Reflections on Chapters 7–8 of The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish

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Chapters 7 and 8 of Joan Pinkham’s The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish delve into two pervasive issues in Chinese-to-English translation: the overuse of abstract nouns and the mishandling of pronouns and antecedents.​

Chapter 7: The Noun Plague

Pinkham critiques the excessive reliance on abstract nouns in translations, a tendency that often leads to verbose and obscure English sentences. This "noun plague" stems from a direct translation of Chinese expressions, resulting in a proliferation of nominalizations that can obscure the intended meaning. To counter this, Pinkham advocates for transforming these abstract nouns into more dynamic verbs or adjectives, thereby enhancing clarity and readability. For instance, instead of saying "the implementation of the policy," one might say "implementing the policy" or simply "to implement the policy." This shift not only streamlines the sentence but also aligns better with natural English syntax.​

Chapter 8: Pronouns and Antecedents

In this chapter, Pinkham addresses the common issue of ambiguous pronoun references in translations. Chinese often omits subjects or pronouns when the context is clear, but English requires explicit antecedents to maintain clarity. For example, a Chinese sentence might say, "Said two sentences and left," which, if translated directly, becomes "Said two sentences and left," leaving the English reader wondering who performed these actions. Pinkham emphasizes the importance of specifying the subject in English translations to avoid such confusion. She suggests revising the sentence to "He said two sentences and then left," ensuring that the reader clearly understands who is being referred to.​
Personal Reflections

Reading these chapters resonated deeply with my experiences in translation. I have often grappled with the challenge of conveying the succinctness of Chinese expressions in English without sacrificing clarity. Pinkham’s insights into the pitfalls of overusing abstract nouns reminded me of instances where my translations felt cumbersome due to unnecessary nominalizations. Her advice to favor verbs and adjectives over abstract nouns is a valuable guideline that I plan to incorporate into my practice.​


Moreover, the discussion on pronouns and antecedents highlighted a subtle yet critical aspect of translation that I had occasionally overlooked. Ensuring that every pronoun has a clear and unambiguous antecedent is essential for maintaining the coherence of the translated text. Pinkham’s emphasis on this point has heightened my awareness of the need for precision in pronoun usage.​

In conclusion, Chapters 7 and 8 of Pinkham’s guide offer practical strategies for enhancing the clarity and effectiveness of English translations. Her emphasis on dynamic language and explicit references serves as a valuable reminder of the importance of adapting to the syntactic and stylistic norms of English while faithfully conveying the original meaning.