Influences of Different Thinking Modes between Chinese and English on Translation for China"s Global Communication

吴竞

（Harbin University of Commerce   150028）

Abstract： There are different thinking modes between Chinese and English. Different thinking modes lead to different language habits， which has an great influence on translation for China's global communication. Hence， we should focus on the difference of thinking modes when we do translation for China's global communication. This paper researches the influences of different thinking modes between Chinese and English on translation for China's global communication from four aspects.

Key words： thinking modes， translation for China's global communication， influences

中图分类号：H315.9 文献标识码：A DOI：10.16400/j.cnki.kjdkz.2015.08.066

Introduction

Sapir and Whorf proposed that languages are not only the tools of thinking and communication， but also the reflection of social culture. At the same time， languages have great influences on thinking. Thinking and languages rely on each other and languages from different nations reflect different thinking modes.

Translation is a process from one language to another. Translation for China's global communication characterized by social， cultural， historical features， is an new area， and translators' think modes play an great role in it. This paper gives insight into the influences of different thinking modes between Chinese and English on translation for China's global communication from four aspects.

1 Comprehensive Thinking Mode And Analytic Thinking Mode

Fu Lei says that there are different thinking modes between easterners and westerners. Easterners emphasize comprehension and induction， while westerners focus on analysis and  deduction and description.

Comprehensive thinking mode refers to the one by which we can think about something comprehensively， while analytic thinking mode is the one by which we can divide the whole thing into many parts and analyze every part logically. These two modes are unity of opposites， and any people has both kinds of thinking modes. However， because of the influences of culture and history， it is believed that easterners focus on comprehensive thinking mode while westerners focus on analytic thinking mode.

The differences of thinking modes reflect on the languages. Chinese stresses parataxis， which means wholeness of content and meaning is important. English emphasizes hypotaxis， which completeness of structure and precision of morphology. Nida， a famous American translator， said that one difference is the comparison between parataxis and hypotaxis in terms of Chinese and English， that is to say subordinating relationship in Chinese is shown by internal logic relationship while subordinating relationship in English is shown by conjunctions such as if， because， when， which and so on. Sentence structure and semantic information in Chinese are implicit， while those in English are explicit.

2 Specific Thinking Mode and Abstract Thinking Mode

Specific thinking mode refers to the one by which the brain is used to analyze image thinking by collecting data of specific images and reflecting its essence and rules. The evolution of characters witnesses the nature of specific thinking mode of Chinese. Abstract thinking mode is the one by which objective reality is demonstrated by using concepts， judgment and opposite thinking. Western thinking mode is characterized as abstract， which can extract and summarize the essence， internal relationship and rules from direct sensory.

Specific thinking mode needs to combine images and meanings. Thoughts are in the specific images and are reflected by associative meaning. Theories， concepts and emotions are shown by specific images. Abstract thinking mode is used to express meanings and reach conclusions by judgment and inference. To this kind of difference， we should pay attention the transformation between generalization and concretization in translation.

The transformation between generalization and concretization in translation refers to the one between abstract concepts of vocabulary and specific meanings. Generally， abstract nouns in English are more than those in Chinese. Therefore， we should transform abstract nouns in English to concrete nouns in Chinese in English-Chinese translation.

3 Forward Thinking Mode and Reverse Thinking Mode

Forward thinking mode refers to the one by which we can narrate， infer and judge omething according to sequence， while reverse thinking mode is the opposite. Westerners are accustomed to stating things from the small to the large， from the special to the general， from the individual to the whole. However， Chinese focus on the past because the past shows customs， culture and so on， which means Chinese value the long history and glorious culture. Westerners like to look forward and focus on future， which means they are always not satisfied with the present and run after reform. These differences influence translation for China's global communication.

Halliday proposed systemic-functional grammar in which he thought given information should be before the ungiven information in information structure. In information output， more important information in English is put before the less important one， while Chinese is opposite. Therefore， we should pay attention to the place of information and sequence of information. For example：

中国共产党中央委员会委员，中国共产党中央政治局委员，中国共产党中央委员会政治局常务委员会委员，中华人民共和国国务院总理周恩来同志于1976年1月8日不幸逝世。

January 8， 1976 saw the death of Zhou Enlai ， premier of the State Council of P.R.C.， member of the standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of C.P.C.， member of the political Bureau of the Central Committee of C.P.C.， member of the Central Committee of C.P.C..

In translation， we should attention the sequence of information expression because of the differences of thinking modes.

4 Subject-oriented Thinking Mode and Thinking Mode of Infusion of Subject and Object

Chinese culture emphasizes subject and subject-oriented thinking mode refers to the one by which humans are taken as the core to observe， analyze， experience and research things. However， Western cultures stresses nature and thinking mode of infusion of subject and object pays attention to research and observe nature and object. Due to these differences， subjects in Chinese are often animated things and deed verbs have no changes of form and verbs can express active meaning and passive meaning. Subjects in English are usually inanimated things and a sentence must have a subject and sentence structure must be complete. Hence， in translation for China's global communication， translators should emphasize the transformation of subject and object. For example：

我们应该进一步完善老年社会保障和社会救助、为老服务、老龄事业、老年法制、老年精神文化、老年人社会参与等六大体系，推进老龄事业与经济社会协调发展，努力实现老有所养、老有所医、老有所学、老有所教、老有所为、老有所乐。

We should further perfect the six systems of social security， social assistance， aging services， legal system and spiritual culture for aging population， and their participation in social affairs， and coordinate the development of aging services and the economy and the society， striving to realize a society where all aging population can enjoy daily help and medical care， have access to learning and education， make their contribution， and have what they are interested in.

From example （5）， Chinese focuses on infusion of subject and object while English emphasizes objects. Hence， translators should pay attention to the changes of sentence structures in translation.

Conclusion

Translation starts from languages and ends with languages. And languages are the embodiment of thinking modes and thinking is the content of languages. Thinking and languages are interactive， and thinking plays a decisive role in languages. Dong Shiliang says the principles of translation rely on thinking and the research of thinking modes would be a breakthrough of translation research.

In translation for China's global communication， translators should know the differences of thinking modes between Chinese and English， which is helpful for translation theories and practices.

References

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