Forms of repetition in Chinglish

A study of many draft translations reveals that the repetition of ideas in Chinglish appears in one of the three following forms:

1. simple restatement (same idea presented twice in different words)

Instead of two words that mean virtually the same thing, we have two parts of a sentence that mean virtually the same thing. Usually, the pattern is: “we must arrive at the station on time and be punctual”.

Example: we must practice economy and reduce unnecessary expenditures.

Sometimes the conjunction joining the two parts of the sentence is not “and” but “in order to”, this produces a statement that is essentially circular, on the pattern “we must arrive at the station on time in order to be punctual”.

2. self-evident statement (one idea implicit in another)

In this type of repetition, one part of the sentence, while it is not just another version of the other, is nevertheless implicit in it. The result is a statement in which one element is so obvious that it can be taken for granted. The most common pattern is “we must arrive at the station on time in order to catch the train”.

Example: China’s socialist system of law has now been basically established, so that the situation in which there were no laws has changed.

3. mirror-image statement (same idea presented first in positive form, then in negative)

In this construction, the same idea is stated first in positive form, then in negative (or vice versa). The pattern is: “we must arrive at the station on time and not be late”.

Example: We must maintain our vigilance and never be off guard.