对写作与翻译的启示

4.5.4　对写作与翻译的启示

语篇结构是人们语言运用的表层现象和组织，但是它在某种程度上反映了人们特定的思维方式和思维结构。因此，语篇结构可以说是思维的具体体现和发展，是人类认识规律的一种反映。中西方人由于长时间处于两种不同的社会和文化，他们的思维形式和思维结构有很大的差异。英汉语言习惯和文化差异使人们具有了遣词造句和构思谋篇的不同方式。所以，英语教学的任务不仅仅是教学生如何把单词串成句子，而且更重要的是要引导学生认识如何把句子组成符合英语习惯的语篇。只有了解中国人与西方人思维方式的差异，才能认识英汉各类文体在语篇上的差异，这样学生才能自觉地按英语的思维习惯去写作，才能更好、更准确地用英语表达自己的思想和感情(杨玉晨，2003)。这些技巧也同样适用于翻译实践、对外汉语教学等。

Andy Kirpartrick(1996)曾对40篇我国学生写的英语作文进行分析，通过研究中国学生的40封中文信，发现文化差异造成语篇结构和语言运用的差异。他举了如下的例子。

我国有位学生写信给澳大利亚电台(Radio Australia)，想得到一本该电台的英语节目的教材，信的英译如下。

(63) Respected Radio Australia producers，

I have been a loyal listener to Radio Australia's English teaching program mes and to“Song You Like”for several years.I consider both program mes to be extremely well produced.

Let me describe myself a little: I am a middle school student，I am eighteen and my home is in×××，a small border city.The cultural life really isn't too bad.Because I like studying English，I therefore follow those program mes closely.But because the Central broadcasting Station's English program mes are rather abstruse，they are not really suitable for me and therefore I get all my practice in listening comprehension and dialogue from Radio Australia's English program mes.This practice has been of great benefit.As I progress，step by step through the course，I am keenly aware that not having the teaching materials presents several difficulties.Because of this，I have taken time to write this letter to you，in the hope that I can obtain a set of Radio Australia's English pro gramme's teaching materials.Please let me know the cost of the materials.

In addition，I hope to obtain a Radio Australia calendar.Wishing Radio Australia's MSC programmes more interesting.

Listener××(date)(引自高远，2002)

Kirpartrick说，中国人认为40封信中这封信写得最好，但在他看来，这封信的内容太啰嗦，表达太拐弯抹角，前面的客套话和自我介绍根本没有必要。

高远(2002)分析说，从语言上看，西方人先说请求的内容，然后再说请求的理由。而中国人与此相反，先说请人帮忙的理由，然后再说请求的内容。此外，中国人虽然用了很多客套话，认为自己很礼貌了，但Kirpartrick仍然觉得中国人用的英语太直接、不够客气，因为中国人用了陈述语气(hope I can obtain)，而没有用虚拟语气(I would be grateful if you would be kind enough to□)。从章法看，Kirpartrick认为中国人写的请求信行文间接，采用归纳法组织内容。西方人写同样的信，行文直接，采用演绎法组织内容，这种信如出自澳大利亚人之手将会写成这样。

(64) Dear Radio Australia，

I would be very grateful if you would be kind enough to send me teaching materials for your excellent English language teaching program mes.I am learning English from your program mes but I am finding it difficult without the materials.

I would also be very grateful if you would be kind enough to send me a Radio Australia calendar.

Yours sincerely，

×××

杨玉晨认为，英汉两种语言遵循着两套不同的连贯原则，英语作为形态语言，除了注重语篇意义的连贯外，还非常注重语言形式的统一，也就是句子与句子，段落与段落等语言形式词汇和语法的衔接，而作为表意语言的汉语，更注重语段之间或语言层次之间的语义照应。如果用汉语的连贯原则去为英语语篇构思，那势必不能为英语本民族语言读者所接受。下面就是一个很好的例子(杨玉晨，2003)。

(65) Since China opened to the world，English is becoming more and more important.Because of it，many Chinese，including young，middle-aged and old men，begin to learn English.Asa result，the young parents begin to have their children to learn English，which they themselves can't learn well.They think that their children must be better than they and the earlier，the better.Nowadays，it is very popular for children to learn to play piano，violins，electrical drawings and so on，and English is what children have to learn.Even though the young player can play the musical instrument well without understanding the contents of the music，but English，as a language，is quite different.Language is for communication.That is to say，you have to learn to speak and read and you have to understand others and make yourself understood.If you don't do this，it doesn't mean you have learned the language.

此段英文用了许多关联词语，但是给人的感觉就是不连贯，主要问题在于作者运用汉语思维习惯去谋篇，结果造成句子之间不衔接，话题随意，段落主题不突出等现象。下面是根据英语习惯对本段的修改。

(66) Many young parents nowadays expect their children to learn English as early as possible.This tendency is，first of all，caused by the importance and growing need of English in China.Another reason why parents are so eager to do this is that they want their children to do what they themselves haven't done well.Besides，some parents are ignorant of the nature of learning a language and they simply compare the learning of English to learning to play a piano.In fact，one can play music without understanding the meaning of it，but cannot speak a language with outunderst anding what the words mean.Thus，learning English as early as possible is a doubtful idea which needs further investigation.(引自杨玉晨，2003)

虽然语段意义相同，但段落结构布局合理，句子之间关系清晰明了，所以使人感到语言流畅，主题突出，意义明确。

总而言之，英语语篇开头的第一句常为段落或文章的主题，段落中间的句子是主题思想的展开或解释，最后一句是段落结尾或对主题的深化，句子之间的联系呈直线型(杨玉晨，2003)。实际上，如果作者能用英文段落语篇模式去构思，先确定段落要说明的主题，然后理顺辅助材料与主题的关系，选择准确的关联词把上句与下句有机地结合起来，使用同样的材料也可写出符合英语习惯的段落来。