Part Two—— The Noun Plague

老人小孩先发言

The "Noun Plague" in The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish  
1. Core Issue: Noun-Dominated vs. Verb-Dominated Language  
English emphasizes verbs to convey actions directly, whereas Chinese frequently uses nominalized structures (e.g., turning verbs into abstract nouns). This mismatch results in "Chinglish" sentences that feel static and cluttered.  
Example:  
Original: "The prolongation of the existence of this temple is due to the solidity of its construction." Revised: "This temple has endured because it was solidly built."  
By replacing abstract nouns ("prolongation," "solidity") with verbs ("endured") and adverbs ("solidly"), the sentence becomes concise and dynamic.

2. Manifestations and Case Studies  
2.1 Misuse of Nouns as Adjectives  
Acceptable Use: Single nouns as adjectives are common in English (e.g., "army officer," "income tax").  
Abuse Case:  
Original: "The method of work evaluation and workpoints allotment should be changed."  Revised: "The method of evaluating work and allotting workpoints should be changed."  Replacing noun clusters ("work evaluation," "workpoints allotment") with gerunds clarifies the action-object relationship.
2.2 Excessive Noun Stacking  
Rule of Thumb: Two-noun compounds (e.g., "lung cancer research") are acceptable, but three or more risk ambiguity.  
Error Example:  
Revised: "the design of the research project on lung cancer"  Prepositions ("of," "on") clarify hierarchical relationships.
2.3 Direct Translation of Chinese Structures  
Chinese often omits connectors in noun phrases (e.g., "国家重点文物保护单位"), but literal translations into English create confusion.  
Example:  
Original Phrase: *"State key protection relic sites" Issue: Ambiguity over what "key" modifies (protection? relics?). Revised: "sites of state key protected cultural relics" Prepositions and participles ("protected") resolve ambiguity.

3. Solutions and Principles  
1. Verbalization: Convert abstract nouns into verbs or gerunds.  
"economic revitalization" → "revitalizing the economy."  
"personnel transfer center" → "a center for the transfer of personnel."  
3. Limit Noun Stacking: Avoid more than two nouns as adjectives.  
"Power supply business regions" → "business regions for power supply."  
4. Add Connectors: Use prepositions, conjunctions, or punctuation to align with English syntax.  
"China's first National Urban Construction Archive Sector Achievements Expo" → "China's first expo showcasing achievements in the urban construction archive sector."


4. Chinese vs. English Thinking and Translation Strategies  
Chinese: Relies on context and noun juxtaposition without explicit connectors.  
English: Requires prepositions (of, for, on), conjunctions (and, that), or participles to clarify relationships.  
Translation Tips:  
Deconstruct complex noun phrases into "core noun + modifiers." Prioritize verbs or adjectives over abstract nouns.  

5. Key Takeaway
The "Noun Plague" arises from imposing Chinese nominalization habits onto English. To eliminate it:  
Focus on verbs: Replace static nouns with dynamic verbs.  
Clarify relationships: Use prepositions, clauses, or participles.  
Simplify: Break down noun stacks into logical English phrases.  
Translating "State key protection relic sites"* into *"sites of state key protected cultural relics"demonstrates how restructuring enhances clarity and aligns with English norms.