On Prominence of Basic Manner Verbs and Their C-E Translation

doi:10.12002/j.bisu.123

Abstract

Abstract:

It has long been noticed by scholars that there exists rhetorical disparity in terms of the attention paid to manner as a dimension of motion events between satellite-framed languages and verb-framed languages. The degree of manner salience of a particular language can be assessed by lexical size and diversity, and specificity of manner expressions in language use across genres. One of the rhetorical differences in the description of motion events between Chinese and English is that: basic manner verbs are heavily used in Chinese, while English speakers tend to resort more to higher manner verbs that are more expressive and specific in describing how the protagonist moves. In general, basic manner verbs are productive and prominent in Chinese. The prominence of basic manner verbs in modern Chinese is greatly generated by the diachronic typological shift of motion events in Chinese form verb-framed type to satellite-framed type. This article uses the Chinese Novel Lu Ding Ji and its English translation The Deer and the Cauldron as a closed corpus to examine the use of basic manner verb Pa in Chinese, and its translation strategies in English. The study reveals that, owing to the more availability of higher manner verbs in English, the strategies of compensation and reinforcement are largely used in translating Chinese basic manner verbs to cater to the rhetorical style of higher manner salient target language. By contrast, E-C translators tend to apply the strategies of incompletion and compensation more often. The adoption of translation strategies is mainly determined by the gap of manner salience between the source and target language.

Keywords: motion events; manner salience; basic manner verbs; translation strategies

摘要：

从位移方式表达的精细度和方式动词库存量来判断,汉语位移事件的方式凸显度较低。但是,与低方式凸显语言常常不编码位移方式不同,汉语语篇大量使用基本方式动词,这类词能产性强、语义涵盖面广。本文以《鹿鼎记》及其英译本为封闭语料,调查该书中基本方式动词“爬”的使用情况及英译策略,并进一步与英汉及英巴翻译的研究成果进行比较。统计数据表明,汉英译者大量使用补偿和增强策略,使位移方式表达更加细致,以迎合译入语高方式凸显的语篇风格。这与英汉翻译多采用部分和补偿策略,以及动词框架语译者在翻译英文语篇时多采用省略和部分策略形成鲜明对比。译者翻译方式动词时采用何种策略主要取决于译出语和译入语之间方式凸显度的差异。

关键词: 位移事件, 方式凸显, 基本方式动词, 翻译策略

CLC Number:

H315.9

JIANG Shuzhen, LI Changbao. On Prominence of Basic Manner Verbs and Their C-E Translation[J]. Journal of Beijing International Studies University, 2018, 40(1): 65-78.

姜淑珍, 黎昌抱. 汉语基本位移方式动词的显赫性及英译策略分析[J]. 北京第二外国语学院学报, 2018, 40(1): 65-78.

Figures/Tables 2

References 23

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