中式英语之鉴第六章读书笔记

Merry-Go-Round

Reader: 敖维瑞

Reading time: 3h

Reading Task: VI. Summing it All Up

Summary of the content: Conclusion and practice of the previous chapters.

Evaluation: Chapter 6 tackles "awkward phrasing" caused by literal translations from Chinese. The author warns against forcing Chinese sentence structures onto English, like starting sentences with lengthy clauses ("Because the weather was bad, so we canceled the trip") or misplacing modifiers ("He very much likes basketball"). These habits make English sound stiff or confusing. Instead, the chapter suggests reorganizing sentences to prioritize key information (e.g., "We canceled the trip due to bad weather") and using natural English connectors (like "although" or "since") instead of rigid Chinese-style logic markers. Examples show how translators should "think in English" to avoid unnatural rhythms. The takeaway? Flexibility matters—sometimes breaking away from literal translations produces clearer, more idiomatic results.  

Reflection: Practice makes perfect. we should write more.