从跨文化交际视角谈汉语新词的英译(3)
2.1 Definition of Neologisms
In The Random House Dictionary of the English Language(1978), these two types of words can be defined as neologism . (1) A new word, meaning, usage or phrase; (2) The introduction or use of neologisms or new senses of existing words.
Peter Newmark (2001: 140) defines neologisms as newly coined lexical units or existing lexical units that acquire a new sense. He considered two large types of word as neologisms. The first type is existing words with new senses. And it can be sub-classified into words and collocations. The second type refers to new forms. They include new coinages, derived words (including blends), abbreviations, collocations, eponyms, phrasal words, transferred words(new and old referents), acronyms(new and old referents), pseudo-neologisms and internationalisms. His study is of great significance for people to get an overview of neologisms.
2.2 Characteristics and Classification of Neologisms
According to the definition of neologism, a neologism should carry the following characteristics:
(1) Neologisms are used to meet the needs of the people to express new ideas and to recover new circumstances of discoveries in the various fields.
(2) Neologisms can only have a short time duration. Once people become familiar with them, they can no longer be called neologisms.
(3) Neologisms may be popular with people in internet first and spread around through these surfers. Then it becomes popular in society. It should be pointed out that a neologism is usually created by young people. Because they are ingested most quantity of information and with strongest creativity.
According to Peter Newmark, neologisms can be classified into three types. The first are those newly coined lexical units. The second are those old words which have been endowed with new senses in the new cultural circumstances. The third are those which are borrowed or translated from other language.
2.3 Ways of Producing Chinese Neologisms
Neologisms are generated from every aspect of our life. As what we have discussed above, Peter Newmark has recognized 10 souces of neologism by studying French words. Generally speaking, the formation rules include derivation, composition, conversion, shortening, blending, analogy, loan words, and change of meanings and so on. However, Chinese belongs to Sino-Tibetan family which is very different from English formation patterns. Chinese neologisms may take on some characteristics of their own. The way how Chinese neologisms are produced is the key factor to determine the translation methods. Translation examples are searched from the websites such as China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CCTV News. Also, some examples came from dictionaries. A small amount is from thesis of other scholars and masters. Main pattern of Chinese neologisms include the following ones.
上一篇：浅析英语典故性成语的来源及汉译