Reading Notes of Chapter 5 and 6 of The Translator's Guide to Chinglish​

无敌幸运星

I. Core Insights​
(I) Chapter 5: Logical Relationships​
Chapter 5 delves into the prevalent issue of muddled logical connections in Chinglish. Chinese expressions often rely on implicit context to convey logic, whereas English emphasizes explicit use of connectives and rational word order to clarify relationships between sentences and paragraphs. For instance, translating the Chinese sentence "他努力学习，考试成绩很好" literally into "He studied hard, he got good grades in the exam" creates a logical gap. English requires connectives like "and" or "so" to establish the cause - effect relationship, such as "He studied hard, so he got good grades in the exam". As a hypotactic language, English demands clear presentation of logical relationships for accurate communication.​
(II) Chapter 6: Word Collocations​
Chapter 6 focuses on errors in word collocations within Chinglish. Significant disparities exist between Chinese and English in terms of how words combine. A collocation that seems natural in Chinese may not conform to English native speakers' usage habits. For example, translating "开展活动" directly as "develop an activity" is inappropriate; English speakers typically use "carry out an activity" or "organize an activity". This highlights the necessity for translators to not only grasp the basic meanings of words but also familiarize themselves with common collocations and understand how words are used in different contexts, avoiding literal and awkward translations.​
II. In - depth Problem Analysis and Case Studies​
(I) Chapter 5: Logical Relationship Issues​
Omission or Misuse of Connectives​
Chinese sentences often rely on semantic coherence for logical links, leading to frequent omission of essential connectives in English translation. For example, translating "我们早上出发，下午到达目的地" as "We set out in the morning, we arrived at the destination in the afternoon" results in loose logical flow. Adding connectives like "and" or "and then" to indicate the sequence, such as "We set out in the morning and then arrived at the destination in the afternoon", can improve clarity. Moreover, misuse of connectives is common, like mistaking a cause - effect relationship for a contrastive one. Translating "他生病了，但是他还是坚持来上课" as "He was ill, but he still came to class" fails to convey the correct logic; "so" - based expressions like "He was ill, but still he came to class" or "He was ill, yet he still came to class" are more appropriate.​
Word Order Confusion​
Differences in information arrangement between Chinese and English often lead to improper word order in Chinglish. Translating "在图书馆，昨天，很多学生认真地学习" directly as "In the library, yesterday, many students studied carefully" goes against English usage. Adjusting it to "Many students studied carefully in the library yesterday", with the subject and main action at the beginning and adverbials of time and place at the end, makes the sentence more logically coherent.​
(II) Chapter 6: Word Collocation Problems​
Inappropriate Verb - Noun Collocations​
Influenced by Chinese thinking, translators often choose incorrect verb - noun combinations. For example, "提高水平" should not be translated as "raise the level" since "raise" emphasizes physical elevation; "improve the level" or "enhance the level" are more suitable for indicating improvement in ability or standard. Similarly, "犯错误" is wrongly translated as "do a mistake" in Chinglish, while the correct expression is "make a mistake".​
Inappropriate Adjective - Noun Collocations​
When adjectives modify nouns, English collocation rules must be followed. "强烈的阳光" should be translated as "bright sunlight" instead of "strong sunlight", and "宝贵的经验" is better expressed as "valuable experience" rather than "precious experience". These differences reflect the distinct ways of describing characteristics in Chinese and English.​
III. Personal Reflections and Realizations​
Studying these two chapters has made me acutely aware that eliminating Chinglish requires more than just lexical and grammatical corrections; it demands a deep understanding of the underlying thinking differences and cultural connotations between Chinese and English. Regarding logical relationships, the hypotactic nature of English requires us to always pay attention to the integrity and clarity of logical chains during translation and writing. We should develop the habit of using connectives to clarify logic, avoiding leaving readers to infer semantic connections.​
In terms of word collocations, we cannot rely on Chinese thinking patterns. Instead, we should consult authoritative dictionaries, refer to authentic English materials, and accumulate common collocations to cultivate English language intuition. When in doubt about a collocation, we should verify and study it to ensure our expressions conform to native English usage. This process requires long - term accumulation and practice. In daily English learning and practice, we need to remain observant, continuously correct incorrect expressions, and gradually improve the accuracy and authenticity of our English expressions.