留学文书写作方法之文化特色词汇的处理

更新时间:2024-01-07 作者:用户投稿原创标记本站原创 点赞:26654 浏览:120360

中美在文化上存在着诸多差异,这些差异导致两国人民在交流和沟通时出现了一些理解障碍.这一点也同样存在于留学文书的写作中.很多申请者在文书里写了一些极具中国特色的内容,却没有在文中加入必要的背景介绍和文化注解,想当然地以为读者(美国大学招生官)可以完全读懂.但在很多情况下,对方并不了解你想表达的意思,这样会使文书效果大打折扣.

就拿“苦读”的概念来说吧.很多申请者都喜欢在文书里走“苦情”路线,用大量笔墨描写自己的“苦读”经历.中国自古就有“头悬梁锥刺股”的故事和“十年寒窗无人问,一举成名天下知”的俗谚.简而言之,中国人认为学习是要吃苦的,“学海无涯苦作舟”.但是,这个看似简单的概念要传达给美国读者却有相当的难度.这其中的原因就是文化差异:在英语里,根本就没有“吃苦”这一说法.在美国文化中,读书是件快乐的事.美国人甚至不认为“吃苦”是优秀的品质,他们更看重的是读书的目的和结果.所以,我们在输出本土(东方)价值观的时候,一定要考虑西方读者是否能够理解和接受.倘若不能,就有必要进行适当的修改或增加注解.

下面是一个留学文书的改后例文.学生希望在文书中引用“头悬梁锥刺股”的故事,所以我们在对其英文原稿进行改写时,在讲清楚故事的基础上,反其道而行之,对“苦读”的观念表示反对.这样一来就避免了把申请者塑造成死读书的书呆子形象,会使其更容易赢得招生官的青睐.请看如下改后的部分例文.

InancientChina,thereweretworatherfamousstudents-turned-scholarsnamedSunJingandSuQin.Theystudiedveryhard,butwhentheystudiedforalongperiodoftime,theywouldgettiredandeventuallydozeoff.Tofightexhaustionandstayawake,SunJingtiedhishairtoahousebeamwhileSuQinstuckanawlinhiscalf.

AlmosteveryoneinChinaatsomepointinhisorherlifehasheardthisstory.Manyteachersandparentotivatetheirkidsbyrepeatingthestoryagainandagain.Theideabeingmunicatedisthatlearningisallabout“eatingbitterness”:meaningthatlearningisnofun.Onehastoendureseverehardship,stayuplatereciting,writingandcrammingforexamsbeforeonecansorthesweetnessofgraduationasastraightAstudent.IamnotaperfectstraightAstudentintheChinesetraditionalsense等

除了文化典故,任何中国独有而美国没有的概念都需要谨慎处理,做必要的解释,以免引起误解.常见的概念主要包括以下三类.

1.计量单位.米、公里、斤、公斤等需要换算成英制,人民币要换算成美元.

2.地名.一般中国的地名译成英语时用拼音表示,但是除了北京、上海和广州,大多城市如果仅仅给出拼音,外国读者对它们基本没什么概念,所以申请者在写作时最好附上城市的具体方位.例如,温州就可以写为“Wenzhou,aprefecture-levelcityinsoutheasternZhejiangprovinceonChina’seastcoast”,这样的表述就非常精准.当然,如果外国读者连温州在中国的哪里都不知道的话,那就更不可能了解那里是私营中小企业的集中地.所以,有时申请者甚至需要进行更为具体的补充说明.比如,有一个学生申请会计专业,在写长期职业目标时,他说要去温州帮助解决那里的私人借贷问题.所以在文中第一次提到温州时,他就需要做一点详细说明,即“Wenzhou,aprefecture-levelcoastalcityinsoutheasternZhejiangprovincefamouorthevitalityofitsprivately-ownedallandmedium-sizedenterprises(E)”.

3.校园生活相关概念.对课代表、班长、团委书记、用作称呼或头衔的“老师”(如王老师)等要做相关解释,这些概念美国学校里都没有.

实例讲解

下面笔者对申请者写的一篇短文(Essay)进行分析,详细讲解如何对留学文书中涉及的中国特色元素进行必要的“西化”,以及解决其他可能造成读者误解而需要修改的问题.该申请者学的是汉语语言学,申请去美国读东亚语言文化硕士学位.由于版面有限,评析时暂忽略文书中的语言问题.

英文原稿和评析

IdreamofbeingateacherlikemymiddleschoolChineseteacher,Mr.Wang―ateachercanhealife-longinfluenceonstudents;ateacherwhoispassionateaboutknowledgeandwhoimpartsthispassiontothestudents.Manyfriendsandfellowclasatesofminewanttomajorinsubjectsthatwillleadtolucrativejobs,butIamobsessedwithChinesewenyanwenandclassicalliterature,soIwenttostudyChineseLinguisticsatFudanUniversity(FU).评析:在中国,“中学”既能指初中又能指高中,但在美国,初、高中各有相应的表述,middleschool指初中,highschool指高中,两者不能混为一谈.Chineseteacher既可以表示“语文老师”,也可以是“中国老师”,需解释清楚.“文言文”直接用拼音表示会让外国读者不知道指的是什么.

ImetProfessorZhangatFUwhotaugeChinesePhonology(音韵学).Prof.Zhangisrenownedforhispragmaticstyleofresearchingandstrictstyleofteaching.ForallhisassignmentsIhadtospendalotoftimelookingintodifferentreferencesandbooks.Myhardworkwasapprovedbyhisinvitationtoassisthiminthecollatingofoneofhisbooks.AmonghisassistantsIwastheonlyundergraduate.ThroughthisworkIhadthechancetolearnmyprofessors’viewsonClassicalChinesephonologyaswellassomenewtheories.Myknowledgewasgreatlyenrichedandmyresearchscopebroadened.ThroughthisexperienceIlearnedtobemorepatientandconscientiousinacademicsstudies.

评析:段中描写自己刻苦学习和自我表扬的文字需要修改.招生官想看到的是苦读读出了什么成果,协助老师具体做了什么,学到的新理论有哪些,老师所著的书的价值是什么等.这些内容在申请者的文书中均没有体现.划线部分都是泛泛而谈,没有实质内容.

InSeptember,IanizedthephonologistMr.Wang’slecturesintotext(tobepublished).ThroughthisprocessIlearnedmanytheoriesthatwereveryfreshtomeandwasdeeplymovedbyMr.Wang’spassionforacademicresearch.IalsogainedaprofoundinterestinancientChinesephoicsounds.Lateron,IanizedaseminaronthephoichistoryofancientChinese.Throughfreediscussionwedeterminedthetopicforeachissue’sdiscussion,andaftertheseminarwealsoreadalotofarticlesandsharedeachother’sknowledge.Thuswebenefitedagreatdealfromtheseminars.

评析:本段主要存在的问题是部分信息没有交代清楚,比如September没有给出具体年份,Mr.Wang未交代是谁,两个anize的意思也不够明确(第一个指编辑、复印、排版还是誊写?第二个anize是指发起会议、主持会议还是预订场地?).

Then,IbegantoposemyundergraduatethesisunderthestrictsupervisionofProf.XX.Mythesisistitled“TheBriefEvolutionaryHistoryoftheCategoryYue.”IhadtocheckallthematerialinthisaspectfromthePre-Qinperiodtillthepresent.SoIstayedinthelibraryeverydayandlookedupnearlyonehundredbooks.LittlebylittleIbecameclearoftheevolutionofyueandarrangeditinchronologicalorder.Myfinalthesiswasovereightythousandcharacters,afterfourrevisionsunderProf.XX,whosestrictrequirementshadtaugealotduringthisprocess.

评析:本段中同样有很多信息没有交代清楚,比如Pre-Qinperiod(先秦)具体指哪个历史阶段,theCategoryYue(上古韵部“月”)指什么,论文解答了什么难题等.另外作者通过旁敲侧击(比如老师严厉、我整天泡在图书馆等)来暗示自己论文质量高也不妥.因为中美文化不同,美国大学的招生官根本体会不到作者的良苦用心,相反,他们会觉得作者是因为论文缺乏实质内容才把一些无关紧要的细节拿来说事.ItwasalmostasifIhadtofeelguiltyaboutgoingforanobscureandprobablyleastsalable(畅销的)degreeprograminthejobmarket.NotthatIdislikedmoney;notthatIwasuninterestedinthepoliticalandlegalaffairsathomeandabroad;IchoseChineseLinguisticsbecausethatwaswheremypassionlay.ClassicalChineseliteratureandpoetryexcitemethewayarcheologicalsitesexciteahistorian.Ofallthesubjectmattersinmyhighschoolyears,Chinesewayforite.Mr.Wang,myChineseteacher,introducedmetotheworldofancienttexts.Thesetextsweremadeeasythankstohistremendousinsightsinphonology,syntax,grammarandhistory.FU’sChineseLinguisticsprogramisarguablythebestinChina.There,Idelveddeeperintothefinerpointsofphonology,particularlytheevolutionofthecategoryyue,atopicthatbecamethefocusofmygraduationthesis.Theobjectiveofthestudywastorestorehistoricalfeaturesandcharacteristicsofyueasanindependentsectioninancientandmodern-dayChinesephonology.Ireliedonmysolidtraininginwenyanwen,vernacularandmodernChinese,abinedquantitativeandqualitativemethodologyandmyextensivereadingsonChinesephilosophy,history,literature,religionandConfucianclassicstosuccesullypletewhatis,byallaccounts,oluminousthesisbothintermsoflength,80,000plusChinesecharacters,andtimespan,coveringmorethan2,000yearsworthofreferencematerials.


评析:上述两段描写申请者的学术和科研成就,突出了具体信息和细节,把“先秦”这个概念改为“两千多年的时间跨度”,让读者一目了然.

Additionally,IdidresearchonthecontroversialdebatesontheChinese-Tibetangenealogicallinguisticlink.IamparticularlyproudofmycontributionasamemberoftheeditorialstaffforProfessorXXXinhis“HanTone―anInheritanceandInnovationofChinesePhonology,”consideredbymanyintheChineselinguisticscircleasthemostprehensivestudytodateofhistoricalChinesedialectsusingzone-distinguishingapproachandquantitativemethods.

评析:对英文原文的两个anize做了修改,使表述清晰明白.

ThroughouthistoryChineseculturehashadagreatinfluenceonneighboringEastAsianlanguages.KoreanandJapanesebothhewritingsystemsemployingChinesecharacters.Phonologically,theChineseinfluencehasbeenjustassignificant.Buttheinfluencehasnotalwaysbeenone-way.SinceJapan’sMeijiRestoration,ChinahaounditselfmoreatthereceivingendofJapaneseneologisthatusedChineserootstotranslateEuropeanconcepts,suchaspolitics,chemistry,physicsandscience.Withoutsuchimportation,modernChineselanguagewouldbequitedifferentandChina’odernizationitselfwouldhebeenmoredifficult,ifnotimpossible.ThelastcoupleofdecadessawadramaticsurgeofpopularityofKoreancultureinChina,beitKoreanmusicorsoapoperas.Thisphenomenonhasbeenthesubjectofmuchdiscussionamongresearchersincludinglinguists.IamprofoundlyinterestedintheinterconnectednessofChina,JapanandKoreaaswellastheirdivergentpathsinthedevelopmentoftheirculturesandlanguages.AllthreeheinteractedwiththeWesternworldtoreconstitutetheirownreceivedculturesintomodernsocieties,which,inturnheemergedasinfluentialplayersontheworldstage.Themonalitieshenotalwaysproducedgoodwillandharmony.Therehebeenconflictsandevenwars,nottomentionongoingterritorialdisputes.Ifnotmanagedwell,hostilitiescaneasilygetoutofcontrol.Grantedthatpoliticians,diplomats,businesspeopleandscientistscanallplayanimportantroleinresolvingconflictsandfosteringgoodwillandneighborliness,butasanaspiringeducatorinChineseandEastAsianstudies,Iseemyselfasaculturalambassadorwhoseresponsibilityistobringaboutpeople-to-peopleexchangesandculturalcross-fertilization.Iamastrongbelieverinthepowerofourlanguages,mutuallyenrichedbysharingandborrowing,tohealwounds,andtomakepeace.

评析:上述两段说明东亚文化既存在共通之处,也存在矛盾和冲突,从而顺利引出“我”希望利用自己的专业兴趣和专长,使它们能互通有无、取长补短.