Post on 06-Jan-2016
description
A Comparison of the Syntax of Chinese and English from the
Perspective of Translation
David Deterding
NIE, Singapore
Chomsky's Principles and Parameters
• Principles are fixed.
• Parameters vary between languages.
• Analysis of parameters allows us to see the difference between two languages.
Parameters
• Wh Parameter
• Null-subject Parameter
• Head Parameter
Wh Parameter
• In Chinese, the question word does not get moved. It remains 'in situ'.
• In English questions, the 'wh' word is moved to the front.
Types of Question
• There are two types of question:– Yes/No question: Is it raining?– Wh-question: What are you doing?
• We will just consider wh-questions.
你在做什么 ?
What are you doing?
你在做什么 ?
What are you doing?
这本书多少钱 ?
How much is this book?
这本书多少钱 ?
How much is this book?
你住在哪儿 ?
Where do you live?
你住在哪儿 ?
Where do you live?
Wh-movement in 颁 奖 典 礼• Which question has wh-movement in the
translation?
Wh-movement in 颁 奖 典 礼line 7: 还 有 什 么 好 抱 怨 的。line 8: What are you complaining about?
Wh-movement in 颁 奖 典 礼line 7: 还 有 什 么 好 抱 怨 的。line 8: What are you complaining about?
Null-subject Parameter
• Chinese is a null-subject language. If the subject of a clause is predictable, it can be omitted.
• English is not a null-subject language. Every finite clause must have a subject.
Null-subjects and translation
• In translating from Chinese to English, subjects must be added.
• Sometimes the identity of the subject is not clear.
Null Subjects in 七 0
• How many pronouns are there in the Chinese?
• How many pronouns are there in the translation?
• Could a different choice of pronoun have been made?
Null Subjects in 七 0
• Chinese has no subject pronouns.
• English has: I (line 2) and we (line 5)
• Could they have been avoided?
• Also my (line 1); (but this is a possessive pronoun, not a subject)
Null Subjects in 颁 奖 典 礼 • How many pronouns are there in the
Chinese?
• How many pronouns are there in the translation?
• Which extra pronouns are related to the Null-Subject Parameter?
Extra pronouns in 颁 奖 典 礼 line 4 : 愈 是 想 装 成 不 在 乎, 愈 是 想 损
自 己 几 句。 line 4 : But the more I pretended I didn't
care, the more I cursed myself for my reaction,
Extra pronouns in 颁 奖 典 礼 line 4 : 愈 是 想 装 成 不 在 乎, 愈 是 想 损
自 己 几 句。 line 4 : But the more I pretended I didn't
care, the more I cursed myself for my reaction,
Possessive Pronouns
• In English, a singular count noun must have a determiner before it.
• Possessive pronouns are one common type of determiner.
• Sometimes extra pronouns arise from this need for a determiner.
Possessive Pronouns in 颁 奖 典 礼
• Find extra possessive pronouns in the translation.
Possessive Pronouns in 颁 奖 典 礼
• line 10 : 在 胸 中 • line 11 : in my mind
Reference in Chinese
• The relative lack of pronouns in Chinese results in greater repetition of lexical items.
• In English, repetition of lexical items is not allowed.
• Try translating 运 动 into English.
Practice 1
说 到 运 动 , 真 的 让 我 头 痛。 我 喜 欢 运 动 , 又 害 怕 自 己 运 动 时 会 摔 伤 , 因 此 , 我 比 较 喜 欢 “安 全” 的 运 动 , 如 羽 球 , 乒 乓 等。
(by 小 兔 From Friday Weekly, No 462)
The thought of exercise really gives me a headache. I like exercise, but when I exercise I am frightened I will get injured, and because of this I prefer "safe" exercises like badminton or ping-pong.
The thought of exercise really gives me a headache. I like exercise, but when I exercise I am frightened I will get injured, and because of this I prefer "safe" exercises like badminton or ping-pong.
The thought of exercise really gives me a headache. I like sport, but then I am frightened I will get injured, and because of this I prefer "safe" activities like badminton or ping-pong.
Practice 2
大 小 不 同、 各 色 各 样 的 风 筝 令 人 眼 花 缭 乱, 一 下 子 也 无 从 选 择。 虽 然 精 贵 的 风 筝 特 别 吸 引 人, 我 还 是 替 大 家 选 了 最 便 宜、 简 单 的 纸 风 筝。 理 由 是, 你 们 毕 竟 是 初 试 者, 就 先 学 会 把 简 陋 的 风 筝 送 上 天, 才 攀 缘 上 等 的 风 筝 吧。 (by 昭 伟 , from Friday Weekly No 638)
There were so many different sizes and shapes of kites to choose between that for a moment I could not make up my mind. Although the expensive kites were attractive, I decided on the cheapest and simplest kites for everyone. As you were just beginners, it was best to practice with a simple kite before progressing to a more elaborate kite.
There were so many different sizes and shapes of kites to choose between that for a moment I could not make up my mind. Although the expensive kites were attractive, I decided on the cheapest and simplest kites for everyone. As you were just beginners, it was best to practice with a simple kite before progressing to a more elaborate kite.
There were so many different sizes and shapes of kites to choose between that for a moment I could not make up my mind. Although the expensive ones were attractive, I decided on the cheapest and simplest for everyone. As you were just beginners, it was best to practice with a simple model before progressing to something more elaborate.
Strategies Used
• substitution : kite one
• omission : kite Ø
• more general term : kite model
• pronoun : kite something
颁 奖 典 礼• Find an instance where lexical repetition in
Chinese is avoided in the English translation.
颁 奖 典 礼• line 1: 自 从 报 纸 公 布 了 某 文 学 奖 的
得 奖 名 单, 而 我 确 信 我 的 名 字 就 在 名 单 之 上 后
• line 1: When the newspaper announced the results of the literary prize and I confirmed that my name really was among the winners
七 0
• Find an instance where lexical repetition in Chinese is avoided in the English translation.
七 0
• Line 1 : 坐 很 慢 的 慢 车 • Line 1 : on a slow train
七 0
• Find an instance where lexical repetition in Chinese is retained in the English translation. Why do you think this is?
七 0
• lines 8-10 : 农 业 的 气 味, 手 工 业 小 镇 的 气 味, 性 欲 被 禁 锢 的 气 味, 军 队 纪 律 的 气 味, 多 淀 粉 质 毂 类 而 少 肉 食 的 气 味
• lines 11-14 : the smell from the farms, the smell of small towns full of home-based industries, the smell of forbidden sex, the smell of military discipline, the smell of a diet high in carbohydrates and low in meat
Head Parameter
• Every phrase has a head.
• In English, the head of the phrase tends to be at the start: English is a head-first language.
• In Chinese, the head of the phrase is always at the end: Chinese is a head-last language.
我喜欢的书
我喜欢的书
books that I like
我喜欢的书
books that I like
他去过的地方
他去过的地方
places he has been to
他去过的地方
places he has been to
颁 奖 典 礼• Find an instance where a head-last phrase
in Chinese is translated as a head-first phrase in English.
颁 奖 典 礼• line 1: 某 文 学 奖 的 得 奖 名 单 • line 1: the results of the literary prize
七 0
• Find an instance where a head-last phrase in Chinese is translated as a head-first phrase in English.
七 0
• Line 8 : 迟 缓 死 去 的 六 0 年 代 的 气 味 • Line 11 : the smell of the slowly decaying
sixties
Consequences of the Different Setting of the Head Parameter
• adverb placement
• subordinate-main clause order
• because-therefore structure of discourse
The Head Parameter and Modification
• As it is head-last, Chinese generally has premodification.
我喜欢的书premod head
• English often has postmodification.books that I likehead postmod
Adverbs
• Adverbs are also modifiers.
• Adverbs in Chinese come before the verb.
• Adverbs in English can come after the verb.
Adverbs in initial position.
昨天我看电视。Yesterday I watched television.
Adverbs in medial position.
我 昨天看电视。I yesterday watched television.
Adverbs in final position.
* 我看电视昨天。I watched television yesterday.
颁 奖 典 礼• Find an instance where a pre-verbal
adverb in Chinese is translated as a post-verbal adverb in English.
颁 奖 典 礼• line 10 : 在 胸 中 冒 出 来 的 泡 泡 • line 11 : churning about in my mind
七 0
• Find an instance where a pre-verbal adverb in Chinese is translated as a post-verbal adverb in English.
七 0
• Line 12 : 在 月 台 上 瞌 睡 • Line 17 : were dozing along the platforms
subordinate-main
• in fact, all Chinese subordinate clauses tend to come before the main clause
• in English, main-subordinate is also possible
subordinate-main
如果你替我买那本书,我就会看。If you buy the book for me, I will read it.
main-subordinate
?? 我会看那本书,如果你替我买。I will read the book if you buy it for me.
because-therefore
• in Chinese, the because clause must come before the therefore clause
• in English, either order is acceptable
• this order affects the structure of texts: Chinese give reasons before conclusions
because-therefore
因为很累,所以她留在家里。Because she was tired, she stayed at home.
therefore-because
?? 她留在家里 , 因为很累 .
She stayed at home, because she was tired.
because-therefore
因为很累,所以她留在家里。
Discourse Structure
• Kirkpatrick (1991) suggests that this is the underlying structure of Chinese discourse: reasons always come before the conclusion.
• In English, it is possible to put the justification after the conclusion.
Conclusion
• Chomsky's Principles and Parameters can explain many differences between Chinese and English.
• However, there are lots of other differences.
• Many arise out of idioms and allusions.
颁 奖 典 礼• Find an idiom in the Chinese which is hard
to translate into English.
颁 奖 典 礼• line 9-10 : 伯 乐 难 遇 • line 10-11 : it's so hard to find someone
who appreciates true talent