CHAPTER 1

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Chapter 1 of The Translator's Guide to Chinglish centers on unnecessary words in Chinglish. It emphasizes the significance of conciseness in English writing, a principle often neglected in translations.


The chapter uses many examples to show how redundant nouns, verbs, and modifiers make sentences unclear. For example, "to accelerate the pace of economic reform" has an unnecessary "pace" as "accelerate" already implies an increase in speed. "Category nouns" like "the practice of extravagance" can usually be removed to simplify sentences. Unnecessary verbs in phrases such as "make an investigation of" should be replaced with more direct ones like "investigate" to make writing more forceful.

The overuse of introductory verb phrases like "make great efforts to" is also a problem. These cliches clutter the text and weaken its impact. However, the author points out that we need to be careful in judgment. Some words might seem redundant but are necessary in certain contexts, like "policy" in "China has always followed a policy of peaceful coexistence".

In conclusion, this chapter is a valuable resource. It helps me identify and correct unnecessary words in translations, aiming to write more concise and effective English. I'll apply these lessons to improve my skills.

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