Abstract: English abbreviations are entering in Chine with a rapid speed. Bad on analyzing the English abbreviations through some aspects, such as the classifications, forms and influences, the article intends to make a further analysis on the reflections of English abbreviations. Although they have enriched the Chine prentation in many ways, the abbreviations have also brought some disorder and impact. In order to solve the problems, the article reminds us to emphasize the importance of standardizing the Chine language and the borrowing English abbreviations.
Key words: English abbreviation; Chine; influence; reflection
An Analysis on the English Abbreviation
Entering in Chine
分析汉语中的英语缩写
If English abbreviations were something completely new for us some years ago, they have already become a frequent visitor today. Everyday, we watch news in CCTV, and we can often hear the word—WTO. The words are not only ud by telespeak(television director), techspeak(technical person),and econspeak(economist), but also said by popspeak(popular person), they have become a k
ind of popular words. In our daily life, people turn on the TV, watch the NBA games, sing songs in Kara Ok, drink the AD calcium milk and eat food in KFC. When someone wants to surf the Internet, he must remember some websites endings such as .com、.edu、 and so on. English abbreviations are entering in Chine quietly. We can say that English abbreviations have already become an important part of modern Chine.
1.English abbreviation and its Classifications
There is a developmental trend that languages are gradually simplified. Not changing the meaning of the word, we can get a new word by shortening the original word or the original phra. We call it abbreviation method. Words, which are made by this method, are called abbreviations. This word-building is so easy and simple that it is very popular in modern English. There are a great variety of English abbreviations, the following classifications are some important ones:
1.1 Initialism (首字母缩写词).
This method is often ud in the formation of abbreviations, and it also constitutes the largest proportion of the whole abbreviations. The usual form of this method is to reprent the phra by using the first letter of each word of a technical terminology.
For example: LP—low pressure(低气压)，MF—medium frequency(中频)。
1.2 Clipped word (截短词).
Just as its name implies, we can get an abbreviation by cutting off some of the syllables of the word. Most people em to be on very familiar terms with a lot of clipped words, becau they are the earlist patterns of the language simplification.
做兄弟在心中
For example: kilo—kilogram(公斤)，cm—centimeter(厘米).
1.3 Acronym(首字母拼写词).
This method, which makes up a new word by joining the first letter of each word together, is a new word-formation that appears in recent years. But its developing speed is very fast, for it takes efforts in the simplification function, and overcomes the weakness that the initialism can only be pronounced letter by letter and diffic ult to remember.
For example: LASER(激光)，which is the acronym of Light Wave Amplification by Stimulated Emsstion of Radiation.
1.4 Blended word (拼缀词).
Language development has its own regular pattern and its unique aspect. Blended words are originally an abbreviation form of compound words. The characteristic of this method is to make up a word by cutting out the middle part of two words. We often e the words in oral English and news phraology. They are short, and make us feel fresh and strange.
For example, motel—mobile hotel(汽车旅馆); brunch—early lunch(早午餐); Europe Asia—Eurasia(亚欧大陆).
The purpo of using the words in science and technology is economical and practical.
For example: telex—teletype-exchange(电传), lunarnaut—lunar-astronaut(登月宇航员).
2. The form of English abbreviation entering in Chine
2.1English alphabet type (英文字母型)
The English alphabet abbreviation refers to borrow the initialism(首字母缩写词) and acronym(首字母拼音词) from English directly. There are two patterns in initialisms:
The first one is that we pronounce the word according to English letters, for example: BBC [bi: bi: si:]
British Broadcast Company (英国广播公司)；CPA [si: pi: ei] Certified Public Accountant (注册会计师)；EEC [i: i: si;] European Economic Community(欧洲经济共同体).
The other one is that we translate Chine into English, and then u the abbreviation of the English words, for example: CCTV [si: si: ti: vi:] Clod Circuit Television(中央电视台).
Acronyms are pronounced according to syllables, for example: OPEC [`oupek](石油输出国组织)—Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. EFTA [`eft](欧洲自由贸易协会)—European Free Trade Association.
2.2Chine transliteration type (汉语音译型)
This type of abbreviation means that the word translated into Chine is bad on the English pronunciation.
感谢父母的作文For example: 巴士(bus- omnibus)，雷达(radar- radio detection and ranging); 艾滋病(AIDS-acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
2.3Transliteration and free translation mixed type (音译意译混合)
指纹打卡机
The two types can be generally ud in some borrowed English abbreviations. We rely mainly on transliteration. For example: SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), can be transliterated into ―萨斯‖, or paraphrad into ―非典‖，and we do not translate it into ―严重急性呼吸系统综合病‖；Another example: LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission), can be transliterated into ―镭射‖, we also can paraphra it into ―激光‖. We can get easy and short words through this way.
2.4English and Chine mixed type (英汉融合型)
While we u the English abbreviations, we often mix them with Chine, so we can e a kind of phenomena that English is mingled with Chine:
For example: B超, T恤, CD光驱, IP电话, IC卡, and IT产业.
This type of abbreviation that compounds with some prompts is the most acceptable form for Chine, becau it express much more clear meanings.
3.The reason for English abbreviation entering in Chine
English abbreviations have already permeated into our newspapers, magazines, news broadcasts, TV programs and our daily life with an astonishing speed. There are many-sided reasons:
3.1Follow the pace of the social development
With the rapid development of society, and the frequent exchange of information, there must be some appropriate English words, which can reprent the new things and new phenomena brought by the social development. Becau of contacting with too many new things that appear and change so quickly, people have not enough time to create new words to describe new things with their own language. So the only way is borrowing. In recent years, there are so many abbreviations that reflect the contemporary level of the latest science and technology.
For example: IT (Information Technology 现代信息技术) of the advanced high technology; GHO (General Headquarters 总司令部) of military; EEC (European Economic Community 欧洲经济共同体) of economy; TB (Tuberculosis 肺结核) of medicine and MTV (Music Television 音乐电视) of entertainment. It can be said that English abbreviation is a mirror of the social development.
word加密3.2The vitality of English abbreviation Itlf
English abbreviations such as CD、DVD are very shot—only two or three English letters. Most people of the young generation in China have learned English more or less, so it makes a basic preparation for the entering of English abbreviation. Besides, there are also some other features:
3.2.1Symbolical (标志性)
An abbreviation itlf is a kind of symbol. For example: the Symbol of very important person—VIP, the quality sign of Hong Kong—HKQ.
3.2.2Vicarious (替代性)
Sometimes it is difficult for us to know how the abbreviations can be got, becau there are some similarities in pronunciation and figures between the words and their meanings. Such as X-road (交叉道); X-pt (交叉点).
3.2.3Artistic (艺术性)
Sometimes an abbreviation itlf is a picture. For example: the symbol of the British Bentley Car. In the center of the picture is an abbreviation ―B‖, which makes the word like an eagle that ems extremely powerful and lively. Its symbol significance is that the car will be very sage, stable and fast, just like the popular legends—flywheel. The method, which integrates the abbreviation with the picture, express comparative artistic quality.
3.2.4Remarkable (显著性)
Car lovers know the car made in Italy—FIAT (菲亚特—Federation International Automobile Torino). In English, ―fiat‖means ―an official order given by sb in authority‖. It is very formal, so the abbreviation is surely much more bold. CaiMenMeiJi, a famous Japane master of photograph, introduced the feature of his works in a humourous mood. He said that his works could be described by three letters—SOS, which stands for ―simple original story‖, but the three letters are originally ud as an international symbol which means urgent request for help. The master‘s practice that summarizes the feature of his works with SOS is very attractive and gives people an extremely deep impression.
3.2.5 Tactful (委婉性)
名帖During our daily life, we u ―WC—water clot‖instead of ―Toilet (厕所)‖. The abbreviation makes the word express its meaning indirectly and sound beautifully.
3.2.6 International (国际性)
The invasion of English abbreviations in any kinds of languages in the world is good for countries being in line with International level, and it is good for the international culture exchange.
3.3Conform to the principle – simplicity
家用餐桌加盟商Shakespeare said ―Brevity is the soul of wit‖(简洁是智慧的灵魂). The popular English abbreviation in Chine media is very short – only two to four letters, like IC, MTV and so on. The situations, which there are much more double syllable words in Chine are identical with English abbreviation. We can image, if we u ―汽车驾驶员仪表，信号，及指路系统‖ instead of ―Driving Aid Information and Routing‖; and u the full name ―严重的呼吸道综合症‖instead of ―Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome‖, it will not only make readers feel strange, but also waste time and money. We‘d better u the abbreviation form—―DAIR‖ and ―SARS‖, becau they are easy and short.
3.4Conform to people’s conception
关于春天的诗词The arrival of the knowledge economy arous people‘s courage and action to pursue new knowledge. So, people are very concerned about everything happening in the world, and take the initiative to absorb new information. English abbreviation, which stands for new concepts、new things and new information, is acceptable to people, especially to the youth. For example, there is a female singer group—S.H.E in Taiwan. The three letters S.H.E in this group respectively stand for Selina(任家萱), Hebe (田馥甄), Ella (陈嘉桦). Obviously, it is the abbreviation of the first alphabet of the three singers‘ English name. At the same time, the abbreviation—S.H.E, which is identical to the English word ―she‖, ingeniously ts off the xual characteristic of this group. Such a great abbrev
iation is easy to attract people‘s interests, especially the singer fans‘. It is fit for people‘s mentality, especially for the young people‘s mentality of pursueing new trail and making individual character widely known. English abbreviation likes to follow the fashion and reflect new things very much. However, in such an informational society, which is developing so quickly, people can‘t bear long and complex words. So the change of the ideology makes our attitude active toward English abbreviation in such a global integration era.
