally ,―豆腐渣工程‖ is ―bean curd residue project‖ by Chinglish. Actually, it means the project which was built quickly and cheaply without concern for quality, it is equivalent to the word ―jerrybuilt‖ in English, so it should be translated into ―jerrybuilt project‖ by China English.

There are still some more similar examples: ―863 计划‖, ―现代化建设‖, ―农业产业化‖ should be appropriately translated into ―the March 1986 High-tech Program‖, ―modernization drive‖, ―industrial management of agriculture‖, instead of ―the 863 program‖, ―modernization construction‖, ―the industrialization of agriculture‖, for the former translations are China English with right grammar rules, and the latter ones are Chinglish with illogical expressions. 2.2.5 Lack of skills in placing words order

As is known, different nations have different cultures and habits of thought, different language has different expressive way. The Chinese and the English formed their own fixed word order to express their thoughts. When doing the translation work, people had better pay more attention to the word order, or else, the meaning will be

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wholly far away from the original even wrong. There are some translations in the newspaper: ―medium-sized and small enterprise(中小型企业)‖ , ―high and new technology(高新技术)‖, ―an international new economic order(国际经济新秩序)‖. If people read more English original work and know well the English habitual word order, they would be aware of the wrong word order in the English, the first one should be translated into ―small and medium-sized enterprises‖, and the second one should be ―new and high technology‖, the third one should be ―a new international economic order‖.

Although word order is not a big problem, it would make the target readers confused, for word order is not coincident with the English habit. Similarly, if English translators translate the ―small and medium-sized enterprises‖ into ―小中型企业‖, the ―new and high technology‖ into ―新高技术‖, and the ―a new international economic order‖ into ―新国际经济秩序‖，Chinese people, with the Chinese word order habit, would feel strange and confused. 2.2.6 Lack of knowledge in fixed terms

Some fixed terms in English such as peoples‘ names, placenames, companys‘ names, and organizations‘ names are established by usage, people can not take it for granted and change them to another ones.

Take ―大西洋(the Great Lake)‖, ―斑马线(an area of road marked with broad black and white lines where vehicles must stop for people to walk across)‖, ―长途电话(a phone call between places that are far apart)‖, ―廉政公署(ICAC)‖, ―离岸价格(FOB)‖ for example, there are respective fixed terms in English as bellows: ―Atlantic

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Ocean‖, ―zebra/ pedestrian crossing‖, ―long-distant call‖, ―The Independent Commission Against Corruption‖, ―Free On Board‖. Whoever could not translate them into another ones, even the translations are understandable, such as ―Arctic Ocean‖, ―zebra stripes‖, ―distant call‖, ―commission against corruption/ ombudsman commission‖, ―free on border‖, because the people all over the world have accepted those fixed terms and use them chronically for a long time.

Similarly, there are some more fixed terms which could not be changed, for example, ―包装工业(the industry to put something into a box, bag etc)‖ is ―packaging industry‖ instead of ―package industry‖; ―补偿贸易(trade with compensation to make a bad situation better)‖ is ―compensation trade‖ instead of ―compensatory trade‖; ―普惠制(GSP)‖ is ―Generalized System of Preferences‖ instead of ―system of generalized preferential treatment in custom duties‖; ―优惠贷款(loans of costing less money for people in particular situation)‖ is ―concessionary loans‖ instead of ―loans of favorable terms‖ , the latter ones are not fixed terms, which have been changed. Even though there is only a little difference between the former ones and the latter ones, it is unacceptable.

2.2.7 Lack of knowledge in politic expression

One of the most intractable problems in translating Chinese neologisms is politic expressions, which count for much with important connotation. If these politic expressions have been translated improperly, it will make foreigners hard to understand or misunderstand the real meaning of neologisms, to get worse, it will cause the politic problem. Before translators render the politic expressions, especially

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