中英信息结构的对比与翻译

摘要：译者做到源语和目标语形式上的对等是很难的，但意义上的对等是必须的。因此， 翻译就是不同语言形式的转换，目的是通过不同语言介质表达相同的信息。本文旨在通过中英文信息结构的对比对两者的翻译提供借鉴。

关键词：信息结构；中英文；翻译

Abstract: As a translator, to maintain equivalence in form of the target language and the original language is quiet difficult, but it is essential to keep equivalence in meaning. Therefore, translation is a transformation between different forms of language, and the purpose is to convey the same information via different language carrier. This paper aims to benefit the translation between Chinese and English by making comparison of the information structure of these two.

Key words: information structure; English and Chinese; translation

Comparison and Translation of Information Structure between English and Chinese

Ⅰ. Overview of information structure

The representative of Prague school, Mathesius and Firbas viewed that language is a functional system which aims to convey information and achieve the communicative function. The sentence is constructed in the order of 'given information + new information'. Given information is theme, and new information is rheme. On the base of the information structure of Prague school, Halliday proposed a more detailed description to the concept of theme and rheme. He holds that theme is 'what is known or at least obvious in a given situation'. Rheme is 'what is said about it', and it is usually the new information.

Ⅱ. Differences of information structure between English and Chinese

Because of the impact of thinking mode, English and Chinese have the following differences when expressing the same content:

1. Subject and topic

About 1970s, Western scholars C.N. Li and S.A .Thompson concluded English is sort of subject-prominent language, and the sentence structure is the subject-predicate structure, hence the theme is usually the subject; while Chinese is a topic-prominent language, and the construction of sentence is usually the mode of topic-comment, thus the main topic is basically theme. The topic in Chinese, in many cases, is not strictly corresponding to the subject in English; it is usually manifested in the position of object, predicate and adverbial in English sentence.

2. Hypotaxis and parataxis

English has a salient feature of hypotaxis. English always highlights the completeness of form in language structure, and the completeness of form is depended on lots of logical conjunctions, prepositions, relative pronouns, adverbs and other non-finite verb structure in order to relate the subordinate information to the trunk of a sentence or discourse. Chinese, formed a language structural characteristic that emphasizing internal relation and implicit relation in hundreds of thousands of years of history, that is the 'parataxis'. The order of Chinese sentence is depended on the verb, and unfolded with chronological and logical order.

3. Reverse order and the natural order

Westerners, when understanding things, usually follow the mode 'from part to the whole, from point to the line', that is, the linear thinking mode. While the Chinese are accustomed to 'beat around the bush' when thinking, that is the spiral thinking mode, to understand things from the whole. Looked from the language level, that English speakers are used to put forward their opinion (what they think important) first, then giving comment about it; but the Chinese is accustomed to the mode that comments first and then conclusion. They put the important content in the latter part. Cognitive linguists, based on many data comparisons, held that Chinese sequence is more similar to the mode human understanding. Therefore, Chinese follows the natural order; While English is in the reverse order.

Ⅲ. Differences of information structure of English and Chinese in translation

In essence, the process of translation is to reproduce the content of source language in the target language. Because of the human's commonness when expressing the same content in different language, that is from the old to the new, thus making it possible to maintain the source information in target language. However, due to the differences in thinking mode between English and Chinese, as well as the differences in organization and arrangement of information, therefore it is necessary to abandon the thematic structure in source language and adopt the thematic structure in target language, and it is also the most common used strategy in translation.

1. Maintain the information structure of the source language as much as possible

Theme carries the given information, rheme carries the new information. This rule is quiet normal in both English and Chinese, and this make it possible that to maintain the information structure in source language as much as that in target language.

2. Adjust the thematic structure according to the conventions of target language

Chinese follows a model of 'topic + comment' that theme is usually the subject, but English is constructed as 'subject + predicate' that theme is the subject of the sentence. Therefore a transformation of the construction of sentence between English and Chinese is inevitable. The construction of sentence structure, for Chinese the focus is to determine the topic, while for English it is the subject that counts; the topic of Chinese free to change, but in English the cohesion and coherence of the whole text must rely on a stable and proper subject.

Ⅳ. Conclusion

There are similarities and differences in the cognitive style towards the objective world between English and Chinese; therefore there are similarities and differences in the form of organization and manifestation. As a translator, to achieve the ultimate goal of the reproduction of the source information, we should maintain the information structure of the source language as much as possible; and rearrange the order of the sentence according to the convention of target language to enhance the readability and authenticity of the translated version.

References：

[1]Halliday M A K. An Introduction to Functional Grammar. Beijing: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, 2000.

[2]Nida E A. Language, Culture and Translating. Shanghai: Foreign Language Education Press, 1977.

[3]朱永生. 主位推进模式与语篇分析. 外语教学与研究, 1995.

作者简介：巩雨（1988.9-），女，汉族，山西忻州人，山西财经大学经贸外语学院2010级外国语言学及应用语言学研究生，主要研究方向：英语教育。