1. Replacing the noun with a verb

This is the commonest device and the first to consider. It is the one we have used repeatedly to deal with the unnec. verb + noun constructions (“make an improvement”=”improve”). It can be used in many other situations as well, for example:

A: Adherence to Marxism is vital to China, and so is adherence to socialism.

B: It is vital for us to adhere to Marxism and socialism.

A: Otherwise, there can be no achievements in our work.

2. Replacing the noun with a gerund

A gerund is the “-ing” form of a verb that functions as a noun. Gerunds, which are part verb, part noun, partake of the nature of both. Like verbs, gerunds can impart motion to a sentence that is stiff and lifeless. For example:

A: The company began it issuance of 100 million foreign currency B shares yesterday.

B: The company began issuing 100 million foreign currency B shares yesterday.

A: Economic revitalization will be an arduous task.

3. Replacing the noun with an adjective or adverb

Sometimes good results can be achieved by substituting an adjective (or a verb + adjective) or, more rarely, an adverb:

A: This accounts for the unsoundness in organization of these enterprises.

B: This accounts for the poor organization of these enterprises.

A: Silk undershirts are rich in elasticity.

4. An alternative solution: “spelling it out”

Sometimes the noun construction is so condensed, or so vague, that it takes more than a change of form to produce an understandable sentence in English. In that case, the translator may have to introduce a few new words to “spell out” the meaning:

A: A Beijing computer newspaper even makes the point that China is entering a PC era that is going to be characterized by the dominance of national brands.

B: A Beijing computer newspaper even makes the point that China is entering a PC era in which national brands will dominate the market.

A: Can anyone imagine that Hong Kong is free from obstacles or sabotaging forces?