《红楼梦》两个英译本中的名词化与隐/显化关系分析

Nominalization and Implicitness/Explicitness:A Comparison of the Two English Versions of Hongloumeng

本研究旨在分析《红楼梦》两个英译本中名词化的使用特点及其与隐/显化之间的关系。研究将英语名词化界定为由限定性动词经过转换生成,并将名词化结构界定为由限定性小句结构通过句法派生而成。研究采取定量和定性相结合的方法,得出三点主要发现:第一,乔利译本中名词化的使用整体上显著多于杨宪益夫妇译本;第二,乔译本中名词化的模式化使用体现了译者较为正式的风格,而杨译本中名词化的模式化使用体现了译者较为简洁的风格;第三,乔译本中名词化结构隐去情态动词的比例显著高于杨译本,杨译本中名词化结构隐去现在时态的比例显著高于乔译本。本文认为,乔氏对名词化的典型使用可能受英语外交文体正式性特点的影响,杨氏夫妇对名词化的典型使用至少受杨宪益个人文体偏爱以及夫妇二人合译原著方式的影响。本文结论为,乔氏对名词化的显著使用是其译本正式程度远高于杨译本的重要因素。

This article analyzes the relationship between nominalization and implicitness/explicitness with reference to the two English versions of Hongloumeng.The study defines English nominalization as a nominalized transform of a finite verbal form and explains nominalized structures by a process of syntactic derivation from their explicit sentential predications.Through a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis,the study has made the following three major findings: 1)nominalization in Joly's version is significantly more used than that in the version of Yang Xianyi and his wife Gladys Yang; 2) nominalization reflects Joly's formal style and the concise style of the Yangs'; 3) nominalization in Joly's version is significantly more implicit in terms of modal verb,while nominalization in the Yangs' version is significantly more implicit in terms of present tense.It is believed that Joly's typical use of nominalization may have been influenced by the formal style of diplomatic texts in English,while the Yangs' typical use of nominalization may be explained by at least two possible reasons: Mr.Yang's personal stylistic preference and the way by which he collaborated with his wife.It is concluded that Joly's significantly more use of nominalization contributes to his more formal version than the Yangs' version.