Review of Chapter One of The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish

忆芺77

After carefully studying the first chapter of The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish written by Joan Pinkham, I have gained a profound understanding of the nature and origin of Chinglish. The title of this chapter is "What Is Chinglish?", which is both eye-opening and practical, providing valuable insights into the problems faced by English learners and translators in China.

Pinkham begins by defining Chinglish as "that deformed hybrid language that is neither English nor Chinese but can be described as 'English with Chinese characteristics'." She further elaborates that Chinglish is not merely the result of grammatical errors. Instead, it stems from the direct application of Chinese thinking patterns, sentence structures, and cultural connotations to English. For example, phrases like "make active efforts" and "conduct investigations" are redundant because "efforts" are inherently active, and "investigations" already imply carrying out a study. Such examples have made me realize how deeply ingrained Chinese thinking processes are in English translation.

This chapter also explores the historical and cultural roots of Chinglish. It points out that the prevalence of Chinglish is, to some extent, a byproduct of China's unique language learning path. In the past, Chinese English learners often relied heavily on literal translations from Chinese textbooks. As a result, Chinglish has become a common phenomenon in various official documents, announcements, and daily communications.

In addition, Pinkham's analysis of common types of Chinglish, such as word redundancy, excessive use of noun phrases, and improper collocations, is extremely helpful. By highlighting these issues, I have been able to identify similar mistakes in my own writing and translations. For instance, I often used the expression "raise the level of" without realizing that it is a typical Chinglish expression. "Raise" is often improperly collocated with "level", and in this context, "improve" would be a more appropriate verb.

Overall, the first chapter of The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish has not only enhanced my awareness of Chinglish but also provided me with methods to identify and correct it. It has made me more cautious when using English and inspired me to develop a better sense of the natural fluency and idiomatic expressions of the English language. I am looking forward to learning more from the subsequent chapters to further improve my English writing and translation skills.