ChineseNegativeTransferinChinese-EnglishInterpretation

1、韶 关 学 院毕 业 论 文毕业论文题目：Chinese Negative Transfer in Chinese-English Interpretation学生姓名： 肖炜学 号： 040310215系（院）： 外语学院英语系专 业： 英语（教育）班 级： 04级本科（6）班 指导教师姓名及职称：阚哲华 副教授 起止时间： 2007年10月2008年4月（教务处制表）韶关学院外语学院本科毕业论文FOREIGN LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT Shaoguan UniversityDeclaration of Academic IntegrityI promise that the

2、 thesis contains no material which has been accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any institutes of higher learning and that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person, except when due reference is mad

3、e in the text of the thesis. I understand that to do so would mean that I had committed plagiarism, and that it is my responsibility to be aware of the Universitys regulations on plagiarism and their importance.Signed: Date: April , 200822Chinese Negative Transfer in Chinese-English InterpretationAb

4、stractChinese negative transfer is an interference which proves to be an obstacle for Chinese learners of English as a second language , i.e., English L2 acquisition, resulting in error expressions of great discrepancy between C-E interpreters and native speakers of English. Chinese-English interpre

5、tation is a cross-linguistic activity with its own features, which is influenced by several factors, say, the habit of associating Chinese counterparts in speaking and writing English words or phrases. It is inevitable that negative transfer will take place. Three levels of Chinese negative transfer

6、 in Chinese-English interpretation are analyzed in this thesis. They are lexical level, syntactic level and pragmatic level. They are illustrated with examples in order to find out the causes of the errors in Chinese-English interpretation. Meanwhile, a case study is conducted to evidence the theory

7、 in this thesis.Key words: Chinese negative transfer, error, interpretation汉英口译中汉语负迁移研究摘 要由于汉英两种语言在词汇、结构和文化等方面存在着差异，而在口译活动中，译者受时间限制与压力等的制约，汉语负迁移现象在所难免。本文从词汇、句法及语用的层次对汉英口译中汉语负迁移现象进行了分析及探讨，旨在帮助译者认识原语干扰现象，提高汉英口译的质量。关键词：汉语负迁移；语误；口译Table of ContentsAbstracti摘 要ii1 Introduction12 Basic Definitions22.1 C-E

8、 I and its Features22.1.2 Process of C-E I22.1.3 Features of C-E I42.2 Language Negative Transfer and its Consequences52.2.1 Language Negative Transfer52.2.2 Consequences of Language Negative Transfer62.3 Summary73 Analysis Of Chinese Negative Transfer In C-E Interpretation83.1 Lexical Transfer83.1.

9、1 Errors in Function Words83.1.2 Errors in Content Words113.1.3 Errors in Wording133.2 Syntactic Transfer143.2.1 Errors in Agreement143.2.2 Errors in Word Order153.3Pragmatic Transfer153.4 Summary174 A Case Study174.1 Method174.1.1 Subjects174.1.2 Design174.1.3 Materials184.1.4 Procedure184.2 Result

10、s184.3 Discussion195 Conclusion20References21Acknowledgements22Chinese Negative Transfer in Chinese-English Interpretation1 IntroductionLanguage transfer, which is also known as L1 interference or linguistic interference, is an important issue in second language acquisition. It usually exerts an inf

11、luence on speaking a second language. There are two types of transfer, positive and negative. Positive transfer facilitates second language acquisition due to the influence of cross-linguistic similarities, while negative transfer results in errors, overproduction, etc.Interpretation is a cross-ling

12、uistic activity which will be influenced by the habit of using L1. It is inevitable that negative transfer will take place. On the other hand, interpretation is a special task for the reasons that the interpreters work under temporal pressure and need good memory, etc. Consequently, negative transfe

13、r happens more often than most of other relevant activities. In this thesis, the author focuses on the Chinese negative transfer (CNT) in Chinese-English interpretation (CEI). Related materials are provided in the thesis and analyzed, evidencing the theory of negative transfer in second language acq

14、uisition. With the features of interpretation taken into consideration, the thesis tries to analyze the CNT in CEI against data, collected from previous studies, in terms of three levels: lexical, syntactical, and semantic. Furthermore, a case study is conducted of the juniors and seniors in Foreign

15、 Languages School of Shaoguan University.Finally, some relevant strategies are suggested for the purpose of minimizing CNT and improving the quality of CEI.2 Basic Definitions2.1 C-E I and its Features It is necessary to introduce C-E I and its features here for the reason that the interpretation is

16、 a special activity where CNT arises and the further discussion requires some basic information about it.2.1.1 Definition of C-E IInterpretation is not only “a form of translation in which a first and final rendition in another language is produced on the basis of a one-time presentation of an utter

17、ance in a source language,” but also an activity “performed for the benefit of people who want to engage in communication across barriers of language and culture.” (Pochhacker, 2004: 10-11)Interpretation, a form of translation, is essentially a complex communicative act. For many, interpretation is

18、seemingly just an oral translation used in daily communication and therefore deals with simple expressions. But for interpreting service delivered at high levels, it is often applied for formal conferences, especially international conferences. It is easily understood that, in this thesis, C-E I is

19、a process of transferring Chinese to English in the oral form in order to convey the information.2.1.2 Process of C-E IThe process of interpretation is more than simplely one of decoding, coding, and encoding. According to Chen (2005), the interpreting process is as follows: Party A Interpreter Part

20、y BMeaning Voice Array A Code A Voice Array BDecoding, acquiring meaningCode B MeaningVoice Array CFigure 1. Process of Interpretation (in Chen, 2005)Figure 1 above shows that the process of interpretation involves five components, namely, input (i.e. Code A), decoding, memory (i.e. acquiring meanin

21、g), encoding, and output (i.e. Code B).(I) InputInput is the first step in interpretation. What it means is that the interpreter extracts the words and sentences from the source language. It is very important that the interpreter should highly concentrate on the context from Party A in order to avoi

22、d missing information. (II) DecodingThe process of decoding involves the shift from thinking in the source language to thinking in the target language. The interpreter “recognizes the meaning of sentence elements and the underlying logical relationship between them” and then “completes comprehension

23、 of the source language speech.” (Zhang, 2006: 3-4)(III) MemoryA qualified interpreter requires a good memory because it influences the result of interpretation directly. It is clear that short-term memory is very important in interpretation since the information in source language should be stored

24、in the memory for some time. There are also some factors which hinder the memorizing such as the speakers accent, the topic of the speech and differences between source language and target language.On the other hand, according to Seleskovitch (1978), memory can be divided into two types: substantive

25、 memory and verbatim memory. The former refers to catching the meaning by rapid analysis and understanding of the message, while the latter means to memorize the original words or sentences of the message. Substantive memory is the key method since it is difficult for the interpreter to remember all

26、 of the words in source language. It is undoubted that verbatim memory is inevitable in interpretation for the reason that such words as certain numbers, names and headings have to be accurate.(IV) EncodingEncoding refers to the interpreter reconstructs the messages from source language into target

27、language based on understanding of them. In this process, the interpreter should pay attention to the words and sentences in target language, the completeness of the context and the style of the speech. Meanwhile, the interpreter has to organize the speech. Difficulty in speech organization is inevi

28、tably encountered because of the differences between the source language and the target language and therefore negative transfer happens, which will later be discussed in details.(V) OutputThe last phase of interpretation is output, namely, expression. It is a key stage of the process and the symbol

29、 of success or failure of the interpretation. If the interpreter cannot express the message accurately, fluently and clearly, the interpretation is not a successful one though he or she has a good listening and comprehension.2.1.3 Features of C-E IFirstly, the interpreter works under temporal pressu

30、re. The interpreter usually has no time for preparation. Although they can prepare for the theme or topic that the speaker may talk about before he or she works, he or she can hardly guess the exact words the speaker will use. In addition, the role of interpreter decides that he or she cannot occupy

31、 too much time. Secondly, interpreter works under tremendous pressure from working environment. The interpretation sometimes takes place in relaxed atmosphere like guide interpretation. In most of the time, however, the interpreter works in an atmosphere of serious. Consequently, the interpreters es

32、pecially those who lack of experience will lose confidence and cannot perform well. Thirdly, the interpretation requires interpreters comprehensive ability e.g. the ability to listen and to speak, comprehension and reaction. Being a good listener is very important to an interpreter. This requires th

33、e interpreters concentration on the message from the source language speaker. Meanwhile, the interpreter should speak fluently in both source language and target language in order to make the listeners understand the text in target language easily and clearly. Additionally, taking notes is one of th

34、e parts of interpretation in some places where the interpreter is allowed to do. Finally, interpreter should finish the work independently. In practical work, the interpreter cannot look up the dictionaries or get any help from others when the difficulties occur to test his or her ability. 2.2 Langu

35、age Negative Transfer and its Consequences2.2.1 Language Negative TransferAs is known to all, every interpreter is first and foremost a bilingual who is able to speak both the source language and target language. The source language and target language is not acquired at the same time. Therefore, if

36、 we observe carefully, we can find that a Chinese usually speaks English with Chinese accent. The influence of the source language always occurs in other language levels e.g. vocabulary, grammar, syntax, etc. Such phenomenon is called language transfer.“The term transfer is first defined technically

37、 by behavioristic psychologists to refer to the process of automatic, uncontrolled and subconscious use of past learned behavior in the attempt to produce new responses.” (Yue, 2006: 87) There are two types of transfer, positive and negative. Positive transfer facilitates second language acquisition

38、 due to the influence of cross-linguistic similarities, while negative transfer results in errors, overproduction, etc.According to Odlin, negative transfer refers to “cross-linguistic influences resulting in errors, overproduction, underproduction, miscomprehension, and other effects that constitut

39、e a divergence between the behavior of native and nonnative speakers of a language.” (Odlin, 20011989: 36) Admittedly, negative transfer takes place in dual directions, i.e. not only from the first language (L1) to a second langue (L2) or third language but also vice versa. In C-E I, the negative tr

40、ansfer arises mainly from Chinese. This thesis, therefore, focuses on source language negative transfer i.e. Chinese negative transfer in C-E I.2.2.2 Consequences of Language Negative TransferOf the two types of language transfer, negative transfer is more worth researching since most of the L2 spea

41、kers find it hard to deal with the difficulties in communication resulted from negative transfer. Its necessary to mention the consequences of language negative transfer.According to Odlins definition of negative transfer, which is mentioned above, the consequences of language negative transfer are

42、as follows:To begin with, the L2 speakers often use L1 patterns or rules in speaking L2, which result in errors in the target language. Ungrammatical or unidiomatic expressions are usually found in the speech production of a L2 speaker. For instance, the following sentences are made by some Chinese,

43、 which are not unusual:(1) Now is the time to get up. (Wrong) (2) It is the time to get up now. (Right)(3) “The living standard of people / Peoples living standard in both urban and rural areas continued to grow up.” (Wrong)(4) “Living standard in both urban and rural areas continued to rise.” (Righ

44、t)Moreover, although some language structures are frequently used in target language, the second language speakers seldom to use them. This phenomenon is the second consequence of language negative transfer- underproduction. The reason why the second language speakers avoid using some linguistic str

45、uctures is that they find them difficult because of the differences between the native language and the target language. It is reported that “Chinese and Japanese students of ESL tended to use fewer relative clauses than did students whose languages have relative clause structures more like those of

46、 English” (Odlin, 2001:37).What is more, overproduction is the third consequence of language negative transfer. Second language speakers tend to use their native language structures to facilitate the speaking of target language. It is found that “the native speakers of English used more direct expre

47、ssions of apology than native speakers of Hebrew and that they tended to transfer this into L2 Hebrew” (Ellis, 1999:306).Finally, since there are many differences between the culture of the L1 country and L2 country, L2 speakers usually understand the messages with their own cultural perception. Hen

48、ce, miscomprehension occurs. A typical example is “Every dog has his/its day.” It is not unusual for Chinese to regard the “dog” as a kind of animal, while the exact meaning is that “Everyone has good luck or success at some point in their life.”2.3 SummaryInterpretation is a special service activit

49、y in the communication between cross-cultural people. Since the interpreter is a bilingual, he or she has to face the problems affected by language negative transfer. Language negative transfer results in some consequences in interpretation, thus, it is worth researching it.3 Analysis Of Chinese Neg

50、ative Transfer In C-E InterpretationLanguage negative transfer, as is stated above, affects the interpretation. This thesis focuses on Chinese-English interpretation. Hence, Chinese negative transfer is what should be involved. In this chapter, a detailed analysis is analyzed from the perspectives o

51、f lexis, syntax and pragmatics.3.1 Lexical TransferLexis is the basic factor of a language. Lexical errors in C-E I usually happen due to lexical transfer. In this section, the lexical transfer is analyzed in terms of function words (articles, prepositions and pronouns), content words (nouns, verbs

52、and adjectives) and word collocation.3.1.1 Errors in Function WordsIn English, function words consist of prepositions, pronouns, determiners, conjunctions and auxiliary verbs. However, this section focuses only on the errors in articles, prepositions and pronouns since they are more obvious in C-E I

53、.(I) Errors in articlesAs is known to all, there are three types of articles in English, which are definite, indefinite and zero articles. Zhang (2000: 115) mentions that Chinese learners of English have trouble in using the articles appropriately and consistently because there is no article contras

54、t in Chinese common nouns and there are many exceptions to the rule of article usage as well. The articles which are indispensable in English are usually absent in Chinese. Due to the articles difference between Chinese and English, it is not uncommon to find that interpreters lose the articles or u

55、se some unnecessary articles in target language, as the evidenced by the following examples.(5) a. 他站在教室前面，向大家宣布这个通知。b. He stood in front of the classroom (6) a. 我是在春节期间出生的, 那也是寒假。 b. I was born during Spring Festival, which is the winter vacation.In the first sentence, the definite article “the” is

56、 omitted before “front”. In English, “stand in front of the classroom” means standing outside the classroom while“stand in the front of the classroom” indicates standing inside the classroom. It is obvious that the source language means someone announce something inside the classroom. The phrase “Sp

57、ring Festival” in the second sentence needs to add an article “the” before it and “the winter vacation” should be changed into “a winter vacation” according to English grammatical rules. Therefore, the correct interpreting texts should be: 1. He stood in the front of the classroom” 2. I was born during the Spring Festival, which is a winter vacation.(II) Errors in prepositionsAccording to Baron, “Mandarin has no special class of words corresponding to prepositions in English. There does exist a fairly limited set of verbs which become lexically weakened and form verb-noun c