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<p>正式语言与非正式语言、口语与书面语区别
1.从词汇选用来看语体区别
A. 名词
(a) 抽象名词作主语
抽象名词作主语多见于书面体、正式用语,如:
The success of the book brought him tremendous popularity. (very formal)
The book was highly successful and made him a very popular writer. (colloquial口语)
(b) 以体现事物名词作为一般属于人行为、动作主体时,常用于书面体;在口语体中,一般采用较朴实说法(如:把书面体中动词改为意义相近其她动词,或改为以人为主语)。如:
His knowledge is insufficient to enable him to complete this task. (formal)
He is not competent enough to do this job. (colloquial)
The manufacture of these goods is acquiring importance as an industry. (formal)
The manufacture of these goods is becoming an important industry. (colloquial)
(c) 有反复主语句子
有反复主语句子一般只用于平常用语,不用于正式场合,如:
Jim and I took the long road. (formal)
Jim and I,we took the long road. (informal)
(d) 以there为开首句子,主语与谓语在数上一致是正式语言,不一致是非正式语言。
There are a group of children ready to sing songs. (formal)
There is a group of children ready to sing songs. (informal)
(e) 所有格
The hood of the car is insulated(绝缘). (formal)
The car’s hood is insulated. (informal)
(f) 缩略语与全称
正式语言常用全称,非正式语言常用缩略语。虽然在正式语言中用缩略语状况越来越多,但在非正式语言中缩略语用得更多,如:TV,VOA,BBC,VIP,etc. 固然在某些个别场合,书面语中可用缩略语,而口语中不使用。
(g) 有关单复数
在泛指时,用复数偏通俗化,用the加单数比较文气,如:The cow is a useful animal. (a little literary)
Cows are useful animals. (a little vulgar)
B. 形容词
口语体中所用形容词往往是人们最常用形容词,这些形容词往往一词多义;而书面体中所用形容词则往往不那么常用,这些形容词含义往往不如口语体中所用形容词含义那么广泛,但其含义却往往具体、有特殊性。
C. 副词
与形容词同形英文副词往往用于口语,但诗歌中有时也用这种形式。然而,这些词却很少用于其她方面正式用语。如:
Work slowly and steadily. (formal)
Work slow and steady. (informal)
D. 介词
在某些状语或定语中,省略介词属于口语,保存介词属于书面语。如:
It happened the day he did the experiment. (informal)
It happened on the day on which he did the experiment. (formal) I’ll come in the following spring. (formal)
I’ll come the following spring. (colloquial)
E. 代词
(a) 口语中多省略作主语代词。如:Haven’t seen you for ages!(informal)
(b) 有关mine,his,yours,ours当mine,his,yours,ours等物主代词作宾语或表语时,可用于书面语,也可用于口语。但如果这种物主代词(或名词所有格)作主语放在句首,并暗指表语名词所用概念,那就是一种比较文雅说法了。如:
His (or Mr. Li’s) is a noble character.
在寻常口语中一般这样用:His (or Mr. Li’s) character is a noble one. / He has a noble character.但下面此类句子对书面语和口语都合用:Your teacher and mine are talking in the room.
(c) we,I在某些正式场合,作者或演讲人为了体现谦虚,往往避免用I,而用we替代。如:As we showed a moment ago ... (formal)
As I said a moment ago ... (not so formal)
(d) you,we用we替代you是一种体现客气语言。
如:Don’t worry about your shoes!(imperative)
Why don’t we not worry about your shoes,OK ?(polite)
(e) you,one在翻译中文"任何人"、"谁都"等时,译成one为formal language,译成you为informal language。如:
One must love one’s country. (formal)
You must love your country. (informal)
(f) 有关I,me,he,him,etc.
He says she saw you and me. (formal)
He says she saw you and I. (informal)
F. 动名词
在书面语中,一般用物主代词或名词所有格来修饰动名词短语,以体现行为者。如:
Mr. Li dislikes Zhang Hui’s coming home late.
There will be little chance of my visiting the place again.
Li Wen’s falling ill suddenly gave me a surprise.
口语中一般以代词宾格或名词一般格加分词、for加宾语加不定式、从句、独立句等方式体现。如:Mr. Li dislikes Zhang Hui coming home late.
There will be little chance for me to visit the place again.
Li Wen fell ill suddenly. This gave me a surprise.
G. 有关缩写
用缩写形式多为非正式语言,而用非缩写形式多为正式语言,如:do not,we are,I am,I have,there is,cannot,will not等多见于正式语言,而don’t,we’re,I’m,I’ve,there’s,can’t,won’t多见于非正式语言。exam,bike等多用于口语,examination,bicycle等多用于书面语。oh,dear,why,well等是口语中常用感慨词。
2. 从句法来看语体区别
A. 修饰语
在书面文字中,修饰语可以与中心词相隔较远,修饰语也可以较长,而在口语中则相反。如:
There exist complex computations in science and engineering which people are unable to make. (written)
There are complex computations in science and engineering,and people are unable to make those computations. (colloquial)
B. 句子长短
一般来说,书面语句子较长,口语句子较短。
(a) 议论文、商业或法律公文等书面语不仅常用较长修饰语,并且有时用较长插入语,甚至插入语中尚有插入语。但在一般口语中则不用较长插入语。常用较短插入语有:of course,for example,I believe,I think,you see,you know,to be frank,etc.
(b) 在书面语中,一种句子有时有好几种关系代词;而口语中关系代词则用很少,往往被提成几种简朴句。如:
These needles,which were made of fish-shaped pieces of iron that floated on water,were acted on by the earth’s magnetic field. (formal)
These needles were made of fish-shaped pieces of iron that floated on water. They were acted on by the earth’s magnetic field. (informal)
C. 有关时态
在目前口语中,有时用过去时替代目前完毕时。如:
—Is anybody using this chair?
—No. I saved it for you.
在口语中常用目前时替代将来时。如:
She is coming tomorrow.
在口语中有时用一般目前时阐明一种已经发生了动作。如:
He says it is very important.
D. 虚拟语调
(a)不够熟悉人之间对话,或在正式场合演讲、对话时,一般用虚拟语调来陈述自己见解、提出祈求或邀请、提出建议或劝告、提出问题。如:
If Mr. Wang was here now,he would tell you about it. (informal)
If Mr. Wang were here now,he would tell you about it. (formal)
(b) 有某些体现主观愿望和情绪形容词,如desirous等规定背面状语从句谓语动词用虚拟语调,这种构造重要用于书面语中,口语中往往用不定式来替代这种从句。如:
He was anxious that we should stay for dinner. (formal)
He was anxious to have us stay for dinner. (informal)
E. 语序
在书面语中,为了使句子平衡对称,或为了体现强调,常把状语、表语、宾语等成分放在句首,并将主谓顺序颠倒过来;而口语体则一般用自然语序。
F. 有关省略
(a) 在正式文字或正式场合对话中,一般要用完整句子。在口语中用省略句较多,重要是为了节省时间,使对话自然、生动、简洁、有力。如:
Where to go now?Why not do it this way?(colloquial)
(b) 在正式语言中,所省略某些一般都是前边浮现过。如:He had finished the work and gone home.
(c) 关系代词在限定性定语从句中做谓语动词宾语或介词宾语时,在口语中一般省去。如:
The girl you spoke to just now is my sister.
(d) 宾语从句前that在口语中往往省去,表语背面从句之前that在口语中也常省去。如:
He said he would go to London.
I’m afraid he is right.
G. 主谓语一致性
在有些状况下,非正式语言中常按意思决定动词单复数,因此主语和谓语在数上也许不一致。如:
Neither he nor his wife have arrived. (informal)
Neither he nor his wife has arrived. (formal)
摘自《汉英翻译技巧》,外语教学与研究出版社
Drill One
Chinese Traditions and Culture
Chinese traditions and culture are unique. The Chinese have a rich tradition and culture that gives importance to health,spirituality,food and eating habits. The Chinese traditional clothes show that Chinese were well versed(精通) in the art of embroidery(刺绣) and stitching(缝纫) even during the prehistoric era. To know more about the Chinese traditions and culture (you can) read on…
Chinese culture is one of the oldest cultures of the world. The Chinese traditions and culture vary between the different towns,and provinces. A topic on Chinese traditions and culture would be incomplete without mentioning their food,clothes,education and architecture and transport. The historians claim that Chinese culture was very civilized and they had some unique and wonderful traditions.
Chinese Food
Chinese food is known for its aroma(香味),color and flavor. The Chinese food,culture and traditions can be traced back (can go back) to the 16th century B.C. Yi Yin,a scholar who lived during the Shang Dynasty (He) was of the opinion that food should include flavors such as sweet,sour,bitter,piquant (辛辣) and salty. The reason is,the five major organs of the human body - heart,liver,spleen(脾),lungs and kidneys,require nutritional diet. He formulated the theory of harmonization of food,which stresses on good nutritional diet to maintain good health. The traditional belief that food and medicine share the same origin is a part of Chinese tradition. This could be the reason that Chinese use scallions,garlic,dried lily buds(芽),fresh ginger root,bamboo shoots and tree fungus in their cooking. The Chinese believe that these herbal plants have properties that prevent as well as cure various illnesses.
Drill Two
Chinese Hospitality中华人民共和国人待客之道
A:I was invited to a traditional Beijing household for dinner once. It was an eye-opening experience. The girl who invited me was my colleague. Her father was over 60 years old. He didn’t eat much but was constantly proposing a toast. His wife was busy cooking in the kitchen all the time. I asked her to join us but her husband said “No,she doesn’t.” After dinner,I asked my colleague why her father didn’t eat much and why her mother didn’t join us. She said that was an old tradition. Her father was there to keep me company because I was a guest of honour and usually women did not eat with the guests.
B:I had a similar experience too. I always feel spoiled to be a guest in a Chinese household. The host usually prepares a sumptuous(奢侈) meal. The kids are sent to the neighbours so the guests can have a peaceful meal. Usually,they would start preparing for our visit days ahead. Even though there would be a lot of food on the table,the host would still say “We don’t have much,so please bear with us.” They keep putting food on my plate despite the fact I may not like certain food. I usually feel very embarrassed. Some hosts even force their children to perform a song or recite a poem for me.
A:That is Chinese hospitality. People want to bring out their best food to welcome the guests. Westerners are different. They don’t stay in the kitchen when the guests have arrived. They want to socialize with the guests rather than simply showing hospitality.
B:Chinese people are very friendly and always ready to treat their guests with the best things they have. But this hospitality may cause inconvenience to both the guests and the hosts themselves. An American said in a book over 100 years ago that Chinese hospitality is meant to show the politeness of the host rather than keeping the guest happy. The host may insist on starting a fire so he can make tea for the guest,despite the fact that the guest may be irritated by the smoke. At least the host gives the impression that he is very hospitable.
A:That was over 100 years ago. Things are different now. More and more people prefer a relaxed atmosphere rather than showing hospitality just for the sake of it. But there are exceptions. I went to visit a fairly affluent village in southern China last year. The host was asked to make a special tea for us. She was very friendly,but when she finished making the tea she charged each of us 10 yuan for the treat. As a result of the economic growth people have become money conscious. Although you may not feel comfortable with the traditional hospitality,it could disappear any time.
B:Shall I feel lucky or sorry then?
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