论文总字数：24354字

摘 要

语言的发展是一个十分漫长的过程,人们对语言的研究也从未停止过。语言是客观物体的反映。然而物体在过渡时期本身就是模糊的。因此，模糊性是语言的基本属性，能使我们不收语言精确性的限制下表达自己，从而使我们的交流更加的顺利。由于民族性格、文化、思维方式等方面的差异，模糊语是翻译中不可避免的问题。因此，如何掌握并且重现模糊蕴含对理解原文起着重要的作用。

本文首先给出模糊语的定义。从主客观两个方面分析模糊语产生的原因，然后通过对其表现形式和现象分类的深入研究，让人们对于模糊语有更多的了解。最后通过不同的案例给出一些翻译策略，使英汉语言之间的冲突得到调和，在翻译过程中让语句信息表达的更加精确。

关键词：模糊性；模糊语言学；原因；翻译策略

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

3. Definition of Fuzziness 2

4. Causes of Fuzzy Language 2

4.1 Objective Causes 2

4.2 Subjective Causes 3

5. Manifestation of Fuzzy Language 4

5.1 Vague Words 4

5.2 Fuzzy Additional Words 4

5.3 Fuzziness in Implicature 5

6. Types of Fuzziness 5

6.1 Fuzziness of Pronunciation and Detonation 5

6.2 Fuzziness of Grammar 6

6.3 Fuzziness of Semantics 6

6.4 Fuzziness of Numerals 7

7. Methods of Translating Fuzzy Language 7

7.1 Literal Translation 7

7.2 Free Translation 8

7.3 Omission 9

7.4 Amplification 10

8. Conclusion 11

Works Cited 12

1. Introduction

In linguistic, fuzziness of language is an objective existence. It is regarded as a basic characteristic of natural language. It is very common in both English and Chinese, even in every language. It is mainly because many objects can not be expressed by precise words. When an object is transiting from one state to another one, it is difficult to discriminate them. Many concepts do not have precise borderland which are called fuzzy concept. There are many factors contributing to fuzziness including language itself, the environment of communication, human’s knowledge of objects and the pursuit of expressive effects. The phenomenon of fuzzy language can be classified into four types: fuzziness of pronunciation and detonation, fuzziness of grammar, fuzziness of semantics and fuzziness of numerals. Fuzzy concepts and vague words are inevitable in communication. So how to grasp and recreate the implication of the source language is the key to understand the original text. According to Nida, no one can translate without the loss of semantic content. What translators should do is to minimize the loss. Fuzzy language is one factor of limits of translatability. Fuzziness of language brings a great challenge to translation. Thus, strategies of translation are necessary for translating as vividly and equivalently as possible. This thesis is designed to analyze the factors contributing to fuzziness and different types of it. Then the thesis lists some translation strategies applied to fuzzy language.

2. Literature Review

Most researchers around the world have studied the definition of fuzziness and different strategies of translating fuzzy language including equivalence, variation, amplification and omission by analyzing the causes of fuzziness and its manifestation. Some researchers also analyze the features of fuzzy language. Prof. Wu Tieping provided great resources for studying fuzzy language. In 1979, he introduced fuzzy theory to Chinese linguistic which wan proposed by L. A. Zadeh in 1965. Fuzziness of language is common in translation between English and Chinese. It causes difficulty in understanding and translating. Studying on fuzziness of language and strategies of translating fuzzy language is helpful to learn about differences between English and Chinese and improve the ability of translating and the quality of the translation for the purpose of cross-culture communication. (Zhang Ge, 2012:116)

3. Definition of Fuzziness

Along with the development of fuzzy linguistic, a lot of schools contend of the definition of fuzziness. According to Zhao Yuanren, a symbol is fuzzy when it is more suitable for describing borderland than clear cases. By fuzzy language we mean inaccurately relative language that has no explicit denotation rather than that is vague and misleading.(Zeng Yujun,2008:66) Fuzzy is different from ambiguous. Thus fuzziness can be defined as the uncertainty of the borderland of a word or a concept such as cold and hot, big and small, fat and slim. For example, we often can see the slogan: Bad weather, careful driving. However there is no precise definition of bad and it can be translated into雨雪天气，谨慎驾驶. So the word “bad” is fuzzy here.

4. Causes of Fuzzy Language

In the course of human practice and cognition, fuzzy language is inevitable because of the arbitrary knowledge of continuous matters and phenomenon. Fuzziness is a basic attribute of language. Fuzzy language is common in communication so it is important in natural language.

The causes of fuzziness can be classified into two types: objective and subjective causes.

4.1 Objective Causes

The objective causes of fuzziness can be clarified into the language itself and the environment of communication. First of all, the fuzziness of language is determined by its objective attribute. Language is an approach of thinking and communicating. Actually, language can not only pass information of syntax and grammar but also carry overhead information of pragmatics, society and culture.(Duan Xinmiao,2008:494) In addition, language is general. In the seventeenth century, J. Lock, an English philosopher, proposed that meaning is independent on language. Language is created for exchanging ideas in life. In other words, words emerged to be labels of meaning. The objective world exists before human knows it. It is impossible to express everything in precise words. So a word means objects in the same category rather than a certain object. It differentiates a category from the others by summarizing the similarity of the members.(Tian Changjing, Zhang Yiqian,2007:158)

Besides, fuzzy language is selected by the environment of communication as well. For example, someone wants to invite you to a party. But you can’t reply him firmly. You may say: I’d love to. But I’m afraid I can’t afford the time.(Duan Xinmiao,2008:494) The differences between cultures can also make contributes. It is impossible to master a language in condition of not knowing its culture. Differences between cultures always lead to misunderstanding and vague translation.

4.2 Subjective Causes

Subjective causes are due to human himself such as human’s knowledge of objects and expressive purposes. In fact, human’s knowledge of an object is limited within a certain period of time. Human often expresses it with fuzzy language before finding out its characteristics totally. Let us take UFO as an example. People call it undefined flying object because they can’t explain what it is exactly.

Another important cause is expressive purposes. Literary works are characterized by the application of fuzzy language, which leaves readers enough space for imagination and enhances the expressive force of literary works.(Yun Lizhao,2014:1996)Usually, more elegant means more implicit and more implicit, more indistinct. With fuzzy language, effects like a phrase with a double meaning, humor, vivid image, love and hate are given a full expression. We often say birds and animals, but what birds are and what animals mean are different in different people’s brain. Fuzzy language can give literature works a sense of distance and hazy.

5. Manifestation of Fuzzy Language

Due to differences in mode of thinking of different language, the manifestation of fuzziness is not necessarily the same. The thinking feature of Chinese is image thinking, but that of the western is accuracy. They are embodied in their own language system. As a result, theory system of Chinese scholars is potential and vague, while that of western scholars is external and precise.(Zhang Xiaohua,2012:101) The analyticity and accuracy are supplementary to each other.

In general, fuzzy language can be divided into vague words, fuzzy additional words, and fuzziness in implicature according to manifestation.

5.1 Vague Words

By vague words we mean those words themselves are fuzzy which can be analyzed by theory of semantic fields.(Zhang Xiaohua,2012:101) Channell pointed out that people sometimes choose fuzzy language deliberately in communicative activities. The structure, a vague quantitative adjective with a countable noun such as few people and some students, is often used in informal oral language and text. Besides, frequency adverbs are usually used as vague words. For example, a fall of snow a couple of days before had brought to the city dwellers a touch of brightness, but now what an ugly scene reigned. A touch of brightness means some brightness, but there is no precisely quantitative limitation of a touch.

5.2 Fuzzy Additional Words

By fuzzy additional words, concepts with precise meaning can be vague. Channell analyzed numerical fuzzy additional words and non-numerical fuzzy additional words in detail based on the Cobuild corpus and the actual corpus she collected.

5.2.1 Numerical Fuzzy Additional Words

The main structures are fuzzy additional words n(n is a number), n or m(n and m are two figures), n or so.(Zhai Qian,2008:175)

E.g. 600 or so people have taken part in the IELTS this month. (Zhai Qian,2008:175)

5.2.2 Non-numerical Fuzzy Additional Words

The main structures are plural quantitative word of noun or a singular quantitative word noun. (Zhai Qian,2008:175)

E.g. My father said I need a bit of discipline.

5.3 Fuzziness in Implicature

Some sentences are precise but they convey vague concepts. Take numerals as an example. Numerals have a clear boundary to show specified numbers. But some numerals are used to describe a vague number, degree or frequency such as两面三刀，三三两两，说三道四，低三下四，三五成群，百花齐放, 千军万马in Chinese.(Zhai Qian,2008:175) It is also common in English like a thousand thanks. A thousand is originally precise but it means very much.

6. Types of Fuzziness

There are many types of fuzziness. The common phenomenon can be classified into the following four types.

6.1 Fuzziness of Pronunciation and Detonation

Fuzziness of pronunciation and detonation is also called cross-pronunciation ambiguity and cross-detonation ambiguity, which is common in oral language and puns.(Zhang Xiaohua,2012:102) The effect of fuzziness can be obtained by homophonic. For example, we must hang together, or we shall hang separately which is said by Benjamin Franklin. It can be translated into我们要么团结一致，要么将被一个个绞死. (Tian Changjing, Zhang Yiqian,2007:158)

Besides, the fuzziness of detonation is complex because when the stress falls on different words, the meaning of the sentence may be different. The translation is changed accordingly. For example, she has two apples. When the stress falls on “she”, it means it is she that has two apples. However, when the stress falls on two, it emphasizes the number.

6.2 Fuzziness of Grammar

Every language has flexible grammars especially Chinese and English. There are a lot of prepositions in English. Different grammatical structures and semantics can be formed in phrases. Fuzziness of grammar can be brought out without the language environment and context.(Tian Changjing, Zhang Yiqian,2007:159) For instance, the girl with flowers, the phrase may mean the girl that is decorated with flowers, the girl that is trying to sell flowers or the girl that carries flowers in her hand. (Tian Changjing, Zhang Yiqian,2007:159)

6.3 Fuzziness of Semantics

Compared with fuzziness of pronunciation, detonation and grammar, semantics is fuzzier. Objects in the world are changing and developing gradually, so there is a transition state between the two concepts. Thus, the words describing the transition state are vague. In Chinese, most words are polysemous. R. M. Kempson pointed out that there are four types of semantic fuzziness.

First of all, referential vagueness means it is difficult to make sure whether a word can be used to describe a certain object like city, town regardless of its clear meaning. The boundaries of them are not obvious.(Zhang Xiaohua,2012:102)

The second one is indeterminacy of meaning. The meaning of these words is changing and uncertain. Take Nancy’s picture as an instance. It may mean the picture drawn by Nancy or the picture belonging to Nancy. Synonyms can bring out fuzzy phenomenon easily such as thread, string, cord and rope. They all can be said in Chinese线，绳子. But we can not distinct them clearly. In addition, antonyms sometimes may be fuzzy. For instance, the words, big and small, are antonyms. But the boundary of big or small is changing with the comparison standard.

The third one is lack of specification. The meaning of words are clear but are used in a general sense.(Zhang Xiaohua,2012:102) For instance, the word “classmate” without pointing out age and gender can refer to many different people for it does not point out age and gender

The forth one is dis-junction. Take the phrase either . . . or as an example. The discount applies to customers either when they are members of the supermarket or when their spending is up to 100 yuan. In this sentence, one condition must be true or the two are both true. In addition, words about time, color and some abstract words like love and hate have features of fuzziness.

6.4 Fuzziness of Numerals

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