Optimistic people often say that language is alive, like a river, and cannot stop its progress, and the so-called Westernization is an inevitable trend. It is true that language is alive, but it should live a healthy life, and it should not prolong life with illness. As for the metaphor of the river, we must not forget the two sides of the river, otherwise flooding will also become a disaster.
——In the afterglow
1 Writing articles without idioms is a big problem
In the seventy years since the May Fourth New Culture Movement, Chinese has changed tremendously. On the one hand, the vernacular texts written by excellent writers and scholars are more and more mature, and they can be used freely, whether they are expressive or analytical. On the other hand, the authentic Chinese, including the vernacular of literary and folk literature, and our relationship is becoming more and more unfamiliar, and the influence of English, whether from direct learning or indirect subtlety, is becoming more and more obvious, so the pathology of westernization in the vernacular written by ordinary people is becoming more and more serious.
What the average person learns from the mass media is not only popular ideas, but also the various sayings on which they are packaged; sometimes, even the wise cannot resist them. Although today's Chinese see differences from region to region, the common trend is cumbersome and blunt, for example, Chinese originally said "therefore", now many people love to say "based on this reason"; originally said "there are many problems", now many people love to say "there are many problems". With regard to this trend of simplifying into complexity and replacing clumsiness with clumsiness, if people with hearts do not warn in time, our Chinese is bound to become worse and worse, and the virtues that are authentically Chinese, the concise and flexible language ecology, will also be unrecognizable.
Does Chinese also have ecology? Of course. Concise wording, flexible sentences, and sonorous tones are the norms of Chinese life. If you can follow such an ecology, you can maintain the health of Chinese for a long time. If such an ecology is violated everywhere, over time, the Chinese will be polluted and silted up, and the crisis will become imminent.
One of the major crises of the current Chinese is Westernization. I myself came from a department of foreign languages, and in my thirties I was interested in experimenting Chinese innovation, and I asked myself if I was not a conservative of languages. Anyone who aspires to create Chinese will not think that the good use of the four-word idiom is the ability to create. On the contrary, writing articles and relying on idioms everywhere is equivalent to only thinking with the brains of the ancients, and only using the mouths of the ancients, and it is definitely not a heroic person. But, conversely, writing an article without using idioms is even more problematic. It is not necessarily impossible to write an article without idioms at all, but it is not easy; such an article is even more valuable if it is well written. The current situation is that many people write Chinese, and they can no longer use idioms, at least they can use limited idioms, which seems to be stretched. The average Hong Kong student currently only says "in general" and seems to forget "all in all". Similarly, it is probably not said that "it is difficult to say a word", but only "it is not possible to say clearly in one sentence".
In the afterglow
Idioms have survived for thousands of years and have become part of culture. For example, "a thousand hammers and a hundred refinements", the meaning of the word is symmetrical, and the harmony is harmonious, if it must be said to be "a thousand hammers and a hundred hammers", of course, it can also be, but it does not sound smooth, and it does not contain aesthetics like "a thousand hammers and a hundred refinements". Similarly, the phrases "Chao Qin Twilight Chu", "Qi Da Fei Even", and "Le Bu Si Shu" all contain Chinese history. The decline of idioms is showing the forgetting of words and the shrinking of cultural consciousness.
English is not learned well, but Chinese is badly learned, or arguably, it is broken. Chinese Westernization is not necessarily a problem. Slow and moderate Westernization is even an unavoidable trend, and high-level Westernization can complement each other. However, too fast and too strong Westernization destroys the natural ecology of Chinese, and it becomes a vicious Westernization. This kind of crisis, people with hearts should be vigilant in time and strive to resist. Among the European languages, the more simple grammar of English is probably the most recent Chinese. Nevertheless, there are still many basic differences between English and Chinese, and they cannot be very harmonious. Anyone who has experience in translating between Chinese and English can agree with this. In fact, studying translation is equivalent to studying comparative linguistics. The following is intended to be a brief analysis of the differences between Chinese and English, and the disease of Chinese Westernization.
2 The intrusion of the common language into everyday life: the deterioration of words
Compared with Chinese, English is not only rich in abstract nouns, but also likes to use abstract nouns. It can be said in English that "the reduction of his income changed his way of life", Chinese, it is too Westernized to say so. The English uses the abstract noun "reduction" as the main word, which is very natural. Chinese's statement is based on specific terms, especially people, as the main words: "He changes his lifestyle because his income is reduced", or "he changes his lifestyle because his income decreases".
Chinese commonly used one thing (a short sentence) as the main word, and in English, a noun (or noun phrase) is commonly used. "The collapse of the transverse highway again is the headline of today", which is Chinese statement. "The re-collapse of the trans-highway is today's headlines", which is the expression of English grammar. In the same way, "I have to entrust you with the purchase of books" is the grammar Chinese. "The purchase of books has to be entrusted to you" is slightly Westernized. "The implementation of Chinese depends on everyone's efforts" is a natural saying. "The implementation of the Chinese depends on everyone's efforts" is too redundant. This situation can also be seen in the subject word. For example, "They boycott the continuation of this custom" is a terrible sentence. In any case, "boycott continues" is always too blunt. If it is changed to "they are against the preservation of this custom", it will be much more natural.
English is easy to use abstract nouns, and the result is that verbs are softened, or it can be said to be empty verbs. The language of science, social science, and kumon invaded everyday life on a large scale, forcing many clear and powerful verbs to gradually deteriorate and become expressionless phrases. Here are a few common examples:
apply pressure: press （施压）
give authorization: permit
send a communication: write （写）
take appropriate action: act （行动）
In the previous example, concise monosyllabic verbs have become fragments of words containing abstract nouns, which on the surface seem more grand and advanced. For example, press becomes apply pressure, and the action is divided into two, half domesticated into a static abstract noun pressure, and half diluted into a broad and general verb apply. Scholars such as Jacques Barzun and Lionel Trilling call such broad verbs "weak verbs." "Scientific reports are inevitably monotonous and cold," they say, and in addition to their influence, modern stylistic styles like to break down ideas into a string of static concepts, connecting them with prepositions and weak verbs that are usually passive tones. ”
George orwell
Baren's so-called weak verb is equivalent to what the English novelist Orwell called the "verbal false limb." Contemporary Chinese have also shown this pathology, preferring to decompose simple and clear verbs into "universal verbs + abstract nouns". At present, the most popular universal verbs are "to make" and "to carry", and the evil forces are so great that they almost eat half of the formal verbs. Consider the following example:
(1) Alumni of the University have made significant contributions to society.
(ii) Last night's audience responded very warmly to the visiting professors.
(iii) We have conducted a detailed study of the issue of international trade.
(iv) Psychologists conduct experiments on mice.
Whether direct or indirect, such grammar is a gradual Westernization, because Chinese the original verbs are broken down into the above-mentioned tedious phrases. The first four sentences could have been said separately as —
(1) Alumni of the University contribute greatly to society.
(ii) Last night's audience responded very warmly to the visiting professor.
(iii) We have studied the issue of international trade in detail.
(iv) Psychologists experiment with rats. (Or: A mouse experiment for psychologists.) )
Scholars such as Ba Ren have felt that modern English likes to simplify into complexity, change movement into static, turn concrete into abstraction, and turn directness into roundabouts, to the point of "noun becoming a disaster"). The division of learning is becoming more and more detailed, and the jargon terms of various disciplines, especially the "sandwich bar" of science and social science, are used by the bank, borrowed by laymen, and the dissemination of "news style", on the one hand, although modern English appears colorful and colorful, on the other hand, it also causes confusion and makes daily language mottled.
In the epidemic of "noun disaster", the most serious disaster should be the so-called "science first". In the modern industrial society, science has long become a noble, science and technology is even more arrogant, so the intellectuals' oral and pen, intentional or unintentional, always love to use some "academic" abstract terms, so as to appear objective and accurate. Some call it "pseudo-jargon." For example, if it is obviously a first step, it should be said to be an intrinsic phase: obviously it is a bit, but it is said to be a communication, which belongs to this category.
The same goes for Chinese. Originally, it could have been said to be "famous", but it created a "popularity" out of thin air, not to say "very famous", but to make a roundabout attitude, look elegant, and say that it is "with a high popularity", which is really sour and ridiculous. Another pseudo-term is "readability," which is also active in book reviews and publishing advertisements. Obviously, you can say "this biography is very moving", "this biography is fascinating", or simply say "This biography is very beautiful", but you can say "This biography is quite readable". I don't understand how this word comes from, because the idea in English also uses only the adjective readable and not the abstract noun readability. The biography is highly readable, but does not say The biography hashigh readability. The wind is getting stronger and stronger. On television, reporters have long been saying that "last night's performance was quite audible." In book reviews, I have also seen such a sentence: "As long as the traditional realistic work is well written, is it not more readable than an impatient experimental novel?" ”
I really don't understand that the book critic can't say", "Isn't it better than one... More attractive (more moving)? In the same way, is "more forward-looking" really more elegant than "more far-sighted"? In the long run, wouldn't there be strange sentences like "This funny thing he told is very ridiculous"? In addition, abstract terms such as "so-and-so doctrine" are also overused, and people with hearts in Britain and the United States advocate using less.
The distinction between singular and plural nouns is the practice of European languages. The plural variations of English grammar are much simpler than those of other European languages. Fortunately Chinese nouns have no plural variations and do not distinguish between genders, otherwise they would be more cumbersome. In the dialogue of the old novel, there are indeed plural words such as "grandfathers", "ladies", "ㄚ heads", etc., but in the narrative part, "sisters" and "many sisters" are still used. Chinese when the majority is to be represented, it will also say "the people", "the disciples", "the audience", and "the audience", so the "crowd" also has a bit of the role of "we". But "many" or "we" don't need plural endings everywhere in Chinese. Often, we say "civil and military officials", not "officials", nor do we say "civilian officials" and "military attaches". In the same way, "compatriots of the whole country", "teachers and students of the whole school", "all customers", "all passengers" are of course plurals, and there is no need to draw snakes and add feet to them. Many Chinese people are confused by the Westernized consciousness and often love to add so much, so "people" replace the original "everyone", "everyone", "the masses", "the people", "the world". "People" is really an ugly Westernized word, Lin Yutang will never use it, I hope you don't use it either. There are also people on TV who say "the people", "the listeners", "the players", which is really cumbersome. In particular, the use of "many and all" at the same time is no longer feasible.
Chinese words are countless and can sometimes get bogged down. For example, "one audience" obviously does not make sense, but "one of the audiences" is cumbersome and unnatural. After all, "a viewer" is not as ready-made as "a reader", so sentences such as "A viewer writes and says...", can only be left to it.
But "... One of the "floods" cannot be ignored. “...... One of them is "singular, but the consciousness of the background is the majority." Like other European languages, English loves to speak one of. Chinese Hara no"... One of the syntax, now we say "one of the audience" is really unavoidable. As for sentences like this:
Liu Ling is one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest.
As one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, Liu Ling...
It is already very popular at the moment. Although the previous sentence is Westernized, it is not redundant. The latter sentence is viciously Westernized, not only is the word "as" purely superfluous, but the word "one" is also white and miscellaneous, reading it broken, pressing the main word "Liu Ling" underneath, and it is even more twisted. In fact, the meaning of the latter sentence is exactly the same as the previous one, but it transfers the English grammar to the Chinese.
Therefore, instead of saying "Liu Ling, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, is known for his alcoholism", why not say plainly that "Liu Ling is one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest, known for his alcoholism"? In fact, the previous sentence also has a way not to say "one". Chinese could have said that "Liu Ling is a peer of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest"; "Liu Ling is listed in the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest"; "Liu Ling is one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest"; "Liu Ling is a fellow of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest". "One of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" or "One of the Four Treasures of the Literary Room", the situation is not serious, because the scope of the seven and four is clear, and at the same time, logically it cannot be said that "Liu Ling is the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Forest" and "Yan is the Four Treasures of the Literary Room". The current undesirable trend is the following sentence:
Dream of the Red Chamber is one of the famous works of Chinese literature.
Li Guang was one of the famous generals of the Han Dynasty.
In two sentences. "One" is a snake's foot. Everything in the world has its own kind, and every time one is mentioned, it is necessary to take care of the other, which is too thoughtful. Of course, there is more than one masterpiece of Chinese literature, and of course there will not be only one famous general of the Han Dynasty, without adding this dead-eyed "one", absolutely no one will misunderstand that you are lonely and unheard, or hang up a leak. Once you develop this vice, I am afraid that the sentences in my pen will be written as "Xiao Zhang is one of my good friends", "I am just one of your mediocre students", "One of his hobbies is to collect tea".
This speaks of "most... One of the grammars of "comes." English likes to say "He is one of the greatest thinkers of our time", as if it is really accurate, but not necessarily. The "greatest" is lifted to the highest, and the "one" is slightly lowered, and the result is only raised, not really raised to the highest. You don't know how many, four, or seven the "greatest thinkers" are, so the flexibility is quite large. Coming back in a big circle, it didn't make much difference. So, it is enough to say "he is a big celebrity" or "he is a famous person", and there is no need to go back and say "he is one of the most famous people".
3 Flexible connecting words, almost extinct
In English, words with the same part of speech are often connected by and: for example, man and wife, you and I, back and forth. But in Chinese, similar occasions often do not use connecting words, so it is enough to say "husband and wife", "you and me", "before and after". Similarly, a long list of similar words in the Chinese is also allowed to be juxtaposed without connection: for example, "southeast, northwest", "gold, wood, water, fire and earth", "Lile Shooting Royal Book", "Chai Rice Oil Salt Sauce Vinegar Tea" are all. Chinese never say, "Seven things to open the door, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea." "Whoever says that, it's going to make a laugh." In the same way, Chinese only say "think before and after" and "talk about the past and the present". But lately andr consciousness has infiltrated the Chinese and is doing evil everywhere.
The current undesirable trend is that where the original connecting words were not used, under the instigation of and consciousness, all the connecting words were installed; and the so-called connecting words were arranged by "and", "with", "and", "and", but the flexible and transmuted words "and", "and", "and", etc., are almost extinct.
4 English is inseparable from prepositions, Chinese is not
The use of prepositions in English is far more important than in Chinese, and it has become the lubricant of English. The English nosed verb plus prepositions often become transitive verbs, such as look after, take in ( take in ) . Preposition phrases can also be used as adjectives or auxiliaries, such as a friend in need, said it in earnest. So English is simply inseparable from prepositions. Chinese not. The two phrases "Yangzhou Ten Days, Jiading Three Massacres" do not use a preposition, but are replaced by English, which must be used.
"Ten Days of Yangzhou" refers to the massacre of civilians in Yangzhou by the Qing army after the failure of Shi Kefa's defensive battle to block the Southern Invasion of the Qing Army; "Jiading Three Massacres" refers to the massacre of civilians in the city three times after the Qing army attacked Jiading in 1645.
"Welcome Professor Wang to us today to give us an academic lecture on various issues related to environmental pollution." Such an inconsistency opening statement can be heard everywhere. In fact, prepositions such as "middle" and "about" are all snakes. There are some Chinese translations of the Bible, where pastors preach, regardless of the ecology of Chinese, that say, "God is in you." The meaning is understood, but it is not like Chinese.
"About", "about", and the like are probably the most used prepositions. Recently, I was a judge at the National Student Literature Award, and I submitted a long article called "The Story of a Child Growing Up on a Riverbank." Of the thirteen words, the word "about" has no effect, and "one" and "story" can also be dispensed with.
"About" has several cousins, the most popular is "due to". This term is often used inappropriately in contemporary Chinese:
Due to the great chaos in the world at the end of the Qin Dynasty, (so) the crowds were everywhere.
Driven by curiosity, I glanced inside the window.
Because of his family's poverty, he had to take a break from school.
English emphasizes logic in form and likes to explain the causal relationship between things and things. Chinese not. "The breeze is gentle, the water is not happy", of course, there is a causal relationship, but Chinese only use the context as an unspoken metaphor. If it is changed to English, I am afraid that I will say "because the breeze is coming, so the water waves are not happy", or "the breeze is coming, but the water waves are not rising". In the first sentence of the above list, in fact, the deletion of "because" and "so" not only does not affect the meaning of the text, but can make the article clean. There is nothing wrong with the phrase "driven by curiosity" in the second sentence (Note 4), but it is a bit wordy, and it is even more impossible to use formal words such as "drive". It would be much better if it was reduced to "out of curiosity, I looked inside the window" or "Out of curiosity, I looked inside the window." The third sentence is incomprehensible, and the offender is the most numerous. The phrase "because of his family's poverty" can only be used to modify the verb, but not as the main word. If this sentence deletes the verbose words of "due to" and "makes" to explain cause and effect, and writes it as "his family is poor and has to take a leave of absence", he feels that Mei Qingmuxiu is clear-eyed.
5 Everything under the heavens, everything that is done is "successful"?
The adverb form in English is not yet significantly harmful to Chinese, but it has already begun. For example, a sentence like this:
He painstakingly came up with a good solution.
The teacher persuaded him bitterly for half a day.
Everyone sang their folk songs in pain.
The three idioms at the beginning of the word "bitter" are originally verbs, and the "earth" at the end of the adverb is reduced to an adverb. In this way, the article is still clear, but the grammar is clear between subject and object, too much about the relationship of subordination, a bit dull. If you delete all the "ground" and replace it with commas, you can not only get rid of the relationship between the subject and the guest, but also be more flexible.
Sometimes such Westernized adverb phrases are too long, such as "He knows that he can't do anything about the place or went to the appointment", it is even more important to delete the "place" and replace it with commas to loosen the syntax. The most indiscriminate adverb at the moment is "success". Once I tested for admission to the essay title: "Impressions of Sun Yat-sen's Birthday", and at least six out of ten candidates said: "Dr. Sun Yat-sen successfully overthrew the Manchu Qing." The adverb "succeeds" is meaningless here, because if you push it over, you are successful, so why repeat it. In the same way, "successful invention of the theory of relativity" and "successful swimming across the Strait of Gibraltar" are also rhetorical statements. Isn't it tiring that everything under the heavens must be done with "success"?
5 The reason why the vernacular language is verbose is that there are too many imaginary words
As soon as the vernacular text uses adjectives, it seems that it is inseparable from "of", and there is no "no" without a sentence. In vernacular texts, the word "of" becomes an adjective that cannot be removed, at least on these occasions:
Okay, okay, I'll come. Yes, no problem.
Come and see this magnificent sunset!
Your pen is dry, use my pen first.
Also like the West Lake, Li Mang is divided into two parts: a large lake and a small lake.
He certainly had ulterior motives. You're right not to go.
People who like to use "of" or "powerless to refuse", perhaps there are more occasions to be partial to the word "almighty". I say "partial labor" because in English, the adjectives are commonly used to end in -tive, -able, -ical, -ous, etc., unlike in Chinese, which is all "of". English sentences often use several adjectives in a row, but because the ending changes are quite large, they will not fall into the formula of today's Chinese. For example, Shelley's sentence:
An old, mad, blind, despised, and dying king──
Five adjectives in a row, literally translated, become:
An aging, mad, blind, despised, dying king
English poet Shelley
As soon as you encounter an adjective, you don't hesitate to give it to the "of" to organize, which is the reason why the popular vernacular is so rigid. The vernacular text is so wordy and weak, too many imaginary words are a big reason, and the most used imaginary words are "of". Learning to use the word "of" less is probably the first lesson for vernacular writers. In fact, many famous writers are very casual in this regard, and there are a few examples to prove it:
(i) The moonlight shines through the trees, and the bushes grow high up, and the jagged black shadows fall, and the cliffs are steep
The sparse shadow of the crooked willows seemed to be painted on lotus leaves.
(ii) The last flock of pigeons... Maybe it was the mistaking of the gray and cold sky for the coming of night, or it was also foreshadowed
Feeling the impending wind and rain, they flew back to their warm wooden huts prematurely.
(iii) The white ducks also seemed to be a little irritable, and their anxiety was heard from the ditches of the city of unclean colors
The cry.
The first sentence, "jagged mottled black shadows" and "sparse shadows of crooked willows," are monotonous and blunt overlaps. Is it really necessary to use so many "of"? Why can't we say "jagged and mottled"? The original meaning of the second half of the sentence was originally "crooked willow casts a sparse shadow", but it is not hierarchical, and three "of" are used in a row, and the reader will naturally be divided into "curved, willow, sparse, and qianying". The second sentence can omit at least three "of". It is to change "gray and cold sky" to "gray and cold sky", and then change "night attack" and "wind and rain coming" to "night attack" and "wind and rain are coming". As mentioned earlier, Chinese is easy to use short sentences, and English is easy to use nouns, especially abstract nouns. How powerful the "night attack" is, the "night attack" is softened. The worst part is the third sentence. What is the difference between "White Duck" and "White Duck"? "The ditch of the city with unclean colors" and the indiscriminate use of the word "of" are the most confusing. The original meaning of this sentence should be "unclean urban ditch", which could have been reduced to "dirty ditch of the city", but the reader will also read "there is unclean, colored, urban, ditch".
The current adjectives have a new trick, that is, they are dressed up with abstract terms with academic appearances. Here are a few more examples:
This is a trick that is very difficult.
He deserves to be a passionate person.
I'm afraid I can't find it with words that are too professional.
What is the "very difficult" nonsense? Isn't the original meaning "very difficult"? In the same way, "enthusiastic people" are "enthusiastic people"; "too professional words" are "too specialized words". After going around in the abstract nouns, the façade seemed to be grand, and the content was still empty.
An adjective or modifier can be placed before a noun, preceded by a noun, or followed by a noun. French embellishments, such as Gide's La Symphonie pastorale (Pastoral Symphony) and Les Nourrituresterrestres ("Ground Grain"), are followed by adjectives; if translated into English, such as The Pastoral Symphony, it is the preamble. Chinese translated as "Pastoral Symphony", is also a precursor.
French writer Gide
English adjectives are as usual preludes, such as the preface to Shelley's verse, but sometimes it can also be followed, such as another of Shelley's verses: One too like thee—tameless, and swift, and proud.) As for adjectives or clauses, they are often postscripted, such as: man of action, I saw a man who looked like your brother.
The current vernacular text, somehow, is almost always front-ended, and it seems that it does not understand the way of post-decoration. For example, in the English sentence quoted above, if you use Chinese, the average person will say without thinking: "I met a man who looks like your brother." But few people will say, "I met a man who looked like your brother." "If the sentence is short, the front trim doesn't matter. If the sentence is long, the front trim is too blunt. For example, the following sentence: "I met a strange man who looked like your brother and spoke a little like him." "It's too big to be long." If you change it to a backslier, it's much more natural: "I met a strange man who looked like your brother and spoke a bit like him." In fact, the sentences of Wen Yanwen are often postscriptive, such as Sima Qian's two sentences written by Xiang Yu and Li Guang:
He is more than eight feet long, and he can carry the top and is talented.
Widely long, ape-armed, its good shooter is also natural also.
These two sentences in contemporary vernacular texts are likely to become:
Xiang Zhi is an eight-foot tall man with great strength and talent.
Li Guang was a tall man with arms that looked like ape arms and had the nature to shoot arrows.
The last sentence can be added all the way down, although long but natural, full of elasticity. The front adjunct is pressed with nouns, and once it is long, it will appear cumbersome, tense, and overwhelmed. So the front sentence is a closed sentence, and the last sentence is an open sentence.
7 Chinese no tense, saving a lot of trouble
Verbs are the place of right and wrong in English grammar, and many disputes are caused by verbs. The change in english tense is much simpler than in other European languages. In Spanish, a verb conjures up seventy-eight tenses.
Chinese nouns are not divided into single complex and yin and yang, and the verbs do not change tense, I don't know how much trouble is saved. The sentence of "A Fang Gong Fu": "The Qin people do not have time to mourn themselves, and the posterity mourns." Future generations mourn and do not learn from it, and make future generations mourn for future generations. Just such a "mourning" word, if you use the Western language, I really don't know how many tricks to play.
Chinese had no temporal changes, so it was spared westernization in this regard. Chinese culture is so exquisite, Chinese certainly will not be clumsy in the order of time. The prose says: "Man will die, and his words will be good"; "The discussion is undecided, but the soldier has crossed the river." The poem says, "When it is cold and the weather is not cold." The tense here is clear enough. Su Shi's Seven Absolutes: "There is no rain cover for the lotus, and the chrysanthemum residue is still proud of the frost branches." A good year of good times must be remembered, the most is orange yellow orange green time. "The timing in it, some have passed, some are about to pass, and more are happening, and the distinction is accurate and fine.
Since the verbs of Chinese are inconvenient to Westernize, the average person can only write sentences such as "We are going to start the game" at most, and the problem is not serious. The crisis of verb Westernization has two other ends: one is the decomposition of simple verbs into compound verbs of "weak verbs + abstract nouns", as mentioned above. Not to say "a passenger plane crashed, ninety-eight people died", but to say "a passenger plane crashed, resulting in the death of ninety-eight people", is really a roundabout attitude.
At the other end is the use of passive tone. Whatever is a verb that comes with things does not originate from the giver but from the receiver. Therefore, to describe a thing in terms of the verb of things, there are not the following three ways:
(i) Columbus discovered the New World.
(ii) The New World was discovered by Columbus.
(iii) The New World has been discovered.
The first sentence of the giver is the main word, which is the active tone. The second sentence of the receiver is the main word, which is a passive tone. The third sentence is still the subject of the main word, still passive, but does not see the giver. All three of these sentences are common in English, but in Chinese the first is the most common, and the second and third are much less common. The third type often becomes an active tone in Chinese, such as "the sugar has been eaten", "the play is finished", "the manuscript is half written", "the money has been used".
The current trend of Westernization is to change to a passive tone in situations where the active tone can be used. Consider the following example sentence:
(i) I will not be intimidated by your words.
(ii) He was suspected of stealing.
(iii) His opinion was not accepted.
(iv) He was promoted to battalion commander.
(v) He shall not be admitted to school.
These words are blunt and violate the ecology of Chinese. In fact, we can reduce it to the active tone as follows:
(1) Your words do not frighten me.
(ii) He is suspected of stealing.
(iii) His views were not accepted by all.
(iv) He was promoted to battalion commander.
(v) He was not admitted to school.
Similarly, "he was elected Speaker" is not as good as "he was elected Speaker". "He was pointed out many mistakes" is also not as good as "someone pointed out many of his mistakes". "He is often asked about the truth of the case" or "he is often asked about the truth of the case."
At present Chinese there are two problems with the passive tone. One is to replace the natural active tone with a blunt passive tone. The other is that the word "be" is used uniformly, as if it is pronounced close to the English by, but it does not understand from "suffering" to "killing", from "beaten" to "suffered", from "light pointing" to "world-weighted", there are many more words available, do not have to set a formula.
8 Language is alive, but it should be lived healthy
The Westernization of Chinese has some heavy and some light, some dark and some bright, but its scope is expanding more and more, and its phenomenon is becoming more and more obvious, and it has quite an accelerating trend. The above is only a little analysis of the diseases of Westernization such as nouns, connecting words, prepositions, adverbs, adjectives, verbs, etc., and I hope that readers can learn from each other and know what to prevent.
Optimistic people often say that language is alive, like a river, and cannot stop its progress, and the so-called Westernization is an inevitable trend. It is true that language is alive, but it should live a healthy life, and it should not prolong life with illness. As for the metaphor of the river, we must not forget the two sides of the river, otherwise flooding will also become a disaster. Of course, the trend of Westernization is inevitable, but it should not be too fast and too much, and we should truncate the long and make up for the short, rather than harm the long with the short.
Some avant-garde writers do not take unfounded concerns as believing that adhering to the convention of Chinese will hinder the innovation of writers. I am very sympathetic to this statement, because I am also a "person who has come over". "Grammar is for my generation!" Poets have the freedom to cross borders. In this article, I emphasize the ecology of Chinese, which was originally a general writing statement, and has no intention of regulating the creation of literature. Avant-garde writers can rest assured that they will chase after their muses without getting in the way and being slaves to grammar.
But one thing is important. Chinese has developed for thousands of years, from Qingtong to Gaomiao, and has a set of norms that have been refined by thousands of hammers. Whoever pretends to be a change without knowing what normalcy is may result in a clumsy offering, not a coincidence. The magic of change must be set off by normalcy. Once the normal does not exist, all that remains is chaos, not change.
*This article was originally published in the October 1987 issue of Ming Pao Monthly, originally titled "How to Improve british Chinese?" ——On the Normality and Perversion of Chinese", with deletions, subtitled by the editor.
This article is excerpted from
"Translation is the Avenue"
Author: Yu Guangzhong
Publisher: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press
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