From Culture to Translation --Comparison and Translation of Proverbs.doc

from culture to translation-comparison and translation of proverbs从文化到翻译谚语的对比与翻译abstract: proverbs are gems of language development. from the perspective of language form, they are characterized by religious structure, concise form, deep moral, bold image and unique geography, etc., and from the perspective of culture, they are associated with religious beliefs, habits and customs, fables and myths, ethic and art etc. due to those aspects, we may have some difficulties in translating proverbs. in the process of translation, we have to take into consideration that the comparison between different cultural background, customs, and religious beliefs. the paper proposes four translation methods of proverbs: literal translation, free translation, substitution translation, and literal translation combined with free translation.key words: culture, translation, comparison, proverb摘要：谚语是语言发展的结晶，其具有文字简练、形式短小、比喻鲜明、寓意深刻等特点。本文从文化背景方面介绍了谚语的产生与传统习俗、宗教信仰、典故及文学作品之间的关系，以及谚语的英汉翻译问题。为了能够更好的达到意思上的互通和交流，在谚语的英汉翻译过程中就不得不对不同文化背景、传统习俗、宗教信仰等方面进行了解和对比，因此，为了更好的理解和运用，本文将介绍直译、意译、同义谚语套用、直译与意译相结合的四种谚语翻译方法。关键词： 谚语，文化，翻译，对比contentsi. introduction.1ii. characteristics of proverbs1a. colloquialism.21. oral and concise words.22. syntax and rhythm.2b. deep thought and moral3c. bright ethic and geographical characteristic.3iii. cultural backgrounds of proverbs.4a. traditional customs51. bat.52. dog.53. dragon.6b. religion.61. christianity and buddhism.62. bible7c. historical stories and literary works7iv. different translation methods of proverbs.9a. literal translation.9b. free translation.10c. substitution translation12d. combination of literal and free translation13v. conclusion.14works cited16from culture to translation -comparison and translation of proverbsi. introductionany country or nation has its own unique traditional culture including values, modes of thinking, moral rules, customs, life style, etc. which forms the difference between nations and culture. proverbs are the essence of peoples wisdom and the popular sayings that brighten so much human language, the boiled-down wisdom that you are as apt to hear from professors as from peasants, from beggars as from lgantes. the genius, wit and spirit of a nation are discovered in its proverbs (francis bacon 1561-1626). a well-translated proverb can not only teach, enlighten and persuade people, but also can enrich our language and culture. so it is necessary to study a nations proverbs when we try to study its language and culture.proverbs have many characteristics, such as religious structure, concise form, deep moral, bold image, unique geographical and ethnic characteristics (fernando 21). these characteristics make difficulties for us to translate them into other language if we want to keep the original proverbs language form and taste.moreover, due to the differences of religious beliefs, habits and customs, fables and myths, and culture and art, proverbs in different nations carry on the different national cultural characteristics and information. if we do not know these cultural backgrounds, we cannot understand the proverbs connotation and cannot translate them precisely. to our chinese students with a little cultural knowledge about english, it is very difficult for us to understand and translate english proverbs. so when studing english, we should try to study its culture first.in order to present an adequate translation of proverb, we can use the four translation methods flexibly: literal translation, free translation, substitution translation, literal translation combined with free translation. when translating, we should try to choose a poper translation method firstly. then, we should translate the proverbs connotation. meanwhile, we should try to keep the original proverbs form. this paper aims to introduce the characteristics of proverbs, and discuss the four translation methods and their advantages respectively.ii. characteristics of proverbs proverbs are short sayings of folk wisdom of well-known facts or truths-expressed succinctly and in a way that makes them easy to remember (邓炎昌, 刘润清 1991). as a result of this definition, we can see that proverbs come mainly from the people and are closely related to folk culture. they are produced orally by farmers, hunters, workers, sailors, housewives, etc, and based on working peoples experience of fighting with society and nature, and they have functions of teaching, enlightening, and persuading people. a. colloquialism 1oral and concise words we know that proverbs are produced by working people orally，so the words of english proverbs are very concise and oralwhen we translate them，we should try our best to keep the original proverbs oral characteristicfor example，bad workmen quarrel with their tools拙工咎器(彭小红 2005)obviously，we can see that the translation is more formal. and it will lose its oral characteristicso the above one should be translated like this，拙工常怨工具差，which will be easier for people to recitenow we will give two kinds of translation of some proverbsfrom these translations，we can see that the second translation is more popular、and is easier for people to recite1well begun is half done 能言其始，事已成半。(良好的开端是成功的一半。)2waste not，want not 俭以防匮。(不浪费，不愁缺) 3a good beginning makes a good ending. 欲善其终，必先善其始.(有了好的开始，才有好的结果)4a danger foreseen is half avoided 预见其患，则患不足惧。(预见了危险，就等于防备了一半。) 2. syntax and rhythm when we read proverbs，we will find that the syntax of proverbs is compact and symmetrical；and the rhythm is gentle and unitedfor example，you may take a horse to the water, but you can not make it drink (陈红玉 2002). if we translate it like this，你把马牵到河边去，但不能叫它饮水，it will lose the characteristics of concise words，symmetrical and compact syntax and gentle rhythmso it is better for us to translate like this，牵马河边易，逼马饮水难proverbs have the characteristics of concise and oral word，symmetrical and compact syntax and gentle rhythmtherefore，when we translate them，we should try our best to keep these characteristics. only in this way, can the translation have the taste of proverb. b. deep thought and moral proverbs imply deep thought and moral. they usually express peoples noble thought, and they can teach, encourage, enlighten and persuade people, as mottos. for example,1. fish and guests smell in three day. 鱼不过三日鲜，言不过三日亲2. a wise man thinks all that he says; a fool says that entire he thinks. 智者思其所言，愚者言其所思。3. learning is better than house and land. 学富五车胜过万贯家财。4. a hedge between keeps friendship green. 君子之交淡如水。5. all that glitters is not gold. 闪亮的不一定都是金子。6. complacency is the enemy of study. 学习的敌人是自己的满足。7. failure is the mother of success. 失败是成功之母。8. knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud. 博学使人谦虚，无知使人骄傲。9. no rose without a thorn. 没有不带刺的玫瑰。10. pleasure comes through toil. 甘尽甘来。 c. bright ethnic and geographical characteristics proverbs are based on cultural backgrounds. but what is culture? culture is total accumulation of beliefs, customs, values, behaviors, institutions and communication patterns that are shared, learned and passed down through the generations in an identification of culture, samovar et al definited culture like this: culture is the deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objectives acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving. when we read them, we cannot stop to imagine the history, geography, customs, politics, economy, etc. obviously, proverbs have bright ethnic and geographical characteristics. (包通法 2002) therefore, when we translate this kind of proverbs, we should try our best to keep the original proverbs ethnic and geographical characteristics. now we will take some proverbs as examples following with two kinds of translation. we can compare which one is better to keep the ethnic and geographical characteristics of proverbs.1. talk of the devil and he is sure to appear.说到魔鬼，魔鬼就到。（说曹操，曹操到）2. two heads are better than one. 两个人的头脑总比一个的好。（三个臭皮匠顶个诸葛亮）3. beauty lies in lovers eyes.坏人眼里出病人。（情人眼里出西施）4. do not cross the bridge until you come to it.船到桥头自然直。（不要杞人忧天。）5. never offer to teach fish to swim. 不要教鱼儿游水。（不要班门弄斧） we all know that “曹操，诸葛亮，西施，杞人，鲁班 ” are the unique people in chinese history. if we choose the second translation, our chinese people will make a misunderstanding that there are also 曹操，诸葛亮，西施，杞人，鲁班 in britain. (方梦之 2005) on the contrary, the first kind of translation implies the bright ethnic and geographical characteristics, and people can easily know that they are english proverbs but not chinese ones.iii. cultural backgrounds of proverbs proverbs are based on a nations unique cultural backgrounds. human culture has much in common, but also has much in difference. the differences of the traditional customs, religions and historical stories and some other literature works make proverbs have strong cultural characteristics. (武世花 2005) if we want to master a foreign language, we must know the specialty of the foreign countrys cultural backgrounds. in the following part, we will talk about the cultural backgrounds of proverbs: traditional customs, religion and historical stories and some other literature works, which will help us understand the proverbs well, then translate them precisely and faithfully. a. traditional customs every nation has its own traditional culture, in which its own traditional customs, are different from others. these differences reflect the bright national feeling and characteristics. for example, people from different nations have different feelings to the same animal. 1. bat in china, bat stands for happiness. because the pronunciation of“蝠” in chinese is the same as “福”(happiness),chinese people think that bat is a lucky thing meaning happiness. on the contrary, bat stands for an unlucky thing in britain, which we can see from many english proverbs. for example, “as blind as a bat (有眼无珠)”. 2. dog in china, although some people feed dogs, most people abhor and despise this kind of animal psychologically. they often compare dogs with bad people or some disgusted things. on the contrary, englishmen like dogs because they think that dogs can hunt with them and look their homes. they regard dogs as their companions and pets. therefore, in many english proverbs, british people often compare dogs with people. for example,1. beat the dog before the lion.杀鸡给猴看。2. better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion.宁为鸡头，勿为凤尾。3. love me, love my dog.爱屋及乌。4. every do g has its day.凡人皆有得意时。5. let the sleeping dog lie.别惹事生非。6. barking dogs do not bite.吠犬不咬人。7. dog does not eat dog.同类不相残。8. a good do deserves a good bone.有功者受赏。 3. dragon dragon is an imaginary animal with wings and claws, able to breathe out fire. in china, dragon is regarded as an auspicious deity standing for emperor. so chinese people adore it very much, and compare themselves with dragon, such as “炎黄子孙”,“龙的传人” and“望子成龙”. but in british mythology, dragon is a fierce and creel animal with four feet, which is a synonym of evil. so dragon is a derogatory sense in britain. for example, to sow dragon s teeth, 播下不和的种子; to chase the dragon. 服用鸦片/海洛因。 b. religion1. christianity and buddhismwe all know that buddhism has great influence on chinese culture, so there are many chinese proverbs referring to buddhism, for example,“借花献佛”“闲时不烧香，临事抱佛脚”. however, britain is a nation which is influenced deeply by christianity. there are many english proverbs referring to god, heaven, devil, hell, etc. for example,1. go through hell and high water.赴汤蹈火。2. god helps those who help themselves.自助者，神助之。3. talk of the devil and he will appear.说到魔鬼，魔鬼就到。4. man proposes, god disposes.谋事在人，成事在天。5. mills of god grind slow but sure.天网恢恢，疏而不漏。2. bible we all know that the bible is a book referring to christianity, and it is also an essential book in every english family. even though in a small poor village, you will find that there is a bible in every farmers austere house. obviously, the bible has controlled peoples spirit and every aspect of their life, which has been reflected in many proverbs. for example, forceful as samson 像参孙一样力大无比 (朱艳 2002). samson is one of the most famous giants in bible. he was full of plentiful energy, which (god jehovah gave him. samson once mangled a lion without any weapon as he ripped a little lamb. moreover, he once used a jawbone of an ass to kill 1000 philistines. unfortunately, philistines seized him, and they scratched his couple of eyes. with great angry, samson pushed over philistines house, which just smashed 3000 philistines. at the same time, he was also smashed by the fallen house. therefore, in britain, samson symbolizes person who is with great energy. there are many english proverbs coming from bible. for example,1. spare the rid and spoil the child.舍不得棍子，宠坏了孩子。2. beard the lion in his den.老虎嘴里拔牙，太岁头上动土。3. there is nothing new under the sun.天地之大，无奇不有。4. cast your pearls before swine.对牛弹琴。5. judge not according to appearance.勿以貌取人。 now, we know that bible plays an important part in peoples life. if we do not know the literature illusions and proverbs from bible, we cannot study english well. so, if you want to translate vividly and concisely, please read bible! it will give you great help. c. historical stories and literary works obviously, every nation has its own culture and history, so every nation has its own unique literature. in china, confucianism and taoism influence people greatly. however, in britain, people are influenced greatly by greece fables, aesops fables and some other literature, such as shakespeares works, and many proverbs are originated from them. therefore, if we do not know these historical stories well, we cannot translate precisely. take an english proverb originated from aesops fables as an example, do not be a dog in the manger站着茅坑不拉屎 (朱艳 2002). the story like this means that dog grabs the battles manger without making good use of it, and it never eats the hay that the cattle wants to eat. so this proverbs connotation is to satirize a person who commandeers wealth, resource and position without making good use of them. there are many proverbs of this kind. the following are as examples,1. do not change horse in the middle stream. 河中莫换马，临阵莫换将。 (it is originated from a historical story in england.)2. he has burnt his bridges behind him. 破斧沉舟，背水一战。 (it is originated from a historical story in roman.)3. grasp all, lose all. 欲尽得，必尽失。 (it is originated from aesops fables.)4. happy is the man who learnt from the misfortunes of others.前车之鉴，后人之福。 (it is originated from aesops fables.e)5. when greeks meet greeks, then comes the tug of war.两雄相争，其争必烈。 (it is originated from greece fables.)6. one falls into scylla in seeking to avoid charybdis. 才离狼窝，又入虎口。 (it is originated from greece fables.)7. uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. 位高心不宁。 (it is originated from shakespeares famous play- henry iv.)8. practice makes perfect. 熟能生巧 it is originated from english poet, christopher anstey. (安斯泰，1724-1805) 9. a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 浅学误人。 it is originated from one of the most important poets in england, pope. (薄柏，1688-1744) 10. curiosity killed the cat. 多一事不如少一事。 it is originated from thomas gray, a famous english poet in 18th century. (托马斯格雷 1716-1771)iv. translation methods of proverbs from the above discussion, we .know that proverbs have bright cultural backgrounds and ethnic and geographical characteristics. if we do not master enough english cultural backgrounds, we cannot understand their true meanings and connotations. when we translate proverbs, we should first deal with the discrepancy between language and culture. we should not only translate the proverbs connotation, form and eloquence, but also the ethnic and local characteristics. only in this way, can we translate the proverbs exactly and accurately. according to the different characteristics of proverbs, we will mainly introduce four translation methodsliteral translation, substitution translation, free translation and combination of literal and free translation alexander f. tyler put systematically forward three basic principles of translation used to practice and criticism: 1. a translation should give a complete transcript of the ideas of the original work. 2. the style and manner of writing should be of the same character as that of the original. 3. a translation should have all the ease of the original composition. (tyler 1993) a. literal translation literal translation, which is a main translation method, means we need to translate proverbs literally. some english proverbs and chinese proverbs have the same form and meaning, and these english proverbs do not have too many cultural