Linguistic differences via translation
Correspondence between English and Chinese at word Level
Correspondence:
- word-for-word
- one word with multiple equivalents of the same meaning
- one word with multiple equivalents of different meanings
- equivalents interwoven with one another
- words without equivalents
Factors that influence meaning
- singular and plural
eg.
time–times
finding-findings- some idiomatic usage
eg.
You can’t pay too much attention to your pronunciation. (can’t … too == the more, the better)
You can never be too careful in your work. (never be too == try your best)
Three notice:
- commendatory and derogatory meanings
eg.
Farmer–peasant
The enemy killed one of our comrades and we killed an enemy agent.- professional words
- the flexibility of translation
Dicriminating the original meaning of an English word
Q: How to dicriminate the original meaning of an English word ?
A:
- part of speech
- word formation
- context and collocation
Course Notes
The differences between UK and US
| UK | US |
|---|---|
| Chips | Fries |
| Aeroplane | Airplane |
| Underground | Subway |
| Playground | Middle East |
6 Major differences between English and Chinese
| English | Chinese |
|---|---|
| structure | meaning |
| passive voice | active voice |
| idioms, short four characters expressions (vivid, live and compact) | |
| abstract nouns | concrete nouns |
| omitted and avoid recurrences (words) shorter and simpler (sentences) | not omitted and be repeated (words) |
| conclusion first | reasons first |
Some expressions
- If you don’t want it, please don’t give it to others.
- 己所不欲，勿施于人。
- You need to be very smart, very quick at things, but you need to be very careful with your words so that you do not hurt others.
- 敏于事，慎于言。
- To show off before an expert. (To teach a duck to swim.)
- 班门弄斧
- Disintegration 土崩瓦解
- Total exhaustion 精疲力尽
- Careful consideration 深思熟虑
- Perfect harmony 水乳交融
- Feed on fancies 画饼充饥
- With great eagerness 如饥似渴
- Lack of perseverance 三天打鱼，两天晒网
- Make a little contribution 添砖加瓦
- On the verge of destruction 危在旦夕
- to kill two birds with one stone 一石二鸟
- a drop in the bucket 九牛一毛
- to teach a pig to play on a flute 做不可能的事
- once in a blue moon 千载难逢
- the worst wheel of a cart creaks most 才学最差，叫喊最响
- it is a long lang that has no turning 事情必有转机
- it is an ill bird that fouls its own nest 家丑不可外扬
DRY
- I want my martini dry. 不甜的
- There are still some dry states in the United States. 禁酒的
- She prefers dry bread. 无奶油的
- … …
余光中：当中文遇到英语
当中文遇到英语会怎样？
- 译音产生
- 本土母语接纳和转化很多外来的语言
- 认识西方的过去和接触到世界的未来
中文和英文有什么不同？
- 中文不拘文法，省略不必要的虚字，留下具体的东西。
- 中文在文法上很少用介词和连接词。
四次成语可以分成哪两组？
- 一组表示 一种价值，一种观念，一种主张，比如“天下为公”，“众志成城”。
- 一组表示 一种情况，并不主张什么，如“张三李四”。
四字成语的基本美学是什么？
- 对仗、简洁、铿锵。
四字成语往往表示一种状态。
