论文总字数：27254字

摘 要

随着全球化的进程的加速，翻译的要求越来越严格。更多的研究专注于翻译的精确性。很多研究着就对语言的翻译不仅仅对字面意思的翻译，而更多的是文化的一种转换达成共识。

对翻译的研究日新月异，很多的学者逐渐致力于将翻译做到最符合原语境，因此翻译的策略尤为重要。而习语又像一面镜子反映着文化。于是本文将翻译这个宽泛的题目缩小为“论汉语习语英译的策略”。

本文的主体部分主要从三个部分来研究文化对汉语习语英译的影响，第一部分，主要是与文化相关的翻译理论，侧重讲的是奈达理论。第二部分有四个组成部分，分别从各个角度研究由于文化的差异而带来汉语习语英译复杂多变的原因。最后一部分，列举了几种翻译的方面，分别是，直译，意译，注释，替换，并且在什么样的情况下要使用相应的方法。后两个部分是本文的主要内容，将翻译与文化相结合，举出了很多例子，能更直观的看到在对汉语习语的翻译这个板块上文化起到的作用。

关键词：习语翻译；跨文化；翻译策略

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 Culture-related Translation Theories 2

2.2 Other Views on Cross-cultural Translation 4

3. Cultural Differences in Translation 5

3.1 Geographic Environment 5

3.2 Customs 6

3.3 Religious Belief 6

3.4 Historical Anecdotes. 7

4. Strategies for English Translation of Chinese Idioms 7

4.1 Literal Translation 7

4.2 Free Translation 8

4.3 Annotation 9

4.4 Replacement 9

5. Conclusion 10

Works Cited 12

1. Introduction

Culture is the soul of a country, likes countless stars in the sky, always shining and sparking throughout the long history. Translation is for communication between cultures, this thesis will use Bates and Plog"s as a definition that terms culture as “a system of shared beliefs, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the members of a society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning” (Samovar 36). Generally speaking, culture is “the totality of beliefs and practices of a society” (Nida 78).

However, culture is just an abstract word. It has to be embodied and symbolized by language, like Kramsch has pointed out. Culture cannot be separated from language and translation is like a bridge which combines the two of them.Many world-renowned translation theorists, including Eugene A. Nida, Susan Bassnett, Daniel Shaw, Larry A. Samovar and so on, have discussed that in depth the relations between culture and translation in their works. Although cultural translation has not become the mainstream in translation theories, it is emerging with a strong momentum, just like Bassnett has predicted.

Both English and Chinese are full of colorful culture-specific idioms, and they are used widely in all kinds of works as well as in our daily life. Sinece they always contain various figures of speech and strong cultural flavors, it is extrmely hard for non-native speakers t to understand , let alone to translate them faithfully and expressively into target language.

2. Literature Review

Due to different lexical characteristics, Chinese idioms can be classified in different ways. Usually, Chinese idioms can be divided into five categories: set phrase (chengyu), common saying (suyu or changyan), proverb (yanyu), two-part allegorical saying (xiehouyu) and vulgar expression (cusuyu).Set phrases are been known as these four features：dapper, straightaway and with vivid image. For example, “七 嘴 八 舌”(With seven mouths and eight tongues).Common sayings are popular and easy to understand, informal and used in colloquial occasion “桂林山水甲天下”(East or west,Guilin landscape is the best).Proverb，someone says there are three S which can be used to describe it ,that is shortness,sense,salt. “只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯” (While the magistrates were fre to burn down the house,the common people were forbidden even to light lamps).A two-part allegorical saying like a riddle, consists of two parts, the first half played like a riddle analogy role in the latter part of the mystery like a riddle, played a vivid description of the role of things . “刀子嘴 豆腐心——嘴硬心软”(Her bark is worse than her bite).Vulgar expressions are only used in colloquial speech, especially in cursing ,such as “孬种”(coward).This thesis will not focus on the last one since they are not very often used.

Chinese special culture makes it’s idioms quite different from English idioms which brings so many difficulties in translation. With five thousand years of civilization, Chinese idioms show how our country developing. So Chinese idioms have some specific characteristics. These characteristics are that idioms often contain aspects of speech with concise and comprehensive words and implied meaning; some of them do not follow conventional grammatical rules, or even wrong in logic; normally, no component word in an idiom can be changed.

2.1 Culture-related Translation Theories

The study of translation has been through a long time and more and more linguists believe that translation is not only transfer meaning but also the culture. Nida is famous for his functional equivalence in lexemes, syntax and discourse. He also pay attention to the culture effect on translation. It seems that no connection between these two aspects. But they are linked to each other all the time.

2.1.1 Nida’s View on Functional Equivalence

Nida’s translation theroy is analyzed in the target language culture and the three types of relation between the source language culture and thought of the three relations is determined by the distance between the language and culture. Owing to this, he summed up two basic orientation of translation,which are equivalent formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. Formal equivalence foucus on two aspects of the form and content of information itself, and the corresponding is based on the “equivalent principle” dynamic equivalence.

Nida’s theory of the principle of “focus on the dynamic equivalence theory.” He believes that there is no absolute equivalence between languages, translation must identify the different types of translation, to determine the different principle of reciprocity, according to the nature of information, the purpose of the author and the purpose of the translator, factors such as the type of audience, classify translation. According to the nature of the information, to determine the content and form of what is a major consideration in translation; According to the purpose of the author and the translator, determine the expected purpose of translation is to provide knowledge, cause emotional responses, or suggest a specific behavior. He wants the reader to fully understand and make translation to complete some imperative function.

To prevent misunderstanding, nida’s “functional equivalence” to replace the “dynamic equivalence”, he wants to emphasize the communicative function of translation, the replacement is not to deny previous “dynamic equivalence”. In fact “functional equivalence” and “dynamic equivalence” there is no substantial difference. Nida think that functional equivalence emphasizes the between language and culture can find translation equivalence, in the proper way to organize information form and the semantic structure and communication. Translation such as white as snow, if there is no the word “snow” in a language that has a “cream” (frost) word, “like a white cream” will be used to replace. Also can use synonymous metaphors such as “like a white mushroom” white as fungus to express, if not, can use a metaphor form very, very white, “white” to express. Author expects the readers read works, usually he would express only is a layer of meaning, rather than several layers of meaning.

2.1.2 Nida’s View on Translation and Culture

At present , we generally belived that we must translate a language into target one and transfer culture from source culture to another at the same time. In the very first research of translation,Nida didn’t realize the importance of culture translation.But then he finded out that culture is a great factor in translating. He attaches more importance to the cultural factors in translating rather than the purely linguistic differences;the most serious problem in translation is not the method that we use , but wrong cultural assumptions. “For truly successful translating, biculturalism is even more important than bilingualism, since words only have meanings in terms of the cultures in which they function” he said.

Cultural differences have led to many difficulties to translation. Unless we consider cultural adjustments and modifications, we connot finally reach the aim of “functional equivalence”,or at least get close to it. That is also the close connection between the two important aspects---functional equivalence and cultural factors in Nida’s views on translation.

According to Nida, cultural differences may cause having marginal notes in a translated text. In other words, it is not easy for you to find a proper word or sentence to transfer the meaning, and it’s time for you to add an annotation. For instance, in Western countries, there are no “阴”and “阳”，they no idea about them,which are two old traditional Chinese terms regarding cosmic forces and the universe, so we translate them into “yin” and “yang”, but with an annotation to explain that they are two forces through whose essences, according to Taoist cosmology, the universe was produced and cosmic harmony is maintained. Yin is dark, female and negative and so on, and yang is light, male and positive,etc.

Societies are increasingly becoming heterogeneous rather than homogeneous. People get used to their own ways of expressions shaped by their own histories and cultures. There are many words which have different pragmatic implications in different countries. In a certain context, some words" designative meanings are different from their deep meanings.here are an example. The sentence “John can be relied on. He eats no fish and plays the game” can"t be translated as “约翰为人可靠,他不吃鱼,还玩游戏”.In English history, the conflictions between old Christian religion and Protestantism weref. The old religion are deeply believe that in feast days, people could only eat fish, but Protestants refused to eat fish in feast days to show their decision of converting to Protestantism. So “to eat no fish” means to be loyal. “To play the game” means to take part in a match by observing the rules, and it is transferred to mean “being upright and honest”. Therefore, this sentence should be translated into “约翰为人可靠,他既忠诚又正直.”(translated by Zhang Peiji).

2.2 Other Views on Cross-cultural Translation

In late 1980s, many scholars began to give their own opinions on translation from the perspective of culture. Umberto Eco considered that translation equals to culture which means the translation activity is a kind of cultural transportation.  Translation is the production and intermedium of cultural communication. “Translation reflects the features of both cultures when one language and culture is translated into another. And the aim of translation is to transfer the source culture into the target culture” (Eco24). “Wang Zuoliang pointed out: The difference between two cultures is the most difficult thing in translation, so translators should have a good knowledge of both the foreign culture and the native culture. The more translators understand the cultural information, the more possibly they can master the language and reproduce the original culture. Han Ziman viewed that the features of culture have an effect on the whole translation activities and the vise versa is also true” (Han116). Therefore, the transference of cultural information should play a key role in translation.

3. Cultural Differences in Translation

According to these theories ,the reasons that why there are so many difficulties in translation of Chinese idioms is complicated. And deep long culture leads to it. Chinese and English’s cultures are so different in many ways. Then what is culture？Historical background, religious beliefs, social systems, natural environment , living conditions and so on.We can call them elements of culture but they are not culture. If you want to understand what a Chinese idiom means,you would better know something about Chinese culture.So it’s quite significant to understand the culture behind idioms so that we can do well in translation. This thesis will discuss four parts: Living and geographic environment differences , Custom differences, religious belief differences and historical allusion differences.And it can be seen why it is so hard even through so many years’ studies on idioms’ translation.By understanding these aspects,it will be much easier to transfer Chinese idioms into English.

3.1 Geographic Environment

The generation of idioms are related to people"s living environment and geographical environment.England is an island,people who live there are so close with water,and they treat water as precious as they could.They can live until now because of water,they fight for living because of water.People fishing from the ocean,not only for their own lives but also to make money, so when they say “spend money like water”means spend a lot of money. On the contrary,China is a country surrounded by land.Earth is so important that just like their mother. The ancient people fighted for their own land for thousands of years,even nowadays,Chinese people treat land,their own house so seriously that it can be seen through the higher and higher price of apartment.When they say “挥金如土”means the same thing like “spend money like water”.Here is another example that can show how living and geographic environment difference influnce idiom translation.In ancient time,China used cow a lot but English men used horse instead.So “吹牛”means the same thing as “talk horse”.

3.2 Customs

There are many differences in custom.For example,in western country,dog is a loyal friend of people.So when people mention dog,it’s a good thing something. “Love me,love my dog”(爱屋及乌); “top dog”(头儿); “Every dog has his day”(凡人皆有得意之日).In China,dog always means being mean,bad.And when people say dog words,it always with derogatory sence. Here are some examples: “狗嘴里吐不出象牙”(a filthy mouth cannot utter decent language ), “狗仗人势”(be a bully under the protection of a powerful person) “狗腿子”(henchman).Here is another example: when people say someone is an elite in China, they will use the word “人中之龙”,here dragon means perfect person. In Chinese history, only the emperors can be dragons. But in Western culture, people believe dragons are so evil that they can destroy everything. In many movies, dragons are ugly and they can open fire through themselves which can lead everything into ash.

3.3 Religious Belief

Derived from religious idioms also appear a lot in both Chinese and English. In many western countries, people believe in Christianity, think god dominate everything in the world.We can see from the following idioms: Man proposes, god disposes (谋事在人 ,成事在天) 、God bless you(上帝保佑你) 、God helps those who help themselves (自助者天助) 、finger of god( 神力 ,神功) 、God’s chosen people (上帝的选民) and so on. In China, Buddhism has a history of more than one thousand years, a lot of people are buddhist, people believe in “Buddha” in all around the world, a lot of idioms related to this, “不看僧面看佛面” (not for the monk’s sake, but for the Buddha’s), “佛祖保佑”(For god sake), “放下屠刀立地成佛”(Laying Down the Butcher’s Knife to become the Buddha), “闲时不烧香 ,临时抱佛脚”(Don’t burn incense, spare time cramming )

3.4 Historical Anecdotes.

Both Chinese and English has a large number of idioms formed by historical allusion, these idioms with simple structure, profound, not single in application from literal meaning to understand and translation. Some English allusions idioms from the Bible ,such as Adam’s apple (喉结),The punishment is to be a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand and a foot for a foot (以其人之道还至其人之身;要以命偿命 ,以眼还眼 ,以牙还牙 ,以手还手 ,以脚还脚 ),apple of the/one’s eye (眼睛中的瞳孔),but now it is transferred into “掌上明珠”or “心肝宝贝”. If you don"t understand the historical background, you can’t translate these idioms correctly. It just like Chinese idioms “霸王别姬”(Farewell to My Concubine), “五四运动”(the May 4th Movement), “文化大革命”(the Great Cultural Revolution).Only when you know the history and culture very well, you can understand these idioms.

4. Strategies for English Translation of Chinese Idioms

It cannot be perfectly transferred only by literal translation and free translation.There are four ways can be used to make our translation better:replacement and annotation.

4.1 Literal Translation

Maybe the very first thought of this sentence is that “Don’t wake up a sleeping dog”, due to different culture background,it cannot be seen how amazing Chinese idioms are.At this time,literal translation can be used. “Don’t say anything about it,we mustn’t beat the grass and startle the snake”.The image of idioms can be showed vividly through this simple and direct way, “纸老虎”is transferred into “paper tiger”,the English people may be confused at first,but now they can understand this idioms so well and it has been official English language.Otherwise, “丢脸”（lose face）, “走狗”（running dog）,and the most popular idiom is “功夫”（kung fu）.These Chinese idioms are all use literal translation,the effectiveness of it can be seen so clearly that everyone will easily understand. The following are some other examples:

1. 到什么山唱什么歌( Sing different songson different mountains)

2. 做一天和尚撞一天钟(So long as I remaina bone , I go on tolling the bell.)

3. 浑水摸鱼(to fish in the t roubled water)

4. 以眼还眼,以牙还牙(an eye for an eye ,atooth for a tooth)

Literal translation can make readers know the meaning of idioms through it’s very surface level and a little deeper meaning cannot be understand only know the meaning of each word of an idiom.

4.2 Free Translation

As it was mentioned above, xie houyu is Chinese native expression. And it’s hard to find a similar language form in English. People can use this expression to achieve humorous effect. In fact, not only in xie houyu, but also in other Chinese idioms, humorous and metaphor are most popular used in daily life. According to this situation, it’s time to use the way of free translation. “对新药业，老实讲，我是擀面杖吹火—— 一窍不通，并且，自己的精力也有限….”,the better way to translate it is “to be quite honest with you, I don’t know the first thing about the modern drug business and also my energies are rather limited….” Here are some examples:

1. 家丑不可外扬——It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.

2. 物以类聚，人以群分——Birds of a feather flock together.

3. 满瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡——Empty vessels make the most noise.

4. 明枪易躲，暗箭难防——False friends are worse than bitter enemies.

When free translation couldn’t achieve the goal of translation cause Chinese five- thousand-year civilization, the exact word cannot be found in English language and English readers are lack of background of Chinese long history. Annotation is widely used at this time.

4.3 Annotation

Annotation refers to when literal translation and free translation cannot exactly express the original meaning,according to idiom’s purpose,give a further explanation on the basis of Chinese culture.For example, 宁为玉碎,不为瓦全——Would rather be a jade broken than a tile intact-better to I in glory than live in dishonour. 老骥伏枥, 志在千里——an old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand li，an old hero still cherishes high as pirations, 外甥打灯笼—— 照舅(旧) the nephew carrying a lantern to give light to his uncle- the same as before( a pun on照舅Zhhaojiu and照旧Zhaojiu). 半路出家,become a monk or nun late in life 一switch to a job one was not trained for.In China,半路出家 means switch to a job one was not trained for,so we can give the further explanation. Like “阴阳”that were mentioned above,people in western don’t know what are they,so we can use annotation when it has to be translated pectfectly.Sometimes,only add the cultural background of an idiom,then it will be known by English people.At this time,both literal translation and free tranlation couldn’t do their job well,annotation is widely used. “对着和尚骂贼秃”，if tranferred into “curse baldheads to a monk”,English readers may not know monks in China are baldhead and they will understand it if we add this :Monks and nuns in China shaved thrie heads.

4.4 Replacement

Replacement refers to some English idioms have the same or similar meaning with Chinese idioms in the figurative sense，but a little different in image or the method we use to transfer.At this time,we can find a English idiom with the similar meaning to replace the Chinese idiom.For example, “老王刚离婚，你又要解雇他，这不是落井下石吗?” “To dismiss Mr Wang when he just get divirce,how could you hitting a man when he is down?” Here, “落井下石”and “hitting a man when he is down”have the same meaning.Because of the diference of culture,we can exchange our special idioms.Actually,plenty of English idioms show the same meaning with Chinese idioms but in diffeent words,just like No pains, no gains and “一分耕耘,一分收获”, Speak of the devil and he will arrive and “说曹操 ,曹操到”.We can help other understand what is meaning the our idioms if we can find counterpart in English.That will be much easier for others to know Chinese culture.In a word, we can use a different word but with the same meaning or just near to the original meaning to replace Chinese idioms when we couldn’t find any exact word.Tipical examlpes: “隔墙有耳”，a Chinese chengyu,in English saying,there is “walls have ears”,different saying with the same meaning. “火上浇油”，when English people say “to add fuel to the flame”, these two can be transferred into each other freely cause the same meaning.The following are some other examples that translate through the wa of replaceent.

1. 风蚀残年(have one foot in the grave)

2. 心有余而力不足( The spirit is willing butthe flesh is weak)

3. 少年老成( to have an old head on youngshoulders)

4. 以其人之道还治其人之身( to pay back inhis own coin)

If we learn both Chinese and English cultures very well and we can exchange both idioms with same meaning but different forms as freely as we can.And the humor of these two language can be reserved well. If the translator had used literal translation “share the same pair of trousers with him”, readers probably cannot understand it as conspiracy, cause there is no such association in their own culture. If the translator had explained it with more detailed sentences in the translation, the whole version would be so clear and interesting in readers’ mind. So under such circumstances, it is suitable to replace the original image with another one in an English idiom with the same meaning, if it is possible to find one.

5. Conclusion

In the translation field, the discussion about Cultural Translation Theory has been more popular over the past thirty years. So many scholars, like Nida, have pointed out similar views on this topic in their works. And the author believe Nida’s theory is the most practical one, so in the literature review, this thesis put much words try to explain what is functional equivalence and Nida’s view on cultural translation. And then, the author wants to figure out the reasons that why Chinese idioms are so difficult to transfer. Four cultural elements are mentioned which are living and geographic environment differences, custom differences, religious belief differences and historical allusion differences.These four reasons are not the whole thing that cultural brings difficulties in Chinese idioms translation. Finally, four way are listed that can help to translate more accurately, they are literal translation, free translation, replacement and annotation.

In conclusion, before translating a Chinese idiom, the translator has to first ponder on its cultural discrepancies and understand Chinese cultural background, finally use translation methods flexibly so that a good vision will be presented vividly in front English readers. We can know each other better, the distance between nations will be smaller and smaller.

Works Cited

[1] Barbe, Katharina. Irony in Context. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 1995.

[2] Jorgensen, J., G. Miller, and D. Sperber. Test of the Mention Theory of Irony . Journal of Experimental Psychology: General 1, (1984), 112-20.

[3] Fernando Chitra. Idioms and Idiomaticity. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2000.

[4] Nida, Eugene A. Language and Culture. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001.

[5] Nida, Eugene A. Toward A Science of Translating. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2004.

[6] Sperber, D., and D. Wilson. Relevance: Communication and Cognition. Oxford: Blackwell, 1986.

[7] 魏剑锋，宣苓艳，苑瑞兰. 《英语习语翻译理论探讨》. 河北工程大学学报,1（2010）：1-2.

[8] 王秉钦.《文化翻译学》.天津:南开大学出版社,1995.

[9] 谢孝兰. 《汉语习语英译的跨文化视角》.湖南经济管理干部学院学报,6（2005）2.

[10] 张培基.《习语汉译英研究》.北京:商务印书馆,1979.

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