When I was a freshman in college I watched the film Gua Sha Treatment for the first time, now I am a junior student and I come back to review the movie from a multicultural aspect, I have many different feelings after watching the film again.
At the beginning of the film, XuDatong is given an award and later he delivers a speech. What makes me impressed most is in his speech he says “one day I will become one of you, a truly successful American, today this award proved that America is a true land of opportunity and I am the living proof of that.” At that moment Xu thinks he has realized his American Dream totally with his lovingly wife and adorable son. However, I think it is ironical that to make a speech like that and I assume it is made on purpose to hind a clue for the story\'s development. How many non—American people have such a beautiful American dream? One of my classmate studies in American now and before he went aboard he told me his American dream is he can stand at the top of the New York. To be honest, I also dream that one day I can get the Green Card living there happily and successfully maybe working at the Wall Street. When Xu gets the award he thinks he entirely melted in the melting pot neglecting the multicultural obstruct, later the plot goes against the way he thinks. And later Quinlan asked Xu\'why you be the scapegoat of your father?\' Xu answers \'because he is Chinese.\' Then maybe Xu knows that there is always a wide gap between Chinese and American cultures.
The second scene is Xu hit his son Denis because Denis hit the son of xu\'s boss, at the middle of the film xu tells his boss that he hit his own son is only to show his respect to his boss John Quinlan, that time Quinlan feels puzzled “what a Chinese logic”,yes, American can never understand such a logic full of Chinese characteristic, because they respect everyone including the children, they won\'t beat a child to please the boss, and there is no such a conception of degree between employee and employer, they feel everyone is equal, which is quite different from china.
Connected to the second scene, the third difference I want to analyze is the care for the children. In America, people pay more attention to the right of children which can be seen from the law—leaving children alone at home is illegal, while in China it is so common that almost everyone may experience such loneliness. And Children Welfare Agency does work in America which shows the importance Americans attach to children\'s right. What\'s more, I remember a line \'No one won the case, especially the child.\' In my opinion, it also manifests the universal concern from the American public to the children.
The fourth aspect is following the procedure, in the film, more than there times, the people focus on the rule, the law, the procedure. At the Christmas Eve Xu wants to return back to his home pretending as a Santa Claus, what a pity, the security recognizes him and persuades \'you are always a good tenement, never causes troubles for me.\' And another scene is at the end of the film , the judge says \'I have to follow the procedure.\' However, in China people always have to ask for a favor to do something, and later you have to pay back the favor,for myself, I prefer the American style, strict to the procedure.
The fifth and the last point is the humors, Quinlan says \'you can\'t fall, your health security is the company paid.\' \'Datong, welcome home, maybe next time, you can come from the front door.\' \'dady, why you come from the window\' \' because we don\'t have a chimney.\' I really adore this distinguished American humor, especially in dangerous situations, which is quite rare in China.
That\'s my whole reaction to Gua Sha Treatment.
因为对于翻译这门手艺充满了憧憬,就买了一堆北外上外考研指定用书回家研究,中式英语之鉴就是其中一本,读完有些思考想跟大家唠唠。平卡姆老师在这本书中用的。英语不是很难,单词平均难度在专四和专八之间,过了专四或者六级的人看应该会比较有收获,在“学习区”内,所以推荐一下这本书。
作者写中式英语之鉴是为了纠正一些中国人运用英语时错误的不地道的表达,那么首先要回答的问题是什么是正宗的英语。
在这本书中所倡导的正宗的英语无疑指的是简明英语,特点是”direct, simple and clear”。下面是简明英语的起源(摘自百度)。
“简明英语是由查尔斯·凯·奥格登发明的只有少量单词的英语,他的书简明英语规则和语法的一般约定里对此有所描述。
奥格登说过:学习英语要七年,学习世界语要七个月,而学习简明英语只要七周。简明英语用于公司在国际上使用的书籍,短期内对学生进行基本英语教学。
奥格登不使用重复意义的单词,而且需要所有国家都适用这些单词。他利用大规模的测试和调整来得到这些词汇。在语法方面,他也做了简化,但是保留了英语通常的用法。”
在后面的发展中,简明英语在商务英语和法律英语上有了长足发展。简明英语无疑很适合用在商业上;而法律英语为了保证条款的确定性和权威性,一般冗长复杂,如一个含义要用两个甚至三个同义词来表示,在现在重视效率的社会渐渐向简明方向发展不足为奇。
但是这里我们要清楚一个语言是在不断成长和变化的,中古英语和现代英语自然是有诸多不同,而且每个人的风格也不同。在我看来简明英语的诸多规则只能算作是一种风格,一种在近代社会被提倡的风格。而我们在翻译或者写作时应依具体文本的需求和受众的需求适用不同的风格,而不是倡导每种文本都用一个风格。口语和书面语明显不同,书面语中,用途不同时风格也应做相应的改变。
比如文学和非文学就有很多区别,文学讲究陌生化,要得就是一种朦胧的,”transparent”的感觉,才能让自己的文字更引人遐想有更多解释空间,而非文学为了交流方便,自然不会太晦涩难懂。非文学中又可以分很多类,商务性文本、法律性文本、政治性文本。比如政治性文本,你的翻译是为了让英语国家的人明白,就要模仿英语国家中的政治性文本的写法。但翻译这种文本的一个困境是:译者害怕丢失一个词就丢失了一个意义,不敢随意添加修改,所以偏向直译。其实也是很无奈。
一个语言中什么说法能不能用要取决于大多数人是怎么说的,因为你的目的是让大多数受众明白。比如clinch现在虽然被认为是不符合语法,但有些时代中因为大家都这么说,所以当时是可以接受的。所以这种情况下,”non native speaker” 就很吃亏,因为没有大环境让你了解其他人都在怎么说。
我认为在这里,中式英语中最应该摒弃的无疑是you can you up这类说法。当然这个是有点太low了,相信有点英文素养的人都不会犯。接下来要摒弃的就是不常见说法,也就是本书中part one所强调要纠正的。然后对于part two中少用名词多用动词、少用被动多用主动这类型风格类的倾向,我认为就要依文本需求和受众需求来定了,如果一个文本十分正式,翻译的很直白自然也是不合适的。
Father's Day
Yesterday was Father's Day. I had planned to give my father a present. But I didn't remember it until in the morning.It was too late to post a card to him. So I decided to buy something. When I was in the department store. I found it was not easy for me to choose something right for him. Suddenly I
got an idea. I ran home and opened my computer. I made a beautiful card and mailed him through the Internet. then I began to make supper. When father came home, he was very glad to find a big meal on the table. then I asked him to check his e-mail. He was amazed to find a beautiful card in his e-mail-box.
What a wonderful surprise!
Dear Dad,
Long time no see, I do miss you. Well, let me tell you something about my life here.To tell the truth, i live a normal life just as anywhere i can live.(我过着一个在任何地方都普通的生活 My life is revolved on work and work.(我的生活除了学习还是学习Frankly,i feel tired sometimes(老实说,我有时候觉得很累.But i see, studying is the whole life to students like me.(但是我知道,学习是像我这样的学生的全部 So no matter how difficult, i will do my utmost .所以不管多艰难,我都会尽自己最大的努力。
Best wishes for you .
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