Abstracts of Major Papers in This Issue

LanguageComparisonsInformedbySub-corpusCreation, by XU Jiajin & LIANG Maocheng, p.6

In corpus analysis, texts can be grouped according to different attributes, linguistic and/or sociolinguistic.The texts of different groups can be compared to reveal the differences.Such comparisons can be informed by the creation of different subsets of the given corpora.For instance, comparisons can be made between the essays of high-achievers and low-achievers, and between source language and translated language in bilingual corpora.However, corpora are stored in folders, either in one directory or in a tree format, when they were created.In order to make comparisons possible, the creation of sub-corpora has its role to play.This paper takes learner corpora and bilingual corpora as main sources for sub-corpus generation and comparisons.

CorpusConcordancing:Modes,ProblemsandImplications, by CHEN Gong, p.10

Researchers are beginning to realize the importance of corpora as the default data source of linguistic studies.However, the importance of corpus concordance, which is the most important way to get access to corpus data, is largely underestimated by many researchers.Then, problems may arise, if the validity and accuracy of the corpus concordancing cannot be guaranteed.To raise researchers’ awareness of corpus concordancing, the paper summarizes the three corpus concordance modes and analyzed the possible problems of corpus concordancing through two cases.Finally, the author stresses that in corpus studies researchers should select appropriate concordance modes according to research needs, and follow the scientific procedure rigorously in each stage, so as to achieve satisfied results.

OnthePatternsofDelexicalizedVerbTAKEUsedbyChineseEFLLearners, by LIU Guobing, p.14

Based on the ST6 of Chinese English Learners Corpus and LOCNESS, this paper investigates the pattern behavior of the delexicalized verb TAKE.The investigation shows that English learners demonstrate an obvious tendency of overusing the phrasal verbs of TAKE; however, they use fewer delexicalized forms in their writing; English learners rely heavily on the regular collocations of TAKE.To some extent, the findings inform that the word patterns and their semantic features are very important to learners’ vocabulary learning and English teachers should pay special attention to the word patterns.

ASummaryofStudiesofInformation-processing-orientedLarge-scaleSentenceSemanticKnowledgeBase, by ZHOU Minghai, KANG Shiyong & LIU Jinfeng, p.20

By reviewing 12 typical sentence semantic knowledge bases at home and abroad in recent years, we conclude the following points.First, the semantic role system may be divided into four scales in the case of the fineness hierarchy of semantic roles.Second, the set of semantic roles must be in accordance with actual targets and their number may be two or more.Third, whether a semantic role is the core or not is relative.Fourth, the semantic role tagging format standard is important because it relates to the extraction of corpora.Fifth, the core of sentence meaning consists of proposition and modality.Although studies of modality have been carried out, a further research is necessary.

ProblemsandStrategiesofCollegeEnglishTeachinginChina, by XU Jinfen, p.26

Based on the experiences in teaching, the present author analyzes some major problems confronted by Chinese college English teaching: textbook problems, over-dependence on the modern teaching technology, and the failure to highlight the instrumental function of English as a foreign language.Some strategies are then proposed on the basis of integrating some important theories in foreign language teaching.They include clarifying the relationship between teaching and learning, compiling subject-based textbooks, encouraging extra curriculum collaborative learning, and enhancing student autonomy in learning in order to facilitate the reform of college English teaching.

APreliminaryDiscussionontheImportanceofTranslationinLanguageTeaching, by CAO Yanping, p.32

This paper reviews the history of translation as a teaching technique.Through critical evaluation of people’s criticism of translation, the important role which translation plays in language teaching is analyzed.Translation is not only an effective teaching technique but also an effective learning strategy.Being a teaching technique, it can cultivate learners’ translation skill, enforce learners’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, cultivate learners’ ability of thinking in target-language,and enhance learners’ socio-cultural awareness.Being a learning strategy, it can be employed by extrovert or field-independent learners.

SubjectsofChineseClassicsTranslationandTheirDevelopmentofTranslationCompetence, by LIU Lisheng & LIAO Zhiqin, p.35

The debate on translation subject of Chinese Classics is currently at issue with various opinions presented by translators and analyzed by theorists.Based on a synthesis of the different viewpoints, the paper proposes a translation-competence-oriented model for choosing translators of Chinese classics, and studies the approaches to developing it in the aspects of curriculum design and teaching methodology.

AnalysisofSuzukiTeitaroDaisetz’sEnglishVersionofYinChihWen:TheTractoftheQuietWay, by HE Lifang, p.39

Suzuki Teitaro Daisetz basically observes the translating principles of Buddhism Scripture in his English version of the Taoism canon entitled asYinChihWen:TheTractoftheQuietWay.It is a successful work of translation with rich references and textual researches.The major strategy he adopted is literal translating to preserve the original textual thoughts.Moreover it does a good job in amending the probable cultural loss via annotations and research materials.

AnEcofeministReadingofAThousandAcres, by DU Lanlan, p.43

In their readings of the 1992 Pulitzer-Winning novelAThousandAcres, critics tend to concentrate on how the novel rewrites Shakespeare’s tragedyKingLear.This essay, adopting an ecofeminist perspective, presents an analysis that shows how the novel meshes well with the ecofeminist notion that male dominations of women and of nature are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, and how Jane Smiley protests the tendency of men to treat nature and women as exploitable objects by telling the protagonist Ginny’s story.

IrisMurdoch’sFeministStanceRepresentedinTheBlackPrince, by AN Ning & YUAN Guangtao, p.47

Iris Murdoch claims no interest in Women’s Movement or feminism; but the feminist concerns reflected in her works are always explored by various scholars of literary criticism.This paper, through a reading of Murdoch’sTheBlackPrince, examines her feminist concerns within the framework of her philosophical thoughts.It is argued that Murdoch portrays women on the basis of her interpretation to human nature.Although she shows no interest in feminism, her presentation of the life condition of her female contemporaries provides rich sources for feminist criticism.