An Analysis of Translating Titles and Abstracts from Chinese into English in Medical Articles医学论文标题及摘要英译汉方法分析.doc

An Analysis of Translating Titles and Abstracts from Chinese into English in Medical Articles医学论文标题及摘要英译汉方法分析论文摘要医学论文的标题是全文内容的缩影，有助于读者预测论文的主要内容和作者的意图；而论文摘要是全文的精华，是对一项科学研究工作的总结，对研究目的、方法和研究结果的概括。在同行交流过程中，标题和摘要是最常用的文体形式。目前，我国医学杂志在发表论文时均要求附有英语标题和摘要。因此，将中文标题和摘要准确翻译成英语，对真实反映文章的学术水平、促进国际学术交流有重要的作用。本文旨在探讨医学论文标题和摘要的翻译方法。文章首先简要概括了医学论文的文体特征，并提出论文标题和摘要的重要性。随后分析了两期中华口腔医学杂志（1996年第6期和2006年第6期）内数篇文章的中英文标题和摘要，比较近10年来国内口腔医学论文中文标题和摘要英译格式和风格的改变。通过对目前的标题和摘要翻译中词汇、时态和语态、以及固定句式结构等翻译技巧的分析，作者发现正式词是医学论文的主要词汇；时态和语态在医学英语中相对固定；而名词短语式标题由于能明确地反映作者的研究内容和/或结果，成为目前常用的标题形式；而结构式摘要格式统一、语言简洁，是目前国际流行的通用摘要形式。针对这种相对固定的标题和摘要结构，有许多常用的句法结构，可为翻译提供便捷。作者通过本次研究对论文标题和摘要的翻译方法进行了初步总结，为其在实际工作中论文写作和对外交流提供切实的帮助。关键词：标题 摘要 医学论文 汉译英AbstractThe title of a medical article is the reduction of the whole text, which reviews the main purpose and content of a research directly in order to interest the target readers. And the abstract is the distillate of an article, which highly summarizes the research work with limited but precise words without missing the main points in each part of the article, including its aim, methods and materials, results and the conclusion. On most occasions of medical intercourse, such as medical report writing and international communication in the field, the title and the abstract of an article is the pivotal pattern for information exchange. As a result, an English title and abstract are required by many Chinese medical journals. Titles and abstracts with good English version can reflect the quality of the research work and bridge the communication between medical experts and scientists from different countries. For this purpose, how to translate titles and abstracts accurately and briefly is crucial for Chinese researchers. This research is intended to explore the strategies of translating proper titles and concise abstracts of medical articles from Chinese into English. Twenty titles and 6 abstracts in two issues of Chinese Journal of Stomatology in 1996 and 2006 were selected respectively and analyzed according to the translation principles and methods suggested by publications. After investigating the words, tenses and voices, and structures of titles and abstracts, the author finds formal words are dominant in medical English, while tenses and voices are relatively fixed. Noun phrase is the most common pattern in titles, and structured abstract is popular. The standard structures in title and abstract provide locutions and syntaxes which make the translation task easy to be accomplished.By carrying on such a research, the author summarizes the methods and formats of translating Chinese titles and abstracts into English, which may provide a great help in practical work.Key words: title, abstract, medical articles, Chinese-English translationTable of ContentsPages1. Introduction 1.1 Background of the Research .1.2 Objectives of the Research .1.3 Structures of the Research .11122. Rationale .2.1 General Principles of Medical English Translation .2.2 Titles of Medical Articles .2.2.1 Functions of a title 2.2.2 Formats and basic translation strategies of titles 2.3 Abstracts of Medical Articles .2.3.1 Functions of an abstract .2.3.2 Formats of abstracts .2.3.3 Translation strategies of abstract .2233455673. Data Description 94. Data Analysis .4.1 Demands of Titles and Abstracts from the Journal .4.2 Title Translation .4.2.1 Characteristics of data titles .4.2.2 Translation strategies of titles .4.3 Abstract Translation .4.3.1 Words in sample abstracts .4.3.2 Tenses and voices in sample abstracts .4.3.3 Syntax translation .1010101012141415165. Results and Suggestions 5.1 Results and Suggestions in Title Translation 5.2 Results and Suggestions in Abstract Translation .1616176. Conclusions 18Bibliography.21Appendix I: Examples of Titles and Abstracts.23Appendix II: Subscription Guidelines of Chinese Journal of Stomatology .31An Analysis of Translating Titles and Abstractsfrom Chinese into English in Medical Articles1. Introduction1.1 Background of the ResearchMedical science is one of the natural sciences without boundary globally. In recent decades, the world is globalizing not only in economy, politics, or technology, but in the field of diseases. From Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and not to mention the recent bird flu, none of the diseases would isolate in one region, or a country, but threaten the health of all creatures in the global village. We are responsible for guarding ourselves against diseases. For these reasons, it is urgent for us to put forward our research achievements to communicate with other scientists in the world and develop the cooperation as broadly as we can. To achieve those aims, medical articles are the main bridges, and English is the current language for international communication. Writing a medical research paper in English and presenting the viewpoint precisely are important for a medical researcher.1.2 Objectives of the ResearchAlthough there is a convention, or a rule in composing titles and managing abstracts to reach the goal of medical articles, there are many different expressions between Chinese and English. The aim of this research is intended to explore the strategies of selecting a proper English title for a Chinese article and summarizing the content in a concise abstract. Based on the linguistic features of English article and some translation principles, a comparative study is to be made between certain Chinese articles and their English titles and abstracts quoted from Chinese Journal of Stomatology. Through the analysis of the collected translations, the author hopes to find out some practical rules and skills of translating Chinese versions into English ones.1.3 Structures of the ResearchThe research paper is to be divided into three parts and some subsections to discuss the strategies of title and abstract translation separately. In the first part, the author will review the rationales from publications. The title and abstract translation strategies will be discussed, including their functions, formats and other grammar. In the second part, data analysis will be carried out according to the aspects reviewed in the previous part. The author intends to compare the changes in titles and abstracts translation in 1996 with that in 2006 and finding the features in practical translation. In the last part, results and general suggestions will be summed up.By doing such a research, the author hopes to get a better understanding of the characteristics of English articles, to come up with some translation strategies that can be applied to her future translation work in medical study and research.2. Rationale2.1 General Principles of Medical English TranslationFaithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance are three main general principles of overall translation. Besides, there are additional requests for science and technology English, which medical English belongs to. Many scholars have summarized them in details. According to Sir Peter Medawar, who was the composer of the technological part of Oxford English, the languages in science and technology should be brevity, cogency, and clarity (Medawar, 1986, quoted in Zhu, 2003). Qian Shao-chang provides an ABC formula as the guideline of writing and translating a scientific article, that is, accuracy, brevity, and clarity. (Qian, 1993). Furthermore, preciseness, logical, objective, concise, precise concepts, and careful organized structure are other common characteristics of science and technology English. (He, 1998, quoted in Huang, 2005a). Moreover, medical English has its own traits in both words and syntaxes. Firstly, common words have their special meanings in medical usage, like, “culture” means “the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought” in common use, but “the growing of microorganisms, tissue cells, or other living matter in a specially prepared nutrient medium” in medical field. Secondly, words rooted in Latin, Greek are largely used. For example, “bronchus” has its homotype “bronchus” and “bronchos” in Latin and Greek, respectively. Thirdly, abbreviations are frequent employed which enlarge the information density. As we know that “DNA” commonly abbreviate for “deoxyribonucleic acid”, a nucleic acid that carries the genetic information in the cell. Finally, long sentences and attributive clauses are widely used to construct the logical framework of the paragraphs (Kong, 2003, quoted in Huang, 2005a). Being well-aware of the features of Medical English, Huang Hong advocates some principles for English-Chinese translation: faithfulness, conciseness, and consistency (Huang, 2005b).No matter what principles we follow, the aim of translation Chinese medical papers into English is similarto try to share the research accomplishments with the world.2.2 Titles of Medical ArticlesT Clifford Allbutt stated that, first impressions are strong impressions; a title ought therefore to be well studied, and to give, so far as its limits permit, a definite and concise indication of what is to come (quoted in Dong, 1998). He summarized the function and the importance of a title in brief. In this section, the author will review some aspects of translating a title in medical articles, involving their status, different formats, and general translation strategies. 2.2.1 Functions of a titleWhat is a good title? Robert A. Day (quoted in Dong, 1998) defines it as the fewest possible words that adequately describe the contents of the paper. Further more, Authorities (Huth, 1990; OConnor, 1991; Zeiger, 1991, quoted in Dong, 1998) agree on certain qualities that characterize a good title: Accuracy: make sure that the main words in title can describe the research prominent, without misleading.Brevity: the shorter the title is, the more powerful it will be.Effectiveness: the title can interest the appropriate readers and help them locate the paper in stander indexes and databases.It is ruled in “Presentation of scientific and technical reports, dissertations and scientific papers” (National standards of P. R. China, GB7713-87) that title should represent the content of a report with most proper and concise words. Therefore, in translating or preparing a title for a paper, the author would keep in mind one salient fact: a title will be read by thousands of people. Perhaps only a few people, if any, will read the entire paper, but many people will read the title, either in the original journal or in the abstract and index publications. Therefore, a title highly condenses the main idea of the paper, all words in it should be chosen with great care, and be skillfully, logically managed. In summary, “The title is a label,” as Day (1998) said. In another word, title is the spirit of an article.2.2.2 Formats and basic translation strategies of titlesBoth in Chinese and English, titles have three fundamental formats: phrases, declarative sentences, and Interrogative sentences. (Lan, 2002; Ning, 2003)Phrase-type titles are made up of one or more characters. The substantive words are usually noun phrases, prepositional phrases, or noun/noun phrase+prepositional phrases. Noun phrases and noun phrase+prepositional phrases are widely employed in medical papers. For example, 胃癌病因学，Etiology of Stomach Cancer (noun phrase); 伴有细菌性脓肿的疱疹样化脓性指头炎,Herpetic Whitlow with Bacterial Abscess (noun phrase+prepositional phrase). This kind of titles is usually translated literally. In addition, some locutions are frequently appearing in Chinese articles, like, 研究(studies on )、分析(analysis of)、影响(influence / effect of)、观察(observations on) etc. Though they can be translated literally, they can be omitted on many occasions. We will discuss them in details in Part 4: Data Analysis.Declarative and interrogative sentences occasionally appear in medical works, especially in the essays, handouts or booklets or health guides. Literal translation is the simplest way to handle such titles. For example, 食物胆固醇可导致结肠癌, Dietary Cholesterol Is Carcinogenic for Human Colon Cancer; 长期接触有机磷杀虫剂能引起眼并发症吗？Does Chronic Exposure to Organophosphate Insecticides Cause Eye Complications?2.3 Abstracts of Medical ArticlesThe term abstract signifies an abbreviated, accurate representation of a document, without added interpretation or criticism and without distinction as to who wrote the abstract (American National Standard for Writing Abstracts, ANSI Z39.14-1971). In corresponding, the national standard of China defines that the abstract of an article is a brief declaration of the content without commentary or criticism (National standards of P. R. China, GB7713-87). From these two standards, we can extract the characteristics of abstract: brevity, condensed and subjective. In this section, we will take a look into abstracts of medical papers. 2.3.1 Functions of an abstractStatisticians declare that there are more than 7,000 pieces of scientific articles published through out the world per day, the information doubles every 20 months. How can a scientist catch up with the current development in the enormous papers in his/her research field? The answer is the abstract. Eighty percent information and datum are obtained from abstracts in these days. Abstracts have become the effective tool for medical searching and indexing (Zhou, 2004).Day (1998) notes the four functions of the abstract: to state the main objectives and scope of the investigation, to describe the methods used, to summarize the results, and to state the major conclusions. In performing those functions, an abstract must be independent and self-explaining. That is, readers can get the overview of an article from the abstract without reading the full paper. 2.3.2 Formats of abstractsThere are four formats of abstracts: informative abstract, indicative abstract, informative-indicative abstract, and structured abstract (ISO 214-1976(E). Informative abstract intends to present more details in original paper, especially results and conclusi