论文总字数：34117字

摘 要

本课题旨在通过淮扬菜的英译，分析中西方思维差异对中国菜名翻译的影响。研究分析淮扬菜的英译，并进行翻译尝试，我们一方面可以培养自己的翻译技能，另一方面也可以探究中西方思维的异同，从而避免跨文化交际中出现误解，进而正确理解他国的文化。中餐菜名的翻译涉及方方面面，比如饮食习俗文化、思维差异等等。本研究首先从文化的角度简要地分析了中西方饮食文化的差异，并对淮扬菜翻译做了简要回顾，接着从文化角度分析现有淮扬菜翻译中存在的问题，并对其中的一些菜名翻译进行翻译尝试，最后做一总结，以期为淮扬菜在西方的传播与做一些微薄的贡献。

关键词：文化；淮扬菜；翻译分析；翻译尝试

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 An Overview of Chinese and Western Cuisine Cultures 1

2.2 A Brief Introduction about Huaiyang Cuisine 4

2.3 Previous Study on Huaiyang Cuisine Translation 5

3. Analysis and Exploration of Huaiyang Cuisine Translation from a Cultural Perspective 7

3.1 Analysis of the Existing Huaiyang Cuisine Translation. ……………………8

3.2 Exploration on Some of Huaiyang Cuisine Translation 10

3.2.1 Cuisine Translation According to Cooking Methods 11

3.2.2 Cuisine Translation According to Cooking Materials 12

3.2.3 Cuisine Translation According to Skills of Cutting Up 12

4. Conclusion 13

Works Cited 15

1. Introduction

With the development of the globalization, especially the increase of global trade, it is inevitable that different cultures will meet, conflict, and blend together. People from different cultures find it hard to communicate not only due to language barriers but also culture styles. To some degree, the effect caused by cultural differences surpasses the language gap. This culture difference is one of the biggest challenges for cross-culture communication. Effective communication with people form various cultures is especially challenging. Cultures provide people with ways of thinking and communicating. Thus the same words can mean different things in different cultures. As a result, cultural differences affect translation, which is of great importance in information transmission.

The eating culture, as global and popular media, plays a direct role in the dissemination and communication between different ways of thinking and helps greatly in understanding the original script and recognizing the similarities and differences between the source language and the target language. Cuisine has always been regarded as an important symbol of culture, especially the Chinese cuisine, which has been popular for centuries for its long history and special favor. We can see that it is significant to know its eating habits for understanding the Chinese culture. By studying Huaiyang cuisine translation, we can show the world Huiyang people’s particular living customs so as to help them comprehend more about the social convention in Huaiyang district.

2. Literature Review

2.1 An Overview of Chinese and Western Cuisine Cultures

Traditionally, cuisine culture includes the exploitation and use of raw materials of food, the application and innovation of table wares, the production and consumption of food, the service in catering industry, the management and government of catering and food industry, as well as the relation between cuisine and stable development of a country, between cuisine and literature, between cuisine and life state and so on.

Chinese culinary culture is rooted in China’s long history, vast territory and extensive contact with other nations and cultures. With centuries of creative and accumulative efforts, the Chinese cuisines have become increasingly popular among more and more foreign countries, and functions as a bridge of friendship in China"s exchanges with foreign countries in culture. Traditional Chinese philosophy has formed the idea of pneuma and that being and not-being grow out of each other, the unity of heaven and man, and the emphasis on overall functionality, so unique Chinese cuisine culture has been formed, e.g. the ecological idea of correspondence between man and universe, nutritional consciousness of diet therapy, as well as the gourmet concept of “five reconcile”(the five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, pungent, and salty). First of all, it is known that Chinese cuisine attaches great importance to the three essential factors----color, aroma and taste and the seven so-called basic daily needs: firewood, rice, oil, salt sauces, vinegar, and tea, they all have deep relations to diet. Moreover, Chinese cuisine has long been closely related to traditional Chinese medicine. Ginseng, Walnut, Chinese angelica, and the fruit of Chinese wolfberry are often used as accessory, which more or less has something to do with Yin and Yang. It is believed that Yin and Yang governs all of life and nature. The original meanings of Yang and Yin were the sunny side of a hill and the shady side. Yang means the bright and warm aspects of the world and males have more Yang quality while Yin is the dark and cool aspect and females have more Yin quality. Some of the food materials can provide human beings with Yang quality while the other materials with Yin quality. We can see that the core of Chinese cuisine culture is its unique diet ideology and the food structure under its influence.

In addition, there are many rules of the way dishes are set on the table. For example, newly served dishes are always put near the most honorable to show respect. Also Chinese banquets are arranged in a certain order, in different areas there are different rules concerning seat order.

On the other hand, westerners hold rational diet concept, and stress on the nutritional value in diet, they put great emphasis on the content of protein, fat, calorie and vitamin, they worry whether nutrition contents match well with each other, the calorie is fit or not, or whether there are some side effects. As the westerners care about the nutrition and they hardly connect food with spiritual enjoyment, they tend to be practical and utilitarian. They consider food as a method of appeasing their hunger, so they adopt a more scientific, standard and rational cuisine concept than Chinese do. For westerners, it is the highest principle to keep a balanced and nutritious diet in cuisine art. Eating is like an accurate rule controlling people’s life. However, the qualitative and quantitative western cuisine culture makes its limit in cooking materials. For example, they never eat haslets or anything that they consider to be non nutritional; besides, they seem to be mechanical in cooking skills, they never allow taint of odor between different raw materials, that is the reason why their cooking types are limited. Major western cuisines include Italy cuisine, French cuisine, American cuisine, Germany cuisine, Russian cuisine and so on, while coffee, black tea and wine are famous drinks in western cuisine. During its making process, it emphasizes the balance between science and nutrition and refines on its making process.

Western cuisine puts little emphasis on its tableware and seldom takes its cuisine as a piece of art. That is the reason why its table wares are usually monotonous. Different sizes of cut-leries are used for various cuisines: meat dishes, fish, appetizer and desserts, while Chinese people use spoons and chopsticks and pay much attention on the match between the color, size and style of the tableware and the dishes. The usage of table wares is also different, western people usually hold knives by their right hand and forks in their left hand, while Chinese people often hold chopsticks by their right hand to take any food.

A saying goes that Chinese food builds atmosphere, while western food displays tastes, which shows the most disparity between the two cuisine cultures. Chinese cuisine culture is often boisterous while in Western cuisine culture, it would be impolite to eat and speak loudly in restaurant. In western culture, people should whisper to each other when they talk, and there is usually music going by their dinner.

Compared with Chinese cuisine, which emphasizes flavor, western cuisine holds a rational diet conception, they will eat the food no matter how monotonous it tastes as long as it contains necessary nutrition, such diet conception goes well with major western philosophical notion—metaphysics. Therefore, beefsteak tastes the same no matter in LA or in New York although western cuisine culture stresses the match between table wares and dishes, dining service and atmosphere. Different raw materials match with each other in plates in order to make the dish more colorful, but various tastes never mediate each other. Take France mutton chip as an example, mashed potato is put besides mutton steak, and boiled beans is put besides with some pieces of tomato in the same plate. The dish looks colorful and pleases our eyes, but the tastes of different raw materials are still separated. Food and drinks are significant in western feast, but actually, they serve as foil of fellowship, which is the same as Chinese cuisine. Western cuisine culture emphasizes more ties of neighbors sitting beside them, while Chinese cuisine culture stresses the friendship of the full-course. For example, Buffet in western culture allows people to walk around and no longer fixes people in their own seats in order to improve communication in person, from which we can see the full respect for individuality and ego in western cuisine culture. In general, Chinese cuisine strives for permeation between different food and the collocation and symmetry of various tastes, on the contrary, western cuisine is particular about the collocation of nutrition.

2.2 A Brief Introduction about Huaiyang Cuisine

As one of the famous Chinese cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine is among the most famous eight cuisines of China. It originates in Yangzhou, Huai’an and Zhejiang and is popular in such places as Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, and Anhui Province. It is the typical cuisine in the district between the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River in Jiangsu Province and Anhui Province. Dishes in Huaiyang cuisine are various and Chinese culture is reflected in Huaiyang cuisine in the following aspects. Firstly, it selects making materials under the rule of nature, so its most raw materials are in the season from its locality. Secondly, it strives on the goal of keeping people in good health, and tries to keep the dishes in their original flavors.

Huaiyang diet tastes delicate and delicious. With mild salty and sweet, it is suitable for all people. More emphasis is put on the original taste of its ingredients and sauces. It is famous for its fresh cooking materials, fine workmanship and cutting techniques. Besides, it pays attention to the original flavors and soup. It has great look and taste and make good use of the heat and the way of stewing (warm something by putting the container in hot water), braise (simmer in a covered pot over a slow fire), bake (roast something in fresh cinders), steam, and fry.

2.3 Previous Study on Huaiyang Cuisine Translation

In the past, researches on the translation of Chinese cuisine has not attracted enough attention as much as the translation on religion or technology, even though cuisine is people’s first need and has been playing an important role in traditional culture for centuries, which does not match its significant status in the history and culture. Nowadays, however, with the development of globalization and society, more people and scholars turn attention to this field.

In 1990s, several papers began to focus on the translation of Chinese cuisine names. For example, the English Version of Chinese Dish Names Should be Revised was published in the fifth issue of committee of Chinese Translation in 1990 by Liu Zengyu. The author called for committee for correcting the translation of Chinese cuisine names. In 1993, Chen Jiaji published The Simple Discussion about the Translation Method of Chinese Dish Names in the issue of Chinese Translation, in which he divided the Chinese dish names and the relevant translation method into different categories: literal translation for fact telling names, free translation with literal translation for connotation telling dish names, literal translation with free translation for half fact-telling and half connotation-telling dish names, free translation or literal translation for local flavor dish names, simple translation with explanation for literary quotation and medical dish names. Forgoing scholars noticed the problems existing in the Chinese cuisine names translation. For example,Ma Shouyan and Liang Dingyan announced that these problems include, first, the cultural connotation and literal quotation contained in Chinese dish names increase the difficulty in translating them into English without the loss of cultural meaning, Second, translating Chinese dish names without introducing their making materials, cooking methods, which may confuse the target readers. Third, errors in grammar or vocabulary are obvious, e.g. “lion head braised in Brown Sauce” for红烧狮子头. Four, problems caused by neglecting cultural differences in the source language and target language resulted in misunderstanding or even antipathy, e.g. “family is rich” for 全家福.

As to the translation of Huaiyang cuisine names, Guan Xiangfeng has generalized two major translation methods for Huaiyang Cuisine, i.e, domestication and foreignzation, domestication is usually used in the cuisine which is named from their making materials, making methods, shapes or tastes. For example, firstly, some cuisines are named after their making materials, such as 软兜长鱼（soft eel）蟹黄汤包（Steamed buns with a crab"s ovary inside）龙虾宴（lobster feast）, secondly, some cuisines are named after cooking methods, like 清蒸白鱼（steamed fish）酒焖黄鸡（boiled chicken with alcohol）炝虎尾（boiled tails）, 鸡包鱼翅（chicken with shark’s fin inside）. Thirdly, some cuisines are named after shapes and tastes, such as 松鼠鳜鱼（squirrel-shaped mandarin fish）, 酸馏鳜鱼（steamed mandarin fish with sour flavor），水晶肴肉（crystal sirloin）.

On the other hand, foreignization translation method is usually used in the following circumstances: firstly, some cuisines are named after the names of some persons or some places, such as 扬州炒饭（Yangchou fried rice），文思豆腐（Wensi bean curd）and 平桥豆腐（Pingqiao bean curd）; secondly, some cuisines are named after mascots, herbals, and other cultural characteristics, like 全家福（happy-a combination of shrimps, pork beef chicken and mixed vegetables with brown sauce）, 狮子头（lion’s head-pork meat balls）, 金玉满堂（shrimp and egg soup）, 游龙戏凤（stir-fried prawns and chicken）. Secondly, some cuisines are named after herbals，such as 枸杞银耳（tremella soup and Chinese wolf-berry seeds）, 冰糖燕窝（steamed edible birds nest with rock sugar）, 银杏鸡丁（sautéed diced chicken with ginkgoes）, 龙眼山药糕（steamed cake with dried fruits and herbs）, 天麻炖母鸡（stewed hen with herbs (with the function of preventing dizziness and curing headache）,乌鸡白凤羹（soup with chicken and Baifeng）and 龟苓膏（soup with turtle and poria cocos）.

From his point of view, the translation of Huaiyang cuisine can be divided into two categories: one kind is translated after making materials, making methods, shapes or tastes and the other is translated according to the names of persons, places or even mascots, herbals, and other cultural characteristics. The first ones should be done accurately and precisely. As the making materials, methods, shapes or flavors can be seen from the translation version easily when we use domestication translation method, for example, “soft braised eel” can be better for “软兜长鱼”，as the making materials and methods are shown concisely, and any added explanation about its making process would be unnecessary. Secondly, the translation of cuisines named after mascots, herbals, and other cultural characteristics can be commented or be done by spoken explanation. For example, when introducing文思和尚豆腐（Monk Wensi bean curd）, foreigners can be told about the contribution of Monk Wensi made to the development of religion.

3. Analysis and Exploration of some of Huaiyang Cuisine Translation from a Cultural Perspective

So far, quite a few translators have offered various versions for Huaiyang cuisine, but relevant analysis and research is far and few between. As a student from Huaiyin Normal University, which is located in Huaian, one if origin place and a future graduate of translation and Interpretation，I’d like to have a breif analysis and exploration on some of the existing Huaiyang Cuisine translation in the following part.

3.1 Analysis of the Existing Huaiyang Cuisine Translation

The Chinese cuisine culture emphasizes the philosophy of the unity of heaven and man, the overall functionality and vagueness. Under the influence of those philosophy concepts, Huaiyang cuisine has formed its unique characteristics, i.e., try to be delicate when relishing in order to keep original flavor of raw materials, so when we translate Huaiyang cuisine, we should choose some mild words to describe Huaiyang cuisines in order to transmit its original flavors to target readers. Besides, we should also take western cuisine culture into consideration, in which raw materials are limited and haslets are excluded, so that we can choose appropriate translation methods to adopt different kinds of cuisines in order to keep their own qualities.

There are some good and appropriate English versions of Huaiyang cuisine which can not only help it spread, but also attract more western customers to have a taste of it so that they can understand more about Huaiyang cuisine culture. However, a proper translation of Huaiyang cuisine is not an easy thing. It may take translators great effort and involve different translation strategies. Otherwise, it may lead to cultural misunderstanding for western consumers.

As we all know, Chinese cuisine culture strives for vagueness, while western culture pursue accurateness. As a result, translators need to supplement food materials to the dish versions. For example, the Huaiyang cuisine “大煮干丝”, which is named after its cooking shapes, has revealed the connotation of vagueness in Chinese cuisine culture, and the appropriate English version is “Braised Shredded Chicken with Ham and Dried Tofu slices”, in which the method of literal translation is employed in order to convey the dish meaning. This cuisine translation concludes the cooking methods as well as the cooking materials which, to some degree, has avoided ambiguity aroused by an inappropriate version “Braised dry silk”, which could bring puzzlement to western consumers and fail to pass on the connotation the dish name contains.

Take “白烧四宝” for another example, it was translated into “Braised Four - Treasures”, which can be considered faithful but may not be so expressive if no explanation was added, for people could be puzzled about the “four treasures”. As our target readers pursue accuracy so a proper version should tell the making materials, and making methods. Therefore, it would be better to add such annotation as “braised chicken kidney, duck tongue and web, and chicken skin”. In this way, it will be brief and easy for foreigners to understand and get the food materials so that they can decide whether to have a taste of this dish. Another positive example can be seen from “荷叶粉蒸鸡”. In most cases, it was translated into “steamed chicken with lotus leaf powder”, which was brief, faithful and expressive, from which food materials and method are easily understood.

At the same time, as to the differences of making materials in Chinese and Western cuisine cultures, for the former, plants play the main role while meat food takes less proportion due to the important status of agriculture in China, which is usually generalized by people as making materials from the sky, on the earth, under the sea or even in the cave. While the production mode and products in the west decides that westerners give first place to meat food, and plants play the role of supplement, however, due to the scientific consciousness and mechanical cooking methods, their meat food are mostly chicken, mutton, pork, beef, seafood and so on. From this point, some inappropriate translation versions have ruined the first impression of some delicious foods or even result in cultural misunderstanding. For instance, “红烧狮子头” was once translated as “lion head braised in Brown Sauce”, which would frighten away those customs who would like to taste this cuisine. In fact, the “狮子头” here is made from pork, it is named after its shape and color. In western culture, the lion is the king of all animals and the symbol of power and vigor, so the version will cause some misunderstanding and antipathy when western customers see the menu with such a version on it. This example shows the importance of an appropriate translation for a cuisine, so a proper translation version for this cuisine should be “Braised pork ball in brown sauce”. Take “三色猫耳朵” for another example, if it is translated into “Three-Color Cat Ears”, west people would be puzzled. As we all know, the western people are averse to take animals like dogs and cats as food ingredients, because they take such animals as friends of human beings. Such translation may cause misunderstanding. In order to convey the cultural connotation, some necessary explanation like the ingredients should be added, so we can provide the proper translation version, “Three-color cat ears (fired three-color paste with black fungus and green soy beans, which look like cat ears)”, by doing so, we can avoid misunderstanding of culture.

In some of Huaiyang cuisine translation, in order to pursue the accuracy in western cuisine culture, the original characteristics in Huaiyang cuisine culture are more or less lost, which is a pity. The cuisine “水晶肴肉”, which is made up of salted pork, is so sheen just like crystal due to its color and luster. In some places, it is just translated as “Salted Pork”, but in this way, in comparison with the Chinese version, its lucent look will be ignored and such version would not be so attractive and tempting to western tourists. Similar example can be found in“醉蟹海蜇皮”, whose ingredients contain living crabs immersed in liqueur so that the crabs can be purified and the dish flavor would be more tasteful, but in most cases, this dish is translated into “Crab and Jellyfish Skin”, which would be less attractive and connotative for western customers. “将军过桥” is another similar example. Here “将军” stands for the snakehead, one kind of fish. In folk tales, the snakehead is called the general in Dragon Palace, and “过桥” is one of cooking methods in Huaiyang cuisine, which refers to two cookeries of the dish, either eaten as “汤” (soup) or “干” (dish). In this case, we are confronted with the difficulty in translating the dish appropriately. Often, it is translated as “braised snakehead”, although faithful to the food materials, its cultural connotation is lost in this version.

3.2 Exploration on Some of Huaiyang Cuisine Translation

Based on the above analysis of some existing problems in the current translation of Huaiyang cuisine, we may find it necessary to find some translation modes, trying to shun misunderstanding and keep Chinese cuisine culture as much as possible. As we all know, Huaiyang cuisine culture is famous for its fresh ingredients and mild flavors. Huaiyang cuisines are various and difficult to be classified into several kinds according to some limited standards, but the dishes can be sorted according to their cooking methods, cooking materials and skills of cutting up. In this way, translators can not only preserve Huaiyang cuisine culture, but also help western customers easily understand an important part of Chinese traditional eating culture. In this part, I’d like to explore the translation of some dishes in Huaiyang cuisine from the perspective of Chinese and Western cuisine cultures.

3.2.1 Cuisine Translation According to Cooking Methods

Huaiyang cuisine has been set up on the principle of “taking fire as the first element”, so it pays much attention to heat control. In general, the cooking methods include, stewing（炖）, braising（焖）, baking（烧）and boiling（煮), by which delicacy of dishes can be ensured, and various features can be shown, fresh, crisp and soft, glutinous, tender and delicate, fine and slender, or flaccid, so that people can enjoy different flavors from food. In order to translate a dish properly, we should fully understand its cooking method, and take it into full consideration. While in western cuisine culture, the cooking methods are standardized, and can be generalized as the following: roasting, decocting, frying, baking, grilling, poaching, boiling, braising, and so on. Since science and nutrition are put in the first place in western cuisine culture, the making process is strictly conducted under the guidance of science, the work of western cooks seem to be monotonous compared with Chinese cooks. The cooking methods are not so complex as that in China. As a result, when we translate Huaiyang cuisines according to their cooking methods, we should make sure that these making methods are explained clearly and accurately enough for target readers to understand.

Take the cuisine “蟹粉狮子头” as an example, which is rather symbolic, it is made up of pork and crab meat. The key to this cuisine lies in the time it is steamed. The longer it is steamed, the more delicious the dish becomes. In this way, people can enjoy the tender of pork and crab meat, luckily, in western cuisine culture, steaming as a cooking method exists, so it can be translated as “steamed crab meat and minced pork ball”. As the same time, the dish “锅煎鳜鱼” is made by frying, so it can be translated as “Fried mandarin fish with lard”; in a similar way, “扬州炒饭”can be translated as “Yangchow fried rice ”, and “清蒸刀鱼”can be translated as “steamed saury”; besides, “braised ham with honey” can be adopted for “蜜汁火方”, and “fried chicken brain” for “炒鸡脑”.

3.2.2 Cuisine Translation According to Cooking Materials

Huaiyang cuisine originated from the area of Yangtze River and Huaihe River, where cooking materials like aquatic products, poultries and vegetables are abundant during four seasons, so Huaiyang cuisine pays much attention to the selection of ingredients, which are fresh, alive and common materials but not very rare ones in order to ensure the tasteful favor and popularity in the public. As to the western cuisine culture, limited cooking materials are decided by western production mode. Hence, some making materials in Huaiyang cuisine maybe not common ingredients in the west, when we translate such cuisines, we should pay attention to these ingredients and try to clear them in the version, and add some explanation when necessary.

For example ,“肴肉”can be translated into “salted pork”. In this way, its making material is clearly presented, and such version corresponds to the principle of conciseness in western culture. In the same way, “酿杂烩” can be translated into “steamed assorted ingredients” and “sautéed shelled river shrimp” for “白炮虾仁”, “bean curd rolls” for “豆腐卷子”.

We can say that dishes got names from their making materials would be better translated, which can present their food ingredients so that it can be understood easily.

3.2.3 Cuisine Translation According to Skills of Cutting Up

The good reputation of Chinese cuisine relies on its skills of cutting up enormously. With fine cutting up techniques, Chinese cuisines feast our eyes. The main skills include chopping, shearing, slicing, splitting and so on, Huaiyang cuisine emphasizes its cutting up techniques, so it has the finest cutting skills among the four major Chinese cuisines (Shandong, Sichuan, Guangdong and Huaiyang Cuisine). However, in the west, people cut the food only when they begin to eat except for some desserts. So it may be difficult for them to understand the advantages of these cuisines. When we translate cuisines that are advanced in their cutting up skills, we should be careful and put more emphasis on these delicate cutting up techniques so that the real essence can be fully grasped by target readers.

For example, for the cuisine “大煮干丝”, the 2CM thick dried bean curds are cut up into scores of slices, the value in this cuisine relies on its cutting up skills which are rare in Western cuisine culture, so it can be translated into “Braised shredded chicken with ham and dried tofu slices ”, for its fine cutting techniques make Huaiyang cuisines look like delicate art wares.

“松鼠鳜鱼” can be another example which is famous for its fine cutting skills, the cooking materials mandarin fish is cut up with fine techniques like squirrel. We suggest that this cuisine be translated as “sweet and sour mandarin fish (which chopped into the shape of squirrel)”, so that people in western cuisine culture can comprehend it. In a similar way, “玛瑙鸡片”, which is made up by slices of chicken and sheets of bean curd, can be translated as “Agate thin sheets of bean curd and chicken slices”.

We can see that cuisine translation according to the skills of cutting up would better present these techniques, reserve their characteristics as well as bring the readers to Huaiyang cuisine culture.

4. Conclusion

We start with the discussion of differences in Chinese and Western cuisine cultures and find that language, as the carrier of culture, plays an important role in the transmission of culture while translation functions as a significant tool of culture communication between different countries. In consequence, we got that the comprehension of culture in different countries is inevitable in the communication and integration of various cultures.

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