Repetition In TranslationRepetition In Translation

• The Purposes of Repetition:• 1)enhance the force of expression;• 2)vividness of expression;• 3)clarity of expression• Ex.1. A more realistic approach toward international specializ

ation is that (the approach) of comparative advantage. This concept ( comparative advantage) says that a nation has a comparative advantage in an item ( product) if it can produce it more effectively than alternative (other) products.

• 译文 : 参与国际分工的另一更为现实的做法是采取比较优势的做法。比较优势是指假如一个国家生产某种产品比其他产品的效率高，那么它就具有生产该产品的比较优势。

• 2. Over the last decade, the use of countertrade in international commerce has become more widespread. The practice is emerging as a vehicle for financing capital projects and production-sharing ventures, for ensuring the repatriation of profits from investments in countries beset by external debt and hard currency shortages, and for competitive bidding on major nonmilitary government procurements.

• 3. Marketing is a pervasive social activity that goes considerably beyond the selling of toothpaste, soap, and steel.

• 4. Needs are the basic, often instinctive, human forces that motivate a person to do something.

• 5. Most notably, China has avoided the large output declines and severe macroeconomic instability that have tended to characterize the transition experiences in central and eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

• 6. As each currency’s value is stated in terms of other currencies, French francs, then have a value in US dollars, which have a value in British pounds, which have a value in Japanese yen.

Differences Differences Between English & Chinese Between English & Chinese

English Ways of Avoiding Repetition1.The use of anaphora Using pronouns to avoid repetitione.g. I met John on the street yesterday. He was walking beside his siste

r. They were going to see a film. Mary is standing at the door, with her hand in her pocket.2.The use of other words Using category words, synonymous words et

c to avoid repetitione.g.The monkey’s most extraordinary feat was learning to operate a tra

ctor. By the age of nine, this remarkable animal had learned to drive the vehicle single-handed.

Changing words is a main feature in written English especially in news English. When a proper word is used, a language may appear new in expression. For example, the television set may have the alternatives like the TV, telly, the tube, the goggle-box, the idiot, etc.

3.The use of substitution Using substitutes or substitutive patterns to avoid repetition

e.g. What kind of textbooks do you want? The ones with illustrations or the ones without.

A: I’ll have a new pair of rubber shoes, please.

B: I’ll have the same but with black laces.

He was ambitious, but his sister was even more so. She wanted to become a great film-star.

A: He’ll arrive before six.

B: That seems too early.

“Subject + do ” pattern,

“So/neither/nor + be/have /do + subject” pattern“Subject+ appear/fear seem, expect, hope, believe, say, suppose,think, wish, claim, tell + so/not ” patternother means:He might be wrong. If not, why was he in such low spirits?We have to hand in a book report every month, and that(= have

to hand in the report) always promptly and in English.In modern English a verb is often used as a noun, and vice vers

a. (= and a noun is often used as a verb )4.The use of omission• I like strong tea, I suppose weak is better for you. (Omit the n

oun tea)• They are not known to retreat. They never have and never wi

ll. ( omit the verb retreat)• A: Would you like to go with me.• B: Yes, I’d like to. (omit the infinitive verb phrase)

5.Reserve the preposition e.g.We talked of ourselves, of our prospects, of the journey, of th

e weather, of each other------of everything but our host and hostess. (to avoid the repetition of verb talk)

Discipline is indispensable to victory in war, to success in our work, and indeed, to the realization of our lofty goal. (to avoid the repetition of adjective indispensable)

They continue to observe the principle of depending on their own efforts as well as of being thrifty in everything.

6.Combination e.g. He was particularly interested in the articles on and by Lu Xu

n.e.g.She was accepted not because of but in spite of her birth.

Repetition in ChineseRepetition in Chinese• Repetition is a remarkable feature in Chinese for the s

akes of sound, grammar and rhetoric effect.• In Chinese, “ 它” is often replaced by original word

or demonstrative pronoun; a chain sentence is used to realize repetition; the alternative question sentence employs repetition; Chinese uses short sentences to express complicated meaning, so some time repetition has to be used to connect the sentences or by means of inherent coherence of the meaning.

• 有什么吃什么，有米饭吃米饭，有馒头吃馒头。

• 努力提高呢？还是努力普及呢？• 他这样教发音简直是误人子弟，误人还误

得不浅。• 这种作风，拿了律己，则害了自己；拿了

教人，则害了别人。

ConclusionConclusion• To get a very expressive translation, we have to

follow the TT custom. In English Chinese translation, we first should be aware of the differences between English and Chinese in using words and sentence structure. English tries to avoid repeating t the same word and expression to reach vividness in expression while Chinese tries to repeat in order to enhance expression, the clarity of the meaning and rhetoric effect. So repetition is very effective in E-C translation.