（英语语言文学专业论文）文化度与英语习语汉译.pdf

i 摘要 摘要 习语是蕴涵着丰富的民族文化内涵的语言符号。英语习语语言简洁，却包含 着浓厚的英国地方文化和民族特色，因此，英语习语的汉译不仅涉及语言层面的 转换，同时也涉及到文化层面的转换。恰当的英语习语汉译在跨文化交际中起着 重要的作用。 随着上个世纪九十年代文化转向理论的兴起和发展， 翻译研究已从纯语言角 度转向文化角度。语言是文化的载体，文化赋予语言意义。本文首先分析了英语 习语的语言和文化特征，然后从萨皮尔沃尔夫假说探讨英语习语中语言与文化 特征的辨证关系。 一方面，基于语言决定论， 一种语言的语言文化特征对另一 语言来说是一种空白。这种语言文化的独特性是跨文化翻译的一个先天不足，因 此完全对等的翻译是不存在的。另一方面，基于语言相对论，任何思想都可以为 任何一种语言所表述。语言文化的普遍性使得翻译能跨越语言文化障碍，取得最 近的功能对等。基于这一结论，文章从奈达的动态对等理论出发，提出翻译中的 对等是一个度的问题，并提出以文化度，即功能对等中原语的语言文化特征的传 达程度和读者的反应相似程度，作为指导具体的英语习语汉译的原则，认为以直 译加注法和意译拟形法能较好地处理英语习语汉译中的语言和文化因素。 本文的结论是，英语习语汉译的一个重要目的是介绍和传播好英语习语中的 文化色彩。直译尽可能保留了源语文化，而意译语义表达流畅。直译加注法能更 有效传达习语中的原味文化，意译拟形法能更有效传达原语习语的生动形象。意 译和直译一体两面， 可以相辅相成， 重要的是在翻译过程中把握好文化度的问题。 首先，译文应尽可能传达原语的语言文化特征。其次，译文应考虑目的语读者的 接受程度与反应以调整翻译策略。再次，译文应追求高文化度以实现功能翻译目 的。 关键词：关键词：文化度；翻译；英语习语 ii english abstract idioms are cultural-loaded linguistic symbols. english idioms are succinct in english language and rich in cultural connotation and national favor. thus the english idiom translation involves not only the transfer of language, but also the transmission of culture. an adequate english idiom translation plays an important role in cross-cultural communication. with the influence of a return to culture in 1990s, translation studies see a shift from a linguistic approach to a cultural approach. language carries culture, while culture makes sense of language. based on the analysis of linguistic and cultural characteristics of english idioms, this thesis tries to systematically explain the dialectical relationship of language and culture in cross-cultural translation from sapir-whorfs hypothesis. on the one hand, according to sapir-whorfs linguistic determinism, what is the linguistic and cultural uniqueness to one language is a linguistic and cultural obstacle to another language. this peculiarity is the inborn deficiency in translation; therefore, the ideal translation is impossible. on the other hand, according to sapir-whorfs linguistic relativity, there is no limit in expressing any idea in any language. linguistic and cultural universality, can cross linguistic and cultural barriers, and makes it possible to achieve its closest natural equivalence in a target language. equivalence is a matter of degrees. based on nidas functional equivalence, cultural degrees (to which degree, the linguistic and cultural characteristics are effectively conveyed in the target readers and to which degree, the target language receptors response is similar to the original readers response) are proposed to guide english idiom translation to achieve its closest natural equivalent. literal translation with notes and free translation with similar images are analyzed in this thesis for they maintain the peculiar linguistic and cultural characteristics of english idioms. it is concluded that the english idiom translation should serve the cross-cultural exchange between the two different nations. literal translation retains the exotic iii cultural color of the source text, while free translation expresses fluently in target language. literal translation with notes expresses the original linguistic and cultural characteristics, while free translation with similar images conveys a much vivid linguistic impression. literal and free translations are one coin with two sides. what matters most is how to deal with the cultural degrees in cross-cultural translation process. firstly, the translation should be as close as possible to the linguistic and cultural characteristics of the source language. secondly, the translation should be under the acceptability and comprehensibility of the target readers. thirdly, the translation should try to pursue a high cultural degree in functional equivalence in order to achieve the closest natural equivalence in the target language readers response. key words: cultural degrees; translation; english idiom 湘潭大学湘潭大学 学位论文原创性声明学位论文原创性声明 本人郑重声明：所呈交的论文是本人在导师的指导下独立进行研究所 取得的研究成果。除了文中特别加以标注引用的内容外，本论文不包含任 何其他个人或集体已经发表或撰写的成果作品。对本文的研究做出重要贡 献的个人和集体，均已在文中以明确方式标明。本人完全意识到本声明的 法律后果由本人承担。 作者签名： 日期： 年 月 日 学位论文版权使用授权书学位论文版权使用授权书 本学位论文作者完全了解学校有关保留、使用学位论文的规定，同意 学校保留并向国家有关部门或机构送交论文的复印件和电子版，允许论文 被查阅和借阅。本人授权湘潭大学可以将本学位论文的全部或部分内容编 入有关数据库进行检索，可以采用影印、缩印或扫描等复制手段保存和汇 编本学位论文。 涉密论文按学校规定处理。 作者签名： 日期： 年 月 日 导师签名： 日期： 年 月 日 chapter 1 introduction 1 chapter 1 introduction with the explosion of the development in technology and science, the connection and contact among different countries are growing more and more prosperously in every social and economical field. translation, as the bridge of cross-cultural communication, plays a more and more important role in this globalization. as far as translation is concerned, english idiom, as the accumulation of english nations wit and crystallization of english culture, deserves any conscientious translators sweat. since the last three decades or so, the research on english idioms and english idiom translation has been recurrent and the publications in this field are prominent. a lot of linguists (makkai 1972; cowie, mackin and mccaig, 1983; fillmore, kay and oconnor, 1988) focus on the lexical integrity, for english idioms have non-compositional meanings and do not allow syntactic manipulations in a predicable fashion, which makes them more difficult to account for by means of rules. this non-compositionality of english idiom attributes to a cultural opaqueness, which leads english idiom translation study shift from a lexical level to a textual level. in his idiom structure in english (1972), makkai identifies two major types of english idioms: those of encoding and those of decoding. he further classifies idioms of decoding as lexemic and sememic. sememic idioms, correlated with institutionalized culturally pragmatic meaning, make makkais study an early attempt of a highly formal approach to idioms. makkai offers a set of useful categorizations for english idioms on structural differences. however, one of his salient criteria for identifying idioms, their disinformation potential , is questionable. cowie, mackin and mccaig (1983) also recognize figurative idioms similar to makkais idioms of decoding, but argue that idiomaticity (in its narrow sense, the characteristics of english idioms) does not appear in the same degree from pure idioms through semiliteral idioms to literal idioms. the best means of accommodating such a phenomenon is a scale of idiomaticity. to avoid ambiguity of idiomaticity, the formal chapter 1 introduction 2 and semantic features, cowie et al. select, are compositeness and semantic unity. the most original contribution cowie et al. make to the study of english idioms not only lies in an exploration of semantics, but also in their analysis of how grammar and meaning complement each other to create idiomaticity, on the one hand, and of how idioms vary in their lexical integrity with varying consequences for their idiomaticity on the other. all in all, cowie et al.s remarkable contribution to the study of english idioms lies much in a pragmatic analysis. fillmore, kay and oconnors (1988) observation on english idioms is significant in its being lexically open. they classify english idioms into grammatical idioms, characterized as lexical filled idioms (e.g. no pain, no gain), and extragramatical idioms, characterized as being formal or lexically open (e.g. the x-er, the y-er, money burns a hole in sb.s purse). their study is unique in the propositions which “identify distinct points on a scale” with the stronger point presented first. such a scale highlights the range of productivity in english idioms. whereas linguistics has gradually widened its field of interest from the micro level to the macro level, translation studies, which are concerned essentially with texts against cultural background, have adopted the reverse perspective. nida assesses this development as follow: beginning with the twentieth century, the development in linguistics, especially from prague school, the structuralism and the functionalism. the focus of philology shifted from the formal features of particular literary text to the role of language as a code, a system for communication, and an integral part of culture. (1993: 160) for a truly successful translator, his bicultural abilities are even more important than his bilingual abilities, since words only have meaning in terms of the cultures in which they function. (ibid: 110) as the translation emphasis has begun its transfer from word to text, from text to culture, cultural translation is highlighted. bassnett and lefevere (2001: 123) went on to add: “now the questions have changed. the object of study has been redefined; what is studied is the text embedded in its network of both source and target cultural signs and in this way translation studies have been able to utilize the linguistic approach and to move beyond it.” chen lin (2001: 82) argues that the trend of translation in the 21st chapter 1 introduction 3 century will definitely go in the direction, predicted by snell hornby: a return to culture. as english idiom translation study is concerned under this return to culture, a comparative study is popularly applied to drawing a scientific conclusion in how to find adequate translation methods. since 1972, english idiom translation study has come into its full bloom in china. an english-chinese dictionary of idioms (1972) published by xiamen university press is of great significance in enlightening the systematic comparison between english and chinese idioms. to echo this enlightenment, thousands of books and essays have mushroomed since its publication. among them, chen bowen is reputed to be a forerunner in studying english idioms and english idiom translation into chinese. as early as in 1982, his representative work english and chinese idioms: a comparative study was well-known for its detailed rectification of the false english idiom translation. in 1986, his an outline of english idioms characterized and analyzed english idioms in a comparatively systematic manner. 1989 saw the publication of the sources of english idioms by sun haiyun and fan ruyu, an early attempt in exploring the origins of english idioms. essays on english idiom translation are much from a pragmatic point of view. has collected 730 essays on english idiom from 1994 to 2005. among them, two shines most by discussing the return of culture in english idiom translation. one is zhang nings cultural differences on e-c idioms and idiom translation (1999) published in chinese translators journal, which explores english idiom translation on the base of grices conversation implicature, and divides english idioms into those of natural meaning and those of non-natural meaning. the other is ji shaobins on idiom translation and the phenomenon of cultural default involved (2004), exploring the phenomenon of cultural default in idiom translation on the basis of equivalence translation. among all the english idiom translation study nowadays, qin xiubais a dictionary of current idiomatic english (1999) is a popular referential dictionary in english idiom translation. although english idiom translation is a hot discussion under the return of culture, but most researches are mainly on the demonstration of its linguistic phenomenon or chapter 1 introduction 4 comparatively adequate translation examples. for example, in cnki china journals net (), from 1980 to 2005, 347 essays are found with english idiom translation as its key words, exploring english idiom translation from various perspectives, but 191 essays (55% of the total) concern culture as an essential influence with certain case study of english idiom translation, among which only 33 essays (9.3% of the total) try to find the cultural influencing factors, let alone to explain them systematically. therefore, it is still an open field to explain how to do an adequate idiom translation based on the linguistic and cultural characteristics of english idioms and how to set a referential scale to evaluate its cross-cultural translation in a systematical manner. this cultural awareness spurs me on in preparing this thesis. as a chinese idiom reads, tangerine trees bear bitter fruit in cold huaibei, a much different environment from its original one. translation is just like doing transplanting from one culture to another. if the whole environment for its developing has changed, will this new plant grow just the same way as its brothers and sisters at home? the answer is definitely no. there will be some loss or compensation in its linguistic and cultural characteristics. therefore, while doing english idiom translation, we need to take a second thought on what english idiom bears in chinese language and culture and how to keep its original characteristics at a minimum cost. therefore, the core purpose of english idiom translation is to guide chinese readers to appreciate a foreign language and culture, a new trend of expression and thought. the communication between different cultures is highlighted. this thesis will not only detail the linguistic and cultural characteristics of english idiom, but also analyze the main translation methods under cultural degrees (a referential scale in terms of functional proximity in the target readers acceptance and response) involved to explore the translation methods in a functional equivalence. translators should adjust their translation according to different cultural degrees of receptors acceptability and comprehensibility. a high cultural degree (a closest equivalence of response the target reader has in the same manner as the original readers response does) is a necessary to achieve the closest natural equivalence in english idiom translation. this thesis applies a descriptive-explanatory method with comparative case study chapter 1 introduction 5 in translating english idioms into chinese, and it elaborates english idiom translation in six chapters. chapter one is a brief introduction of this thesis. in chapter two, we not only discuss the definition of english idiom, its range and significant role but also analyze its characteristics from linguistic and cultural perspectives. the third chapter comes to sapir-whorf hypothesis and the dialectical relationship of language and culture in english idiom translation. as linguistic and cultural uniqueness to one nation is a linguistic and cultural obstacle to another nation, there is no definitely equivalent translation. equivalence can only be understood in degrees of closeness between the source text and the translation. based on nidas functional equivalence, a new term “cultural degrees” will be introduced to weigh to which degree idiomaticity (the characteristics of english idiom) is retained, distorted or lost in chapter four with some english idiom translation examples. chapter five focuses on the manifestation of cultural degrees in english idiom translation methods. literal translation with or without notes and free translation with or without similar images are focused in achieving a high cultural degree of closeness in english idiom translation. finally, a conclusion will be drawn with the future study of english idiom translation in a cross-cultural communication. chapter 2 definition and characteristics of english idiom 6 chapter 2 definition and characteristics of english idiom 2.1 definition of english idiom and its range the term idiom is originated from greek, and english idioms are usually highly specialized in meaning, and closely linked to distinctive cultural features and cultural values in the most concentrated and profound manner. therefore, it is difficult to define “idiom” clearly, but here are some from famous dictionaries. according to collins dictionary of the english language (1979: 728), idiom is a group of words whose meaning cannot be predicated from the meaning of the constituent words, as for example (it is raining) cats and dogs. it is metaphorical rather than literal also more or less invariable and fixed in form and order (longman dictionary of english idioms, 1997: 388) it is peculiar to a language; approved by the usage of a language, and often having a signification other than its grammatical or literal one. (the oxford english dictionary, 1989: 624) the websters new world dictionary (3rd ed. 1991: 670) defines it as a phrase, construction or expression that is recognized as a unit in the usage of a given language and either differs from the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken together. e.g. not a word did she say; she heard it straight from the horses mouth. with a lack of clear agreement on exactly how to define an idiom, a re-examination of the criteria for idiomatic status is urged for better understanding of english idiom. fernando and flavell make a very significant contribution to the study of the most commonly accepted criteria idiomaticity (namely, their metaphorical aspect): 1. the meaning of an idiom is not the result of the compositional function of its constitutions. chapter 2 definition and characteristics of english idiom 7 2. an idiom is a unit that either has a homonymous literal counterpart or at least individual constituents that are literal, though the expression as a whole would not be interpreted literally. 3. idioms are transformationally deficient in one way or another. 4. idioms constitute set expressions in a given language. 5. idioms are institutionalized. (fernando in a difficult situation) and dog (disappointing data/tough exam) 2.2 linguistic and cultural characteristics of english idiom english idiom is concise, simple