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基于語(yǔ)料庫(kù)的EAP翻譯試題設(shè)計(jì)研究
周平,李濤
(安徽財(cái)經(jīng)大學(xué)外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)院,安徽蚌埠233030)
[摘要]文章從語(yǔ)義韻視角嘗試探討語(yǔ)料庫(kù)在翻譯測(cè)試試題設(shè)計(jì)中的應(yīng)用。從語(yǔ)料庫(kù)中抽取10個(gè)具有負(fù)面語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞,以多項(xiàng)選擇題和填空題為測(cè)試題型,從而考查譯者對(duì)詞匯的深度把握,進(jìn)而恰當(dāng)準(zhǔn)確進(jìn)行翻譯的能力,對(duì)翻譯教學(xué)以及翻譯測(cè)試試題設(shè)計(jì)有一定的啟示意義。
[關(guān)鍵詞]語(yǔ)料庫(kù);翻譯測(cè)試;語(yǔ)義韻
“翻譯測(cè)試是一項(xiàng)具有理論意義和應(yīng)用價(jià)值的研究課題”[1]。然而,傳統(tǒng)的語(yǔ)言測(cè)試研究不把翻譯作為一種語(yǔ)言能力來看待,較少關(guān)注翻譯測(cè)試。在有限的翻譯測(cè)試文獻(xiàn)中,多為翻譯研究者嘗試借用語(yǔ)言測(cè)試相關(guān)理論和概念開展翻譯文本的質(zhì)量評(píng)估,仍停留在宏觀理論探究層面,這一研究現(xiàn)狀與我國(guó)翻譯學(xué)學(xué)科的迅速發(fā)展極不相稱。隨著本科翻譯專業(yè)以及翻譯專業(yè)碩士教育在我國(guó)的大力推廣,對(duì)翻譯測(cè)試的深入研究亟待開展。
1.1關(guān)于翻譯測(cè)試
“語(yǔ)言測(cè)試的任務(wù)是對(duì)考生的語(yǔ)言能力進(jìn)行客觀的、準(zhǔn)確的、公正的評(píng)價(jià)……要測(cè)量語(yǔ)言能力首先要定義所測(cè)量的語(yǔ)言能力結(jié)構(gòu)”[2]。因此,翻譯測(cè)試的任務(wù)就是對(duì)譯者/譯員的翻譯能力進(jìn)行客觀、準(zhǔn)確、公正的評(píng)價(jià),其前提也要明確所測(cè)量翻譯能力結(jié)構(gòu)?!皽y(cè)試翻譯能力的關(guān)鍵,是要把‘翻譯能力’分解成可以評(píng)估的因素,或在命題時(shí)設(shè)法使翻譯能力通過翻譯實(shí)際操作體現(xiàn)出來”[3]。
眾所周知,翻譯涉及多維因素,譯文的形成受制于多種因素的制約,主要包括源文所生成的社會(huì)文化背景、源文、源文作者、譯者、譯文、譯文所生成的社會(huì)文化背景。概而言之,可以認(rèn)為翻譯的制約因素包括語(yǔ)言內(nèi)因素和語(yǔ)言外因素。而作為合格的譯者/譯員,就應(yīng)當(dāng)在翻譯過程中恰當(dāng)準(zhǔn)確的把握語(yǔ)言內(nèi)和語(yǔ)言外因素。肖維青在回顧綜述翻譯能力研究模式的基礎(chǔ)上,提出“翻譯測(cè)試的科學(xué)化必然也要落實(shí)到其測(cè)量的構(gòu)念——翻譯能力上……在我們厘清了多元素翻譯能力觀和翻譯測(cè)試構(gòu)念之間的關(guān)系之后,我們知道翻譯測(cè)試必須有效地考察雙語(yǔ)次能力、超語(yǔ)言超能力、翻譯知識(shí)次能力、工具次能力和策略次能力等,甚至連心理生理要素也應(yīng)作為考察的一部分”[4]。PACTE研究團(tuán)隊(duì)提出多元素翻譯能力模式,認(rèn)為翻譯能力由五種次能力構(gòu)成,包括1)雙語(yǔ)次能力;2)超語(yǔ)言次能力;3)翻譯知識(shí)次能力;4)工具次能力;5)策略次能力。其中雙語(yǔ)次能力是指雙語(yǔ)交流所需的程序性知識(shí),由雙語(yǔ)語(yǔ)用知識(shí)、社會(huì)語(yǔ)言學(xué)知識(shí)、語(yǔ)篇知識(shí)、語(yǔ)法和詞匯知識(shí)組成[5]。
綜觀先前研究,我們認(rèn)為翻譯能力結(jié)構(gòu)可大體分為語(yǔ)言內(nèi)能力和語(yǔ)言外能力。因此,翻譯測(cè)試是對(duì)譯者雙語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言能力和雙語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言外能力的評(píng)測(cè),其中包括對(duì)譯者掌握源語(yǔ)和譯語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言能力的測(cè)試。
1.2關(guān)于語(yǔ)料庫(kù)及其在試題編寫中的應(yīng)用
“在語(yǔ)言測(cè)試方面,語(yǔ)料庫(kù)的潛能也愈來愈引起人們的關(guān)注”[6]。就現(xiàn)有文獻(xiàn)來看,語(yǔ)料庫(kù)在測(cè)試中的應(yīng)用主要體現(xiàn)在試卷命題、考試大綱中詞匯表的制定、評(píng)分量表的制作、基于語(yǔ)料的語(yǔ)言測(cè)試模式設(shè)計(jì)、自動(dòng)評(píng)分系統(tǒng)的研制等方面[7-8]。語(yǔ)料庫(kù)是具有代表性的真實(shí)使用語(yǔ)言的大規(guī)模電子化文本集合,可以能夠?yàn)槊}人員提供合適的試題素材,而“試題的代表性和真實(shí)性是試卷效度的重要保障”[9]。
在國(guó)外,Barker利用英語(yǔ)國(guó)家語(yǔ)料庫(kù)(BNC)還原試題的內(nèi)容和話語(yǔ)語(yǔ)境,如語(yǔ)言項(xiàng)的常用型式、某一搭配、習(xí)語(yǔ)等相關(guān)語(yǔ)言項(xiàng)的使用頻率及得體性,區(qū)分同義詞語(yǔ)義上的細(xì)微差別。Biber等創(chuàng)建了學(xué)術(shù)口語(yǔ)和書面語(yǔ)語(yǔ)料庫(kù),為托??荚嚶犃Α㈤喿x和寫作命題選材方面提供了物質(zhì)基礎(chǔ)。國(guó)內(nèi),白雅基于中國(guó)學(xué)習(xí)者英語(yǔ)語(yǔ)料庫(kù)(CLEC)和BNC,對(duì)我國(guó)高考英語(yǔ)短文改錯(cuò)試題的真實(shí)性進(jìn)行了檢驗(yàn)[10]。這些研究對(duì)考試命題人員都有很好的啟示作用。陳怡認(rèn)為學(xué)習(xí)者翻譯語(yǔ)料庫(kù)可以改進(jìn)漢英文本翻譯測(cè)試的命題、優(yōu)化評(píng)分量表,使?jié)h英翻譯試題的內(nèi)容更具代表性和區(qū)分度,是當(dāng)代翻譯教學(xué)和測(cè)試研究的有力工具[11]。
可以看出,語(yǔ)料庫(kù)漸已成為命題人員不可缺少的有效工具,為試題設(shè)計(jì)編寫及試題效度提供了堅(jiān)實(shí)的基礎(chǔ),而翻譯語(yǔ)料庫(kù)也可以廣泛應(yīng)用于翻譯測(cè)試試題的開發(fā)。
1.3關(guān)于語(yǔ)義韻使用
Louw具體將語(yǔ)義韻定義為某個(gè)語(yǔ)言項(xiàng)通過其搭配語(yǔ)詞而彌漫于整個(gè)單位中協(xié)調(diào)一致的語(yǔ)義氛圍,并表示語(yǔ)義韻是由系列相對(duì)穩(wěn)定近似的搭配詞構(gòu)建起來的語(yǔ)義形式,通常具有正面或負(fù)面語(yǔ)義特點(diǎn),其主要功能是表達(dá)說話人語(yǔ)言使用中的態(tài)度[12]。在這個(gè)定義中,Louw強(qiáng)調(diào)了語(yǔ)義韻是某一語(yǔ)詞及其慣常性搭配語(yǔ)詞共同作用產(chǎn)生的特定語(yǔ)義氛圍,并表示其功能在于傳達(dá)說話人對(duì)特定事件的評(píng)定和態(tài)度。同時(shí),語(yǔ)義韻具有概率屬性,它不否認(rèn)反例存在,但其對(duì)立語(yǔ)義韻發(fā)生的概率相對(duì)較低。Stubbs將語(yǔ)義韻分為積極語(yǔ)義韻、消極語(yǔ)義韻和中性語(yǔ)義韻[13]。一些詞項(xiàng)具有強(qiáng)烈的消極語(yǔ)義韻,另一些詞項(xiàng)則有明顯的積極語(yǔ)義韻。語(yǔ)義韻體現(xiàn)一個(gè)詞項(xiàng)的搭配型式,這種型式只有通過利用語(yǔ)料庫(kù),從大量實(shí)際使用的語(yǔ)言中總結(jié)出來,而遠(yuǎn)非本族語(yǔ)者的直覺所能體察到的。對(duì)語(yǔ)義韻現(xiàn)象的認(rèn)識(shí)是“語(yǔ)料庫(kù)語(yǔ)言學(xué)的重要貢獻(xiàn)之一”[14]。
譯者作為雙語(yǔ)使用者,對(duì)所涉及語(yǔ)言中特定語(yǔ)言項(xiàng)語(yǔ)義韻的把握自然也是難點(diǎn)?!懊看巫g者‘被抓’犯錯(cuò),并非因?yàn)樗恼Z(yǔ)法——其語(yǔ)法可能令人難以置信的比一位受過良好教育的母語(yǔ)者還要‘好’;也并非由于他的詞匯量——其詞匯量也可能更大,而是因?yàn)樗切┎磺‘?dāng)而難以在譯語(yǔ)中得以接受的語(yǔ)詞搭配”[15]。武光軍和王克非基于類比語(yǔ)料庫(kù),探究了漢譯英翻譯文本中搭配特征的整體趨勢(shì),指出漢譯英譯文中的搭配模式整體而言常規(guī)化和異常化并存,以常規(guī)化為主,以異?;癁檩o,即相比于原生英語(yǔ)文本,英語(yǔ)譯文文本更接近“常態(tài)”,文本搭配模式變異度和豐富度不高[16]。唐義均基于自建政論體語(yǔ)篇翻譯語(yǔ)料庫(kù),從詞語(yǔ)搭配的視角調(diào)查黨政文獻(xiàn)漢英翻譯中的搭配沖突程度,以檢驗(yàn)中國(guó)高級(jí)EFL使用者的語(yǔ)言使用的精確度。結(jié)果表明,在其調(diào)查的58個(gè)搭配詞中有48.2%超出目標(biāo)語(yǔ)的搭配范圍,“中國(guó)的高級(jí)EFL使用者的詞語(yǔ)搭配意識(shí)薄弱,已經(jīng)在黨政重要文獻(xiàn)翻譯中造成了嚴(yán)重的問題”[17]。這都表明,譯者對(duì)于語(yǔ)義韻的把握仍有待進(jìn)一步提高。也表明語(yǔ)料庫(kù)不僅能夠提高譯者對(duì)語(yǔ)詞語(yǔ)義韻的翻譯意識(shí),而且可以輔助譯者提高譯文質(zhì)量,使譯文表達(dá)更加通暢從而取得更好的傳播效果。因此,如果基于語(yǔ)料庫(kù),特別是翻譯語(yǔ)料庫(kù),抽取翻譯測(cè)試材料,不僅可以使翻譯測(cè)試更具針對(duì)性和科學(xué)性,而且對(duì)譯者語(yǔ)詞使用具有良好的反撥作用。
基于以上分析,本文擬基于母語(yǔ)語(yǔ)料庫(kù)和平行語(yǔ)料庫(kù),嘗試以漢英翻譯為例,從語(yǔ)義韻角度設(shè)計(jì)翻譯測(cè)試試題以評(píng)估譯者譯入語(yǔ)語(yǔ)言能力。
2.1試題目的
試題設(shè)計(jì)目的旨在調(diào)查譯者能否對(duì)某些具有明顯語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞保持清晰的認(rèn)識(shí),恰當(dāng)?shù)皿w地使用這樣的語(yǔ)詞進(jìn)行翻譯。具體來說,就是調(diào)查譯者能否在某些語(yǔ)詞積極和消極語(yǔ)義韻同等情形下,對(duì)具有明顯積極或消極語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞能夠象英語(yǔ)作為母語(yǔ)者那樣,具有相似或相同的語(yǔ)義韻感知能力。
2.2試題對(duì)象
測(cè)試對(duì)象為某高校翻譯專業(yè)一年級(jí)學(xué)生。測(cè)試前,他們剛剛完成一個(gè)學(xué)期的英語(yǔ)課程學(xué)習(xí)。但他們尚未經(jīng)過基本的翻譯訓(xùn)練,對(duì)翻譯中的語(yǔ)義韻問題尚未有清晰的認(rèn)識(shí)。
2.3試題設(shè)計(jì)步驟
從國(guó)內(nèi)外學(xué)者對(duì)語(yǔ)義韻研究的材料中,提取10個(gè)具有明顯積極或消極語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞,本文以消極韻為例。以這10個(gè)語(yǔ)詞為檢索項(xiàng)在楊百翰大學(xué)BNC在線語(yǔ)料庫(kù)中分類檢索它們具有明顯消極語(yǔ)義韻的例證,盡量提取學(xué)術(shù)英語(yǔ)類型語(yǔ)料。
試題分成兩部分。第一部分為多項(xiàng)選擇題,以“cause”,“happen”,“provide”,“commit”,“habitual”為測(cè)試項(xiàng),每個(gè)詞給出四個(gè)例句。其中兩個(gè)例句是從BNC中檢索出來具有明顯消極語(yǔ)義韻傾向的例句,另外兩個(gè)例句為人工制作的,且與BNC檢索例句具有相反語(yǔ)義韻,即積極語(yǔ)義韻。四個(gè)例句順序隨機(jī)打亂排列,要求譯者在四個(gè)例句中選取認(rèn)為最地道的英語(yǔ)句子,可多選。
Which sentence you think is the most proper one in respect of the key word in each section?
(1)cause
A. Changes in bankruptcy rules can cause more bankruptcies
B. His hard work caused his success.
C. In international law, the strict rule could cause convenience to third parties whose interests were taken into account by treaties.
D. If left untreated, it can cause a mild infection in the baby when it is born.
(2)happen
A. I’ll be promoted, and this is sure to happen.
B. The message from landowners, police, and the High Court…ignore the runours, it won't happen.
C. The pressure is enormous and can happen in a matter of minutes in the public relations business.
D. If you appreciate life, fortune is going to happen.
(3)provide
A. Many local drug treatment centres provide services to meet the particular needs of people.
B. Again, Ortega's reflections on politics provide an excellent sounding-board for discussion of the events.
C. You should not provide spoiling beef to those who are in desperate need.
D. What John can do is to provide some bad ideas.
(4)Commit
A. They ordered him to commit suicide by taking poison.
B. What good might he commit in his career?
C. To prove that you suspected that they were going to commit a crime isn’t so easy.
D. We finally survived from the car accident because he committed a right decision.
(5)habitual
A. But their toying is never altogether innocent and is soon converted into habitual malice.
B. I very much admire the way in which he told his teacher with his habitual frankness.
C. He won popularity among people because of his habitual kind deeds.
D. More habitual bankrupts have to apply to the court after five years and argue their case.
第二部分為填空題,區(qū)分近義詞。以兩組近義詞
“affect, influence”,“result, outcome, consequence”為例。在兩組近義詞中,每組都有具有明顯消極語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞。同樣在BNC中檢索例句,每個(gè)語(yǔ)詞檢索出三個(gè)例句,即第一組六個(gè)例句,第二組九個(gè)句子。對(duì)于具有明顯消極語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞,所檢索例句能夠展示其明顯的消極語(yǔ)義韻。在所有例句中,把測(cè)試項(xiàng)去除,要求被試分別從兩組近義詞中挑選出合適恰當(dāng)?shù)恼Z(yǔ)詞進(jìn)行填空。
Fill in the blanks with the most proper word.
(1)consequence; outcome; result
A. Difficulties in the education service can be explained as the___of incidents of which they are probably the cause.
B. The___is an absence of diversity; a key requirement for a truly representative press and one suited for political democracy.
C. The ___at worst, is a neglect of research and development, strategic investment and skills training.
D. Both the reforms and the weaknesses of the republican governments contributed to the outbreak and___of a Spanish civil war; that is the reassertion of conservative military rule in Spain.
E. The ___of this was that net disinvestment in the colonies took place under the Labour government: inflows of funds were about£40 million, while sterling balances grew by £160 million.
F. In two general elections the___was quite perverse.
G. The___is a lacerated wound with little surrounding tissue destruction and the energy released at the site of the injury is very low.
H. The___of an abandon decision will be a zero pay-off as shown.
I. There has not been such a bad___for the professionals since the American election of 1948 when the pollsters confidently predicted a clear victory for Dewey.
J. Less sleep is needed by the elderly, but the habits of a lifetime might not be changed automatically, with the___that individuals retire earlier than necessary and too much time is spent in bed.
(2)affect; influence
A. In the light of his statistical results, Keeble concluded that regional policy had been the more significant___.
B. Wordsworth had lived in and loved the Lakes for sixty years, and later Ruskin, the great architectural ___of the nineteenth century, built a house on Lake Coniston.
C. For example the extent to which patients like or trust the doctor and nurse may___their willingness to cooperate in their treatment.
D. For example, people's expectations about future inflation, interest rates, production costs, imports and exports, exchange rate movements and other external developments may all___interest rates.
E. We should expect the mass-selling tabloid press to have a stronger___on public attitudes and choices than onpublic information and perceptions.
F. The most important of these variables is probably the heating of the plate margin since this will___its thickness and strength.
本文嘗試基于語(yǔ)料庫(kù)開展翻譯測(cè)試試題的設(shè)計(jì)制作,著重從語(yǔ)義韻視角考查作為翻譯能力之一的語(yǔ)言能力。具體而言,本文從語(yǔ)料庫(kù)中抽取10個(gè)具有負(fù)面語(yǔ)義韻的語(yǔ)詞,以多項(xiàng)選擇題和填空題為測(cè)試題型,從而考查譯者對(duì)詞匯的深度把握,進(jìn)而恰當(dāng)準(zhǔn)確進(jìn)行翻譯的能力。不可否認(rèn),本文只是運(yùn)用語(yǔ)料庫(kù)開展翻譯測(cè)試試題設(shè)計(jì)的嘗試性研究,且試題的信度效度有待開展實(shí)驗(yàn)進(jìn)一步驗(yàn)證。但本文可為今后此類研究提供研究思路和借鑒,對(duì)翻譯教學(xué)以及翻譯測(cè)試試題設(shè)計(jì)有一定的啟示意義。
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[責(zé)任編輯:余義兵]
A Study of EAP Translation Test Question Design Based on Language Database
Zhou Ping, Li Tao
(College of Foreign Studies, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu Anhui 233030)
Abstract:The paper makes a probe into application of language database to translation test questions from the perspective of semantic prosody. Ten samples with negative semantic prosody are selected for the test question types of multiple -choice question and gap filling in order to check students’mastery of vocabulary and translation competence, which provides reference for translation teaching and translation test question design.
Key Words:Language Database; Translation Test; Semantic Prosody
作者簡(jiǎn)介:周平(1962-),男,安徽蚌埠人,安徽財(cái)經(jīng)大學(xué)外國(guó)語(yǔ)學(xué)院副教授,博士,研究方向?yàn)閼?yīng)用語(yǔ)言學(xué),語(yǔ)料庫(kù)語(yǔ)言學(xué)。
基金項(xiàng)目:安徽省教育廳人文社科項(xiàng)目重點(diǎn)專項(xiàng)項(xiàng)目(2011sk182zd);安徽省教育廳重點(diǎn)教研項(xiàng)目(2012jyxm227);安徽省教育廳人文社科一般項(xiàng)目(2011sk163);北京外國(guó)語(yǔ)大學(xué)中國(guó)外語(yǔ)教育研究中心第六批‘中國(guó)外語(yǔ)教育基金’項(xiàng)目“(ZGWYJYJJ2012A33)。
收稿日期:2014-09-12
DOI:10.13420/j.cnki.jczu.2015.01.004
[文章編號(hào)]1674-1102(2015)01-0015-04
[文獻(xiàn)標(biāo)識(shí)碼]A
[中圖分類號(hào)]G642