中国话语外译语言选择模式探索:系统功能视角

On Developing a Model of Language Choice in Translating Chinese Discourse:A Systemic-Functional Perspective

中国提出构建人类命运共同体的倡议,倡导绿色发展、和平发展和可持续发展,在世界舞台上发出更强、更有说服力的声音。据此,“中国话语”及“中国话语权”成为需要特别关注的核心概念;在用英语进行的国际交流中体现中国话语的英语变体,“中国英语”也由此产生并不断发展,以独特的方式向世界各国人民传播中国文化和中国精神。本文以系统功能语言学为理论基础,尝试对中国话语外译过程中语言选择的模式进行探索,从文化语境、情景语境、话语意义、词汇语法和音系字系五个层面构建了中国话语外译语言选择模式,提出在中国话语外译过程中,在各个层次上应该优先选择的特征和方面,以及应该坚持的基本原则,并用实例分析作了说明。研究发现,在国际交流中体现中国话语的中国英语具有对立统一性、动态性和文体独特性的特点。中国话语用英语传播的最佳途径是以最佳方式处理好用英语表达在中国社会文化和情景语境中交流的意义,又要使英语本族语者接受和理解,特别是要乐意接受这对矛盾。希望本文对于中国话语和中国英语研究的良性发展、构建有中国特色的对外话语体系能起到积极的促进作用。

China proposes the initiative of"Building a Community with a Shared Future of Mankind",and actively promotes green,peaceful,and sustainable developments so that it makes a stronger and more convincing voice on the global stage,and"Chinese Discourse"and"the Chinese Speech Right"have become core concepts that deserve special concern.At the same time,China English,as a variety of English,realizing Chinese Discourse in international communication in English,comes into being and develops constantly.China English helps to spread Chinese culture and Chinese Spirit in its unique way.Based on the analysis of the status quo and the existing problems of the research on China English realizing Chinese Discourse by scholars at home and abroad in international communication since1980,this paper,by taking systemic functional linguistics as the theoretical basis,is intended to explore a model of language choice in the process of translating Chinese Discourse into target languages in terms of five levels:the context of culture,the context of the situation,discourse semantics,lexicogrammar,and phonology and graphology.In the model,it proposes the preferred choices of thefeatures and aspects at each level and the principles that should be adhered to in the process of translating Chinese Discourse into target languages.The paper illustrates the model with a case study of a text translated from Chinese into English.China English,which realizes Chinese Discourse in international communication in English,is characterized in terms of unity of opposites,dynamicity,and the uniqueness of style.The best method to propagate Chinese Discourse in English is to find out the appropriate way to balance the equation:on the one side,the transmission of the meaning that is exchanged in China’scontext of culture and context of situation into English,and on the other side,making the native speakers of English understand and accept it.It is hoped that the study can promote the healthy development of the research on China English,and shed light on the construction of the Chinese Discourse system bearing Chinese characteristics.