A Corpus-Based Study on the Translation of Causative Constructions in Chinese Diplomatic Discourse —Take "Ba" and "Shi" Sentence Patterns as Examples

Abstract With the help of Shanghai International Studies University’s Comprehensive Database of Chinese Diplomatic Discourse, this study examines the translation of causative constructions, “ba” and “shi” sentence patterns, in Chinese diplomatic discourse. It is found that the main constructions used in the translation of “ba” sentence pattern are “subject (corresponding to the agent) + general verb (corresponding to the verb <or verb phrase> following the patient) + object”, “subject (corresponding to the agent) + causative verb + object + object complement”, passive voice, and zero correspondence; The main constructions used in the translation of “shi” sentence pattern are “subject (corresponding to the agent) + general verb (corresponding to the verb <or verb phrase> following the patient) + object”, “subject (corresponding to the agent) + causative verb + object + object complement”, “subject (corresponding to the patient) + notional verb + object”, and “subject (corresponding to the agent) + general verb (corresponding to “shi”)+ object”. In Chinese diplomatic discourse, the translation of the “ba” sentence pattern is related to the choice of the agent, the complexity of the patient, the strength of the verb etc. of the original text; The translation of “shi” sentence pattern is related to the number of agents, the clarity of agency, the restoration of the original sentence structure, and the simplicity of the translation. Behind the translation phenomenon, there are not only internal factors such as linguistic differences between Chinese and English, linguistic features of causative constructions, and translation universals, but also external ones such as stylistic characteristics of diplomatic discourse, cognitive factors, and pragmatic needs.