中式英语之鉴2

Violet

        In the chapters of The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish that discuss repetitive expressions, the author acts like a linguistic surgeon, meticulously dissecting the redundancies we take for granted. When phrases like "advance planning" or "mutual cooperation" are broken down, we suddenly realize: planning is inherently "in advance," and cooperation is by nature "mutual"—these modifiers are nothing more than language repeating itself. This analytical approach is striking, yet it also raises a deeper question: Why do we instinctively repeat ourselves, even when we know it’s redundant?
        Redundancy in language is by no means a unique "ailment" of Chinglish. Shakespeare wrote in King Lear: "Never, never, never, never, never"—five repetitions of "never" forming one of the most powerful negations in English literature. These examples reveal a paradox: in certain contexts, deliberate redundancy can generate expressive power beyond literal meaning.        Thus, the issue is not repetition itself, but whether it is intentional and purposeful.
        In the long evolution of language, redundancy and conciseness have always existed in dynamic balance. What is criticized today as "unnecessary repetition" may gain legitimacy tomorrow through widespread usage; expressions deemed verbose now might be nurturing tomorrow’s new conventions.