英语被动句汉译硏究 = A STUDY OF TRANSLATING PASSIVE-VOICE SENTENCES FROM ENGLISH INTO CHINESE

Abstract

This is a comparative study of passive voice in English and Chinese and the techniques involved in translating passive expression in English into Chinese. The analysis is based on functional uses of passive- voice sentences. This study was prompted by the need to recognize passive voice as an area of concern in translation. It aims to provide further insight by investigating the pragmatic implications involved. This dessertation consists of five chapters. The first two chapters focus primarily on the development, features and functions of passive voice in English, including "formally active passives" (i.e. active in form but passive in meaning or function). It is found that despite the differences in the structure of passive expression in the two languages, there are similarities in term of functions and sentence construction. The third chapter discusses the limitations in translating English passive voice into Chinese by comparing the differences between the structures of passive voice in both languages and the shift of focus with the use of different translation techniques. The study indicates that while the "bei"-construction may be used to offer exact equivalence to the English passive voice, there are other ways of expression which can be used to achieve the same result with naturalness. The fourth chapter looks into the choices of translation techniques preferred by a group of 24 young journalists below the age of 30. The study was done through a two-part survey. For the first part, the respondents were required to pick their choices of Chinese translation provided for each of the ten English assive sentences. For the second part of the survey, they were asked to translate spontaneously ten English passive sentences into Chinese. Finally, the study concluded that in terms of exact equivalence, there are limitations that are concomitant of translation involving different languages while translating English passive voice into Chinese. Nevertheless, the translation of English passive into Chinese is unquestionably an important aspect in any type of translation which deserves more attention.