Analysis of the Portuguese translation of a Chinese adnominal adjunct referring to place based on interlanguage theory

Abstract

As students progress in their learning of Portuguese, errors in language use become discernible to them, owing to their increasing command of the language. However, in addition to these errors, there are also some errors that are difficult to detect. These errors are typically manifestations of deviations in usage, including improper use of vocabulary and verb conjugation. In this paper, we examine a relatively unnoticed misuse in translation from Chinese to Portuguese. Specifically, we analyse the occurrence of the preposition “de” in place of “em” when translating the adnominal adjunct referring to place into Portuguese. The reasons for the misuse are analysed and explained, based on interlanguage theory, and finally solutions and suggestions for learning are given. Upon analysis of the errors, it becomes evident that the direct use of the preposition “de” in the translation is not solely attributable to the degree of Portuguese proficiency, but rather, it is predominantly due to the absence of transformation of linguistic thinking into Portuguese thinking. To mitigate this issue, the authors recommend that, during the teaching process, educators should endeavour to instill students with a more authentic Portuguese linguistic system. They further suggest the implementation of contrastive and error analysis techniques. Finally, the educator has the capacity to direct the students' focus by drawing parallels between the two languages, thereby fostering the possibility of a favourable transfer.