A Study On Chinese Borrowings In English And Translation

Language, as the carrier of culture and tool of communication, is the essential factor in cultural exchange. Language borrowing, therefore, is inevitable with the increasing exchange between languages and cultures, which enriches the borrowing itself and transmits the culture of borrowers.In the context of English and Chinese, language borrowing occurs at different levels due to different historical periods. In the early period, the words borrowed from Chinese were few because of the close-door policy, with English as the major source. Since the opening up and reform, China's economy developed greatly, making the Chinese language more and more influencing. Soon afterwards, the number of Chinese borrowings in English increased substantially, forming a sharp contrast with what it was in dynastic China. At present, enough researches have been made on the English borrowings in Chinese from different viewpoints, but systematic studies on the Chinese borrowings in English are few.Following a literature review on the academic achievement made by scholars on the Chinese borrowings in English, the present thesis explores the influencing factors resulting in the English borrowings from Chinese from the perspective of intercultural communication. In light of the classification of different borrowings, the author explains the social background of these borrowings. Since translation is of vital importance in the process of borrowing, Zero-translation theory is also discussed, and the author hopes these studies lay a foundation for the analysis of translation of English borrowings from Chinese.The thesis argues that Zero-translation is more preferable, and supports this argument with examples in newspapers and magazines, aiming to justify the Zero-translation theory of English borrowings from Chinese and explore the acceptance of the borrowings home and abroad.