中式英语之鉴 PART TWO X

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Reading Time: 4.21-5.11
Reading Task: P283-327
Summary of the Content:
This chapter focuses on dangling modifiers. The article points out that its essence is a grammatical and logical break rather than a simple positional error. Suspended modifiers cannot be solved by adjusting the word order and the logical relationship of the sentence needs to be reconstructed. The author focuses on five common types of suspended modifiers among Chinese translators, namely participle phrases, gerund phrases, infinitive phrases, prepositional phrases and single adjectives.
Evaluation:
This article presents a clear logical discussion. By comparing it with the "misaligned modifiers" in the previous chapter, the uniqueness of suspended modifiers is highlighted.
Meanwhile, it also adheres to a problem-oriented approach, elaborating on the problems that are most likely to occur among the target population.
Furthermore, it is highly practical and provides operational guidance through the model of diagnosing faulty sentences and formulating correction plans.
In the article, we can also find that the author insists on revealing the essential differences in language between the "form harmony" in English and the "meaning harmony" in Chinese.
Reflection:
After reading all this, I realized that language is the mold of thinking. For example, English shapes linear logic through forced grammatical associations, while Chinese relies on context to construct flexible logic. The error of suspended modifiers is essentially the externalization of conflicts in thinking patterns.
But at the same time, I also think that a translation that is completely in line with English grammar might distort the artistic conception of the original Chinese sentence. For example, if some ancient poems impose a subject, it will destroy the poetic blank space.
After reading, I think I should make writing error correction steps for myself to help me comprehensively check my English article. For example, I should check whether there is an implied subject in the modifier, clarify the association by adding pronouns or adjusting the voice, or reverse translate the Chinese sentence into English to test whether the logical subject is explicit.
Furthermore, I also thought of the possible problems that AI translation might have in terms of suspended modifiers. Although with the development of technology, most machine translations can mechanically eliminate dangling modifiers, although their grammar is correct, they weaken the sense of immersion in the picture. In the context of globalization, how to strike a balance between English grammar norms and the aesthetic characteristics of the Chinese language is a cultural proposition faced by contemporary translators.