怎样学好英语？先从了解中英文差异入手！

放牛娃,2006年1月9日

怎么学好英语一直是我们中国学生头疼的问题。那次通过新东方老师，我终于悟出来了，中方的思维方式差异太大了。在继续向前走直前，我们有必要重新审视一下。刚刚看到一篇极好的文章，关于中英文差异，贴出来与大家分享。

 Major Differences Between Chinese and English

 I.Hypotactic vs paratactic （形合与意合）

Hypotactic----the dependent or subordinate construction or relationship of clauses with connectives, for example, “Is hall die if you don’t come” (中译为: )（复句中成分之间的关系用一种公式，即连接词来连接）. Paratactic----The arraging of clauses one after another without connectives showing the logical relation between them. (分句与分句之间不用连接词来表示相互之间的逻辑关系). English tends to be hypotactic while Chinese tends to be paratactic. We should remember the tendency in the two languages is relative not absolute. The structure of English is compared to a tree with various branches on different levels, while Chinese is caompared to a bamboo with one part after another. e.g. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us: that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly revolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth. (Abraham Lincoln, The Gettysburg Address ) (我们应该做的是献身于他们留给我们的伟大任务。我们的先烈已将自己的全部精诚付与我们的事业，我们应从他们的榜样中汲取更多的精神力量，努力使他们的鲜血不致白流。在上的保佑下，自由将得到新生。我们这个民有、民治、民巷的政府将永存于世上。) 两种特征形成的效果是，英语结构紧凑严密；而汉语结构简练明快。英语好像一棵参天大树，一串葡萄，一串珍珠；汉语好比一根竹子，一盘珠子，一波江涛。具体说来，在英语中，主干突出，即主谓机制突出，名词尤其是抽象名词用得多，介词也用得多，英语在表达复杂的思想时，往往开门见山，然后借用英语特有的词汇关系代词，把各个句子有机地结合起来，构成一串串葡萄似的句子。主干可能简单，但上面却借着累累硕果。如： The isolation of the rural world, because of distance and the lack of transport facilities, is compounded by the paucity of the information media. 译文：由于距离远，有缺乏交通工具，是农村社会与外界隔绝，而这种隔绝，又由于通讯工具不足而变得更加严重。 It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days,or in sadness about friends who are dead.(from How to Grow Old) 译文：为美好的往昔而遗憾，为逝去的朋友而哀伤，是没有用的。 Man proposes, God disposes. (paratactic) I was just about to make a little bow of asent, when the meaning of the last words sank in, jolting me out of my sad reverie. (hypotactic)

II.Stactic vs paratactic

 Stactic---- English tends to use nouns (including abtracts nouns), prepositions to express some ideas which would be expressed by verbs in Chinese (dynamic). A woman with fair opportunities, and without an an absolute hump, may marry whom she likes. (Vanity Fair) 译文：一个女人只要有机会好，又不是很驼背，想嫁给谁都行。 Carlisle street runs westward, across a great black bridge, down a hill and up again, by little shops and meat-markests, past single-storied homes, until suddenly it stops against a wide greenlawn. (pay attention to the use of prepositions) 译文：卡莱尔大街往昔伸展，越过一座黑色大桥，爬下山岗又爬上去，经过许多小铺和肉点，又经过一些平房，然后突然朝着一大片绿色草地中止。（注意汉语句子在表达相应内容时用的是动词） In Chinese , verbs does not need any morphological（形态的） change, therefoe, it is very convenient to use Chinese verbs, especiallly for dynamic description. 晴文先接了出来，笑道：“叫我研了墨，早起高兴，只写了三个字，扔下笔就走了，哄我瞪了这一天，快来给写完了这些墨才算呢！” He could not help, too, rolling his large eyes round him as he ate, and chuckling with the possibility t hat he might one day be lord of all this scene of almost unimaginable luxury and splendour. 译文：他一边吃，一边瞪着大眼睛环顾四周，不禁暗自发笑，眼前这一派富丽奢华，说不定某一天会统统落进我的掌心。

III. Impersonal vs Personal （人称和物称）

Impersonal----not showing any feelings of smpathy, friendliness. An impersonal sentence or verb is one where the subject or object is represented by a word such as “it”.(人称) It was surprising that I met her that time. The year of 1949 witnessed this accident. My heart went out to the old warrior as spectators pushed by him to shake Darrow’s hand. (比较：当观众从他身边挤过去与道拉握手时，我都同情起这位沙场老将起来。) (I am much less selfish and more peaceful, I think.) When there are so many animals that need to be taken care of, it takes the focus off me. (WE, 2001/2,p56) （英语中即便是涉及的事情，仍然可以用不带感情色彩的表达方式） 译文：因为有许多动物要照料，我没有时间关注自己的事了。（汉语译文体现更多的个人色彩） Compare the following pairs: I hope… (personal) It is my hope that … (impersonal) There are 4 members in his family. (impersonal) He has 4 members in his family (personal)

IV.Abstract vs Concrete（抽象和具体）

 "Men feel happier knowing that their wife is having as much medical attention as possible despite the fact that what their wives actually need is some peace and the freedom to shout and scream without being made to feel self-conscious. (WE,2001,1,P68~69) （注意men是否可以有多种译法。freedom 的理解和翻译没有和后面的without being made to feel self-conscious联系起来，太抽象, 此处宜用比较具体的说法。） 译文：当作丈夫的得知他们的妻子正在得到理想的医疗护理时，他们会感到好受些。但是，他们却忽视了一点，事实上，妻子真正需要的是适当的安静，无拘无束地喊叫。 To use verbs to substitute for actions nouns

 1) I marveled at the relentless determination of the rain. 雨无情地下个不停，我感到惊异。

2) He had surfaced with less visibility in the policy decisions. 在决策过程中，他已经不那么抛头露面。

3) These problems defy easy classification. 这些问题难以归类。

4) Lasar is one of the most sensational developments in recent year, because of its applicability To many fields of science and its adaptability to practical uses. 激光可以应用于许多科学领域，又适合于各种实际用途，因此成了近年来轰动一时的科学成就之一。

5)The basilica is a conglomeration of contrary styles and periods. 这座王宫把不同时期的不同建筑风格融为一体。

To use category words to substitute for abstract nouns

1) We have winked at these irregularities too long. 我们对这些越轨行为宽容得太久了。

2) He was described as impressed by Deng’s flexibility. 据说他对邓的灵活态度印象很深。

3) The sight of his native place called back his childhood. 见到自己的故乡，他想起了童年的情景。

4) Both we and the Chinese approached that first opening toward each other with caution, uncertainty, even trepidation. 我们和中国人双方都是怀着谨慎、不安甚至惶恐的心情。

To use concrete terms to explicit the abstract meanings

1) No country should claim infallibility. 任何国家都不应自称一贯正确。

2) She wondered whether her outspokenness might be a liability to Franklin. 她怀疑自己那么心直口快，是否会成为弗朗克林的包袱。

3) A foretastes of seriousness of incivility is suggested by what has been happening in Houston. 休斯顿所发生的情况预示：如果不讲文明，讲产生何种严重后果。

To use figurative terms to express abstract ideas

1)He was open now to charges of willful blindness. 这时人们指责他装聋作哑。

2)He waited for her arrival with a frenzied agitation. 他等着他，急得像热锅上的蚂蚁。

3) All the critical twiddle-twaddle about style and form is mere impertinence and mostly dull jargon. 所有这些有关文体和体裁的蠢话，只是风马牛不相及的胡扯，多半是枯燥无味、玩弄述语的评论。

4)Many men have recognized the similarity of plants to the behavior of animals, and have dreamed wistfully, but forlornly, upon some method or source of rejuvenation such as Ponce de Leon sought in the Fountain of Youth several centuries ago. 许多人认为，植物的习性与动物相似，于是梦寐以求的探讨什么“返老还童”的“灵丹妙药”，就像数百年前，彭斯 德 里昂在青春泉祈求仙水一样，结果只能是竹篮打水。

 V.Suject-oriented vs topic-oriented (主语句，主题句)

In English, a sentence usually should have a subject, while in Chinese it is not the case. In English-Chinese translation, it is advisable to avoid using the unnecessary subject to follow the Chinese rule. On the contrary, in Chinese-English translation, it is essential to analyze the internal logical reltionship between different parts and then choose proper part as a subject.

VI.Focus position

 In a complex sentence, the most important information is expessed by the main clause which is usually placed in the front of the sentence where the focus of the information is put. In Chinese, the various constituents are arranged according to a kind of logical relation or in chronological order and the most important information is emphasized at the end of the sentence. Compare the following pairs: Nothing has happened since we parted. 自我们别后没发生什么事情。 I went out for a walk after I had my dinner. 吃晚饭后我出去散步。 He has to stay at home because he is ill. 他病了，只得呆在家了。 Tragedies can be witten in literature since there is tragedies in life. 生活中既有悲剧，文学作品就可以写悲剧。 His chief contribution was making me realize how much more than knowledge I had been getting from him. 他使我认识到，我从他那里学到的，远远不止是知识，只是他最大的贡献。 说明：在英语中先出现重要信息his chief contribution, 然后再作具体分析，也就是先提出结论，再加以阐述。而汉语则不同，线进行阐述，然后进行归纳，下结论。 The people of a small country can certainly defeat agression by a big country, if only they dare to rise in struggle, dare to take up arms and grasp in their own hands the destiny of their own country. 译文：效果人民只要敢于起来斗争，敢于拿起武器并掌握自己国家的命运，就一定能打败大国的侵略。 说明：一个状语从句虽长，只是说明条件，因此不是主要的，所以放在主句后。汉译时，则强调逻辑顺序，现出先条件，再出现结果。如果有叙事部分，有表态部分，汉语是先把事务或情况讲清楚，最后来个简短的表态或者评论；英语则相反，先表态，然后才说发生了什么事情。例： It was a keen disappointment when I had to postpone the visit which I intended to pay to China in January. 译文：我原来打算在几年元月份访问中国，后来不得不推迟，这使我非常失望。 Zhang Ligang, chief executive of eLong.com, an Internet start-up firm that was illegal when it was founded last week but became legal yesterday with the lifting of a ban on foreign investment in the Net, summed up the day. “If we say that DengXiaoping opened China to the world in 1979, we can say that this time China has entered the world.” 译文：由于取消了对外国投资因特网业的禁令，上周成立时还属非法的一家因特网门户公司e龙公司在昨天已成为合法的了。其首席执行官张黎刚这样总结了那天的意义：“如果说邓小平使中国向世界开放，那么可以说这次中已经跨入了世界。”（WE，2000年/第一期，p116） By the following year he had made such an impact that he was pelted witheggs, tomatoes and bottles by a group of yong Londoners annoyed at the effect he was having on their girlfriends. (《英语世界》，2000年1 , p123). 译文：到第二年，他产生了轰动效应；有一群伦敦的小伙子因为自己的女朋友受它影响而感到恼怒，想他投掷鸡蛋，西红柿，和瓶子。

想了解更多的朋友请看：我学英文的方法 本来想介绍中英文差异，可越看越喜欢汉语。大家还记得这首儿歌吗？弯弯的月儿小小的船， 小小的船儿两头尖. 我在小小的船里坐，只看见闪闪的星星蓝蓝的天。

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