Abstract

 Chinese-English translation in TEM-8 has always been the weak point of many students but there were a few researches about Chinese-English translation in TEM-8 before. Analysis of common mistakes in TEM-8 Chinese-English translation can not only assist students in correcting mistakes and improving their translation abilities, but also help teachers refine their teaching method. This study, by using Chinese-English translations in Test For English Majors, Band8 (TEM-8) as the main research data, intends to address the following two questions: 1) What are the common types of mistakes in Chinese-English translation and the causes of these errors? 2) What are the coping strategies related to these errors that can further enhance the students’ Chinese-English translation abilities?

    To answer the two questions, 25 students majoring in English are invited to translate three Chinese-English translation passages (They are all from the past exam papers of TEM-8) in the classroom. The researcher divides the common mistakes students often make into 3 categories: vocabulary-related mistakes, syntax-related mistakes and other mistakes. Probing into them, the researcher finds that these mistakes are mainly caused by misunderstanding of the original Chinese words and phrases, unfamiliarity with the basic word usages of English and some main sentence structures. This paper, from the perspective of teachers and students, puts forward some coping strategies that can prompt students to avoid making similar mistakes and improve their ability in learning the target language. The teaching efficiency of teachers can also be raised in this process so that they can better instruct students to do Chinese-English translation.

    Key words: TEM-8; Chinese-English translation; common mistakes; coping strategies

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction.1

2 Literature Review1

  2.1 Error Analysis.2

  2.2 Related Studies in China2

3 Methodology.4

  3.1 Research Questions4

  3.2 Subjects4

  3.3 Data Collection5

  3.4 Data Analysis.5

4 Results and Discussion6

  4.1 Common Mistakes in Chinese-English Translations and Their Causes.6

4.1.1 Vocabulary-related Errors6

4.1.2 Syntax-related Errors.9

4.1.3 Other Mistakes.12

  4.2 Coping Strategies Related to the Errors.15

4.2.1 For Teachers.15

4.2.2 For Students.16

5 Conclusion17

References18

Appendix.19