论文总字数：26911字

摘 要

饮食文化作为社会文化的重要组成部分，是国际交流最直接、最显著的表现方式。中国烹饪文化博大精深，淮扬菜是其一大结晶，做好淮扬菜翻译对淮扬菜及淮扬文化的对外传播尤为重要。因此本文在系统地阐述了“信、达、雅”的三原则后，举例说明“信达雅”三者的相互关系在淮扬菜名翻译的应用，并提出其延伸下对相应类型的菜名的翻译方法。力求使译文保留淮扬菜蕴含的文化内涵，同时保留其美学风格。

关键词：淮扬菜；“信达雅”三原则；翻译方法

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 The process and status of Chinese dishes translation 1

2.2 The current circumstances of Huaiyang Cuisine translation 3

3. On Translation of Huaiyang Cuisine from the Angle of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” 3

3.1 The “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” principle 3

3.2 Applications of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” in Huaiyang Cuisine translation 6

4. The Methods of Huaiyang Cuisine Translation 7

4.1 Literal translation 7

4.2 Transliteration 8

4.3 Transliteration and literal translation 8

4.4 Paraphrase 9

4.5 Transliteration and annotation 9

5. Conclusion 10

Works Cited 11

1. Introduction

Huaiyang Cuisine originated in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period. To the Ming and Qing Dynasties it had formed a school. For a long time the Huaiyang Cuisine has been called as “The first flavor of Southeast”, In addition to the exquisite skills and unique flavor, the names of Huaiyang dishes have become their own signs. Combined the culture with the diet, the dishes’ names were full of lingering charm. As one of the important ways of cultural exchange between China and foreign, the translation of Huaiyang dishes seems to be particularly important. The names, on the one hand, carry information and practical functions, on the other hand function as the bridge to spread the Huaiyang culture. If the problems of translation cannot be handled properly, not only the spreading out of Huaiyang culture, but also the industry profits in catering trade will be influenced.

In fact, academic researches targeted on the diet culture translation are not enough, especially like researches taking the menu translation as object. Tracing the reasons, it is generally believed that the academic study of the theme of the menu translation is unserious. People can easily find a lot of books about Chinese food, but rarely find the related English data and translation. Even the referenced datums are found, the bad became mixed with the good. Thus this thesis aims to use the “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” theory to guide the translation of Huaiyang Cuisine dishes. Starting from the correlation between the three principles, the author tries to propose several translation methods of Huaiyang Cuisine translation.

2. Literature Review

2.1 The process and status of Chinese dishes translation

Chinese food culture enjoys a good reputation in the world because of being broad and profound. Huaiyang Cuisine occupies an important position in Chinese food culture, and also means great importance for Chinese cultural diffusion.

However the researches on Chinese food Translation are extremely few in the translation circle. Only seven related articles were published during the ten years in 1990s. According to the author’s acquaintance, Liu Zengyu (1990) seemed to pay early attention to the translation studies. Seeing that the situation of dishes translation was a mess, he advocated establishing the Chinese food Translation Committee. Chen Jiaji (1993) put forward several translation types of Chinese dishes: Realistic (literal translation), freehand type (free translation, literal translation as the subsidiary), semi realistic semi freehand brushwork (literal translation and paraphrase), local style and allusive (literal translation or free translation plus explanation translation) and medicated type (simple translation with annotation).

Afterwards some relevant articles came out in some journals, but the quantity was not much. Moreover, the publications were relatively fragmented and lack of systematic and comprehensive research in general. Xie Xianze, so as some other professors, considered that the studies on the translation of Chinese dishes were at least not enough in the following deficiencies: In the first place, studies on Chinese dishes translation principles should be further. In the second place, the translations of dishes were lack of pertinence. Finally, studies on the translation of dishes originated from historical allusions and rich in cultural meanings turned out to touch superficially. Investigators were pressed for valuable essays and standards.

Yang Yamin held the view that there are two major obstacles hindering the translation of Chinese dishes. On the one hand, dish vacancy caused lexical vacancy. Dishes like“饺子、元宵、粽子”were totally Chinese foods, many people translated them as “dumpling” likewise for they found no corresponding vocabularies in English. But as we all know the three dishes are totally different with respective cultural background. On the other hand, Chinese culinary culture is broad and profound, many names of dishes performing as the allusion, metaphor, exaggeration, symbolism and other forms, which brings great difficulties to the translation. Once the particularity of Chinese food was held improperly, misunderstandings would be caused. Another account bringing out chaos in translation was related to the limited capacity of the translators. The manifold translations on the menu often puzzled the foreigners. Some restaurants went so far as to translate“童子鸡” into “Chicken Without Sexual Life”.

On February 20, 2007, CNN reported an article named Misinterpreted Translations, which briefly introduced some available translation situation of Chinese dishes in Beijing. The anchor said mistake and nonstandard translations prevailed everywhere. Some of these translations even made foreigners feel very burlesque or fearful about Chinese food. Such as “口水鸡” was translated into “slobbering chicken”, “夫妻肺片” was translated into “ husband and wife lung slices”, “四喜丸子” was translated into “four glad meatballs”, “麻婆豆腐” was translated into “bean curd made by a pock2marked woman”, “蚂蚁上树” was translated into “a pile of ant s climbing trees”, “驴打滚儿” was translated into “rolling donkey”. Some scholars were worried that these translations have caused greatly negative impact at home and abroad. Thus improving the quality of translation of Chinese dishes brooks no delay.

2.2 The current circumstances of Huaiyang Cuisine translation

Many investigations and studies have been made on the construction and development of Huaiyang Cuisine dishes, most of which discussed the restriction factors and the existing problems in the development of Huaiyang Cuisine, and put forward some strategies such as the industrialization, branding, chain operation, taking advantages of the tourism and so on. Preceded from the aspects of development and operation of the cuisine itself, studies are few on the translation of Huaiyang Cuisine dishes. Yang Le (2002), well documented, summarized the overseas communicate situation of the Yangzhou delegation of Huaiyang cuisine and chef, and analyzed the challenges of Huaiyang Cuisine development faced with beyond the sea. In addition, she accordingly presented some suggestions to innovate, standardize, strengthen exchanges and propaganda, and so on. Chen Huihui (2014) summarized the recent promotional activities organized by the Huaian Huaiyang Cuisine Group. She found the publicity service gaps and put forward some suggestions for the translation of Huaiyang cultural activities. Thus, the present resesrch for Huaiyang culture communication is still very lacking.

3. On Translation of Huaiyang Cuisine from the Angle of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance”

Yan Fu, a famous enlightenment thinker in the late Qing Dynasty of China, proposed the “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” translation standard in lt;Evolution and Ethicsgt;. “Faithfulness” refers to be faithful to the original. “Expressiveness” means the translated text should be clear and coherent. “Elegance” demands for elegant wording, which is the highest realm of translation. The translation of Huaiyang Cuisine should also follow the principle.

3.1 The “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” principle

3.1.1 Faithfulness

Faithfulness means the quality of being faithful, it is not only the standard of the translator’s behavior, but also the information content of the target text and the highest requirement of the original text. In the translation process, whether it is understanding or expression, the amount of information on the original does not increase, decrease, or change. Translations on this account achieve the corresponding form and significance, including the original emanations of the cultural significances between the lines, which are the common psychology, thinking mode, aesthetic taste, the value of the intention and other deep national, local cultural implication, and also include unique language styles of all kinds of writing. Only in this way can the translation be equivalent to the original text. The accurate understanding and the overall grasp being the premise of accurate expression, faithfulness emphasizes these two factors about the original content especially.

The ability to reach or be close to the standard comprises four aspects. One is the ability to control the bilingual. Two is the mastering of multi-disciplinary knowledge. Three is the essential basic training of translation theories. Four is the rich experience in translation practice. Thereinto, the multi-disciplinary knowledge and experience in translation are particularly important. Secular practice of translation is possible to make a good scholar become a genuine translator. On the contrary, learning translation theory without practice would never accomplish one a qualified translator. What exists in the world, as long as it can be said clearly in one language, can also be said clearly in another language. Translation is a process of recreation under the control of the "finished product", in which process a translator usually exert all his strength and wisdom to consider about the text, language, meaning, cultural details, and so on. A truly excellent translation which actualizes the “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” principle can also reflect the translator’s double accomplishments and rigorously professional ethics of the source language and the target language.

Can the translation actualize faithfulness, moreover, lies not only in the ability to cross cultural communications, but also in the appropriate and comprehensive application of free translation, literal translation, sets of translation, interpretation, annotation, transliteration and other methods and techniques. A successful translation is often the product of the compositive applications of plenty methods and techniques. When it comes to specific words or phrases, such as idioms, proverbs and allegorical sayings with the national culture in translation practice, the selection of methods is often determined by the meaning of style and words in context. That is the requirement of expression and the natural choice to conform to the purpose, which is to actualize faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance.

3.1.2 Expressiveness

Expressiveness, as the name suggests, refers that the sentences of translation reads smoothly and corresponds to the original content. That is to use fluid, clear and standardized target language to spread the original cultural information, and to communicate equivalently. If the faithfulness emphasizes the faith to the original, expressiveness emphasizes the faithfulness of the target language. The coincident points between the faithfulness and the expressiveness here inspire us to reach a consensus that the usage of words in translation should not only be equivalent to the original forms and contents, but also be fluent, popular and beautiful as the original. Language is a special tool with the function of loading, what is more, is the only carrier for translation to achieve expressiveness. The wording and phrasing in the target language sentences demand three aspects: using national universally vocabularies; applying consistent and reasonably collocated words; according with the pragmatic habits of the readers and ensure the readers interpret the translations logically without ambiguity. Only these three qualifications were met can the target readers get the same concept, the same inspiration and the same aesthetic as the original readers do. Thus the expressiveness is an essential mean and meanwhile an important premise to actualize faithfulness.

3.1.3 Elegance

Elegance specifically refers that the overall effect of the structure and rhetorical features is consistent with the original. But it pays attention to the rhetoric and emphasizes the faithfulness of the original literary language in the translation. As long as the form and style are reproduced faithfully, the ethnic and contemporary style of the language would be reflected consequentially. If the language turns out to be dull and abstruse, it could not realize equivalent social benefits with the original. That is to say, whether can the appeal of the translation or social effect achieve the same intensity as the original do relies on the implementation of the elegance. But it needs to be further explained that exerting the translator"s creative ability does not mean to aspire the elegance beyond the constraint of the original.

3.2 Applications of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” in Huaiyang Cuisine translation

Since the “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance” principle was admittedly influential and technical, it will be applied to translate the Huaiyang Cuisine dishes. Several characteristics such as the cultural background, the raw materials and the aesthetic styles of Huaiyang Cuisine dishes will be discussed to testify the applications of this principle.

Many Huaiyang dishes are named after the ancient characters, which forms the historical figures and cultural characteristics of the dishes. Once the translator has no ideas about the backgrounds contained in the original names, inaccurate translation will arise and confuse the foreign customers.

For example, “文思豆腐”was irrelevantly translated into “Vince tofu” and “Idea thread tofu” in some restaurants or publications. These two translations violated the faithfulness principle obviously for they merely embodied the raw material tofu, but missed the cultural significance of “文思”. Wensi tofu is a traditional and old-line Han nationality dish originated in Yangzhou. It is well-known with strict selection, fine knife, admirable mouth feel and the efficiency of recuperating the malnutrition. A Yangzhou monk named Wen Si created this food in Qian Long years in the Qing Dynasty. Later generations named this food as Wensi tofu to memorialize him, who performed wonderful skills of cutting and the collocation of the food materials. Thus the cultural history and its nomenclature should be taken into account when translating the dishes named after the historical figures.

The food “大煮干丝”, which is also called chicken soup boiled bean curd, is a famous traditional Huaiyang dish. It is a fresh and nutritious food, the delicacy of its flavor has always been held in esteem on the banquet. The chicken soup used in the dish requires deoiling, which ensures the salubrious fresh and greaseless flavor of the sauce. It has multifarious versions such as “Boiled Gansi”, “Braised Shredded Chicken with Ham and Dried Tofu”, and “Boiled Shredded Dry Bean Curd”. The first translation ridiculously transliterates “gan si” because of vocabulary and raw material vacancy in English. In fact, “干丝” is a kind of bean curd which is cut into shred for appreciation of the beauty. The second translation easily causes the target readers’ misunderstanding that the shredded chicken is the main ingredient, but the dried tofu is the accessory. It is unfaithful on being equivalent to the original forms and contents. The third translation persists the mean material of this food, but it is not expressive in the cooking details and elegant in wording and rhetoric. The foreigners in different cooking culture may consider that since the beancurds needed to be boiled, why does the cooks bother drying them in advance? The word “Dry” may leads a sensation of tasteless and vapidity of this food to the foreigners. To be faithful to the original materials and the cooking methods of this dish, the translation should be Boiled beancurd strips with chicken soup.

4. The Methods of Huaiyang Cuisine Translation

4.1 Literal translation

Literal translation is a translation method which keeps the original contents and forms at the same time. Perhaps the equivalence from the forms to meaning can mostly meet the requirements of “faithfulness”. In the regard of translation methods, literal translation is able to make the target language express the same content and obtain substantially equal effects as the original language does in basically the same form. Therefore, literal translation is a more appropriate method for those dishes clearly named as the main ingredient and cooking methods. For such dishes, a format basically accepted so far is cooking methods plus headword, which is a more direct and concrete technique of Chinese and English expression. Certainly, Chinese Cuisine is particular about the smell, taste and the delicate skills of cutting up vegetables and meat, so seasoning, cutting, and other words are also added to modify the headword.

The examples are as follows: “香菇油菜: Rape fried with mushrooms”; “豆豉鲈鱼: Perch with lobster sauce”; “鸡粥鲍鱼: Abalone with chicken congee”; “大煮干丝: Boiled beancurd strips with chicken soup”; “素炒三鲜: Fried three delicacies”; “蟹粉鱼云: Braised bullhead with crab meal”.

4.2 Transliteration

Transliteration refers to use Chinese words with similar pronunciation as the original to express the Loanword. The speech sound used in the transliteration no longer has its own meaning, only the forms of speech and writing are retained. This method is usually used when the food cannot be found counterpoint in the other country. Under this circumstance, the synonymous phrase of speech sound helps the targeted readers better perceive the aroma contained in the food. Transliteration is a simple way to interest and impress the readers. Foreigners can be able to learn Chinese while enjoying the delicious food.

The food translated in transliteration are the following examples: Chocolate，巧克力；Pizza，披萨；Hamburger，汉堡包；Coca Cola，可口可乐；Sandwich，三明治and so on. Of course, Huaiyang Cuisine contains lots of traditional dishes which have strong Chinese characteristics. Translators can also use this method to do the translation. For example: “淮安茶馓：Huaian chasan”; “平桥豆腐：Pingqiao tofu”; “文思豆腐: Wensi tofu”; “朝牌: Chaopai”; “豆腐卷: Tofu juan”; “小枣粽子: Xiaozao zongzi”.

4.3 Transliteration and literal translation

Some Huaiyang dishes are named after the place name or people’s name. These two kinds of dishes can be translated by transliteration plus literal translation method. When translating such dishes, people can use the strategy of transliterating the place name and people’s name and translating main ingredients word for word. This can not only show the source of the dishes, but also the content and characteristics of them, which brings foreign friends different experience of characteristics of Huaiyang Cuisine, letting them occasionally acquire Huaiyang places’ names. Some examples: “涟水鸡糕” can be translated into “Lianshui chicken cake”; “文楼汤包” can be translated into “Wenlou juicy baozi”; “钦工肉圆” can be translated into “Qinggong meat ball”; “扬州炒饭” can be translated into “Yangzhou fried rice”; “淮安春卷” can be translated into “Huaian spring rolls”; “高沟捆蹄” can be translated into “Gaogou bundle of hoof”.

4.4 Paraphrase

In addition to the direct meanings contained in the dishes, abundant associative meanings are also rich in Chinese dishes. As the thesis said before, Chinese dishes are particular about the transmitting of beauty. The allusions with plentiful imaginations occur repeatedly in the names of Chinese dishes, which constitute the unique charm of Chinese culture. Seeing that the associative effects between the Chinese and Foreign cultural backgrounds are different, translators can use paraphrase to avoid falsity and to get faithfulness in the translation of Chinese dishes. By this method, the connotative meanings and language culture are explained in the translation.

Some examples named with the metaphor and implied meanings of Huaiyang dishes’ are following: “翡翠虾仁” can be translated into “Shrimp with green vegetable”; “金玉满堂” can be translated into “Shrimp and egg soup”; “游龙戏凤” can be translated into “Stir-fried prawns and chicken”; “浪里白条” can be translated into “Boiled white fish”; “丁香肉丝” can be translated into “Stir-fried bean sprout and mushroom with shredded meat”; “桂花鱼丝” can be translated into “Sour-sweet fish with scrambled eggs and shredded fish”.

4.5 Transliteration and annotation

Of course, free translation can also be said as the last resort. English being hard to reflect the cultural information contained in the names of Chinese dishes, the Chinese characteristics common to us Chinese disappeares helplessly. In addition to literal translation and paraphrase, the method of transliteration and annotation can also be used. He Chuan (1994) considered that we can tell the Chinese pronunciation of the dishes intactly to the foreigners, and take literal translation or paraphrase as additional explanations. In this way, not only can the foreigners accept the meaning happily, but also can the translators save a lot of troubles. The author believes that this method is feasible, especially in avoiding the cultural conflicts when the cultural differences exist.

For example: “软兜长鱼” can be translated into “Ruandou changyu: soft eel”; “宫保鸡丁” can be translated into “Kungpao jiding: sauteed chicken cubes with peanuts”; “荔枝鱼” can be translated into “Lizhiyu: stewed snakehead fish”; “炝虎尾” can be translated into “Qianghuwei: eel meat in hot lard”

5. Conclusion

Studies on the Huaiyang Cuisine translation are badly short in the translation circle. Fortunately with the development of our society and culture, the spreading of Huaiyang culture and the translation research on Huaiyang Cuisine arouse more concerns at home and abroad. This thesis, grounded on previous studies, briefly inspect the Huaiyang Cuisine translation from the angle of “Faithfulness, Expressiveness and Elegance”. The author lacking the experience of translation, the statements of the translation principles are insufficient in general. What the author does, nevertheless, strives to put out a few contributions to the development of Huaiyang Cuisine translation.

Works Cited

Barkhudarov. Language and Translation. Beijing: China Translation amp; Publishing Corporation, 1985.

刘增羽：《中式菜肴英译名亟须审定》，《中国翻译》，5（1990）：11-13.

[Liu Zengyu. “Authorized English Translation of Chinese Dishes.” Chinese Translators Journal 5(1990): 11-13.]

陈家基：《中式菜肴英译方法初探》，《中国翻译》，1（1993）：34-36.

[Chen Jiaji. “A Preliminary Study on the English Translation of Chinese Dishes.” Chinese Translators Journal 1(1993):34-36.]

谢先泽,潘演强：《从火烧赤壁与开门红谈中餐菜名的英译》，《西华大学学报》,6（2000）：71-72.

[Xie Xianze and Pan Yanqiang. “On the English Translation of Chinese Dishes from the Connotation of

‘Huo shao Chi bi’ and ‘Kai men hong’.” Journal of Xihua University 6(2000): 71-72.]

杨亚敏：《中餐菜单的翻译障碍及翻译方法》，《南通航运职业技术学院学报》，1（2007）：38 -40.

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