Strategies on English Translation of Overlaps in Chinese.docx

1、Strategies on English Translation of Overlaps in ChineseStrategies on English Translation of Overlaps in ChineseAbstract.3摘要4I. Introduction . .5II. The overlap in Chinese.6A. Definition of Chinese overlaps .6B. The classification of Chinese overlapped words.61. By the composition and form.72. By th

2、e part of speech.8C. The function of overlapped words in Chinese.81. Adding the meaning.82. Strengthening the meaning.93. Softening the meaning.9III. The overlap in English.9A. Definition of English overlaps.10 B. The classification of English overlapped words.101. Overlaps of complete syllables.112

3、. Overlaps of approximate syllables113. The particular overlaps.12 C. The function of overlapped words in English.12 1. Strengthening the meaning.132. Enlarging the meaning.133. Narrowing the meaning.134. Shifting the meaning.13IV. The strategies of overlaps translation.13A. The strategies to realiz

4、e the equivalence in the effect.141. Employing rhetorical device152. Make use of Chinese phonetic alphabets.213. Make a good use of the overlaps in English22B. The strategies to keep the equivalence in the meaning.221. Use the adjectival and the adverbial232. Use the verbs.263. Use the plural form o

5、f the noun to translate the overlaps28C. The strategies to maintain other equivalence.281. The change in the Position of Word.292. SL adverb+verbTL verb.30V.Conclusion. .33Acknowledgement.35Bibliography.36Strategies on English Translation of Overlaps in ChineseAbstractOverlaps are a common linguisti

6、c phenomenon in Chinese. The use of overlaps is a typical artistic means to display the beauty of Chinese in rhythms, forms and images. However, owing to the different expressions between Chinese and English, reduplicated words are difficult to be translated literally. Some experts have always been

7、trying to find solutions to this problem, and one among of them is Lu Xun（鲁迅）who pointed out in his works from words to texts (自文字至文章) that translation is to apply the principle of the “Three Identities”. Wang Yanrong and Wang Changjiang(王艳荣.王长江, 2008:52) use free translation to deal with the render

8、ing of overlaps. Based on the analysis of some related characteristics of both English and Chinese, this paper is to handle the issue from two aspects: the equivalence in the effect and equivalence in the meaning. Then, conforming to the principle of “faithfulness, expressiveness and beauty”, this t

9、hesis is to explore some more precise ways to translate overlap words of Chinese into English. In order to serve this purpose, a number of examples on classical poems and prose about the overlap and translation of them are presented to illustrate the skills to be adopted by the way of comparison, ex

10、planation and more detailed analysis.Key words: Chinese overlap, translation, equivalence汉语重叠词的英译对策摘要重叠在汉语中非常常见。其构词形式丰富多彩，声情并茂功能独特，具有非凡的语言魅力，很容易在读者心中引起共鸣。重叠是也是用来展示汉语的音律，形式以及意境魅力的一种美学表达形式。然而由于中英文生活习俗和表达方式各异，重叠词无法按照字面意思对译。很多语言专家也在尝试用不同的方法去解决这个难题。鲁迅在他的自文字至文章一书中就提出了“三一致”原则的观点，王艳荣和王长江则认为意译法来可以解决重叠词的翻译难题。

11、本文就是在了解中英文重叠词特性的基础上，从翻译的时效对等和意义对等两个方面着手来解决这个问题。具体地说，从重叠词的定义、构成、功能等方面着手，分析中英文重叠词的特点，在遵循“忠实、通顺、美感”基本的翻译准则的前提下，进一步详细探求具体的翻译策略。本文引用了一些经典诗歌和散文中的重叠词并加以翻译，运用对比、解释和叙述等方式，比较分析汉语重叠词的英译对策。关键词：汉语重叠词，翻译，对等I：IntroductionThere are a large number of overlapped words in Chinese, which are most inimitable in English.

12、 The use of overlaps is to enhance the vividness and vitality. Liu Xie(刘勰)(周振甫, 2004: 412) pointed out that the use of overlaps is to vividly describe the objects and satisfy the needs and emotional requirements of the subjects. There are many overlaps in English as well, but they are quite differen

13、t from those in Chinese, such as in the form, the function and the pronunciation, etc, which make it hard to translate overlaps freely and precisely into English. Hence, at first the investigation is going to be made into the overlaps in Chinese and English. Therefore the overlap is to be explored i

14、n the definition, the form, the classification and the meaning and so on. On the basis of the knowledge of the overlaps, the dissimilarities between Chinese and English are to be presented, which will be taken into consideration during the translation of overlaps. Finally, some methods will be sugge

15、sted on the translation of overlaps of Chinese into English.II. The overlap in Chinese As a special phenomenon, the overlapped word is widely used in Chinese. The main rhetorical effects of Chinese overlaps lie in three areas: reduplicated word can produce special sound effects. It has conspicuous e

16、ffect of description and the function of expressing. And then we will from the definition, the classification and the function to get known the overlapped words. A. Definition of Chinese overlaps The overlap(尹衍桐、徐广英, 2000:73), which in other way is called the reduplicated words or the reiterative, m

17、eans the reduplication of the same word, morpheme, or syllable；the reduplication of words is referred to the reduplicated form of the word; the reduplication of the morpheme or syllable is the reiterative or reduplicated words.The overlap（黄伯荣、廖序东, 2002：23），is made up of the two same word feet.Theref

18、ore, from these explanations we easily understand that the overlap is formed by the two parts which are the same in the pronunciations and the forms and so on.As we all know, there are a great number of overlaps in Chinese. And at the same time, we can assort them into different spices if we depend

19、on different standards. B. The classification of overlapped wordsJust as mentioned, we can get the different types according to different criteria.1.By the composition and form If we follow this standard, we can classify the overlaps into two different types: the total overlap and the partial overla

20、pi.The total overlapThe total overlap is just applied to these kinds of overlaps which are made up by 2 characters or 4 characters. If use A to stand for the first Chinese character and B for the other different character, then we get following exact examples(雷蕾, 1999: 26)1) AA: 渐渐 刚刚 天天2) AABB: 郁郁苍

21、苍 密密麻麻 三三两两3) ABAB：研究研究 考虑考虑 一天一天ii. The partial overlapThe partial overlap is referring to this phenomenon that this overlap contains more than 2 characters (get rid of the overlaps mentioned in the total overlap). And also we use A instead of the first Chinese character, and B is the second, C is

22、the third and so on. Therefore, we get new examples as follows(ibid):1) AAB: 散散步 毛毛雨 聊聊天2) ABB: 天苍苍 红彤彤 一个个3) BCAA: 白雪皑皑 得意洋洋 风尘仆仆 4) AABC: 楚楚动人 心心相印 步步为营5) ABAC: 忙里忙外 边唱边跳 一心一意6) A了/一A: 看一看 尝一尝 吹一吹7) A 呀/啊A: 走呀走 游啊游 唱啊唱8) A着A着: 说着说着 数着数着 跳着跳着9) A里AB: 糊里糊涂 娇里娇气 罗里啰嗦10) A都A不B: 爬都爬不动 听都听不完11) AB又AB: 一

23、年又一年 一次又一次2. By the part of speechThe part of speech means the characteristic or property of a certain word, which covers the noun, the verb, the adjectival, the adverbial, the onomatoeia and the quantifier. Consequently, we get new classification:(黄锦华,1997:82-85)1) noun overlaps: 妈妈 天天 人人2) verb ov

24、erlaps: 看一看 忍忍 说着说着3) adjectival overlaps: 小小 迢迢 摇摇晃晃4) adverbial overlaps: 刚刚 渐渐 默默5) onomatoeia overlaps: 哗哗 呵呵 叮铃铃6) quantifier overlaps: 个个 次次 件件C. The function of overlapped wordsIf an item of words are duplicated, there will be a change about the meaning, and then the function of the reduplica

25、ted words will be different from each other, which will make language more vivid and the text more touching. These changes are classified as follows:1. Adding the meaning(刘红珍,2002:65) This phenomenon will appear when the noun and the quantifier are reduplicated. For example, “个”means “one” , “天”mean

26、s “the day or one day”, “簇”means “cluster.” While when they are reduplicated, a new meaning is added, “个个” means “every one, each one”, “天天” means “every day”, “一簇簇” means“ many clusters ”.2. Strengthening the meaning (ibid)This phenomenon will appear when the partial adjectival, the adverbial and t

27、he quantifier are reduplicated. Such as “一步” is translated into “one step”, “甜的” is“sweet”, while when they are overlapped, “一步一步地” is “step by step”,“甜甜的” is“very sweet”. Form the examples, the degree of the words meaning is strengthened and stressed.3. Softening the meaning(金立, 2003: 63)This pheno

28、menon will appear when the verb and the partial adjectival are duplicated. For example, “小的” would be translated into “short”, “看” would be translated into “see” while the words are reduplicated, “小小的” is “itty-bitty” , “看看” is “have a see”. Form the examples, the extent of the meanings of words are

29、 softened and eased off.III. The overlap in EnglishBecause English is alphabetic language and every word is ranging in a line, short and long, it is impossible to have the same effect in ocular aesthetic feeling. However, English still has its reduplicative words the same as in Chinese, Such as coca-cola, filmflan and bonbon etc. But what on earth are they different from each other? Now, we explain this issue from the following aspects:A. Definition of English overlapsReduplication is a grammatically functional repetition of a radical element or a part of it occurring usually at the begi