英语本科毕业论文-新闻和广告的中式翻译研究.doc

编 号：2009209027河南大学2012届本科毕业论文 A Study of Chinese English in Translation of Press and Advertise 新闻和广告的中式翻译研究论文作者名称：徐倩倩 作 者 学 号：2009209027 所 在 学 院：远程与继续教育学院 所 学 专 业：英语 导师姓名、职称：曾霞 副教授 论文完成时间： 2012-12-15 17 A Study of Chinese English in Translation of Press and Advertise 新闻和广告的中式翻译研究Xu QianqianCollege of Distant learning and Continuing Education of Henan UniversityDec. 2012AcknowledgementsI would like to extend the most sincere gratitude to the entire faculty of the School of Henan University, who have generously granted invaluable knowledge to me and enlightened me on how to be a moral being in the past four years. First, I would like to give my deepest thanks and gratefulness to my supervisor, Zeng Xia, for her insightful suggestions and invaluable criticism on this thesis. Her instruction benefits me much and helps me complete this thesis smoothly. I am also grateful for my good friends for their valuable suggestions and enthusiastic help.Finally yet importantly, I would like to thank my family for being a continual source of support and encouragement.AbstractSince 1978, when the policy of reform and opening up began, the past twenty years have witnessed a flouring foreign publicity in China. While applauding the success achieved, we regret to see many problems continue to exist, among which Chinese English is a prominent one. It has not only hindered the intercultural communications between China and the rest of the world, but, even worse, spoiled Chinas image on the global stage. Many factors are answerable for Chinese English. This thesis is an attempt to probe the issue by a contrastive study of Chinese and English languages and cultures in press and advertisement, because the dissimilar languages and cultures are primary causes of Chinese English, and the translation of press and advertisement, which are fields of consequence in Chinas foreign publicity, concerns the whole China. It is devoted to discuss the causes and manifestations of Chinese English and ways to reduce it, with a view to bring translation to a higher standard, i.e., “faithfulness, smoothness and elegance”.The introductions intend to contribute to effective strategy to decrease Chinese English in foreign publicity. The thesis contents five parts:Chapter One, “What is Chinese English”, First, the difference between Chinese English and native English. Second, it is dispute between the literal translation and the free translation. They are necessary supplements to each other, but as far as the translation of press and advertisement is concerned, the latter is more often preferred.Chapter Two, introduce the news of some Chinese English translation and processing method.Chapter Three, discuss the advertising translation of Chinese English translation and solutions.Chapter Four ConclusionChapter Five Bibliography【Key words】:Chinese English；Native English；Translation；Culture.摘要改革开放以来， 我国的对外宣传事业蓬勃发展。 但在大发展过程中， 难免会出现一些缺点和不足。 其中中式英语是目前我国对外宣传领域中的主要问题之一。 它不仅阻碍了中西方在各个社会领域的交流，而且一定程度上有损中国的对外开放形象。 中式英语存在于许多领域的翻译中，本文仅选取了改革开放关系密切的新闻和广告两个领域，以中西语言与文化的差异为切入点， 试图探究中式英语产生的原因和主要表现形式以及找到解决这种现象的对策， 从而是译文更接近于“信、达、雅”这一境界。介绍有利于减少中国式英语的翻译及对策。第一章，“什么是中式英语”先介绍中式英语和英语的不同，再介绍“直译”与“意译”之争。就新闻与广告翻译而言，意译较直译更为常用。第二章，介绍新闻中出现的一些中式英语翻译和处理办法。第三章，探讨广告翻译中的中式英语的翻译和解决方法。最后写了对全文的总结和参考文献。关键词：中式英语；英语；翻译；文化CONTENTSIntroduction()Chapter One What is Chinese English.() 1.1 The difference between Chinese English and native English.()1.2 The dispute between literal translation and free translation.()Chapter Two Chinese English in Press Translation.()2.1. Mistranslation of neologisms.()2.1.1 Borrowed neologisms.() Native Chinese neologisms with equivalents in English.() Lack of perfect expressions and understanding.()2.2. Unnecessary words.() 2.2.1 Unnecessary nouns.()2.2.2 Unnecessary verbs.() 2.2.3 Unnecessary modifiers.() 2.3. The solution to the Press.()Chapter Three Chinese English in advertisement.()3.1 Features of advertising English.()3.1.1 Syntactic features() Preferring simple sentences to complex ones.(). Preferring parallel structures to principal-subordinate ones() Preferring imperative sentences and questions to statements.()3.1.2 Stylistic features of advertising English.() Credible.() Concise() Emotional() 3.2. Manifestations of Chinese and English in advertisement translation3.2.1 Lack of “You-attitude”.()Neglecting the prospects emotional needs() Overlooking the principle of “applying different standards to domestic and foreign publicity”.()3.3. The solution to the advertising translation.()Conclusion()Bibliography.()IntroductionSince the policy of reform and opening up begin in 1978, China has crackled with the dynamic of change, capturing more attention from every corner of the world. People abroad are desirous to know more about her, and the country is eager to be known by more. In the flourishing intercultural communications between China and the rest of the world, English is playing an increasingly important role. Despite the achievements scored in Chinas foreign publicity, Chinese English like a fly in the ointment becomes an enduring headache for foreigners in china, who are often confused with obscure abbreviations, word-formed translation, improper omissions and misspellings. In many cases, the English translation does not mean what the Chinese original denotes.Various factors are answerable for the existence of Chinese English, including thinking patterns between China and English speaking countries. This thesis attempts to probe Chinese English by contrasting the languages and cultures of both, investigating its prominent evident in press and advertisements and suggesting some remedies for the unhealthy linguistic patterns. Although some have been simplified for instructional purposes, none are invented by myself. This thesis is intended to contribute to effective strategy to decrease Chinese English in foreign publicity. Chapter One What is Chinese English When persons whose mother language is Chinese he will think in a Chinese way, and inevitably take the Chinese characteristic. Chinese English, often a result of word-for-word translation from Chinese to English, refers to non-standard or deformed English that is unintelligible or unacceptable to educated native English speakers because of violation aganist their language rules, cultural traditions or aesthetic principle.1.1. The difference between Chinese English and native EnglishChinese English is what occurs when the Chinese language and English language crash into one another. When native Chinese speakers who are learning English attempt to directly translate Chinese into English, using Chinese sentence structure, wording and grammar, a blend of Chinese and English happens. Among Chinese English teachers and English as a second language (ESL) foreign experts working with students, this phenomenon is commonly referred to as Chinese English. In order to help students to overcome Chinese English in their oral English and cultivate their sense of foreign culture and mode of thinking the awareness of the causes of Chinese English is unavoidable. This paper focuses on analyzing the causes in terms of negative transfer of mother tongue and the differences between modes of thinking and cultural backgrounds. Native English, according to American Heritage Dictionary, is the variety of English that is most widely accepted as the spoken and written language of educated speakers in formal and informal contexts and are characterized by generally accepted conventions of spelling, grammar, and vocabulary while admitting some regional differences, especially in pronunciation and vocabulary.1.2. The dispute between literal translation and free translationChinese English is often a result of word-for word translation. Then someone may question, “If we all abandon literal translation and adopt free translation, how can we highlight the color of the source language?” Here he has no intention to resist literal translation, which is a translating skill as effective as free translation in some cases. What he oppose is rigid translation, or word-for-word translation. Newark Newark, Peter, A Textbook of Translation. London: Prentice-Hall, 1988, P68-69 who is careful to distinguish literal translation from word-for-word translation, maintains that Literal translation is correct and must be avoid, if it secures referential and pragmatic equivalence to the original. The controversy between literal translation and free translation is in effect that between alienation and adaptation. Two representative scholars for this issue are Lawrence Venuti and E. A. Nida Nida (born November 11, 1914) is the developer of the dynamic-equivalence Bible-translation theory. Venuti, Professor of English, works in early modern literature, British, American, and foreign poetic traditions, translation theory. . The former proposes “resistance translation as a solution”, Venuti, L, The Scandals of Translation: Towards an Ethics of Difference, London and New York: Rout ledge, 1998 thinking that this kind of translation highlights the “foreignness” of the source test by embedding stylistic or other discontinuities in the target language. And Nida (1993) proposes “the closest natural equivalence” in translation, Nida, E.A, Language Culture and translating, Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Press, 1993. as he repeatedly states that what really deserves the name of translation should be the revealing of the original message by applying the closest natural equivalents in terms of content and style. The dispute between literal translation and free translation should be view in the dialectic perspective. Neither absolutely correct nor wrong. They are a unity of opposites, neither of them, which can dispense with the translation. When a translator decides to translate something, first he must read it carefully from the very beginning to the very end. He should never set his pen to paper until he has thoroughly understood its content and at the same time mastered its feature, when it is important to achieve the intended communicative effects. While translating, he may make use of literal translation on condition that his translation is both intelligible and acceptable to the readers if the sentence structure and the figure of speech of the original is keep untouched. However, in the Chinese English translation of press and advertisements in the coming chapters, some of free translation is involved in that Chinese press and advertisements have different practices from those of English. Literal translation often cannot work alone efficiently because it is likely to lead to Chinese English undesirable results.Chapter Two Chinese English in Press Translation The cause of Press Chinese English translation problems come into being.2.1. Mistranslation of neologismsThe practice of reform and opening up policy has brought sudden changes in China. Economic and cultural exchanges between China and the outside world unprecedentedly flourish. As a result, numerous new terms come into being. Neologisms are difficult to be rendered into English, because they are new with very few examples to follow and most of them are characterized by Chinese culture. Accordingly, some careless translators will blindly pursue literal equivalence, regardless of the connotation, and rashly render neologisms into Chinese English. In my understanding, neologisms may fall into three areas：（1）Those borrowed from English and thus have equivalents in English;(2) Those that are a part of native Chinese, yet still have English equivalents due to peoples universal concepts; (3) Those that are pure Chinese and have no English equivalents.2.1.1 Borrowed neologisms With the rapid development of human society, new things come into being every day. Lots of neologisms are borrowed by developed ones. China is no exception. Since these neologisms emerge so fast that they are unavailable in most dictionaries. If they are putting literally into English without being traced back to their origin, they become Chinese English.Internet has introduced many new words related to computer. Most of them are borrowed from English. “黑客” “黑客”摘自:/view/1960.htm.2012.12 in English it means “hacker” or “cyberpunk”, but some ignorant translators put it word for word into “black guest”. It is totally unrelated to “hacker” at all. Translators must be sensitive to every fresh expression in English publications and try to gather up the neologisms. Native Chinese neologisms with equivalents in English a. We should not issue blank paper to the farmers. 2011年 第四期 常见翻译错误分析及其启示 西华大学外语学院，四川 成都 610039 “打白条” is an idiom in Chinese, which refers to issuing a signed paper starting the specific amount owed. In Westerners eyes, “blank paper” is merely a piece of paper with nothing on it and has no relation with debt. The native speaker translator this sentence “We should not issue IOU to the farmers”. b. To clean up the “triangle debts” 英语新闻报道 豆丁网 “triangle debts” means“三角债” but in English to say “debt chain”, so this phrase can be changed into “to clean up the debt chain”.Faithfulness to the original must be based on the prerequisite that the version is accessible to its audience. Under this condition, I have seen “傍大款” rendered as “to find a very rich man”, and “煲电话粥” into“to chat for a long time on the phone”. The readability of the version will be highly enhanced if they are respectively rendered into the American slangs “to cling to a sugar daddy” and “to shoot the breeze on the phone”.Another type of neologisms, which seems like native Chinese words, but actually came from abroad, deserves special attention, such as “白皮书”, white paper, “假唱”, lip-sync, “婚内强奸”marital rape, “讨债公司” debt-recovery firm. They should be traced back to their origins. Lack of perfect expressions and understanding. China has undergone substantial changes since 1978.Chinese, as the mirror of the Chinese society, is high enriched by many new words. They are difficult in translating into English lack of perfect expressions and understanding. a.香港特别行政区将保持自由港和独立关税地区的地位The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will retain the status of a free port and an independent customs territory. U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992(转载) 英语杂谈 The meaning of a word is normally determined by the context. It is the context that endows it with an exact meaning. “独立” in Chinese may not always equal “independent” in English. In this context, “独立关税” refers to that Hong Kong has the privilege of handling its customs separately rather than independently. The word “independent” is easily associated with the idea of Hong Kong being a political entity independent of the government of China. It is better to replace “independent” with “separate”. b. 抓大放小Some people always translate “.抓大放小” into “seize the big and release the small”. What is “ big” and what is “small”? If there is nothing more to make up the implied meaning, this translation is merely nonsense. It shows that the translators themselves are not sure about the exact meaning of “大” and “小”. “抓大放小” is a management strategy over state-owned enterprises in China. “抓大” means to “manage large enterprises well”, and “放小” “ease control over small enterprises”. “抓大放小” can be translated into “mange large enterprises well while easing control over small ones”. Yet “大”and “小” may refer to “major issues” and “minor issues” in some set context. Therefore, a correct understanding of a word cannot be independent of the context.c. 文明Recently, expressions with “文明” are often seen as a result of the ethical progress of the society, such as “文明城市”, “文明单位”, “文明经商”, “文明商户”. When you look at the English translation, “文明” is almost unanimously rendered into “civilized”. A huge billboard on the Longhai Road of Zhengzhou has a Chinese slogan in huge characters which reads like “创建文明城市，创建文明社区”. The English sentence under it reads “establish a civilized city, establish a civilized community”. Not to say its structure, an educated native English speaker will not understand the use of the word “civilized”. They may ask, “Are they barbarous? Why are they striving to be civilized?” The original meaning is totally distorted. “文明” denoting this meaning but rendered into “civilized” also frequents press. Even though the English equivalent for an adjective “文明” is “civilized” in most Chinese English dictionaries, “civilized” conveys a different meaning from “文明” in the above cases. It is appropriate to change the translation to change the translation into “Work for a model city and an ethical community”.Nida concluded, “ Translating means translating the meaning.” When the meaning is lost, the process of translation is a failure.d. 宣传For a long time, “宣传” has been translated into “propaganda” in many Chinese publications, such as “the Propaganda Ministry of the CPC”, “to strengthen propaganda”, and “foreign propaganda”. If one opens any Chinese English