《中式英语之鉴》Chapter1读后感

听雨

Reader: 岳庆泽
Reading Time: 1~3week
Reading Task: Chapter 1  3~25

Summary of the Content:
After reading the Chapter 1, I learned a lot. It completely changed how I see Chinglish and gave me fresh motivation for learning English and translation.

The golden rule for English writing is keeping it simple. But Chinglish often adds unnecessary words - like how "the pace of" in "accelerate the pace of economic reform" isn't needed at all. Just saying "accelerate economic reform" works better. These extra words don't just make sentences longer - they actually make the meaning less clear. Now I know I need to watch out for this problem in my future studies and practice.

Chinglish often uses extra nouns and verbs that add nothing. Some nouns repeat what's already understood - like how "agricultural" in "agricultural harvests" is pointless because "harvests" already means farm crops. Then there are empty verbs like "carry out" or "make" that don't really mean anything. We should use simpler verbs instead. This taught me to choose words carefully - say exactly what you mean using as few words as possible.

This content provided me with significant insights, fundamentally altering my perception of Chinglish and renewing my enthusiasm for mastering English and translation.  

Evaluation:
Clarity through brevity forms the cornerstone of effective English writing. However, Chinglish frequently clutters sentences with redundant elements. Take the phrase "accelerate the pace of economic reform" – removing "the pace of" to create "accelerate economic reform" demonstrates how trimming excess words enhances clarity. Such unnecessary additions don’t merely lengthen sentences; they actively obscure intended meanings. Moving forward, I'll consciously eliminate these linguistic pitfalls in my studies and practical work.  

A key issue with Chinglish lies in its tendency to insert meaningless nouns and verbs. Many nouns become repetitive when context already implies their meaning – "agricultural" in "agricultural harvests" serves no purpose since "harvests" inherently relate to farming. Similarly, hollow verb constructions like "carry out" or "make" often act as placeholders lacking substance, easily replaceable by action-oriented verbs. This realization highlights the critical need for precise word selection – conveying ideas powerfully through economical yet accurate language.

Reflection:
The first part teaches us step-by-step how to cut filler words, but what's really important is how it makes us think differently about Chinese vs. English logic. When we actually use the book's methods, we'll slowly break those Chinglish habits and start speaking English naturally instead of just "by the textbook".