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1、Cultural Difference on Translation of English and Chinese Idioms目 录一、 课题(论文)提纲0.引言1.关于中文和英文习语的翻译2.翻译英文习语的方法 2.1直译法 2.2直译加注法 2.3意译法 2.4增删法3.习语翻译共有的错误 3.1没有注意文化差异 3.2错误观点 3.3逐字翻译4.影响英文习语和中文习语的文化差异 4.1不同的生活环境 4.2不同的传统和习惯 4.3不同的宗教和信仰 4.4不同的历史影射 4.5社会科学发展 4.6文化与娱乐5.结论二、内容摘要习语是语言文化的精华，缺少了习语，语言将会变得索然无味。习语在
2、语言中的应用比比皆是。在写作或演说中适当地使用习语将会使篇章增色，加强语言的力量使语言更形象。奈达曾说过，习语使 比任何非习语更具冲击力的表达，它带有一种语言和文化的 识别特征。习语在语言运用中占有重要地位，恰到好处的翻译习语将有助于跨文化交流。中英不同的 文化使得英汉习语在表达上有 很大差异，也使得翻译中容易产生误译，因此加强对英汉习语文化内涵差异的了解有着重要意义。本文试从六个方面就英汉习语所反应的文化做简单比较，探索4种翻译方法：直译法、直译加注法.意译法.增删法，使英语习语原汁原味呈现在中国读者面前。Cultural Difference on Translation of Engli
3、sh and Chinese Idioms Abstract: Idioms, having universal appeal, are widelyrecognized as the essence or the crystallization of language. Without idioms language would become dull and dry, whereas an appropriate use of them in speech and writing will add much to variety strength and vividness of the
4、language. Idioms usually carry more impactthan none-idiomatic expressions because of their close identification with a particular language and culture. Idioms are widely used in almost all kinds of speeches and writings. Idioms hold an important position in language use, an adequate translation of i
5、dioms is not only helpful but also essential in intercultural communication. This paper attempts to make a brief comparative study of the cultures embodied in Chinese and English idioms from six aspects and explore four practical translating ways and skills from the point of view of keeping the flav
6、or of the English ways idiom as wall as catering for all Chinese readers.Key Words: idioms; cultural difference; translation.0. IntroductionLanguage is inseparable from culture. For one thing， language is a part of culture and plays an important role in it. For another, as a mirror of culture, Langu
7、age is strongly influenced and shaped by culture; meanwhile, it reflects culture. Idioms, a particular part of a language and culture of a society ,which including metaphorical phrases, slang, colloquialism proverb allusion, motto and so on, are characterized by their concise expressions rich and vi
8、vid, involving geography, history, religious belief and living convention. They are usually highly specialized in meaning and closely tied to distinctive cultural features and cultural attitudes. As far as their underlying cultural information is concerned, some idioms are completely or partial equi
9、valent both in Chinese and in English while some others have nothing in common at all. English and Chinese idioms closely related to their own culture, convey different cultural features and messages of their own nation, reflecting, their own culture. There exist vast differences between English and
10、 Chinese culture and this different occurs in English and Chinese Idioms, too.1. A few ideas on English and Chinese idioms translationThe word “idiom” possesses several meanings. It is commonly accepted as a type of multiword expression (red herring, make up, smell a rat, the coast is clear, etc.) T
11、hough a few scholars (Hockett 1958; Katz and Postal 1963) accept even single words as idioms. Idioms are conventionalized expressions, conventionalization being the end of initially ad hoc, and in this sense novel, expressions. The meaning of an idioms is not the sun of its constituents, In other wo
12、rd, an idiom is often non-literal. Makkais Idiom structure in English, an extended version of his doctoral thesis (1965), reserves the term idiom for units are glossed as “any polylexonic lexeme made up of more than one minimal free form or word (as defined by morph tactic criteria)” (Makkai 1972 :1
13、22). But Strassler gives his own working definition of an idiom: An idiom is a concatenation of more than one lexeme whose meaning is not derived from the meaning of its constituents and which does not consist of a verb plus an adverbial particle or preposition. The concatenation as such then consti
14、tutes a lexeme in its own right and should be entered as such in the lexicon. (ibid: 79) Form the above definitions we can extract two basic criteria on which to decide on which to decide whether or not an expression is an idiom:Firstly, established and refined by long practical use, an idiom has a
15、relatively high degree of stability of the lexical components. An idiom allows little or no variation in form under normal circumstances. In general, any change in the components will result in absurdities or even render the idioms meaningless. A speaker or writer cannot normally do any of the follo
16、wing with an idiom unless he or she is consciously making a joke or attempting play on words:a. Change the order of the words in it (e.g. “at sevens and sixes” instead of “at sixes and sevens”);b. Delete a word from it (e.g.“a kettle of fish” instead of “a nice kettle of fish”);c. Add a word to it(e
17、.g. “to show ones white teeth” instead of“to show ones teeth”);d. Replace a word with another(even with a synonymous word) (e.g.“the pear of ones eye” instead of“the apple of ones eye”)e. Change its grammatical structure (e.g.” a king may be looked at by a cat ”instead of “a cat may look at a king”)
18、 Secondly, an idiom often carries meanings, which cannot be deduced from their individual components. More often than not, it cannot be interpreted only according to its literal meaning. Take the expression “to go town” for example: It means to act freely, especially by spending a lot of money, as i
19、n “You certainly seem to have gone to town on the decoration of your house.” It also means to do something with enthusiasm and vigor, as in “We went to town on the sales campaign.” An idiom usually acquires an implied meaning, that is to say, most idioms are metaphorical in constituent words. In oth
20、er words, idioms convey more meaning as a whole than the few words taken literary, the phrase“ bells and whistles” is not an idiom. In a figurative sense, “bell and whistles” is not an idiom. In a figurative sense, “bells and whistles” implies attractive and extra features. “A cats paw” does not ref
21、er to the paw of a cat but a person used as a tool by another. “John Bull” is not a person who called John Bull; it means the English national of the typical average Englishman.2. Ways of English Idiom TranslationTranslation is an art, a bilingual art, which is the cultural bridge and media between
22、two languages. As there exist wide difference in vocabulary and syntax between the oriental and occidental languages. Translation is no easy job, especially the translation of English idioms. Translation is different from common communications. It involves a lot of factors, such as linguistic, cultu
23、ral, psychological and art etc. Therefore, it does not exclude the general rules. The important thing for them to pay much attention is to use the rules flexibly according to relevance principle. Because of the cultural difference, there are some techniques in translation of idioms.Techniques in tra
24、nslation vary and we should use specific methods in treating specific problems according to the above cultural difference, in another word, to find the optimal relevance. In the following sections, we shall discuss translating from Chinese to English and vice versa, and try to analyze them in the li
25、ght of relevance theory. Here are four main approaches. 2.1 Literal approachThe Chinese and English languages are very different in their forms and ways of expression on the one hand, and similar in many respects on the other. To preserve the national character and the special original work, and als
26、o accelerate the culture exchange of the two nations. The first approach in idiom translations is the literal approach. It refers to an adequate representation of the original, which preserves the original form of English idioms without causing confusion in meaning. It transfers the original cultura
27、l in formation effectively and shortens the gaps between Chinese and English. For example,“sour grapes”(酸葡萄)， “to go into the red ”(出现赤字)，“to break the record”(打破记录)，“to be on the thin ice”(如履薄冰)，“to strike while the iron is hot”(趁热打铁)，“a tooth for a tooth”(以牙还牙)，“first-hand material”（第一手材料），“a cast
28、le in the air”(空中楼阁)，“to burn the boat”(破釜沉舟)，“to have something at ones hand”(了如指掌)等。 In the same way, lots of words and idioms in English are introduced by the translation of Chinese. For example, “to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight”(坐山观虎斗)，“to pour oil on the flame”(火上浇油)and so on.
29、Take another example:Do not throw cold water on newly emerging things; on the contrary you should support them.不要给新生事物泼冷水，相反，你应当支持它们。不要反对新生事物，相反，你应当支持它们。Obviously A fits the original sentence better than B, because the English idiom “throe cold water” “反对” in Chinese are obsolete equivalence. If we
30、select B. “反对” can not express the original meaning accurately. On the contrary, B creates diversity to Chinese readers in thought.2.2 Literal approach with notes.Translation in a literal way will sometimes do, but not always for many idioms can be understood only when the historical background or t
31、heir origin is completely explained. And, some idioms have a close relation ship, more or less, with a nations (or a regions) customs and the translation of it is not easily done by a few words, Then the translators have to do the work with the help of notes. For example:“三请诸葛”ask you three times, l
32、ike zhuge liang. Note: zhuge liang was a hero of the Three kingdoms period. He had to be asked three times before he would grant an interview to Liu Pei, whom he afterwards served, and help to become emperor.Thats something for Ripley, 那简直是里普利的奇闻 Note: A number of American newspapers carry a feature
33、 titled“Believe it or not” by Ripley. It presents strange or unusual facts or happenings that are all supposed to be true and can be verified, but because they are so odd, so out of the ordinary, People find them hard to believe. The expression is generally used when referring to something that seem
34、s incredible but is probably true. 2.3 Liberal approach Some idioms are influenced by culture and custom, which makes the original meaning of the idioms change. The translator need translate it into another form known by readers to keep the flavor and the purpose of the idioms. Liberal translation d
35、oes not adhere strictly to the form or word order of the original. When there exist some dissimilarities or great difference between English and Chinese in the sequence of vocabulary, in grammatical structure and art device, liberal translation be employed. Such as “as easy as pie”(易如反掌)， “be wise a
36、fter the event”(事后诸葛亮), “Still water runs deep”(大智若愚)， “Each has its own merits”(各有千秋). For example: She found herself to be a fifth wheel in the family. A, 她发现她成了家里的第五个轮胎。 B，她感到她成了家里多余的人。 Compare these two versions A and B. A employed liberal approach, B used literal approach, from the view point o
37、f the sentence structure and grammar, they are both right, but according to the meaning of the original, “a fifth wheel ” means the additional things or person. But “第五个轮胎” this version has no link with person or thing. A has no meaning of “a fifth wheel”, it might express the logical reason, B woul
38、d make readers have a muddled idea. Here is another example:Save your breath; the boss will never give you the day offA, 说也无益，老板不会准你的假。B，省省呼吸，老板不会准你的假。Obviously A is more suitable. B belongs to “stiff translation” in Chinese, the version seems to keep the “flavor” of the original, but in fact, it no
39、t only does not express the true meaning, but also produces unreasonable Chinese expression, which lets readers confuse. 2.4 Approach of addition and omission Complex idioms should be treated in flexible ways. Since the range of inferences one can make from any phenomenon is huge and open-ended, the
40、re needs to be some constraint that helps the audience to identify those assumptions which the communicator intended to communicate. Because of the different natures of the Chinese and the English languages, that is, the former is implicate and the latter explicate, different approaches of translati
41、on should be used. Owing to the implicated nature of the Chinese language, and in order to keep its national flavoring, words or phrases should sometimes be added. Thats why the approach of addition exists. It is not a matter of “something out of nothing”. Instead, it helps the foreign readers to ha
42、ve a better comprehension of the original work. For example: 借香献佛 borrowing joss-sticks from a neighbor and burning them before Buddha for your own sake. This translation has added the phrases “from a neighbor” and “for your own sake” to give the readers a complete idea of the speaker. Because of th
43、e terse nature of Chinese idioms, they often contain some deep meanings, which are not shown on the surface. But the whole ideas will not be complete if not expressed in the translation. In above translation, if the two phrases are not added, the readers will not understand why one “borrow joss-stic
44、ks” and why he “burns them Buddha”. And here, neither literal translation is proper, for the former one-“To borrow joss-sticks and offer them to Buddha” cannot express the complete implicated meaning, and the latter-“to make presents provided by somebody else will lose vivid image of the original”.
45、On the other hand, because of the special nature of Chinese idioms, some of them often combine two idioms of the same meaning for better sound and form. As we know, repetition is one of the characteristics of the Chinese language. But in translating them into English, translators will feel it diffic
46、ult to do the same, because English speakers do not often say things like this. They do not have the habit of repeating things. So in translating them, omission should be chosen to avoid unnecessary and tedious repetition. Look at the following: 取之不尽，用之不竭-inexhaustible The idiom is quite nice in the
47、 eyes of Chinese speakers, for it is balanced, which conforms to the Chinese culture and the feeling of the Chinese people. But to English readers, who are used to being brief, a feeling of being wordy and strange will be unavoidably caused if they are translator as the Chinese words. Then the bette
48、r way for a skillful translator to choose now is omission, which is to be translated as “inexhaustible” or “abundant”. Here are few more example: 沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌ones beauty would put the flowers to shame. 乐极生悲，否极泰来extrme pieasure is followed by sorrow. 3.Common Mistakes in Idioms Translation Culture i
49、s a kind of social behavior. It needs time and people to form the culture. Idioms come up with the new things and new ideas. Old idioms fade with the old things and old ideas. It can be reflected not only in English idioms but also Chinese idioms. So the general developing and changing tendency of idiom is that the new ones are more than the disappearing ones. So the amount
