《中式英语之鉴》读书笔记

Steven

Reader: 马鑫
Reading Time:4.9-4.20
Reading Task: Chapter 4

Summary of the Content:
    Chapter 4 focuses on addressing another common pitfall in English translated from Chinese: the overuse of nominalization, which refers to converting verbs or adjectives into noun forms. The chapter explains that such structures often lead to wordy, awkward sentences that lack clarity and directness, a hallmark of Chinglish. Through numerous examples, the author demonstrates how nominalizations can obscure the subject and action in a sentence, weakening its impact—for instance, replacing "they decided to investigate" with the nominalized form "a decision was made to carry out an investigation" introduces unnecessary complexity.  
The chapter provides practical strategies for revising nominalizations by restoring verbs or adjectives to their natural roles, thereby creating more concise and dynamic sentences. It emphasizes identifying the core action in a nominalized phrase and converting it back into a verb, which often clarifies who is performing the action (e.g., "the committee investigated" instead of "an investigation was conducted by the committee"). The author also warns against the misconception that nominalizations sound more "formal" or "academic," arguing that they typically achieve the opposite effect by making writing tedious and harder to understand.  
    In addition to examples, the chapter includes exercises and answers to help learners practice recognizing and revising nominalizations. By highlighting the contrast between nominalized Chinglish and idiomatic English, it reinforces the book’s broader goal of teaching translators and writers to prioritize simplicity, active voice, and direct expression. Ultimately, Chapter 4 serves as a crucial guide for eliminating structural clutter in English writing, enabling readers to produce clearer, more effective prose by avoiding the passive and cumbersome patterns of nominalization.

Evaluation:
    It maintains the book’s trademark blend of analytical rigor and pedagogical clarity, offering a targeted critique of nominalization as a key culprit in Chinglish. The author’s writing style is direct and instructional, employing a problem-solution framework that begins by diagnosing the issue—over-reliance on noun-based structures derived from Chinese syntax—and then provides actionable remedies. Through granular examples, such as contrasting "they decided to investigate" with the bloated nominalization "a decision was made to carry out an investigation," the text illustrates how nominalizations erode sentence vitality by burying verbs and obscuring agency. This style prioritizes practical application, making complex grammatical concepts accessible to learners through relatable comparisons and step-by-step revisions.
    The chapter’s thematic focus on nominalization aligns with the book’s overarching mission to dismantle structural barriers to natural English. By treating nominalization not as a minor stylistic quirk but as a systemic issue rooted in cross-linguistic transfer, the author underscores its role in creating passive, impersonal prose—a critical insight for translators accustomed to Chinese’s noun-heavy patterns. The central ideological thread here is a commitment to rhetorical directness: the argument that language should serve clarity first, rejecting the false formality of nominalized structures in favor of active, subject-driven sentences. This challenges the misconception that academic or professional writing requires inflated syntax, instead advocating for precision and brevity as markers of sophistication.
    What elevates this chapter is its balance of theory and practice. While diagnosing the "why" of nominalization (e.g., its origins in Chinese grammatical structures), the author never loses sight of the "how," providing concrete strategies like identifying the "kernel verb" in a nominalized phrase or reconstructing sentences around active subjects. The inclusion of exercises and annotated revisions transforms the chapter into a toolkit for learners, encouraging hands-on engagement with the material. This approach reflects a humanistic understanding of language learning: that mastery arises not from memorizing rules, but from repeatedly recognizing patterns of error and practicing deliberate correction.
    In essence, Chapter 4 extends the book’s thesis that Chinglish is not a matter of individual mistakes but a systemic clash of linguistic cultures. By teaching readers to "dep nominalize"—to restore verbs to their rightful place in sentences—the chapter empowers them to bridge this gap, fostering writing that is not just grammatically correct, but dynamically aligned with English’s preference for action and agency. The result is a persuasive, user-friendly critique that challenges both the habits of translators and the broader assumptions about what constitutes "proper" academic or professional prose.

Reflection:
    As for chapter 4, with its focus on nominalization, offers more than just linguistic insights; it provides a metaphorical lens through which we can examine inefficiencies and convolutions in various aspects of life and society. Just as nominalized language transforms dynamic actions into static, cumbersome constructs, many societal processes and personal habits often suffer from a similar over-complication.
In the realm of social and organizational communication, bureaucratic language frequently mirrors the pitfalls of nominalization. Phrases like "implementation of a strategic plan" or "initiation of a review process" replace straightforward expressions such as "implement a strategic plan" or "review." This nominalized jargon distances decision-makers from direct action, fostering a culture of passivity where responsibilities are obscured and actions are delayed. For example, in government policies or corporate strategies, overly nominalized language can create confusion about who should take action, much like a nominalized sentence blurs the subject performing an action. It reminds us that clear communication in social contexts is essential for accountability and efficiency.
    On a personal level, the chapter prompts reflection on how we frame our goals and tasks. Using nominalized language in self-talk, such as "the achievement of my fitness goal" instead of "I will get fit," can make objectives seem more abstract and less actionable. It suggests that adopting a more direct, verb-centered approach to personal planning can infuse a sense of agency and motivation. Just as revising nominalized sentences requires identifying the core action and subject, setting personal goals benefits from clarity about who will do what and when.
    Moreover, the concept of nominalization can be extended to social problem-solving. When addressing complex issues like climate change or inequality, there is a tendency to rely on abstract, nominalized concepts like "the mitigation of environmental degradation" or "the reduction of social disparities." While these terms are necessary in policy discussions, they can also create a sense of distance from the real actions needed. By breaking down these nominalized concepts into specific, actionable steps—similar to restoring verbs in Chinglish sentences—communities and individuals can engage more effectively in solving problems.
In essence, Chapter 4 serves as a reminder that simplicity, directness, and a focus on action are valuable not only in language but also in how we navigate personal and social challenges. By avoiding the "nominalization trap" in both language and thought, we can foster greater clarity, accountability, and effectiveness in our daily lives and in society at large.