翻译与文化完整版本

TranslationandCulture

翻译与文化topicsMacro—micro1.Culture2.LanguageandCulture3.TranslationandCulture4.Strategiesfortranslatingculturalcomponent----foreignizationanddomestication1.CultureWhyCulture?英语中culture一词源于拉丁文cultura，其最早的意义是“耕作，种植，作物”。随着社会文明的发展，culture一词的外延不断延伸，内涵不断丰富。关于culture的概念，目前最具权威的定义是由英国十九世纪人类学家泰勒（EdwardTyler）提出的，又经过了后来多名学者的修正补充，现引用如下：SirEdwardTylor’sdefinitionin1871:

“thatcomplexwholewhichincludesknowledge,belief,art,morals,law,custom,andanyothercapabilitiesandhabitsacquiredbymanasamemberofsociety”“文化是复杂体，包括实物、知识、信仰、艺术、道德、法律、风俗以及其余社会上习得的能力与习惯。”（引自司马云杰，《文化社会学》，山东人民出版社，1986年）2.Relationshipbetween

languageandcultureDoeslanguageshapecultureordoescultureshapelanguage?Eskimolanguageshavemanydifferentwordstorefertosnow.Wereyoutotranslateonaword-for–wordbasis,youwouldtranslateallthosedifferentwordsintotheoneEnglishword“snow”.E.g.KinshiptermsinChina.KinshiptermsinChinaOneoftheoften-quotedobstaclesininterculturalcommunicationisthedifferenceexistingbetweenculturesinkinshipterms.ConsiderthefollowingChineseterms:

叔叔伯伯舅舅姨夫姑父阿姨姑姑舅母婶婶小姨子小叔子小舅子大嫂婆婆公公岳母岳父表兄（弟）堂兄（弟）表姐（妹）堂姐（妹）连襟妯娌林黛玉的母亲是贾宝玉的姑母，贾宝玉的母亲是林黛玉的舅母，又是薛宝钗的姨母。－－《红楼梦》ComparedwithChinese,Englishhasfewerkinshipterms.Thisdifferenceisnotjustlinguistic;itisfundamentallycultural.Thefactthatalanguagemayhaveaproportionatelyhighnumber

ofwordsinparticulardomainsisanimportantindextothefocusofaculture.

又例如，中国主要是个内陆国家，谋生的方式以农业为主。而英国是一个岛国，人们的生活与捕鱼业、造船业等密切相关。这一点可以在两国语言成语库中得到完全的反映。人们即使要总结相似的生活经验，也是通过不同方式。如：疾风知劲草（Agoodpilotisnotknownwhentheseaiscalmandthewaterisfair.）未雨绸缪（Whileitisfineweathermendyoursail.）请看下面两组成语：斩草除根解甲归田拔苗助长朝耘暮耕根深叶茂移花接木春华秋实秋收冬藏瑞雪兆丰年久旱逢甘霖四体不勤,五谷不分三伏要热,五谷才结

whenone’sshipcomeshome当某人发财致富时tokeepone’sheadabovewater

勉强凑合过日子toknowtheropes

懂得秘诀,内行tosinkorswim

不论成败,好歹Timeandtidewaitfornoman.时光不等人。Asmallleakwillsinkagreatship.千里之堤,溃于蚁穴。toclearthedecks

准备战斗hitthedeck

反抗潮流Drinklikeafish.牛饮Haveotherfishtofry.有另一件更重要的事要做。Fishintheair

缘木求鱼。Neveroffertoteachfishtoswim.不要班门弄斧Languageisamirror,infrontofwhichcultureisreflected.

语言既是文化的载体，又是文化的写照。3.TranslationandCulture3.1TranslationandCultureConstruction翻译是跨文化交流的桥梁。世界上各主要文化体系的发展和翻译活动都是紧密相连的。希腊罗马之古籍泰东西诸国，其盛强果何自耶。泰西格致性理之学，源于希腊；法律政治之学，源于罗马。欧洲诸国各以其国之今文，译希腊罗马之古籍；译成各书，立于学官，列于科目，举国习之，得以神明其法，损益其制，故文明之效，极于今日。大彼得躬游列国，尽收其书，译为俄文，以教其民，俄强至今。今日本书会，凡西人致用之籍，靡不有译本，故其变法灼见本源，一发即中，遂成雄国。（梁启超，1897）文艺复兴时期西方翻译史的高峰时期——十四到十六世纪的文艺复兴时期（Renaissance14th-16th）,翻译活动深入到了思想、政治、哲学、文学、宗教等领域，涉及到古代、近代和当代的一切主要作品。其中影响最深远的译著有：德国宗教改革家马丁·路德，采用民众的语言，翻译的第一本“民众的圣经”，开创现代德语的发展；法国文学家阿米欧翻译的《希腊，罗马名人比较列传》，成为法国乃至整个西方翻译史上一部不朽的译著；英国查普曼翻译的《伊利亚特》和《奥德赛》，弗洛里奥所译蒙田的《散文集》，以及1611年钦定本《圣经》。这些译著对欧洲各国的语言、文学、艺术和科学的发展都产生了深远的影响。在我国，翻译史上的几次高峰，如汉、唐时期的佛经翻译；明末清初的科技翻译；五四以前的西学翻译；五四以后的自然科学和文学翻译；直到改革开放之后的第五次高峰，都对中国文化的发展，科技的进步起到了举足轻重的作用。3.2Translationinculturalcontext

Translationisanacrossculturalcommunicationactivitythroughthetransferenceoflanguage.Translationisprocesswhichoccursbetweenculturesratherthansimplybetweenlanguages.”(Shuttleworth&Cowie1997)

Thetown’sentireshrimpingindustryhasfallenvictimto

Carmenandhasbeenleftinutterruin.卡门台风过境后，整个镇子的捕虾业毁于一旦。（美国习惯用女孩的名字为台风、飓风命名）习俗文化Wereitleftmetodecidewhetherweshouldhaveagovernmentwithoutnewspapers

or

newspapers

withoutagovernment,Ishouldnothesitateamomenttopreferthelatter.(ThomasJefferson)我们是要一个没有言论自由的政府，还是要无需政府管理的言论自由，如果让我决定，那我会毫不犹豫地选择后者。(报纸在西方社会被认为是实现言论自由的重要工具)社会政治文化毛主席问陈妻“你们感情好不好”？陈妻答：“好。”主席听了很高兴。WhenChairmanMaotalkedwithChen’swife.Hewaspleasedtoknowthattheyhad

ahappyhomelife.（西方人尊重隐私，若直译可能会引起误解。译文对文化冲突进行了一定的模糊化处理）社会文化ThefollowingaretheoriginalChineseversionofapartofabrochureonthe“Dragon-BoatFestival”ofacityanditsEnglishtranslation.轻快的龙舟如银河流星，瑰丽的彩船似海市蜃楼，两岸那金碧辉煌的彩楼连成一片水晶宫，是仙境？是梦境？仰视彩鸽翩飞，低眸漂灯流霓，烟火怒放，火树银花，…..EnglishversionThelightsomedragon-boatsappearontheriverasthoughthestartstwinkleinthemilkway.Therichlydecoratedpleasureboatslooklikeasceneofmirage.Thesplendidawningsingreenandgoldchainintoapalaceofcrystal.Isthisafairylandorameredream?Lookingabove,youcanseethedovesflyingabout;lookingbelow,youcanseethesailinglampsglittering.Cracklingarethefireworks,whichpresentyouapictureoffierytreesandsilverflowers.…

中文读起来，似乎亦无不可。但一读其英文译稿，效果却大不一样。……译者可算煞费苦心。我特意请了一位美国新闻工作者看看并坦率写出它的评语。他说：Fullofhyperbole(充满了极度夸张)，不仅不知所云，而且令人发笑。（Quotedfrom关世杰，1995）中英不同的语言文化4.Two

basicstrategies

fortranslatingculturalcomponents

------归化与异化Alternativeapproacheshavebeenadoptedtotranslatetheseculturally-distinctiveidiomsinthehomework.Examinethefollowingexamples,canyouidentifythethreetypicalapproaches?Whichonedoyouthinkisthebestalternative?牛郎织女(1)CowherdandWeavingmaiden(2)acoupleinlovebutnotunderthesameroof(3)cowboyandVegaRomeoandJuliet临时抱佛脚：(1)toembraceBuddha'sfeetinone'shourofneed(2)tomakeeffortatthelastmoment拔苗助长(1)Topulloutthespouttomakeitgrow(2)TospoilsomethingbyexcessiveenthusiasmToomuchzealspoilsall(3)Hastemakeswaste.(1)→literaltranslation(2)→appropriatedescriptive(explanative)equivalence(3)→totaladaptation(改编）东风西风InChinese东风Asymbolofwarmthandspring春城无处不飞花，寒食东风御柳斜。（韩翃《寒食》）东风破早梅，向暖一枝开。冰雪无人见，春从天上来。（蓝茂《早梅诗》）西风古道西风瘦马，夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。（马致远《天净沙·秋思》碧云天，黄叶地，西风紧，北雁南飞。晓来谁染霜林醉，总是离人泪。（王实甫《西厢记》）飒飒西风满院裁，蕊寒香冷蝶难来。（黄巢《题菊花》）东风压倒西风六盘山上高峰，红旗漫卷西风。（毛泽东《清平乐·六盘山》）InEnglishWestwind—AtlanticseaShelly’s“OdetotheWestWind”

Sweetandslow,sweetandslow,Windofthewesternsea,‘Low,low,breatheandblow,Windofthewesternsea！(AlfredTennyson“SweetandSlow”)轻轻地，柔和地；轻轻地，柔和地，西方吹来海风，轻轻地，轻轻地吹拂，西方吹来海风！（ZongBai)It’sawarmwind,thewestwind,fullofbirds’cries;Ineverhearthewestwindbuttearsareinmyeyes.Foritcomesfromthewestlands,theoldbrownhills.AndAprilisinthewestwind,anddaffodils.(JohnMasefield“TheWestWind”)那是一种温暖的风，西风起时，万鸟争鸣；一听西风起，我眼眶中泪盈盈，因为它来自西土，那褐色的故乡边。春天就在西风中到来，还有水仙。（QianGechuan)Eastwind1)bitingeastwind;(SamuelButler)2)apiercingeastwind;(Kirkup)3)HowmanywinterdayshaveIseenhim,standingblue-nosedinthesnowandeastwind!(CharlesDickens)Strategy?1)OdetotheWestWind西风颂？

vs.东风颂？2)西风紧bitteristhewestwindvs.bitteristheeastwind?Example闲情万种，无语怨东风。（王实甫《西厢记》）Iamsaddenedbyamyriadpettywoes,And,thoughIspeaknot,IamangryAtthebreezesfromtheeast.(note:Theeastwindissymbolicofspring,withitsurgetolove.)(Tr.HenryHart)一江春水向东流。（李煜《虞美人》）…flowingeastward功名富贵若长在，汉水亦应西北流。（李白《江上咏》）Soonercouldflowbacktoitsmountains,Thisstream,thanwealthandhonorcanremain.(Tr.Fletcher)Whyadaptationismade?GeographicalCulture:cultureformedbyparticulargeographicalfeatures,whichistermedasEcology.

alienation(异化）andnaturalization（归化）Allapproachestoculturalcomponentsintranslationmayfallintotwomainstrategies:SLculture-orientedandTLculture-orientedorrather,alienationandnaturalizationForeignizationanddomestication欧化？汉化？

钱氏在《林纾的翻译》一文中，也谈到了两种翻译法：就文体或风格而论，也许会有希莱尔马诃（FriedrichSchleiermacher）区分的两种翻译法，譬如说：一种尽量“欧化”，尽可能让外国作家安居不动，而引导我国读者走向他们那里去，另一种尽量“汉化”，尽可能让我国读者安居不动，而引导外国作家走向咱们这儿来。然而，“欧化”也好，“汉化”也好，翻译总是以原作的那一国语文为出发点而以译成的这一国语文为到达点。从最初出发以至终竟到达，这是很艰辛的历程。ExamplesofforeignizationandnaturalizationOriginalVersionbyYangsVersionbyHawkes红楼梦ADreamofRedMansionsTheStoryoftheStone世人都晓神仙好……Allmenlongtobeimmortals…Menallknowthatsalvationshouldbewon…真是“天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福”。Truly,“stormsgatherwithoutwarninginnature,andbadluckbefallsmenovernight.”(literaltranslation)Iknow“theweatherandhumanlifearebothunpredictable.”(paraphrasing)谋事在人，成事在天。Manproposes,Heavendisposes.Manproposes,Goddisposes.癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉Atoadhankeringforatasteofswan.Acaseof“thetoadonthegroundwantingtoeatthegooseinthesky”.Analysis：Yangs:SLculture-orientedmethodfaithfultranslationthroughwhichWesternscanacquiresomeknowledgeabouttraditionalChineseculture.Hawkes:TLculture-orientedmethodInordertoavertculturalconflictandimprovethetranslation’sreadability.Context:IntroductiontoJigonginhismuseum旅游介绍济公劫富济贫，深受穷苦人民爱戴。Jigong,RobinHoodinChina,robbedtherichandhelpedthepoor.EG.巧媳妇做不出无米的粥来，叫我怎么样呢？（第二十四回HongLongMeng）Hawkes:Eventhecleveresthousewifecan’tmakebreadwithoutflour.Yangs:Eventhecleveresthousewifecan’tcookamealwithoutrice.WestenersunderstandthericeisthestapleforChinese.ItishardtoimaginethatpeopleinancientChinaateWesternbreadratherthanrice.庆父不死，鲁难未已。战犯不除，国无宁日。这个道理，难道到现在还不明白吗？（毛泽东《南京政府向何处去？》）“UntilChingFuisdoneawaywith,thecrisisinthestateofLuwillnotbeover.”Untilthewarcriminalsareeliminatedtherewillbenopeaceinthecountry.Isn’tthistruthclearenoughnow.（note:AccordingtoTsoChuan,anancientChinesehistoricalworkdealingwiththeimportanteventsoftheSpringandAutumnEra[770B.C.–476B.C.],ChingFu,anobleinthestateofLu,repeatedlystirredupinternalstrifeandmurderedtworeigningprincesofthestate.ChingFuhassincebecomeabywordforthosewhostirypinternalstrife.Untilthetrouble-m