《中式英语之鉴》第二章读书笔记

不要问我为什么

Reading Notes on Chapter Two  

I. Core Views and Examples from the Original Text  

1. Overuse of Nouns (Nominalization)  
- View: The book highlights the tendency in Chinglish to overuse nominalization, converting verbs or adjectives into nouns, which results in lengthy, loose sentence structures.  
  - Examples:  
  - Original sentence: “We will make an investigation into the matter.”  
  - Revised suggestion: “We will investigate the matter.”  
  The author argues that using the verb “investigate” directly is simpler and aligns with English expression norms.  

2. Inconsistent Pronouns and Antecedents
- View: Chinglish often causes logical confusion due to unclear references between pronouns (e.g., “it,” “this”) and their antecedents.  
  - Examples:  
  - Original sentence: “After finishing the report, it was submitted to the manager.”  
  - Revised suggestion: “After finishing the report, **I** submitted it to the manager.”  
  The author emphasizes that while Chinese often omits the subject, English requires explicit pronouns to avoid ambiguity.  

3. Dangling Modifiers  
- View: Chinglish frequently misplaces modifiers, creating illogical relationships between modifiers and the sentence’s subject.  
  - Examples:  
  - Original sentence: “Walking through the park, the flowers were very beautiful.”  
  - Revised suggestion: “Walking through the park, **I** saw beautiful flowers.”  
  The author notes that the modifier “Walking through the park” incorrectly refers to “flowers,” so the subject must be clarified.  
II. A Critical Perspective on the Author’s Views  
1. Nominalization is Not Always Negative  
- Critical Analysis: While the author criticizes nominalization for redundancy, it is often a stylistic norm in formal English texts.  
  - Examples:  
  - In academic writing, “The implementation of the policy” is more formal and objective than “Implementing the policy.”  
  - Reflection: Nominalization is not inherently “wrong” in English—it depends on context and purpose. Over-simplification may weaken the rigor of formal texts.  

2. Cultural Validity of Omitting Pronouns  
- Critical Analysis: While Chinese omits subjects and English emphasizes clarity, over-reliance on pronouns can also lead to redundancy.  
  - Examples:  
  - Chinese expression: “完成报告后，提交给经理” (After finishing the report, submit it to the manager).  
  - Literal English translation: “After finishing the report, **we** submitted it to the manager.”  
  - Reflection: In informal contexts (e.g., spoken language or internal communication), repeating the subject “we” may feel awkward. Chinese omission aligns with principles of conciseness.  

3. Flexibility of Dangling Modifiers  
- Critical Analysis: While the author condemns dangling modifiers, they can enhance vividness in creative writing.  
  - Examples:  
  - Creative text: “Watching the sunset, the colors melted into the horizon.” (Though grammatically flawed, this creates a vivid image.)  
  - Reflection: In literary works, grammatical flexibility may serve rhetorical purposes. English grammar rules should be adjusted according to the text’s genre.  

4. Deep Differences in Logical Structure  
- Critical Analysis: While the author identifies logical flaws in Chinglish, differences in Chinese and English thinking patterns must be acknowledged.  
  - Examples:  
  - Chinese often implies logical connections through context, whereas English relies on explicit connectors like “therefore” or “however.”  
  - Reflection: Chinese “implicit logic” may seem “loose” in English but reflects linguistic influences on thought patterns. Translation must balance accuracy and naturalness.  

III. Personal Reflections  
  Through reading Chapter Two, I recognized how Chinglish’s structural issues (e.g., overuse of nouns, pronoun confusion) stem from differences between Chinese and English linguistic habits. However, the author’s arguments must be contextualized:  
1. Genre and Context: Nominalization is necessary and formal in academic writing but should be avoided in informal speech.  
2. Cultural Expression: While Chinese subject omission requires adjustment in English, overusing pronouns may obscure meaning.  
3. Language Flexibility: Grammar rules are foundational, but creative or informal contexts allow bending norms for expressive purposes.