Surplus Semicolon Syndrome
One of the common problems I encounter when editing English language translations of Chinese work is the excessive use of semicolons. It is understandable, partly because semicolons are used much more freely in Chinese than in English. I believe another underlying reason is that there is a mistaken impression among some aspiring translators (and writers, for that matter) that semicolons are a sort of stylistic flourish that increase the elegance of a sentence. This is not the case. In fact, I believe that an unnecessary semicolon in fact decreases the elegance of writing, essentially because a misused or unnecessary semicolon is often a sign of a lack of rigorous thought, the end result of which is leaving something vague which could easily be made clear with a little more thought and care put into the writing.
In English writing, there is only one clear instance in which a semicolon is demanded, which is to separate items in a list that includes commas in the items listed (Shanghai, China; Bangkok, Thailand; and Jakarta, Indonesia). The semicolon here serves to make the list clearer, as it separates the items while allowing the items themselves to be further subdivided internally. This adds clarity, and thus makes the semicolon not only useful, but essential. In all other instances, the semicolon is optional in English, and for that reason, another means of separating the sentence is always possible.
The rule of thumb regarding semicolons is that they separate independent clauses that are too closely linked to be separated by a full stop. What makes this tricky is that determining what is “too closely linked” is subjective. What is “too close” for one person’s comfort may be perfectly acceptable to another. In terms of physical space, what constitutes “too close” changes from culture to culture, so it is not surprising that the same might be true in our intellectual space as well. Indeed, if we look generally at how sentences are divided and subdivided in Chinese writing in comparison with English writing, it is clearly evident that it is possible to put a good deal more information in the space between one full stop and the next in a Chinese sentence. This is because ideas can often seem more fundamentally linked in Chinese than they do in English, giving the ideas a level of fluidity that seems vague and formless if duplicated in English. It makes sense, then, that semicolons are used to a much greater extent in Chinese writing than in English writing.
In my own work, I rarely use semicolons. While many argue that it is simply a stylistic choice, I see it as something more closely intwined with the meaning of the text than that. A semicolon can replace a full stop, or it can replace a comma and conjunction or other connecting word. In most cases where a semicolon is used, a full stop is quite appropriate, causing the reader to feel no gap in the flow of the thought. At those times when the connection is close enough to warrant combining the sentence, the problem with opting for a semicolon over a comma and conjunction or other connecting word is that the semicolon omits the nature of the connection. With the comma and connecting word, then, there is greater precision, resulting in a clarity that is lost with the unnecessary use of a semicolon.
In my own practice, I avoid falling into the trap of overusing semicolons by asking myself not only whether a semicolon can be used, but whether it adds greater clarity to the sentence by its use. Invariably, I have only found one instance in which the semicolon consistently adds clarity, and that is when the two sides of the semicolon are equal in weight or importance, and the link between them is more complex than can be expressed with a single conjunction or connecting word. In that sense, I see the semicolon as functioning like a fulcrum for the sentence. If the two sides are perfectly balanced, then the semicolon is well used. If they are not, then it is preferable to use a connecting word to balance the sides.
Naturally, this is not a hard and fast rule, and there will be other editors, translators, and writers who use semicolons much more freely than I do. However, when translating from Chinese, it pays to beware of overuse. A semicolon misused can make a sentence feel sloppy and unwieldy. I tend to agree with June Casagrande’s observation that “both the semicolon's functions enable bad writing and only one of those functions is ever even necessary.” When moving from a language that routinely uses sentences that would feel unwieldy and sloppy if duplicated in the same form in English, it is all the more necessary to take extra care to avoid this pitfall. With a little extra consideration, the translator should be able to identify the nature of the connection between the thoughts expressed in the sentence, then combine them in a way that is elegant and precise in English, eliminating the vagueness that too easily creeps in with the use of an unnecessary semicolon.