Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English
inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions
in multiple parallel texts

J 2020

Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions in multiple parallel texts

LU, Wei-lun

Basic information

Original name

Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions in multiple parallel texts

Authors

LU, Wei-lun (158 Taiwan, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Cognitive Linguistic Studies, Amsterdam, John Benjamins, 2020, 2213-8722

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60203 Linguistics

Country of publisher

Netherlands

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

Webpage of the paper

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/20:00114570

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/cogls.00060.lu

Keywords in English

Constructional schema; information structure; phonological pole; subjective construal; translation

Abstract

V originále

The present study explores the viewpointing function of word order inversion and associated stylistic strategies across languages, comparing English-Chinese multiple parallel texts as illustration. In particular, I investigate whether the cognitive strategy of inverting the word order to create a subjective construal is similar in both languages, and to what extent. To answer the question, I examined selected excerpts with inversion written in English and their multiple translations in Mandarin Chinese, to see how the subjective construals in the English originals are rendered. I find that in addition to inversion, the English samples exhibit a zoom-in effect through use of punctuation, the participial clause, and an ad hoc schema of [some] – [X] with the middle three instantiations sharing an identical phonological schema. The identical phonological schema and the shared narrative viewpoint makes the three instantiations iconic. In comparison, the Chinese renditions employ the presentative construction and a focus particle to approximate the character-based viewpoint, but the zoom-in effect is not present in any of the Chinese versions. Another important difference is the generally longer iconic part in the Chinese versions, due to the productivity of four-character templates at the phonological pole in Mandarin Chinese.

Links

GC19-09265J, research and development project

Name: Vliv sociokulturních faktorů a písma na percepci a kognici komplexních zrakových podnětů (Acronym: ISOVIS)

Investor: Czech Science Foundation

Citovat

LU, Wei-lun. Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions in multiple parallel texts. Cognitive Linguistic Studies. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2020, Volume 7, No 2, p. 334-356. ISSN 2213-8722. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1075/cogls.00060.lu.

@article{1709236,
   author = {Lu, Weiandlun},
   article_location = {Amsterdam},
   article_number = {2},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/cogls.00060.lu},
   keywords = {Constructional schema; information structure; phonological pole; subjective construal; translation},
   language = {eng},
   issn = {2213-8722},
   journal = {Cognitive Linguistic Studies},
   title = {Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions in multiple parallel texts},
   url = {https://benjamins.com/catalog/cogls.00060.lu},
   volume = {Volume 7},
   year = {2020}
}

TY  - JOUR
ID  - 1709236
AU  - Lu, Wei-lun
PY  - 2020
TI  - Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions in multiple parallel texts
JF  - Cognitive Linguistic Studies
VL  - Volume 7
IS  - 2
SP  - 334-356
EP  - 334-356
PB  - John Benjamins
SN  - 22138722
KW  - Constructional schema
KW  - information structure
KW  - phonological pole
KW  - subjective construal
KW  - translation
UR  - https://benjamins.com/catalog/cogls.00060.lu
L2  - https://benjamins.com/catalog/cogls.00060.lu
N2  - The present study explores the viewpointing function of word order inversion and associated stylistic strategies across languages, comparing English-Chinese multiple parallel texts as illustration. In particular, I investigate whether the cognitive strategy of inverting the word order to create a subjective construal is similar in both languages, and to what extent. To answer the question, I examined selected excerpts with inversion written in English and their multiple translations in Mandarin Chinese, to see how the subjective construals in the English originals are rendered. I find that in addition to inversion, the English samples exhibit a zoom-in effect through use of punctuation, the participial clause, and an ad hoc schema of [some] – [X] with the middle three instantiations sharing an identical phonological schema. The identical phonological schema and the shared narrative viewpoint makes the three instantiations iconic. In comparison, the Chinese renditions employ the presentative construction and a focus particle to approximate the character-based viewpoint, but the zoom-in effect is not present in any of the Chinese versions. Another important difference is the generally longer iconic part in the Chinese versions, due to the productivity of four-character templates at the phonological pole in Mandarin Chinese.
ER  -

LU, Wei-lun. Viewpoint and subjective construal across languages: English inversion, associated strategies and their Chinese renditions in multiple parallel texts. \textit{Cognitive Linguistic Studies}. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2020, Volume 7, No~2, p.~334-356. ISSN~2213-8722. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1075/cogls.00060.lu.

Detailed Information on Publication Record