Comparison of Russian and Chinese Syntax

Chinese complex sentences are characterized by thematic unity in form and scattered but coherent meanings, while Russian complex sentences are characterized by high formalization and a preference for analysis over synthesis. They share similarities while also having differences.

In Russian, some subordinate clauses can be introduced, connected, or embedded into the main clause using functional words to form compound sentences with coordinative or subordinate relationships. Compound sentences with coordinating conjunctions in Russian are equivalent to coordinating compound sentences in Chinese (coordinative, progressive, etc.).

Both Russian subordinate clauses and Chinese attributive clauses can express causal, conditional, concessive, and other relationships. However, there are clear structural differences: in Russian, the subordinate clause functions as a component of a sentence, allowing for the identification of subject clauses, object clauses, attributive clauses, adverbial clauses, etc. In Chinese, phrases like subject-predicate phrases serve as subjects, objects, attributives, etc., not as compound sentences.

In Russian, attributive clauses can modify nouns or pronouns. Attributive clauses that modify pronouns often use idiomatic structures. In Chinese, there are no attributive clauses; single or multiple attributives are typically used instead. Therefore, when translating Russian attributive clauses, if the clause is too long, it may be split into two shorter sentences instead of being translated as a lengthy attributive, which does not align with Chinese expression habits.

In Chinese, the concept of a "child sentence" is unique. A child sentence differs from a phrase in that it is a dynamic grammatical unit, while a phrase is static. Words and phrases "indicate" without "expressing," whereas sentences both "indicate" and "express." Child sentences are distinct from clauses, as clauses are components of compound sentences, while several child sentences can form one sentence.

Additionally, Chinese features a special syntactic phenomenon known as "flowing sentences." These sentences contain two or more clauses without conjunctions between them. Therefore, when translating from Chinese to Russian, it is necessary to analyze the implicit relationships between clauses and translate appropriately. Russian sentences typically have clear logical relationships, leading to the use of the following methods: 1) utilizing Russian compound sentences without conjunctions; 2) using conjunctions or correlation words, translated into subordinate clauses; 3) employing prepositional phrases; 4) incorporating verbs or adverbs.

There are many instances of syntactical non-equivalence between Chinese and Russian. When translating, careful consideration is required to avoid awkward phrasing and ensure idiomatic expressions.

◀️：Translation of Business Contracts

▶️：Exploration of Parallel Text