从文化差异的角度谈英汉翻译中词义的确立.doc

从文化差异的角度谈英汉翻译中词义的确立 1.中英文化部分重叠情况下词义的确立.2.中英文化空缺情况下词义的确立.3.中英文化冲突情况下词义的确立.4.exercises.中英文化部分重叠情况下词义的确立翻译作为语际交流,他不仅仅是语言的转换过程,而且也是文化移植的过程.王佐良先生曾经说过:翻译的最大困难是两种文化的不同.因此,解决好翻译中文化差异的问题是保证译作成功的关键.跨文化交际过程中,两种语言体系所承载的文化特征主要表现为完全重叠,部分重叠,文化空缺甚至是文化冲突.而负载文化的语言形式既是多层次的(音,词,句,篇),同时又是多方位的(内涵,风格,情感,联想).下面我们主要从词汇层面上粗略地讨论英汉两种文化差异是如何制约翻译过程中词义的选择的.在翻译的实践中,全句,全文乃至全书都译错的情况是很少见的.而翻译的错误常常出现在词义的选择上.因为恰如其分地确立源语的一个词语的意义,并不总是轻而易举的.他可能涉及到许多因素.比如词义的褒贬,概念的虚实,所指的抽象和具体以及修辞,语体和风格等.而这些因素取决于一个民族的生活习惯,思维特征和语言规律.golden age/show ones cards/to turn over a new leaf/he laughs best who laughs last/necessity is the mother of invention/we never know the worth of water till the well is dry/sing different songs on different mountains/so long as i remain a bonze,i go on tolling the bell/all crows are equally black,and all wolves eat meat/without stepping outside his gate,the scholar know all the wide worlds affairs/a long road tests a horses strength and a long task proves a mans heart/burn ones boats/walls have ears/go through fire and water/man proposes,and god disposes/plain sailing/fish in troubled waters/pour cold water over(on)/know something like the palm or back of ones hand/constant dripping wears the stone/a thorn in the flesh/facts speak louder than words一,中英文化部分重叠情况下词义的确立语言既是人类交流思想的工具,也是人类主观世界反客观世界的媒体.翻译是译者对作者所认识事物的再认识和再表达.这种再认识和再表达常常是从不同角度按照译语民族的习惯方式进行的.所以,译作中出现与原语表达的不同是在所难免的.源,译语中的词语不同,其文化内涵也不同,从而反应出两个民族认识事物的思维方式,角度,习惯的差异.1.所指相同或相似,习惯不同,表达各异在英汉两种语言里,所指相同或类似,而表达不同的概念不少.译者决不可为求形似而弃传意.在形似而不能传意的情况下,译者尽可大胆地舍弃源语中词语的形,用译语的习惯表达取而代之.eg.i love you with my liver/stomach/throat/heart.words are not themselves a reality but only representation of it,and the kings english,like the anglo-french of the normans,is a class representation of reality.单词本身并不是客观物体,只不过是代表客观体而已;像日尔曼人的盎格鲁法语一样,标准英语也是一种代表客观体的语言.2.所指相同或相似,思维表达各异英汉两个民族在观察与思维上是存在着差异的.面对同一物体,经过思维所得出的概念也有出入.对于这一类因思维差异而引起的表达不同的概念,译者同样要越过表达形式的局限进行深层语义上的等值翻译.eg.put them in a pan with 2 strips of lemon peel,600 ml whipping cream and 2 tablespoons white or brown sugar,golden rather than very dark brown.把两条柠檬皮放入砂锅内,再加600毫升搅打的奶油和两汤勺白糖或红塘,赤砂糖也可,但不要用深色的红糖.brown sugar/light brown sugar(黄糖)/black tea/blue film.3.所指相同,喻体不同,联想各异人们常把某些品质或特征与某些动物或植物或物品联系起来,从而产生某种情绪或反应.某种品质或特征与物的联系会因民族不同而各异.在中英文里,指称意义相同而喻体不同的情况很多,翻译这样的词语,重要的是透彻理解其在源语中的文化涵义,然后可根据情况进行翻译.eg.ill have to beard the lion in his den when i go to ask my boss for a better job.我要去求老板给我一份好工作,到时我不得不当面给他理论一番.chicken(rabbit)/eel/fiddle(horse).as timid as a rabbit/like a duck to water/at a stones throw/to fish in the air/remain a dead letter/as stupid as a goose/black sheep/to spend money like water/drunk like a sailor/the apple of somebodys eye/gild the lily(画蛇添足)/half-baked(半瓶子醋)to look for a needle in a haystack/like a cat on a hot tin roof/as wet as a drowned rat/as thin as a shadow/birds of a feather/to talk horse/to tread upon eggs/cry up wine and sell vinegar/as plentiful as blackberries(多如牛毛)/dumb as an oyster(守口如瓶)/diamond cut diamond(棋逢对手).中英文化空缺情况下词义的确立二.化空缺情况下词义的确立中英两个民族由于宗教信仰(着重语义深层语符表层等值转换),政治制度(着重突出其文内涵即语义深层等值转换)以及人文历史(采用前限制后解释的办法)等方面的不同,就难免在文化上存在真空地带,即文化空缺,这种文化空缺在词语上显得尤为突出.一个和尚挑水吃,两个和尚抬水吃,三个和尚没水吃.one boys a boy;two boys are half a boy;three boys are no boy.too many cooks spoil the broth.one monk,two buckets;two monks,one bucket;three monks,no bucket,no watermore hands,less work.were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government,i should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.如果让我决定我们是要一个没有言论自由的政府,还是要一个只有自由而无政府的国家,我会毫不犹豫地选择后者.let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of isaiah to undo the heavyburdens(and)let the oppressed go free.不管我们在地球的什么地方,让我们双方都记住先知以赛亚(圣经人物)的重托:卸下重负让所有受压迫的人都获得自由.the planners were busy bypassing the gordian knot.计划制订者为躲避戈尔迪结棘手问题,而忙得不可开交.;中英文化冲突情况下词义的确立三.中英文化冲突情况下词义的确立中英因文化冲突而引起词语深层意义相矛盾的情况虽然不多,但在翻译中却是不容忽视的.稍有疏忽,便有失之毫厘,谬之千里的可能.1.英文概念(字面意义)相同,含义褒贬有别peasant/farmer/intellectual/cadre/propaganda/labourer.翻译这类词语时,不能对词义的褒贬,指称的范围置之不理.2.中英文概念相同,联想意义相反或矛盾英汉两种语言中,这类词主要是表动物,植物以及鸟类的概念.其真正意义是英汉两个民族赋予它们的不同联想.dragon/dog/owl/bat/cricket/peacock/cuckoo 等等.exercises1.a book,tight shut,is but a block of paper.2.success is often just an idea away.3.nothing happened in the night.4.its more expensive than it was last time but its not as good.5.the application of plastics in automobile industry has brought about great increase of the consumption.6.commission depends on the quantity of goods ordered.7.we have paid the freight and marked the cases urgent.for immediate delivery.8.please let us know the detailed information on your market.9.you are kindly requested to let us have your best quotation for the canned fish.10.we take this opportunity to inform