Chapter 6 主题与主语

Chinese vs. English 只要用功读书，就能提高成绩。（隐含主语） If one studies hard enough, one will … 国庆节七天我们第一天全家人北京路购物。（多主语） On the first day of the seven-day National Day holiday, our whole family … 游泳非常消耗体力。（主语非名词） Swimming is quite exhausting. It is quite exhausting to swim. 刮风了，下雨了。（零位主语） It is windy and rainy.

Chinese vs. English Chinese: Topic-prominent language （话题占突显地位的语言） English: Subject-prominent language（主语占突显地位的语言） -- C. N. Li & S. A. Thompson in 1970s

English: Theme-Rheme主位:述位 (Mathesius) Theme is the primary element of a sentence; it is the subject being talked about and is known. Rheme is the core element of a sentence; it is something the speaker wants to say about the theme, or something related to the theme.

Theme = Psychological Subject Modern English sentences 83% -- 97% SVO (Jesperson) Theme = Psychological Subject Theme ≈ Subject

Features of the Subject in English 1. There must always be a subject; 2. The subject is the theme of the sentence that the verb structure describes; 3. The subject has grammatical control; 4. The subject must be a noun or a noun structure.

Chinese: Topic-Comment话题:评说(Sapir) Topic is the theme of a sentence. Comment is narration about the theme.

Features of the Subject in Chinese 1. The subject is not essential; 2. The subject has no grammatical control over the whole sentence; 3. There can be more than one subject; 4. The subject can be a noun, verb, adjective or any such structures.

Difficulties with Chinese Subjects (SVO?): 1）宾踞句首 2）主谓谓语句 3）宾踞动前 4）主状不分 ∴可以没有主语，也可以有多个主语，除名词以外，可以由动词，形容词，副词，介词短语，主谓结构担当主语。

Subject-prominent vs. Topic-prominent A subject-prominent language (eg. English) is a language in which the grammatical units of subject and predicate (SV) are basic to the structure of sentences and in which sentences usually have subject-predicate structure. A topic-prominent language (eg. Chinese) is one in which the information units of topic and comment are basic to the structure of sentence.

Examples Analysis 1）主语的增补（汉语无主语） 出太阳了！ The sun is rising! 冷死我啦！ I am dead cold. 累得我走不动了。 It exhausted me so much that I couldn’t walk. I was too tired to walk. 知己知彼，百战不殆。 You can fight a hundred battles without defeat if you know the enemy as well as yourself.

Examples Analysis 2）主语的选择（汉语有多个主语） 近二十年的时间已经充分证明，我们进行改革开放的方向是正确的，信念是坚定的，步骤是稳妥的，方式是渐进的，取得的成就是巨大的。 The practice in the past 20 years has eloquently proved that the direction of our reform and opening-up is right, our conviction is firm, our steps are steady, our approach is gradual and our achievements are huge. The practice in the past 20 years has eloquently proved that we are right in direction, firm in conviction, steady in our steps and gradual in our approach when carrying out the reform and opening-up and have achieved tremendous success.

Examples Analysis 主语的转换（汉语有名词以外成分充当主语） 采用新工艺大大降低了产品的成本。 The adoption of the new process has greatly cut the cost of production. 能吃能睡不一定就健康。 Great eaters and sleepers are not always healthy. 今天讨论的范围涉及时事政治的问题。 Today’s discussion covers issues of current political affairs. 工作的时候心不在焉，经常会带来不必要的损失。 Absent-mindedness in our work will often lead to unwanted losses.

Examples Analysis 各民族之间建立了平等、团结、互助的新型关系。 We have established a new type of relationship characterized by equality, solidarity and mutual assistance between different ethnic groups. A new type of relationship of equality, solidarity and mutual assistance between different ethnic groups has been established.

Examples Analysis 中国历史上产生了许多杰出的哲学家、思想家、政治家、军事家、科学家和文学艺术家。 China produced in its history many outstanding philosophers, thinkers, statesmen, strategists, scientists, writers and artists. Many outstanding philosophers, thinkers, statesmen, strategists, scientists, writers and artists were produced/emerged in China’s history. The Chinese history has witnessed the emergence of many eminent philosophers, thinkers, statesmen, strategists, scientists, writers and artists.

Examples Analysis 但是中美之间的关系也不能幻想从此就会一帆风顺。 （我们不能幻想中美之间的关系从此就会一帆风顺。） But we cannot have the illusion that Sino-US relations will be free from troubles from now on.

Examples Analysis 如果仅以此作为一个标准，来说中国就是一个发达国家，我觉得这种说法是不公平的。 But if you consider this the only standard and say China is a developed country, I think this is unfair. But I think it is unfair to use this as the single standard to conclude that China is a developed country.

Examples Analysis 从中国来看的话，不能只看中国的大城市、沿海和沿江，像珠江三角洲、长江三角洲，这些个地方老百姓的生活是比较好的。 When looking at China, one/we should not limit oneself/ourselves to its large cites, coastal areas and river basins, such as the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta, where the people enjoy a higher living standard.

Examples Analysis 中美两国贸易中时常出现摩擦和纠纷，此起彼伏、接连不断，在摩擦中前进。 Frictions and disputes frequently come forth in Sino-US trade, but progress is made in frictions. There are frequent frictions and disputes in Sino-US trade, but progress is made in frictions.

Examples Analysis 要和平、不要对抗；要合作，不要强权；要发展，不要贫困；是当今世界发展的主流，是世人的共同呼声。 We want peace instead of confrontation. We want cooperation instead of power politics. We want development instead of poverty. This is the main trend of the time and the common aspiration of the world people. We the people of the world want peace, not confrontation; cooperation, not power politics; development, not poverty. This represents the main trend of the times and our common aspiration. Peace rather than confrontation, cooperation rather than power politics, development rather than poverty constitute the mainstream of the world development and represent the common aspiration of the world people.

Examples Analysis 过去，只讲在社会主义条件下发展生产力，没有讲可持续地发展生产力，不完全。 In the past, we only stressed the development of our productivity under socialism,without even mentioning the need to achieve sustainable development. That was not complete.

Examples Analysis 随着全球化发展，香港和珠江三角洲的关系将会更加密切，要深入认识珠三角，非要亲身实地考察不可。 With increasing globalization, Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta will be even closer. It was necessary to visit the Pearl River Delta in order to gain firsthand understanding of the region. With increasing globalization, Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta will be even closer. To gain firsthand understanding of the region, one needs to pay a personal visit to the Pearl River Delta.

Examples Analysis 不改革旧的不合理的经济秩序，发展中国家的发展努力就难以奏效，也就不可能从根本上解决发展中国家的发展问题。 Without reforming the old and unreasonable economic order, the development effort of the developing countries can hardly be effective and their development problems are not likely to be settled from its very root. Failure to reform the old and unreasonable economic order will put the development effort of the developing countries in vain, and will prevent these countries from solving their development problems from its very root.

Examples Analysis 中美两国继续给予对方最惠国地位符合两国的利益，有助于双方经济贸易合作的发展以及双边关系的改善。 The further granting of MFN status by China and the US to each other is in the interest of both sides and is conducive to the development of their economic and trade cooperation as well as the improvement of bilateral relations.

Examples Analysis 如果双方要对抗，我们可以找很多麻烦，制造很多人为障碍。 Should the two sides go in for confrontation, we will be able to find out a lot of trouble and create many man-made obstacles. Should one want confrontation, one can always create trouble and set up obstacles.

Examples Analysis When failing to reach agreements right away, those involved should exercise patience to prevent further intensification of the disputes, and at the same time create conditions and favourable atmosphere for an eventual peaceful solution. 如果一时达不成协议，应采取耐心的态度，防止矛盾激化，努力为最终和平解决创造条件和气氛。

Examples Analysis It is not rare to see interference in other countries’ internal affairs under all sorts of pretexts. 以各种借口干涉别国内政的事情屡见不鲜。 某些国家以各种借口干涉别国内政的事情屡见不鲜。

Examples Analysis It will be very difficult to make a decision without knowing all the facts. 我们如果不知道全部真实情况的话，很难做出决定。 如果不知道全部真实情况的话，很难做出决定。

Examples Analysis It is not a bad idea to consider our participation in this new business project. 我们可以考虑参加这个新的商业项目。 可以考虑我们参加这个新的商业项目。

Examples Analysis A better knowledge of the local culture will help our interpretation work. 更好地了解当地文化有助于我们的口译工作。

Examples Analysis In the long term, a fundamental rethinking of the role of the Security Council may be required, given the experience of the past 60 years of the UN and new political realities. 长远来看，根本性地重新考虑安理会的作用也许是必要的，联合国过去60年的经验和新的政治现实需要我们这样做。

Examples Analysis In the information field, instant and universal communication of large quantities of data is now the norm. 在信息领域，瞬间全球性地传递大量数据已司空见惯。