从语言和文化角度浅析中式英语--学位论文----学位论文.doc

单位代码 10642 密 级 公 开 学 号

学士学位论文

从语言和文化角度浅析中式英语

论文作者：
指导教师：
学科专业：英语专业（英语商贸）
提交论文日期：2013年11月25日
论文答辩日期：2013年12月19日
学位授予单位：

中 国 · 重 庆
2013年12月

BA Thesis

Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences

Analysis of Chinglish Based on Language and Culture

BA Candidate:
Supervisor:
Major: English

School of Foreign Languages
Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences

December 2013

2014届英语专业学士学位论文 Table of Contents
Contents
中文摘要 Ⅰ
Abstract Ⅱ
1. Introduction 1
2. Chinglish 1
2.1 Definition of Chinglish 1
2.2Characterristics of Chinglish 2
2.2.1 Collocation Abuse 2
2.2.2 Modifier Overuse 3
2.2.3 Parts of Speech Abuse 3
3. Causes of Chinglish 3
3.1 Mother Tongue Distraction 3
3.2 Language and Culture Diversity 4
3.3 Moral Value 6
4. Ways to Avoid Chinglish 7
4.1 Watching English Movies and TV Drama Programs 7
4.2 Communicating with Foreigners 7
4.3 Practicing Reading, Writing and Speaking 7
4.4 Using Dictionaries 8
5. Conclusion 8
References 10
Acknowledgements 11

2010届英语专业学士学位论文 中文摘要
摘 要
中式英语是一种不符合规范或者说是不合英语文化的畸形英语，主要是受汉语习惯的干扰，是母语的负迁移的结果。为了很好的避免中式英语，英语学习者应该养成看英语电影的习惯，多与外国人交流，学习西方文化，同时他们还应该多读多听多写英语，从而克服母语带来的负迁移。本文首先探讨了中式英语的定义，然后从语言和文化层面分析引起中式英语的原因，最后，还介绍了一些方法，以帮助减少或者解决中式英语的形成。

关键词：中式英语；母语负迁移; 语言和文化差异

I
20XX届英语专业学士学位论文 Abstract
Abstract
Chinglish is misshapen, hybrid language that is neither English nor Chinese but that might be described as English with Chinese characteristic. It is caused by mother tongue distraction. To avoid Chinglish, English learners should form a habit of watching English movies, communicating with natives speakers, learning western culture. At the same time, they should do some listening, writing and speaking exercises consciously. The research explores Chinese English from the level of definition. Then the author analyzes the cause of Chinglish from the level of language and culture. In addition, the author also introduces some methods to reduce or even eliminate Chinglish.

Key Words: Chinglish, Mother Tongue Distraction, Language and Culture Diversity

4

2014届英语专业学士学位论文
Analysis of Chinglish Based on Language and Culture
1. Introduction
Language is a tool of communication. It’s well-known that English is the most widely used language in the world. In the contemporary society it has played an essential role as a bridge to contribute to exchange among countries. According to David Crystal’s statistics(2001, p.61), there are 450 million people whose mother tongue is English and 350 million people taking English as the second language. Since the policy of reform and opening put forward in China, there are an increasing number of Chinese starting to learn and speak English. The process of English learning is quite different, because English is not the major course for most Chinese English learners. Although many learners have studied English for six or seven years even more, they cannot speak or write English as native speakers and they often make Chinglish mistakes in communicating. In fact, those people who learn English are learning a sort of communication skills. However, it is always a headache that most Chinese people cannot use English as native speakers. The English they often use is regarded as Chinese English or Chinglish, which is caused by mother tongue distraction as well as culture and moral value. This phenomenon of Chinglish is very normal among Chinese English learners and causes much misunderstanding between them. For the sake of mending this situation, this thesis is trying to analyze various linguistic and cultural features of Chinglish and to explore the causes for the formation of it. Linguists have studied Chinglish both at home and abroad for many years. However, their emphasis on the study of Chinglish is scattering in many areas. This thesis explores Chinese English from the level of definition and analyzes the cause of Chinglish from the level of language and culture. Finally, the author gives some ways to avoid Chinglish. Only in this way can Chinese English learners use English as native speakers.
2. Chinglish
2.1 Definition of Chinglish
What is Chinglish? There are some definitions about it. Chinglish is misshapen, hybrid language that is neither English nor Chinese but that might be described as English with Chinese characteristic (Joan P. J., 2007: p.67). This kind of English exists around us and has been one of the problems to be solved. “A language with a markedly reduced grammatical structure, lexicon and stylistic range, compared with other language, which is native language of no one.” (Bright, William, 1992: p.25). Chinglish is a portmanteau of Chinese and English, and refers to spoken or written English language that is influenced by the Chinese language. The term of “Chinglish” is commonly applied to ungrammatical or nonsensical English in Chinese contexts, and may have pejorative or deprecating connotations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinglish). Chinglish is speech or writing that shows the interference of the influence of Chinese. Some sentences may be more or less word for word translation of Chinese expressions. Chinglish may be correct from the level of grammatically, but the choice of words or phrases and the manner of expressions do not conform to Standard English usage. Although understanding may not be a problem, Chinglish is unacceptable (Deng, Y. C., 1989: p.53). Chinglish is awkward English that some people who have not mastered idiomatic English (Jia, D. L., 1990: p.78). From these definitions, we can discover that the main cause of Chinglish is the interference of mother tongue.
In this paper, Chinglish is a cultural phenomenon, in which Chinese and English are mixed up. Chinglish is caused by mother tongue distraction. To avoid Chinglish, English learners should form a habit of watching English movie, communicating with native speakers, learning western culture. At the same time, they should do some listening, writing and speaking exercises consciously. For many years, linguists have studied Chinglish both at home and abroad. However, they stress Chinglish study should be scattered in many fields.
2.2 Characteristics of Chinglish
2.2.1 Collocation Abuse
Both Chinese and English have rules of collocations, especially noun-verb, noun-adjective matching. For example, we say the room for working or reading is called study room instead of book room. We say revolutionary successor rather than successor to the revolution. When we were young, we went to school to gain knowledge rather than study knowledge. More examples,
取得成就
Make achievements. (Chinglish)
Attain achievements. (Standard English)
来信写道
The letter writes. (Chinglish)
The letter reads. (Standard English)
请勿打扰：
Don’t Bother. (Chinglish)
Do Not Disturb. (Standard English)
管弦乐:
Tube instrument. (Chinglish)
Wind instrument. (Standard English)
2.2.2 Modifier Overuse
Too many modifiers adopted to emphasize something’s features or someone’s attitude can lead to words redundancy. For example, the overuse of “very”, the repetition of adjectives with similar meaning, “Completely smash” (彻底粉碎), the original meaning of “smash” is break completely; “completely conquer” (完全征服), however “conquer” is possible to be “partly”; “A great historic change”, “historic” equals “great” to some extent.
2.2.3 Parts of Speech Abuse
Due to mechanical translation, the sentences are piled up by a string of words with corresponding meaning regardless of part of speech. For instance,
“Good good study, day day up.” (好好学习，天天向上)
“Who afraid who!” (谁怕谁啊)
“The strength, prosperity and development of China will pose no threat to any countries.” (中国的富强和发展不会对任何国家构成威胁)
3. Causes of Chinglish
3.1 Mother Tongue Distraction
Language migration includes negative transfer of target language and negative transfer of mother tongue. Negative transfer of mother tongue refers to the use of the mother tongue’s thinking mode in target language. Chinese reflects this kind of phenomenon of negative transfer of mother tongue. Not all the mistakes that Chinese students make in the process of learning English are to blame for the negative transfer of Chinese. A part of the mistakes owe to the negative transfer of target language. Lado came up with “Contrastive Analysis” in 1957 (Mao, Y. Y., 1998: p.13). It had compared the similarities and differences between mother tongue and object language. He proved that there are some similarities between the two languages. The learner’s native language will produce positive transfer to the target language, then there will be less difficulties in the study of target language. Professor Wang Nongsheng sums up that the continuing emergence of new words with Chinese characteristic, inappropriate collocation, superfluous modifiers and misuse of personification are all causes for Chinglish (Wang, N. S., 2000: p.31-35).
Before learning English, we have learned Chinese for many years and formed a Chinese thinking pattern. In the process of English learning, Chinese students are accustomed to adding native language to English learning, which leads to “Chinese English” or “Chinglish”. This kind of “bilateral” English which is affected by Chinese thinking mode is a kind of abnormal language. The consequence of communicating, which makes both Chinese users and Standard English speakers cannot understand each other. It refers that Chinese users and Standard English speakers are interfered by mother tongue. In The Translator’s Guide to Chinglish, Joan Pinkham puts forward authentic examples of Chinglish. For example, Chinese learners often translate “生活水平不断提高” into “living standards for the people continued to rise”. As a matter of fact, “for the people” is needless. Although Chinglish sometimes can be understood, it is still unacceptable. So, in the process of English learning, we should think ourselves as native speakers. To avoid various forms of Chinglish, it would be a good choice to accumulate more English idioms.
Let’s see some typical Chinglish sentences such as No entry on peacetime（和平时期不得进入）,Welcome to take my taxi(欢迎您乘坐本出租车). These sentences are neither effective nor grammatically correct. Comparing the following examples:
关灯：
Close the lights. (Chinglish)
Turn off the lights. (Standard English)
坡道路滑注意安全：
To take Notice of Safe; The Slippery is Very Crafty. (Chinglish)
Watch Out for Slippery Slope. (Standard English)
Influenced by local culture, a native thinking pattern is built gradually. Natural environment and locations play a vital role in it. English ancestors lived on islands, where they suffered from the cruel and fierce environment and formed an ability to conquer the nature. However, Chinese antecedents relied on earth because China is a farming society. Their articles for daily using are from nature. Gradually, they realize that man and nature are corresponded to each other. The harmony was stressed between man and nature, and became Chinese basic thinking pattern. On different English learning level, different mistakes will be found among English learners. Before we learn the words “talk”, “speak”, “tell”, we are used to linking “say” to the Chinese character “说” . Whenever we meet the Chinese phrases containing “说” we would translated into English with “say” , such as “Can you say English?”
3.2 Language and Culture Diversity
Chinese belongs to Sino-Tibetan Family and it is one of the oldest languages in the world; English belongs to Indo-European Family and is one of the most widely spoken languages (Chen, H. W., & Li, Y. D., 2004: p.33). There are some differences between language and culture, while some similarities exist between them. Culture contains all the patterns of customs, beliefs, techniques, and institutions that feature the life of a human society. Culture is the sign of the ethnic difference with nationality and uniqueness. This means not only material things such as companies, schools and cities, but also non-material things such as language, customs and ideas. In general, culture refers to the way of life of a society. Language is a group of symbols. Through long-term social practicing, the rule of combining these symbols was established. Language is a tool of communication and cannot exist separately. On the one hand, language is the foundation of culture, and it is a mirror of culture. On the other hand, culture also has a profound impact on the development of language. That is to say, language reflects the characteristics of a nation, not only the history and background of the nation, but also the life-style and thinking pattern of it. For majority people, language is not only just the medium of culture but also a special component of culture. Language expresses and reflects cultural reality. If we were in foreign countries, we should know their cultures well. Only in that way, can we use their language freely. On the other hand, language is a product of culture and an important carrier of culture. Culture restrains language. Two of them rely on each other and have influence on each other. Hudson (1989) also agrees that in terms of the relationships between language and culture, most of language including culture, so it would be reasonable to say that a society’s language is an aspect of its culture and relationship of language to culture is that of part to whole. The differences of those two societies exist in many aspects, such as geographical position, religion, history and so on. Britain’s summer is gentle and mild; while China’s summer is hot. Without consideration of this, Chinese people would not understand Shakespeare’s segments of poetry in Sonnet 18: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate.”(能不能让我把你比作夏日，但你却比它更加可爱和温存) (Zhao, W. W., & Bai Y. C., 2002: p.6). Chinese people affect “red”, because they think that “red” is the symbol of jubilant, glow and happy. While Britain people dislike it, because they think that “red” is the symbol of war, blood, horror and humiliation. Such like “The Scarlet Letter” reflects this character. Social appellations are greatly different between China and Western world. In English, people use these appellations, such as “dad”, “mum”, “grandpa”, “aunt”, “uncle”, “sister”, “brother”, “cousin”, “daughter”, “son”, “niece”, “nephew”, “grandson”, “granddaughter”; while in China, “uncle” is divided into “叔叔、堂叔、表叔、伯伯、堂伯、表伯、舅舅、堂舅、表舅、姑父、姨夫”, so are others’ appellations.
Although many college graduates have learnt English for many years, they still cannot grasp the grammar or speak it fluently. The reason