Why did many novels replace some words with English and even add a "-" to the English words?

I often find this kind of situation when I read novels. I feel that it affects my reading. Why do I have to do this?

Answer 1

This was a rather complicated question that involved language habits, cultural differences, novel writing style, and so on.

Using English words or adding "-" to replace Chinese words in the novel may be to enhance the legibility and fluency of the language, but it may also be to follow a certain writing style or cultural habits. For example, replacing common Chinese words with many, radical, or Pinyin letters can make the text more concise and easy to read.

In other novels, there may be cross-language and cross-cultural communication, so using English words or adding "-" instead of Chinese words can also have this effect. For example, using English words or adding "-" in cross-cultural communication can help readers better understand the author's intentions.

Using English words or adding "-" to replace Chinese words was a common practice in novels. There could be many reasons for this. When writing, one needed to decide how to use English words or add "-" to replace Chinese words according to the specific situation.