part two

老人小孩先发言

Part Two of focuses on optimizing sentence structure to address issues in Chinglish caused by logical confusion, improper modification, or redundant components, thereby enhancing clarity, coherence, and grammatical conformity. Unlike Part One, which emphasizes "eliminating redundancy," Part Two prioritizes "restructuring and logic," involving higher-level adjustments to linguistic norms. Below is a summary of its core principles:  
1. The Noun Plague
The section begins by critiquing the overuse of abstract nouns (e.g., "prolongation," "implementation"), which lead to convoluted and opaque sentences. For 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.  
Solutions include:  
Verbalization: Convert abstract nouns to verbs or gerunds (e.g., "economic revitalization" → revitalizing the economy).  
Simplification: Replace abstract nouns with adjectives or adverbs (e.g., "correctness of the policy" → the policy is correct).  
Avoiding noun stacking: Clarify relationships between nouns (e.g., "personnel transfer center" → center for the transfer of personnel).  
2. Pronouns and Antecedents
Chinglish often misuses pronouns, resulting in ambiguous references or logical inconsistencies. Key rules:  
Pronouns must explicitly refer to a clear antecedent (the noun they replace) and match it in number, position, and grammar.  
Missing antecedent: In "African countries demand others not to interfere in their internal affairs," "their" lacks a clear referent. Revise to "African countries demand others not to interfere in the internal affairs of African nations."
Distant antecedent: In "The national leadership has shifted to a new generation, and now they are...," "they" incorrectly refers to the singular "generation." Revise to "members of a new generation."  

3. Placement of Phrases and Clauses  
English prioritizes logical word order, as modifier placement affects emphasis and clarity. Examples:  
Misplaced modifiers:  
Original: Musicians will play tunes refined by Confucius, using antique instruments. (Ambiguity: "using" could modify Confucius.)  
Revised: Musicians using antique instruments will play tunes refined by Confucius.  
Adjusting emphasis:  
Original: The government will be in better shape next year, despite another deficit.  
Revised: Despite another deficit, the government will be in better shape next year. (Shifts focus to the outcome.)  

4. Dangling Modifiers  
A dangling modifier occurs when the subject of a participle or gerund phrase does not match the main clause’s subject. Example:  
Original: Using military means, most enemy forces were eliminated. (Implies "enemy forces used military means to eliminate themselves.")  
Revised: Using military means, we eliminated most enemy forces.  
Exceptions: Established phrases like "Generally speaking" or "According to" are acceptable.  

5. Parallel Structure & Logical Connectives  
Parallel structure: Coordinate elements must align grammatically.  
Original: She likes hiking, swimming, and to read.  
Revised: She likes hiking, swimming, and reading.  
Logical connectives: Use conjunctions (e.g., because, however, furthermore) to clarify relationships between clauses, avoiding comma splices.  

Summary  
Part Two aims to refine sentence structure for greater precision and logic. Through extensive examples, Joan Pinkham guides readers to avoid Chinglish pitfalls such as noun overuse, pronoun errors, and misplaced modifiers. This section is particularly valuable for formal English writing, including academic papers and official documents.