Abstract

This thesis is based on the studies of second language acquisition and many current motivation theories. This topic mainly analyzes differences of word order between English and Chinese and discusses solutions of how to adjust word order while translating. Chinese word order is more flexible than English. Therefore, we should adjust the word order according to the language habit of target language while translating. As English sentence must have a subject except imperative sentence, but a Chinese sentence can ignore subject; In Chinese, object is usually put between subject and verb, but in English, object should be put after verb; Chinese attribute is usually before head, it is always between subject and predicate, sometimes before subject, however, the location of English attribute is more flexible, it is always at the end of the sentence and behind object.  In conclusion, adjusting word order is necessary.

Keywords: word order; adjust; language habit

Contents

Abstract

摘要

1. Introduction-1

2. The Origin of Difference of Word Order-1

2.1 Difference of culture-1

2.2 Difference of thinking mode-2

3. The Comparison of Chinese and English Word Order-3

3.1 Subject and topic-4

3.2 Object-4

3.3 Additional components-5

4. Common Cases of Inappropriate Word Order-5

5. Method of Adjusting Word Order -6

5.1 Considering linguistic habits-7

5.2 Method of arranging subject-7

5.3 Method of arranging verb-8

5.4 Method of arranging additional components-8

6. Conclusion-9

Works Cited-10