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1、On Chinese-characterized Translation of Loanwords Abstract: This paper, by discussing the approaches to the Chinese-characterized translation of the loan words from English, tries to explore the regulations from the modem Chinese language characteristics and the underlying cognitive psychology of la
2、nguage in the absorption of the loan words. As for methods concerning element of semantic translation, half transliteration and half semantic translation as well as transliteration plus category markers reflect principles of popularity and sinicization to some degree and transliteration plus Chinese
3、 coinage reveals the need of specialization and sinicization, so they can be considered as next satisfactory. Though taking the largest proportion, pure or complete transliteration (31.5%) and transcription (24.7%) are the least method to resort. It aims to foster better understanding and absorption
4、 of the English loan words. The thesis contributes mainly in two aspects:1)the way they are translatated; 2) their standardization in modern Chinese, aiming to discover a guideline for translators to follow when translating loanwords and to broaden the study of loanwords.Key words: chinese-character
5、ized, translation, loanwords1 IntroductionBoth English and chinese have the loanwords in the respective historical perpetual flow, because so many factors influence such as the national trade, the cultural exchange, the immigrants living together with different nationalities, the war to conquer and
6、so on. These two languages have the obvious differences in quantity, the lexical category, borrowing aspects of the loanwords as well as the function of absorption and assimilation of the loan words. The reason mainly lies in the differences in two traditionally cultural psychology, the geographical
7、 environment and the historical perspective as well as the type of language and writing. The loan word is the important component of modern Chinese glossary system. This article attempts to reflect the bright characteristic of Chinese, as well as Chinese nationality the national culture psychology w
8、hich displays in the language use by elaborating the chinese-characterized translation of loanwords.1.1 Definition of LoanwordWith the carrying out of the reform and open policy, the relationship between our counry and the other nations has become closer day by day. Various exchange forms such as na
9、tional trade, cultural exchange, the immigrants living together with different nationalities all provide the objective condition for the language contact. And words borrowing is the most common phenomenon. Therefore loanwords produce massively.By discussing the approaches to the Chinese- characteriz
10、ed translation of the loan words from English, we should explore the regulations from the modem Chinese language characteristics and the underlying cognitive psychology of language in the absorption of the loan words. It aims to foster better understanding and absorption of the English loan words. S
11、ince the May 4th Movement of 1919, the emergence of our modern Chinese has presented two characteristics, first, residential vernacular language grows healthily and strongly represented by Mr. Lao She; Second, the massive loan words integrate to Chinese. Then what is loanword ? Loanwords, a special
12、phenomenon in linguistic field, occur when two different languages are confronting each other. The appearance of loanwords is far more than a mere lexical coincidence; it is a sign of cross-cultural integration. As ambassadors of different languages, they thus play an essential role in the cross-cul
13、tural communication. Especially in an era of globalization, with the unprecedented interactions and cooperation in almost each field, loanwords, have aroused peoples great interest. Mr shi youwei explained in his bookchinese loanwords汉语外来词，“in chinese, generally speaking, loanwords refers to complet
14、ely or partly take advantage from the other fanmily language which it corresponds with in the form of pronunciation under the premise of the word meaning coming from other family languages.” The loan word also calls the external word or the borrowing word. It refers to bring in words directly from t
15、he foreign languages by the way of borrowing the sound, the meaning or the shape. With the exchanges with the outside world becoming frequently day by day, the external new conception and new things need to have the new verbal symbol including the new scientific term to express themselves. A most im
16、portant way these language symbols produce is to borrow from the foreign language by various forms. These words mostly have the effectiveness, succinct, and the characteristic of exotic culture in different degree giving people a feeling of curiosity and making the use of loanwords the current fashi
17、on.1.2 Literature Review Loanwords have existed in Chinese for quite a long time. In modern Chinese, there is a large quantity of loanwords borrowed from other languages, especially from English. According to Cen Qixiang, there are a total number of 4,307 loanwords in Dictionary of Foreign Words in
18、Chinese 汉语外来语词典(1990), which shows that loanwords compromise a large part in Chinese vocabulary, and naturally become the focus of study for many scholars and linguists.The first and foremost problem when dealing with loanwords is the definition. There are two totally different opinions in academic
19、circle. On the one hand, Liu Zheng Yan and Gao Mingkai define “loanwords” as “words which do not originally exist in a language, but are taken from another language without the change of their sound and meaning” 把外来语中具有非本语言所有的意义的词连音带意搬到本语言里, 这种词才是外来词 (qtd. in郭剑英, 2003). Xing Fuyi and Wang Guosheng e
20、xplain the reason for this definition in his book “Modern Chinese”, that “another kind of words, such as 快餐, 代沟 and 语感 do not strictly belong to the so-called loanwords since they are formed by the Chinese word-formation materials, following the Chinese grammatical rules”还有一种意译词, 如“快餐”, “代沟”, “语感”等一
21、般不属于外来词, 因为它们用汉语的语言材料和构词法构成(2003: 217). On the other hand, another group, represented by Ge Benyi and Cao Wei, holds a contrary viewpoint. They advocate that “loanwords” should be defined in a broad sense. Ge Benyi states in A Research on the Chinese Vocabulary 汉语词汇研究 that, “the so-called loanwords
22、refer to words produced under the influence of any foreign language. They are by no means restricted to the original word in the borrowed language” 所谓外来词是指源于外语影响而产生的词 (2000: 85). In other words, according to her definition, any word produced under the influence of a foreign language should be called
23、 a loanword, no matter this influence is semantic or phonemic. She also treats semantic loans as loanwords. In this way, the scope of loanword is broadened, containing semantic loans and graphic loans from Japanese. Hence, the translation of loanwords involves more. The increasing number of loanword
24、s in a broad sense also poses much more difficulties in translating and studying them. In order to give a comprehensive and accurate analysis, this thesis tends to agree with the first definition, using “phonemic loans, an exact but narrow term” (史有为 2000: 10) to define loanwords in a narrow sense.
25、According to the author, the definition of loanwords should be like this, “loanwords refer to words that do not exist in the original language, and both their sound and meaning are taken from anther language”. The key point is that it must contain the element of phonemic translation.The research on
26、loanwords is far beyond its definition. In the past two decades, many scholars and linguists have made their achievements. There two dictionaries collecting the loanwords in Chinese: one is compiled by Liu Zheng Yan and other scholars, called Dictionary of Chinese Loanwords 汉语外来词词典 as early as 1984;
27、 in 1990, another one, Dictionary of Foreign words in Chinese 汉语外来语词典 was compiled by Cen Qixiang. Both dictionaries aim to give a complete and precise record of loanwords in contemporary times and also probe into the source. Apart from this, several monographs were published. 史有为 wrote two books, L
28、oanwords in Chinese (2000) 汉语外来词 and Loanwords, the Ambassador of Different Cultures (2004) 外来词异文化的使者, studying loanwords comprehensively and systematically. Beside dictionaries and monographs, loanwords are also studied in Chinese textbooks and lexicological works. Xing fuyi and Wang guosheng devot
29、e one section to discuss the translation and categorization of Chinese loanwords in Modern Chinese 现代汉语 (2003: 215-217). Xiang xi devotes two sections to introducing loanwords from a historical perspective (1998: 535-560; 667-699). Besides, there are about 282 articles concerning the study of loanwo
30、rds during the past decade between 1997 and 2006, most of which focus on the classification and translation of loanwords. Others conduct synchronic researches within lexicology or discuss its standardization. The representatives are Xiao shuilai with his “English Loanwords in Chinese and Their Trans
31、lation” 汉语中的英语借词及其翻译 and Guo jianying with his “The Research of Foreign Words in the 20th Century” 一个世纪以来的汉语外来词研究.2 Culture and translation of loanwords2.1 national cultureThe chinese-characterized translation of loanwords cannot separate with the national culture. Mr. Wang Zuoliang once said: “the
32、biggest problem of translation is the difference between the two culture.” Mr. Song Guangqian also pointed out in his article talk about that translation “the foreign literature most is very difficult to understand and the first thing of translation is the associative significanceif not familiar wit
33、h human sentiment and custom of a country, not familiar with its cultural and historical perspective, we will be confused with the meaning of writing. It will be especially difficult to deal with it when translating.” Translated theoretician Eugene naida to also once pointed out like this : “speakin
34、g of the truly successful translation, being familiar with two cultures is even more important than having a good command of two languages because the words and expressions are only meaningful in the cultural context which they act on.” Regarding the cultural definition, although different scholar h
35、as the inconsistent explanation, four inherent characteristics in the cultural conception actually obtains consistent approval of modern culture anthropology: (1) culture is acquired through the society, not through heredity. (2) culture is ownd by a social organization, not monopolized by a certain
36、 person. (3) The culture has the symbol, the language is the most important symbolic system in the culture.(4) The culture is a unified whole, each aspect in cultural should be related with the other aspects. Various national culture has the general character, simultaneously, it also has very strong
37、 national characteristic. As a result of the difference of history, the geography, the social structure, the race, the custom, the values, the thinking mode, the religious belief, the moral sentiment, theres big difference between each different culture. The thought has the national characteristic a
38、nd language is the carrier of the thought.Therefore,this national characteristic will be inevitable reflected in the language.The process of contacting,blending and borrowing of different national language must transform resting on the national characteristic. While applying to the language,it means
39、 to reform the loanwords according to the thought custom and the language characteristic of local nation. These loanwords must pass through this national thought in the process of using as to make it has the national language characteristic. Only this way can it take root in the national glossary sy
40、stem. As a constituent of culture and the carrier of cultural information, the language will definitely reflect these differences. It is not only the switching process of language, but also the process of cultural transplant. Rather than saying that the translation involves two languages, we had bet
41、ter consider it involves two cultures. Because the culture is the liveling soil of language and is also the object which the language reflect. Then we can see that chinese-characterized translation of loanwords is affected by the difference of geographical environment, habits and customs, social usa
42、ge, socicial and historical perspective, and religious belief. Therefore, the loanwords we are using have got on a shade of chinese traditional characteristic.2.2 The strategy of foreignization to proceed the translation of loanwords.2.2.1 Transliteration of massive personal name geographic nameShel
43、ly (English poet, transliterated to “雪莱”，not“谢利”)Holmes (the name of a famous detective, transliterated to “福尔摩斯”, but not“霍姆斯”)Bernard shaw (English Literary giant, transliterated to “萧伯纳”， not“伯纳德肖”)Thames (transliterated to “泰晤士河”, not “泰姆斯河”)Creenwich (transliterated to “格林威治”, not “格林尼治”)In thi
44、s kind of translation, being established by usage and the standardization are two very important principles. Regarding to the translation of some commonly used personal names and geographic names, if been accepted generally by the people, they should be retained and no longer changed. Other names ne
45、ed to make the standard processing by looking up some reference books, such as Handbook of English-speaking country names and translated names and so on. At the same time, the translation of foreign personal names do not too be chinese-characterized and also abstained from the use of those words wit
46、h clear Chinese significance in order to avoid causing the association of the different meanings. For example, dont translate “Reagan (里根) ” to “李根”， “基辛格” to “ 纪新歌”.2.2.2 transliteration of professional nouns Marlboro (万宝路) Park (派克金笔) Sheraton(喜来登饭店) Sprite(雪碧) Coca-cola (可口可乐) Madonald(麦当劳)CleanC
47、lear(可伶可俐) Omega(欧米加表)“Coca-cola”, a kind of popular drink coming from the west, is very lively, vivid, and harmonious by translating to “可口可乐”, which is so beautiful either from the semantics or the transliteration. When transliterating this kind of brand or trademark, On the one hand , when choosi
48、ng the words, we should use the succinct words to express the accurate information and the significance as far as possible. It is suitble to employ the glyph whose stroke is simple or easy to know. At the same time, choosing the words ingeniously using the rich characteristic of Chinese characters m
49、eaning in order to create the association conforming with the need, namely semantic gain, thus coming intobeing the good economic efficiency and social effect. “TOEFL” is translated to “托福” is a very good example. 2.2.3 transliteration of common nounsdisco(迪斯科) sofa(沙发) chocolate(巧克力)shock(休克) toast(吐司)
