基于COCA和CCL语料库分析“东方人”英译

随着中国文化走向世界,“东方人”一词不仅频频出现在文学作品中,且常为外国媒体所引用。然而,国内有影响力的在线词典以及翻译界权威人士大多直接将其译为Oriental、Easterner等,这势必引起英美读者的费解、曲解甚至误解。文章基于COCA语料库和CCL语料库,从词频、搭配、MI值以及语义韵方面分析,得出“东方人”应根据语言发出者表意不同,分别译成“East Asians”“Asian Americans”“Orientals”,方可避免引起歧义,准确表达。

How to Translate the Term Dongfang ren:Translation Analysis Based on COCA and CCL Corpus

With Chinese culture spreading to the world, the term Dongfang ren is used not only in works of literature, but also by foreign media. However, most of the influential online dictionaries and authorities on translation in China have translated the phrase into Oriental and Easterner, which is bound to cause misunderstanding among learners and readers from different cultures. Based on COCA corpus and CCL corpus, the author analyzes from four perspectives: word frequency, collocation, MI Value and semantic prosody, and finally suggests that Dongfang ren should be translated into “East Asians” or “Asian Americans” or “Orientals” based on different understandings and contexts in order to avoid ambiguity.