中式英语之鉴part 2 chapter1 2 3

荣华富贵

Reading Notes on Part Two, Chapters 1-3 of The Translator's Guide to Chinglish
Part Two of The Translator's Guide to Chinglish focuses on sentence structure issues in Chinglish, offering granular insights into how grammatical and structural flaws impede clarity and naturalness in English translations. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 tackle three critical areas: the noun plague, pronouns and antecedents, and phrase/clause placement, each illustrated with vivid examples and practical revision strategies.
Chapter 1: The Noun Plague
Core Issue: Over-reliance on Abstract Nouns
The "noun plague" refers to the excessive use of abstract nouns (e.g., development, implementation, consideration) that drain sentences of action and precision. Unlike dynamic verbs, these nouns often create vague, inflated structures. For example:
Chinglish: "The completion of the project will lead to an improvement in efficiency."
Revision: "Completing the project will improve efficiency."
Here, converting nouns (completion, improvement) to verbs (completing, improve) streamlines the sentence and emphasizes agency.

Root Causes
1. Literal Translation Habits: Chinese often uses nominal phrases (e.g., "项目的完成"), which translators directly render into English nouns.
2. Misconception of Formality: Writers mistakenly believe abstract nouns sound more "professional," but they often obscure meaning.
Solutions
Replace Nouns with Verbs: Transform nominalized structures into active verb phrases.
Eliminate Redundant Nouns: Remove nouns that repeat the meaning of modifiers (e.g., "make an adjustment" → "adjust").
Use Concrete Terms: Prefer specific nouns ("data analysis") over vague ones ("analytical work").
Example Analysis
Original: "There was a reduction in the number of employees."
Revised: "The company reduced its workforce."
The revision replaces the noun phrase (reduction) with a verb (reduced), identifies the actor (the company), and specifies workforce over the generic number of employees.
Chapter 2: Pronouns and Antecedents
Key Challenges
Pronouns (it, they, this) are vital for cohesion, but Chinglish often mishandles their antecedents (the nouns they refer to), leading to ambiguity or confusion.
1. Unstated Antecedents
Chinglish sometimes omits antecedents common in Chinese but required in English:
Chinglish: "Started in 2020, it has become a major project."
Revision: "The project, started in 2020, has become a major initiative."
Here, it lacks a clear antecedent; adding the project resolves the ambiguity.
2. Ambiguous Antecedents
When multiple nouns precede a pronoun, confusion arises:
Chinglish: "The manager told the employee they needed to improve."
Revision: "The manager told the employee, 'You need to improve.'"
Using direct speech clarifies that you refers to the employee, not the manager.
3. Remote Antecedents
Pronouns should ideally refer to the nearest noun. In Chinglish, they often point to distant or secondary nouns:
Chinglish: "The report discussed the budget and delays, which were significant."
Revision: "The report discussed significant budget delays."
Which ambiguously refers to either budget or delays; revising to an adjective (significant) avoids confusion.
Cultural Nuance
Chinese relies more on context and shared knowledge, so pronouns can be implicit. English, however, demands explicit antecedents for grammatical rigor.
Chapter 3: The Placement of Phrases and Clauses
Principle: Logic and Emphasis
English sentence structure prioritizes logical flow and rhetorical emphasis. Misplaced phrases/clauses disrupt both.
1. Misplaced Modifiers
A modifier (e.g., a prepositional phrase or participle) should directly precede the word it modifies.
Chinglish: "She served coffee to the guests in ceramic mugs."
Revision: "She served coffee in ceramic mugs to the guests."
In ceramic mugs logically describes coffee, not guests.
2. Emphasis Through Word Order
English places key information at the beginning or end of a sentence for emphasis.
Weak: "The proposal was rejected by the committee unanimously."
Strong: "The committee unanimously rejected the proposal."
Placing the committee (actor) first and rejected (action) centrally strengthens clarity and impact.
3. Parallel Structure Violations
Lists or comparisons must use consistent grammatical forms:
Chinglish: "The task involves analyzing data, writing reports, and to present findings."
Revision: "The task involves analyzing data, writing reports, and presenting findings."
All items in the list now use gerunds (-ing forms) for parallelism.
Synthesis and Takeaways

Chapters 1–3 of Part Two reveal how structural habits from Chinese—nominalization, implicit pronouns, and flexible word order—create awkwardness in English. The core solution across all chapters is prioritizing clarity over literal translation. By:
1. Verbalizing nouns to restore action,
2. Explicitly linking pronouns to antecedents, and
3. Structuring sentences logically around emphasis,
translators can transform stilted Chinglish into natural, effective English. These chapters underscore that mastering sentence structure requires not just grammatical knowledge but a deep understanding of how English conveys meaning through form—a skill essential for bridging linguistic and cultural divides.