Unit 3: Diction

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Unit 3 Diction

• Diction means the proper choice of words and
  phrases in translation on the basis of accurate
  comprehension of the original.
• A noted linguist said, the meaning of a word is
  its use in the language and each word, when used
  in a new context, is a new word.

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Story

• 1) The play is really a love story.
• 2) This war is becoming the most important story
  of this generation.
• 3) Some reporters who were not included in the
  meeting broke the story.
• 4) The story about him became smaller and by and
  by faded out from the American TV.

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• 5) Dont tell stories again, Tom. I dont believe
  your stories.
• 6) It is quite another story now.
• 7) He storied about his age.

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• A word in different collocations or context.
• Example
• Like charges repel unlike charges attract.
• ???????,????????
• He likes mathematics more than English.
• ????????????
• Like knows like.
• ??????
• The two pictures are very like.
• Like attracts like.
• ?????
• Like cures like.
• ?????
• Like for like.
• ?????

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1. Correspondence at word level

• (1)   word-for-word correspondence
• Marxism ?????
• ?? laser
• aspirin ????
• ??? to pay sb. IOUs ?? commission
  
• ????tough policies ?? good seats
• (2) one word---multiple equivalents of the same
  meaning
• wife
• ??,??,??,??,??,??,??,??,??
• potato
• ???,??,??????

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• ?
• human being, man, people, person,---
• ?
• dog, hound, pointer (??) , puppy
• 3) one word----several equivalents of different
  meanings
• cousin
• ??,??,??,??,??,??---
• president
• ??,??,??,???,??,??,??,---
• carry
• ?, ?, ?, ?,?, ?, ?,?,?, ?,?,?,?,?,?,?, ?, ?, ?,
  ?, ?, ?, ?, ?,---

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• cut
• ?????????????????????
• ?
• smile, giggle(??), laugh, ridicule, deride(??),
  guffaw (laugh very loudly)
• ?
• walk, saunter/stroll(??,??), amble(??),
  stride(???), trudge(??)
• (4)words without equivalents
• ? the soft inactive female principle or force in
  the world

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2. Choice of the meanings

• 1) Judging from the part of speech
• round
• There are several round tables in the
  dinning-room.
• (adj. ??)
• Come round and see me tomorrow.
• (adv. ???)
• He had a tour round the world.
• (prep.?---??)
• She rounded up the boys.
• (v. ??)

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• but
• He knows some methods but he doesnt know how
• to apply them.
• (??,??)
• There are no buts about it.
• (??, excuses)
• The word occurs in the last line but one.
• (??,??)
• There was not a single person there but was moved
• to tears.
• (????,who not)

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2)judging from the context

• We hope Mr. White will not forget himself, gone
  are the days when a representative of a large
  country in UN may do whatever he likes.
• (behave without proper dignity ????)
• We hope that our most respected Secretary General
  will not forget himself, his poor health is known
  to everybody.
• (act unselfishly ??,??)

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3) Judging from collocation

• delicate skin
• delicate child
• delicate vase
• delicate difference
• delicate sense of smell
• delicate food

?????
?????
???????
?????
?????
?????
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?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???
?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???
give a dinner for sb. from afar set a broken
bone catch a ball answer the phone connect
wires take over a job deliver a
child meet the freshmen

play tennis/ play chess/play football/ play
tricks/ play cards/ play the violin/play the flute
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a heavy rain/ a heavy sea/ a heavy load/ a heavy
buyer/ a heavy crop/ a heavy demand/ heavy
news/ heavy sorrow/ a heavy vote/ a heavy
thinker a heavy schedule/ a heavy politician/
heavy advertising/ a heavy play/heavy
casualties
He can appreciate modern music.
(??) I do not appreciate fully what he means.
(??) I appreciate the regard you have for
me. (??)
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Ambivalent words ?????

• fireman
• cleave
• overhear
• overlook
• ambition

??????
????
???????
????
????
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???? 1. John was an aggressive salesman who did
his job quite well. 2. Hitler pursued an
aggressive policy after he seized power. 3.Hans
was too obviously flattering the gentleman by
saying he was the most courageous man he had ever
seen. 4. Mr. Brown felt greatly flattered when he
received the invitation to deliver a lecture.
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5.He had lied to me and made me the tool of his
wicked deeds. 6.The enemys scheme went
bankrupt. 7.The stubborn boy refused to listen to
his parents advice. 8.The invaders met a
stubborn resistance from the local people. 9. As
luck would have it, no one was in the building
when the explosion occurred. 10.As luck would
have it, there was rain on the day of the picnic.
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3. ??

• 3.1.?????
  
  
  
  
  
  
• It is regrettable that our appeal remains a dead
  letter.
• ????,????????????
• (1)    ???????
• They have their smiles and tears.
• Every life has its roses and thorns.
• During the war, he was an embryo surgeon, and
  joined the mobile medical team.
• I was not one to let my heart rule my head.
• There is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in
  the character of the imperialists.

?????
?????
??---?????
????
????
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• ????????
• ??????????????????????,????????????????
• ??
• ?
• ?
• ?
• ??
• ?
• ???
• ??

??????
??????
??????
??????,???????????
??
?????????????
?????
?????
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• (2)???????
• A nice enough young fellow, you understand,
  nothing upstairs.
• (????????)
• The Iraqi War makes all the international
  morality or international laws become impossible.
• (????)
• There are three steps which must be taken before
  we graduate from the integrated circuit
  technology.
• (????)
• The Great Wall is a must for most foreign
  visitors to Beijing.
• ???????????

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• 3.2 ?????
• ???????????????????????,??????,??????
• The man is as stubborn as a mule.
• ??????
• I am only a small potato in this office.
• ???
• Dont put your finger into anothers pie.
• ???????
• ??????????,????
• Last night, I heard him driving his pigs to
  market. (????)
• She is as busy as a bee recently.
• (???)
• Old Mr. Jones kicked the bucket last week.
• (????)
• Dont cross the bridge before you get to
  it.(??????)

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???????????? 1.????,??????
????????????????????,?????????????????????
????
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?1 I will teach him to deceive others, he
said. ?????,?????????? ?????,??????????
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?2 My dogs are killing me. ???????????? ??????
??????
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?3He didnt speak (for) long. ????????????? ????
???????
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?4 I bought a tape-recorder for a
song. ??????????????? ??????????????
????
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2. ????,??? ?
??????? ????(basic meaning)
????(derivative meaning) ????(collocative
meaning)
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?1kill 1)They killed a bottle of whisky between
them. ?????????????????? 2)He killed ten good
years on that job. ????????????????10?? 3)Her
bright red hat killed the quiet colour of her
dress. ??????????????,????????????? 4)These
flowers kill easily. ????????????? 5)The funny
play nearly killed me. ?????????????????
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6)That bus ride every day kills off all of my
energy. ???????????????????? 7)This carpet kills
the sound of footsteps. ??????????????? 8)The
bill was killed in the House. ?????????????? 9)Tha
t has killed her affection. ?????????????????? 10)
Care killed a cat. ????????????
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?2sight 1) It cost him a sight of
trouble. ??????????????? 2) I know him only by
sight. ???????????? 3) He fell in love with her
at first sight. ???????????? 4) The next election
was already in sight. ????????????? 5) Take a
careful sight before firing. ????????????
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6) I have lost sight of my old friend for many
years. ????????????????? 7) The Great Wall in
China is one of the sights of the
world. ???????????????? 8) The Statue of Liberty
is a noble sight. ????????????????? 9) It is
worth a long sight more than that. ???????????????
10) Do what is right in your own
sight. ????????????
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3. ????,????
????????,????????,????????????????
????????,?? ????????? ?
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?1pure 1) Pure water is useful. ????????? 2)
This is purely water. ?????????? 3) Purify the
water before drinking it. ????????????? 4)
Purified water is useful. ???????????? 5)
Purifying water is useful. ???????????
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?2 like 1)All music is alike to
Tom. ????????????????? 2)That, I think, is hardly
likely. ??????,?????? 3)Mans life is often
likened to sea voyage. ??????????????? 4)His
likeness to his brother was remarkable. ??????????
??? 5)Things cannot be always to ones
liking. ???????????????? 6)Like likes
like. ?????????
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4. ????, ????????
??????????????,??????,????,???????,????,?
????
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?1only 1) The French only love
arts. ?????????????? 2)The French love arts
only. ?????????????? 3)Only the French love arts.
?????????????? 4)The French love their only
arts. ?????????????????
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?2naturally 1) They are behaving
naturally. ??????????? 2) Naturally, they are
behaving well. ??????,??????? 3) She is naturally
gentle. ???????????
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Thank You!