Sentences without a verb in the predicate are also extensively used in the Chinese language, notably in the classic Chinese poems and lyrics, which ate totally incompatible with the Western “syntactic rules”. A poern written by Wen
Tingjun serves as an example.
商山早行
鸡声茅店月，人迹板桥霜。
An Early Trip at Mount Shang
Cooks Crowing, Thatched Inn, Moonlight; Footprints, Wood Bridge, Frost white.
This poem only contains six nouns in a simple arrangement without a verb as the predicate or other grammatical elements, but it presents to the readers a complete scene of a traveler at a country inn getting up at midnight, and leaving the inn to hurry on his way. It is simply unconceivable in the Western grammatical rules. Another example is a couplet at the Flower God Temple on West Lake:
翠翠红红，处处莺莺燕燕；
风风雨雨，年年暮暮朝朝。
Green ,green , red , red , everywhere ,everywhere , orioles ,orioles , swallows , swallows ;
Breezes , breezes , rains , rains , every year , every year , nights , nights ,days ,days .
The couplet uses double words without any grammatical elements, but it forms a harmonious whole, which is not proper in the West grammar. As a matter of fact sentences without a verb in the predicate are frequently used in daily conversations in China: Such sentences fall mainly in the following patterns:
A) Adjective as predicate , e.g. , “中国人民勤劳勇敢” (Chinese people diligent and courageous) , “这张画漂亮” (This painting magnificent) and “小伙子忠厚老实” (The kid honest and sincere) ;
B) B) Noun as predicate , e.g. , “今天星期五” (Today Friday) , “他十八” ( He eighteen), “一块钱三斤苹果” ( One Yuan three jin of apples) , “他天津人” ( He a Tianjin man) , “这小伙子，大眼睛，黑眉毛” (The young guy large eyes and black eyebrows) and “这张桌子三条腿” ( This table three legs ) ;
C）With “的” (doer) as the predicate , e.g., “张家卖煤的” (The Zhang family sells coal) and “小李开车的” (Xiao Li a driver), etc..
. Why can the Chinese language express ideas and communicate sentiments accurately without resorting to grammar as in the west language? Mainly, it is due to the ideographic and practical characteristics of the Chinese language. The structures of the Chinese language serve chiefly to convey the message by seeking after the interrelations and correspondence among the meaning groups and elements of the sentence. The structures of the Chinese sentences do not limit themselves by forms, but direct the forms by the meanings. This principle supplies to all Chinese arts. In Chinese operas, “the concrete scenes are rare while the abstract scenes abound”. In Chinese painting, “priority is placed on meaning rather than on resemblance”. In Chinese essays, meaning “can be more than the mere expression of words and writing”. The Chinese language is good at utilizing the complementing, contrasting, paralleling and corresponding relationships to convey messages, communicate feelings, and control the forms of the sentences. As B.W. von Humboldt, the founder of “General Linguistics”, said in his treatise, “The Grammatical Forms and the Characteristics of the Chinese Languages”, “In writing a Chinese sentence one has to decide on where a word should be located, on the basis of the relationship. Then one can proceed further. As the coherence of the word array is determined by the relationships, so, this consideration takes the place of a portion of grammar”. As the Chinese language stresses changes between the abstract and the real, and a mobile rhythm, its sentence structures are often simplified expressing rich meanings. From the angle of connotations, it has irregular “omission”, bewilding those accustomed to Western grammar. However it is to the Western grammar, this very simplicity that brings broadness and profundity to the Chinese language, enabling the reader to enjoy a lingering charm. .
