Abstract

Language is the product of social development, which inevitably reflects social values. More frequent cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries have contributed to the emergence of English lettered words in the Chinese language, so it is of great necessity for us to understand the linguistic phenomenon. This essay mainly focuses on the causes, types and translation of English lettered words in Chinese. It is found that the appearance of English lettered words is mainly due to their simplicity in use, the desire to follow new trends and the requirements for information flow. English lettered words can simply be divided into two categories: pure English lettered words and compound English lettered words. Pure English lettered words can be further divided into three categories, namely, English abbreviations, abbreviations of translations from Chinese words, and full English words. Compound English lettered words, in particular, include letters with Chinese characters, English abbreviations with Chinese characters, and numerals with English letters. English lettered words can be translated into Chinese in various ways, including literal translation, free translation, literal translation plus free translation and transliteration plus free translation. It is hoped that the present research on English lettered words will be of some help to the communication between Chinese and English speakers.  

Key words: English lettered words; causes; types; translation

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1 Introduction1 

2 Causes of English Lettered Words in Chinese-2

2.1 Simplicity in use-3

2.2 The desire to follow new trends-3

2.3 The requirements for information flow-3

3 Types of English Lettered Words in Chinese4

3.1Pure English lettered words-4

3.1.1 English abbreviations-4

3.1.2 Abbreviations of translations from Chinese words-6

3.1.3 Full English words-7

3.2Compound English lettered words-7

3.2.1 English letters with Chinese characters-7

3.2.2 English abbreviations with Chinese characters-8

3.2.3 Numbers with English letters-8

4 Translation of English Lettered Words9

4.1 Literal translation-9

4.2 Free translation-10

4.3 Literal translation plus free translation-10

4.4 Transliteration plus free translation-11

5 Conclusion.12

5.1 Summary of the Main Points-12

5.2 Limitations of the Study-12

5.3 Recommendations for Future Research-12

 References.14