Discourse Markers of “Saying”: A Comparative Study
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Yanhong Zhou
Yanhong ZHOU is an MTI student at School of International Studies, Hangzhou Normal University. Her research efforts have focused on contrastive linguistics and translation studies.
Sihong HUANG (corresponding author) is Associate Professor at School of International Studies, Hangzhou Normal University. Her research efforts have focused on applied linguistics, discourse studies and translation studies (esp. aspects related to literary translation and translators).
Abstract
The present study compares the discourse markers (DMs) of “saying” in Mandarin Chinese ke yi shuo (lit. “can say”) and ying gai shuo (lit. “should say”) with their equivalents in English, by drawing the parallel corpora from The Selected Works of Deng Xiaoping (Volume III) (henceforth The Works), so as to uncover the pragmatic motivation for the variation in translating the DMs of “saying.” The analysis is conducted within a theoretical framework of speech act theory, by grouping the DMs according to their personal pronouns. Moreover, by comparing the uses of personal pronouns in English and Chinese, the current study confirms that The Works keeps the consistency between the two languages as well as with the characteristics and styles of Deng Xiaoping’s locution. It also finds that modalized DMs of “saying” (e. g., “I should say”), as a parenthesis, lose their status as matrix clauses and help reduce the tone of affirmation.
About the authors
Yanhong ZHOU is an MTI student at School of International Studies, Hangzhou Normal University. Her research efforts have focused on contrastive linguistics and translation studies.
Sihong HUANG (corresponding author) is Associate Professor at School of International Studies, Hangzhou Normal University. Her research efforts have focused on applied linguistics, discourse studies and translation studies (esp. aspects related to literary translation and translators).
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Appendix: Parallel Corpora of the Discussed Discourse Markers
| 现在可可以以说说绝大多数的人能够吃饱，能够穿得比较 | Now we can say that most of our people there have enough food to eat and clothes to |
| 好，居住情况有了很大的改善。 | wear, and their housing conditions have greatly improved. |
| 可可以以说说是全面的改革。 | We can say this will be a comprehensive reform. |
| 翻两番，达到小康水平，可可以以说说是中变化。 | When output we and have are quadrupled comparatively the prosperous, gross value of we our can annual say there industrial have been and bigger agricultural changes. |
| 完全可可以以说说，伯承是我军现代化、正规化建设的奠基 | We can definitely say that Bocheng was one of those who laid the groundwork for a |
| 人之一。 | modern, regular army. |
| 可可以以说说，他是我军高级军事指挥员中重视和善于做政治工作的模范。 | We can say that in this respect he was a model for the army’s senior commanders. |
| 我们对胡耀邦同志问题的处理是合情合理的，可可以以说说 | Comrade Hu Yaobang’s case has been handled reasonably, or quite gently I should |
| 是处理得非常温和，问题解决得也很顺利。 | say, and it was settled very smoothly. |
| 现在我们可可以以说说，第一步的原定目标可以提前在今年 | We are now confident that we can attain our first goal ahead of schedule, this year or |
| 或者明年完成。 | next. |
| 可可以以说说，从一九五七年开始我们的主要错误是“左”， | I would say that since 1957 our major mistakes have been “Left” ones. |
| 如果说反对资产阶级自由化就是保守派，那末也可可以以 | If you were to say that those who oppose bourgeois liberalization are conservatives, |
| 说说我是保守派。 | well then, you could also say I am a conservative. |
| 中印两国如果发展起来了，那就可可以以说说我们对人类做 | If China and India are developed, we can say that we have made our contributions to |
| 出了贡献。 | mankind. |
| 在这个集体中，实际上可可以以说说我处在一个关键地位。 | Actually, it can be said that in this leadership I am in the key position. |
| 现在可可以以说说，中国解决了温饱问题， | Now it can be said that China has solved the problem of food and clothing. |
| 我们两国自七十年代建立外交关系以来，可可以以说说真正 | It can be said that ever since our two countries established diplomatic relations in the |
| 遵循了这个原则。 | 1970s, we have followed those principles to the letter. |
| 可可以以说说是一群游击队的集合。 | You might say that they were only a formation of guerrilla forces. |
| 在整个作战过程中，可可以以说说没有任何一个部队没有完 | I can say that throughout all the battles, there was no unit that failed to do what was |
| 成任务的， | expected of it. |
| 可可以以说说，这个期间我国财富有了巨额增加，整个国民经济上了一个新的台阶。 | It can be said that during this period China’s wealth expanded |
| 应应该该说说，从中央到地方，在思想理论战线上是软弱 | We have to admit that on the ideological and theoretical front both central and local |
| 的，丧失了阵地， | authorities have been weak and have lost ground. |
| 应应该该说说，这个口号三十多年前就提出来了，不是今天 | We should remember that this slogan was not proposed today but more than thirty |
| 提出来的， | years ago. |
| 我们根本否定“文化大革命”，但应应该该说说“文化大革命”也 | Although we thoroughly condemn the “cultural revolution”, we recognize that it was |
| 有一“功”，它提供了反面教训。 | useful to the extent that it taught us a lesson. |
| 应应该该说说，从六十年代中期起，我们的关系恶化了，基 | I should say that starting from the mid-1960s, our relations deteriorated to the point |
| 本上隔断了。 | where they were practically broken off. |
| 这十年人民生活水平有较大提高，应应该该说说我们上了一 | During the last ten years living standards have been raised considerably, or in other |
| 个台阶， | words, our economy has been raised to a new stage. |
| 应应该该说说是超额完成了任务。 | I should say we did more than was expected of us. |
| 平汉战役应应该该说说主要是政治仗打得好，争取了高树勋 | I should say that the Ping-Han Campaign was mainly a successful political battle, |
| 起义。 | because we persuaded Gao Shuxun to revolt and cross over to our side. |
| 当时形势相当严峻，相当险恶，但是整个地看应应该该说说是很顺利地实现了战略反攻的任务，跃进到大别山。 | We faced a grim and perilous situation, but I should say that on the whole, we accomplished the shift to strategic counteroffensive quite smoothly, moving rapidly into the Dabie Mountains. |
| 应应该该说说，现在的科学家更幸福，因此对他们的要求会更多。 | It should be said that scientists are luckier today, so we can demand more of them. |
| 应应当当说说，这一次在解决新老交替问题上迈出了相当大 | I think we can say that this is a great step forward in our efforts to ensure that the old |
| 的一步。 | are succeeded by the young. |
| 因此，对第一个问题的回答，应应当当说说，我们所制定的 | Therefore, as the reply to the first question, we should say that the strategic goal we |
| 战略目标，现在至少不能说是失败的。 | have set cannot be described as unattainable, at least not now. |
© 2022 FLTRP, Walter de Gruyter, Cultural and Education Section British Embassy
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introducing Positive Psychology in Applied Linguistics: Asian Perspectives
- Where Psychology Meets Language Learning: Exploring the Positive Nexus
- A Different Kind of Tension: Foreign Language Anxiety From a Positive Psychology Perspective
- Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety: Associations With General and Domain-Specific English Achievement
- Exploring Senior High School Students’ English Academic Resilience in the Chinese Context
- Second Language Acquisition
- The Difference of Lemma Activation Between Native Speakers of English and L2 Speakers of English With L1 Chinese: Evidence From the Semantic and Phonological Priming Effects on L2 Speech Planning
- Discourse Markers of “Saying”: A Comparative Study
- Second Language Writing
- Achieving Self-Imitation for English Intonation Learning: The Role of Corrective Feedback
- Cross-Cultural Communications
- China English and College Intercultural Education: A Cultural Linguistic Perspective
- Interview
- The “Wrong Love” Between the Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding: An Interview With Prof. James P. Lantolf
- Chinese Abstracts
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Introducing Positive Psychology in Applied Linguistics: Asian Perspectives
- Where Psychology Meets Language Learning: Exploring the Positive Nexus
- A Different Kind of Tension: Foreign Language Anxiety From a Positive Psychology Perspective
- Foreign Language Enjoyment and Anxiety: Associations With General and Domain-Specific English Achievement
- Exploring Senior High School Students’ English Academic Resilience in the Chinese Context
- Second Language Acquisition
- The Difference of Lemma Activation Between Native Speakers of English and L2 Speakers of English With L1 Chinese: Evidence From the Semantic and Phonological Priming Effects on L2 Speech Planning
- Discourse Markers of “Saying”: A Comparative Study
- Second Language Writing
- Achieving Self-Imitation for English Intonation Learning: The Role of Corrective Feedback
- Cross-Cultural Communications
- China English and College Intercultural Education: A Cultural Linguistic Perspective
- Interview
- The “Wrong Love” Between the Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding: An Interview With Prof. James P. Lantolf
- Chinese Abstracts
