中式英语之鉴

红薯栗子

In "Summing it All Up", the author neatly wraps up the key points from the initial part of The Translator's Guide to Chinglish. It emphasizes that the root cause of Chinglish often lies in the mechanical transfer of Chinese - language structures, expressions, and thought patterns into English. The section reviews how Chinglish manifests in various aspects, such as redundant words, overly literal translations, and improper collocations. It also reiterates the importance of recognizing these pitfalls and learning to rewrite sentences to conform to English - language norms. The author provides a comprehensive overview of the techniques and strategies introduced earlier, highlighting that mastering these can significantly improve the quality of English writing and translation, helping writers move away from the awkward and often unclear Chinglish towards more natural and idiomatic English.

What strikes me most about this summary is its clarity and straightforwardness. It serves as a wake - up call, making me realize just how deeply ingrained Chinese - language habits can be when we write in English. I was particularly impressed by the way the author emphasizes that overcoming Chinglish is not just about grammar or vocabulary; it's about a fundamental shift in how we think and express ideas in another language. For example, the reminder that many Chinglish expressions stem from directly translating Chinese proverbs or idiomatic phrases without considering their English equivalents is eye - opening. It made me reflect on my own writing and translation attempts, where I've often unconsciously followed Chinese - language logic, resulting in less - than - ideal English.

This section has also inspired me to be more conscious of the differences between Chinese and English in terms of language rhythm, word order, and semantic focus. It's a call to action, urging me to practice more actively, analyze well - written English texts, and constantly compare them with my own work. I now understand that improving my English writing and translation skills requires not only learning new words and grammar rules but also deconstructing my existing Chinese - language - based writing habits and rebuilding them in line with English - language conventions. It's a challenging but rewarding process, and this summary has provided me with a clear roadmap to start this journey of refining my English - language proficiency.