“False Friends” Phenomenon in Translation and Analysis of Its Causes

第 14页“False Friends” Phenomenon in Translation and Analysis of Its Causes. IntroductionBoth English and Chinese are highly-developed languages and they both have abundant words and expressions of their own. However, they belong to different language systems, English belongs to Indo-European language family and Chinese belongs to Sino-Tibetan language family. So there are numerous differences in their usage of words and sentence structures. When translation is concerned, these differences tend to cause many difficulties in understanding. “False friends” phenomenon is one of them. Mona Bake has made this definition: “False friends” are words or expressions which have the same form in two or more languages but convey different meanings. Professor Lin points out in Translation Guide: “False friends” or “False cognate”, refers to the same or similar form of two languages, which, however, have different meanings. In translational category, “false friends” phenomenon can be extended to incorrect translation caused by being taken for granted subjectively. It is extremely important for English learners to distinguish “false friends” because this phenomenon causes much misunderstanding and incorrect translation. Therefore, the writer of the thesis chooses this topic to write. This thesis describes “false friends” phenomenon in English-Chinese translation at both lexical level and sentence level with plenty of examples. Furthermore, it analyses the causes of the phenomenon from social, cultural and other aspects. Two Levels of “False Friends” in Translation2.1 “False Friends” at Lexical LevelWhen it comes to the relationship between culture and language elements, the most influent is lexical element. Lexicon is the fundamental element of language. It is the pillar for the existence of language system. Therefore, “false friends” at lexical level appears to be more prominent and widespread, including nouns, noun phrases and idioms. For example, when we come across the word “busboy”, we may have an imagination of a person concerned with a bus. And then it is likely to be translated into “公共汽车售票员”. However, busboy is a term used in the United State of someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables, and otherwise assisting the waiting staff. So the correct translation is “餐馆勤杂工”. Here “公车售票员” is a “false friend” of busboy. “Bluestocking” is also far away from the literal meaning. A bluestocking is an educated, intellectual woman. Such women are stereotyped as being frumpy and the reference to blue stockings refers to the time when woolen worsted stockings were informal dress, as compared with formal, fashionable black silk stockings. The term originated with the Blue Stockings Society - a literary society founded by Elizabeth Montagu in the 1750s. Such women have increased in number since, as women now enter higher education in large numbers. There are also many noun phrases relating to color and country names, such as Greek gift, yellow book, Spanish athlete and so on. Greek gift is better translated into “害人的礼物” rather than “希腊礼物”. The literal translation is “the gift of the Greeks”, originating from Homers epic Odyssey, as well as Virgils epic Aeneis. According to Virgils Aeneis, when the dragged the wooden horse to the city, the priest Laocoon persuaded them not to accept the things left behind. He said, “I fear the Greeks, even when they bring gifts.” Unfortunately, people do not listen to his warning, the horse trailer and brought the elite force of Greece. Then Laocoons saying became a proverb, meaning a gift with some sinister purpose of the enemy or a gift sent in order to murder somebody. “Red tape” is translated into “官样文章，官僚作风” instead of “红色带子”. Red tape” is a derisive term for excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents actions or decision-making. “Red tape” is a derisive term for excessive regulation or rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant or bureaucratic and hinders or prevents actions or decision-making. It is usually applied to government, but can also be applied to other organizations like corporations. Red tape generally includes the filling out of seemingly unnecessary paperwork, obtaining of unnecessary licenses, having multiple people or committees approve a decision and various low-level rules that make conducting ones affairs lower, more difficult, or both. It was a tradition that official document were bound in red cloth tape. Usually, each term has its origin, no matter a old tradition or a historical story. It is hard for non-native speakers to understand those terms.Idioms also play an important role in “false friends”. Idioms are commonly understood in a given culture with meanings different from their own literal meaning. In most aspects, culture in China is distinct from that of western countries. So idioms also take up a great part in “false friends” and they are more difficult to distinguish in meaning. For example, “fall on the ground” cannot be literally translated into “掉在地上”, its true meaning is “没有结果”. Idioms such as “die in harness”(因公殉职) and “all at sea”(不知所措) also easily become “false friends”. More examples of “false friends” are listed below.English“false friends”Correct translationlover爱人情人busybody大忙人好管闲事的人cold pig冻猪泼醒人所用的冷水heart man有心人换心人Green-eyed绿眼的眼红的，嫉妒的bad sailor糟糕的水手晕船的人oil skin油性皮肤油布dry goods干货谷物at eleventh hour在十一点在最后时刻personal remark个人评论人身攻击sweet water糖水，甜水淡水confidence man信得过的人骗子divorce lawyer离婚的律师办理离婚案件的律师service station服务站加油站bulls eye牛眼睛靶心horse sense马的感觉常识rest room休息室厕所capital idea资本主义思想好主意familiar talk熟悉的谈话庸俗的交谈a walking skeleton行尸走肉骨瘦如柴husband-like像丈夫的善于管理农活的white man白人忠实可靠的人white coal白煤（作动力来源的）水black art黑色艺术妖术black stranger陌生的黑人完全陌生的人yellow book黄色书籍法国政府报告书Spanish athlete西班牙运动员吹牛的人green hand绿手新手blue coat蓝色上衣警察American beauty美国美人红蔷薇American cloth美国产的布料彩色防水布German band德国乐队街头乐队Italian hand意大利人的手暗中干预Turkish delight土耳其的快乐橡皮糖，土耳其软糖English disease英国病软骨病French chalk法国粉笔滑石粉French leave法国离别不辞而别Indian meal印度风味的餐饮玉米粉Indian summer印度的夏日愉快宁静的晚年be after a fashion赶时髦不怎么样in ones birthday suit穿着生日礼服赤身裸体bring down the house推倒房子博得全场喝彩sing a different tune唱反调（对着干）改变说法或态度make ones hair stand on end令人发指令人毛骨悚然pull ones socks拉上袜子鼓起勇气have a fit试穿勃然大怒2.2 “False Friends” at Sentence Level2.2.1 Negative and Comparative ConstructionsThere are many sentence structures in English which seemingly to be affirmative sentences, but in fact they are negative sentences. Also some affirmative sentences appear to be negative sentences. Moreover, double negations sometimes also have negative meanings. Mistakes are easily made if they are taken for granted subjectively. So translating literally is not a proper way in many cases. In addition, “false friends” phenomenon also exists in some comparative constructions. The following are just a few examples:1. It cannot be too much emphasized that agriculture is the foundation of national economy. (cannot too)false friend: 不应过分强调农业是国民经济的基础。correct translation: 应尽量强调农业是国民经济的基础。2. I never see him but I want to kiss him. (never but) false friend: 我从未见过他，但我想吻他。 correct translation: 我每次看见他都想吻他。3. She is nothing if not polite. (nothing if not)false friend: 如果她不礼貌的话，她什么也不是。correct translation: 她非常有礼貌。4. He is too angry not to say that. (too not to) false friend: 他非常生气，不会说出那样的话的。 correct translation: 他气愤至极，难免会说出那样的话。5. The new edition is no more expensive than the old edition. (no morethan) false friend: 新版本不比旧版本贵。 correct translation: 新旧版本都不算贵。6. As a driver, John is no less skilled than you. (no less than) false friend: 在驾驶方面，约翰的技术不比你逊色。 correct translation: 在驾驶方面，约翰和你一样熟练。7. He is more a poet than a philosopher. (more than) false friend: 他是诗人比他是哲学家更甚。 correct translation: 说他是诗人比说他是哲学家更合适。8. He was less angry than surprised. (less than) false friend: 他生气比吃惊少。 correct translation: 与其说他生气，不如说他吃惊。9. She was always singing as merrily as any lark. false friend: 她总是唱着歌，和每个百灵鸟一样快乐。 correct translation: 她总是唱着歌，比百灵鸟都快乐。10. He is no better than a beggar. (no better than) false friend: 他并不比乞丐强。 correct translation: 他和乞丐差不多。2.2.2 Short Oral Sentences In oral English, there are plenty of vivid expressions which are easily misunderstood. In the actual communicating process, the meanings vary with the speaker, listener, as well as the tone of his speech, time and location. Oral language or speech has practical meanings which are affected by the speakers intentions, not only the pronunciation of a certain word, but also the expression of a certain behavior, such as orders, demands, commitments, appreciation , apology etc. Speech is used to reflect its true meanings. When it refers to translation, full consideration should be given to the practical significance of the languages.For examples: 1. An Englishmans house is his castle. The surface meaning is “The home of the British is an independent kingdom.” However, the underlying meaning is “Not allowed to enter without permission.”2. They had a good laugh at my expense. How do you like that! Here “at ones expense” means “to ones detriment or chagrin”. In this context, the sentence can not be understood as “They joke my expense.” We must pay attention to the exclamation mark in “How do you like that!”, which make it into a phrase meaning “How angry I was at that!” The entire sentence can be translated into “他们大大地取笑了我一番，你说气人不气人！”. Causes of “False Friends” Phenomenon in TranslationTo identify “false friends”, it is necessary to understand their cultural connotations and backgrounds. There are several factors causing “false friends” phenomenon, mainly are different ways of thinking and different cultural connotation. Other “false friends” may be caused by idiomatic usage and illusions. From the pragmatic point of view, a word can be divided into two levels: surface level and deep level. Its surface expression conveys a conceptual meaning, while the deep level expresses an associative meaning. Therefore, only considering the conceptual meaning in words is not enough. According to practical applications, the same word may have different shades of meanings and functions due to different situations.3.1 Different Ways of Thinking, Cultural Backgrounds and Customs“Any language, especially the words and expressions, is influenced and controlled by various cultural elements like social state, religious belief, politics, geographical setting, customs and kinship relationship.” As a result, the heavily culture-loaded words and phrases cause a hindrance to understand. Then translation work will be easily led in the traps of “false friends” phenomenon. From the perspective of thinking, the language is dominated by way of thinking. Language is the means which passes contents of thinking. The two are interdependent and interactive. The expressions in a variety of languages differ among various ethnic groups. The differences embody various cognitions of the world, mainly in the way of thinking, historical traditions, philosophy, language and culture; the differences become distinct, and sometimes even cause conflicts.Different languages have their own characteristics. Both English and Chinese have their language systems in the formation of ideas and concepts in the process of construction from two different patterns of thinking.Westerners are good at using abstract concepts to express specific things, while Chinese prefer to use rational images to convey complex concepts. The way of thinking of westerners is relatively straightforward, putting the main points at the beginning of sentences, but Chinese people are accustomed to detour from the periphery to express focus. The westerners attach more importance to the impact which the objective things have in people, and they think that the subject has a strict distinction from the object, while Chinese pay more attention to the holistic concept and the harmony between man and nature. In addition, the westerners lay more emphasis on the form of education-oriented logic; Chinese people regard more as the dialectical unity.In English, abstract nouns are often used to express the concept of rationality, making a general feeling of simplicity. However, the Chinese are more likely to use a strongly explanatory word to state the meaning of abstract, giving the feeling of a specific visual.Most English sentences focus on the former part with a long-tailed end; Chinese sentences focus more on the end and have a big head. It is nouns with life that make subject of common Chinese sentences and the voice type is implied, while in English the subject uses non-life nouns and there is a large-scale use of the passive voice. English sentences are formed by well-structured logic; the formation of Chinese sentences is guided by the ideas of people, not having to ask for the convergence between the syntax.Take “talk along parallel lines” for example, according to the way of thinking of Chinese people, parallel lines never make intersection. So it is naturally translated into “谈不拢” or “意见不一致”. In fact, the westerners think in a quite opposite way. They think that “parallel lines” means having no contradiction. Therefore, “talk along parallel lines” makes a sense of “英雄所见略同”. Another example is “请勿践踏草坪”. Based on Chinese peoples habits, the literal translation would be “Dont tread on the grassland.” which is incredible to the westerners. They are likely to accept “Keep off the grassland.” From the point of view of cultural differences, due to different geography, climate, historical process, different ethic groups have differences in their customs, religious beliefs, politics and economic. Different cultures are directly reflected in different languages. In cross-language translation, the impact of languages and interferences is unavoidable. Languages, in the practical process, will also spread cultural information. If there is no cultural connotation, the languages would be colorless and empty. Language and culture are interdependent and interrelated. During the historical development of English and Chinese peoples, their respective cultural backgrounds have led to different observation and perspective of the objective world. Even when it refers to the same thing or phenomenon, the associative meanings and emotional reactions differ in two cultures.China is a country with strong regional culture, while western countries have a quite different cultural background. The western world, especially the Great Britain, was conquered by other nations for several times, which also enriched their culture while bringing them wars. The Roman Conquest spread Latin language in the British Isles and brought a lot of Roman culture in, so are the Norman Conquest and the result of French words into English. For instance, “to bear the palm” means “to win”, instead of any meaning concerned with palm. For another instance, “going Dutch” means absolutely not “去荷兰”, it is a slang term indicating that each person participating in a shared activity pays for himself or herself, rather than any one person paying for anyone else. “Going Dutch” is considered stingy in some circumstances, such as on a romantic date or at a business lunch. It is a little hard to understand this term if the relevant historical background is ignored. The phrase probably originates from Dutch etiquette. In the Netherlands, it is not unusual to pay separately when going out as a group. However, when dating in a one on one situation, the man will most commonly pay for meals and drinks. During the period of the Anglo-Dutch Wars, several phrases concerning with the word “Dutch” came into being, including Dutch courage, Dutch uncle and Dutch wife. The particular stereotype associated with this usage is the idea of Dutch people as ungenerous and selfish. Such “false friends” are caused by different cultural backgrounds.People in some western countries consider the lion to be the king of the animals, full of power and grandeur; whereas in China, lion is quite rare, the tiger is regarded as the powerful king. Therefore, “a lion in the way” cannot be translated into “拦路狮”, while “拦路虎” expresses exactly the same meaning in Chinese.3.2 Deficiency in Understanding Idiomatic Usage and Allusions Both idiomatic usage and allusions take up a great part in English vocabulary which is difficult to remember and understand, let alone use them.3.2.1 Idiomatic AspectEnglish idioms in its broad sense refer to set phrases, colloquialisms, proverbs and slang expressions. English is very rich in idiomatic expressions. In fact, idioms form an essential part of the general vocabulary of a language. Websters New World Dictionary of the American Language, (2nd college edition, 1972) defines idioms as “an accepted phrase, construction or expression contrary to the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken together”. This definition shows that idioms are a number of words which, put together, mean something different from the meanings of its constituent words. They are usually metaphorical rather literal. That results in many “false friends” in translation. For instance, “draw a blank” has nothing to do with the meaning of the separate word “blank”, it means “to get no response or result”. So “draw a blank” can be translated into “无结果,无收获”.(Advanced Learners English-Chinese Dictionary, 6th) 3.2.2 Allusions AspectReligion is very imp