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Examples Analysis
主语的转换（汉语有名词以外成分充当主语）
采用新工艺大大降低了产品的成本。 The adoption of the new process has greatly cut the cost of production. 能吃能睡不一定就健康。 Great eaters and sleepers are not always healthy. 今天讨论范围涉及时事政治的问题。 Today’s discussion covers issues of current political affairs. 工作时候心不在焉，经常会带来不必要的损失。 Absent-mindedness in our work will often lead to unwanted losses.
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Examples Analysis
各民族之间建立了平等、团结、互助的新型关系。 We have established a new type of relationship characterized by equality, solidarity and mutual assistance between different ethnic groups. A new type of relationship of equality, solidarity and mutual assistance between different ethnic groups has been established.
1. The subject is not essential; 2. The subject has no grammatical control over the whole sentence; 3. There can be more than one subject; 4. The subject can be a noun, verb, adjective or any such structures.
专题口译
专题口译专题
科学技术
Session 2
主题与主语
Chinese vs. English
只要用功读书，就能提高成绩。（隐含主语） If one studies hard enough, one will … 国庆节七天我们第一天全家人北京路购物。 （多主语） On the first day of the seven-day National Day holiday, our whole family … 游泳非常消耗体力。（主语非名词） Swimming is quite exhausting. It is quite exhausting to swim. 刮风了，下雨了。（零位主语） It is windy and rainy. LOGO
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Examples Analysis
中美两国贸易中时常出现摩擦和纠纷，此起彼伏、接连不断，在 摩擦中前进。 Frictions and disputes frequently come forth in Sino-US trade, but progress is made in frictions. There are frequent frictions and disputes in Sino-US trade, but progress is made in frictions.
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Chinese: Topic-Comment话题:评说(Sapir)
Topic is the theme of a sentence. Comment is narration about the theme.
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Features of the Subject in Chinese
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Examples Analysis
如果仅以此作为一个标准，来说中国就是一个发 达国家，我觉得这种说法是不公平的。 But if you consider this the only standard and say China is a developed country, I think this is unfair. But I think it is unfair to use this as the single standard to conclude that China is a developed country.
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Examples Analysis
1）主语的增补（汉语无主语）
出太阳了！ The sun is rising! 冷死我啦！ I am dead cold. 累得我走不动了。 It exhausted me so much that I couldn’t walk. I was too tired to walk. 知己知彼，百战不殆。 You can fight a hundred battles without defeat if you know the enemy as well as yourself.
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Modern English sentences 83% -- 97% SVO (Jesperson) Theme = Psychological Subject Theme ≈ Subject
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Features of the Subject in English
1. There must always be a subject; 2. The subject is the theme of the sentence that the verb structure describes; 3. The subject has grammatical control; 4. The subject must be a noun or a noun structure.
A subject-prominent language (eg. English) is a language in which the grammatical units of subject and predicate (SV) are basic to the structure of sentences and in which sentences usually have subject-predicate structure. A topic-prominent language (eg. Chinese) is one in which the information units of topic and comment are basic to the structure of sentence.
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Exa主语）
近二十年的时间已经充分证明，我们进行改革开放的 方向是正确的，信念是坚定的，步骤是稳妥的，方式 是渐进的，取得的成就是巨大的。 The practice in the past 20 years has eloquently proved that the direction of our reform and openingup is right, our conviction is firm, our steps are steady, our approach is gradual and our achievements are huge. The practice in the past 20 years has eloquently proved that we are right in direction, firm in conviction, steady in our steps and gradual in our approach when carrying out the reform and opening-up and have achieved tremendous success.
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Examples Analysis
中国历史上产生了许多杰出的哲学家、思想家、 政治家、军事家、科学家和文学艺术家。 China produced in its history many outstanding philosophers, thinkers, statesmen, strategists, scientists, writers and artists. Many outstanding philosophers, thinkers, statesmen, strategists, scientists, writers and artists were produced/emerged in China’s history. The Chinese history has witnessed the emergence of many eminent philosophers, thinkers, statesmen, strategists, scientists, LOGO writers and artists.
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Difficulties with Chinese Subjects (SVO?):
1）宾踞句首 2）主谓谓语句 3）宾踞动前 4）主状不分 ∴可以没有主语，也可以有多个主语，除名词以外，可以由动词，形 容词，副词，介词短语，主谓结构担当主语。
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Subject-prominent vs. Topic-prominent
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English: Theme-Rheme主位:述位 (Mathesius)
Theme is the primary element of a sentence; it is the subject being talked about and is known. Rheme is the core element of a sentence; it is something the speaker wants to say about the theme, or something related to the theme.