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A Threefold Analysis of the Syntactic Features of Nexus and E-C Translation Strategies

Author: ChenRongHui
Tutor: TangYueQin
School: Southwest Jiaotong University
Course: Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Keywords: Nexus junction syntactic three-fold analysis translation
CLC: H315.9
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2007
Downloads: 59
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Abstract

Otto Jespersen believes that we can analyze grammatical facts from three distinctive aspects, namely the form, the grammatical function and the notion. The grammatical analysis can either begin with the form all the way to the function and the notion behind it or take the opposite angle. The three aspects are complementary to one anther. In this thesis, the author employs the three-aspect approach to interpret Jespersen’s grammatical term nexus. Some problems encountered in translation are discussed in the light of this term.The author examines the term nexus from the three aspects and discusses its three correspondingly related features. With the notional aspect, the author in the first place discusses the difference between a junction and a nexus. Otto Jespersen divides words (word groups) into three ranks, the primary, the secondary and the tertiary. The combination of a primary and a secondary forms either a junction or a nexus. A junction serves to express a single composite idea, whereas a nexus expresses two separate ideas, with the second one adding something new to the first. This differentiation leads to the conclusion that a junction is static, stiff and lifeless, while a nexus is dynamic and pliable. The author discusses the second feature in the word-order of the primary and secondary combination. An analysis of the nexus types shows that the formal feature of a nexus follows mostly the ’secondary after primary’ order. Closely related to such a word-order, the third feature in a nexus is a common predication relation. A subject and a predicate are not necessary parts of a nexus, but a subject part and a predicate part can be identified in most occasions. Considered from the aspect of grammatical function, the predication is very important for a nexus.Based on the three major features of the nexus, the author then studies the nexus in English to Chinese translation. The study focuses on the translation of three kinds of combinations: the nexus substantives, the group-adjuncts in post-position and the relative clauses.The nexus substantive is a subclass of the nexus which shares the features of the nexus. Therefore, when translating an English nexus substantive into Chinese, we have to remind ourselves that it is not simply a substantive. The author exemplifies it and proposes that a nexus substantive in English should be translated to a nexus rather than a substantive in Chinese. The group-adjunct in post-position is frequently treated as a normal adjunct (secondary in a junction) and placed before its headword in translation. The author briefly examines those reasons responsible for the post-position of the group-adjunct and puts forward his opinion that the combination of the headword and the post-positioned group-adjunct can be treated as a nexus in some situations. A stereotyped understanding of a relative clause tends to view it mainly as an adjunct. In English to Chinese translation, the relative clause with its antecedent combination is normally treated as a junction. After the discussion, the author considers it is improper to treat all the relative clauses indiscriminately as adjuncts. Instead, the nexus structure is frequently adopted in translating a relative clause into Chinese.The grammatical term nexus proves to be suggestive and enlightening in translating practices. By applying it to the three kinds of combinations in English to Chinese translation, the author analyzes both languages’ syntactic structure, and provides possible solutions to problems encountered in translation.

A Threefold Analysis of the Syntactic Features of Nexus and E-C Translation Strategies

Abstract

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