习语的分类与翻译课件

ClassificationandTranslationofIdioms

习语的分类与翻译

Eachlanguagecontainsmanyelementsderivedfromitsculture,suchasidiomsandotherfixedexpressions.First,itisnecessarytohaveaclearknowledgeofsomebasicconcepts.

一、ABriefDiscussionofSeveralFundamentalConcepts1.1DefinitionofIdiomsEachlanguagehasmanyidioms.Idiomsarelinguisticchunks(语言模块)madeupoffixedEachlanguagecontainsmanexpressionsandsentences.Idiomsincludesetphrases,proverbs,allusions,commonsayingsorfolkadages(俗语),ect.Theyareknownas“熟语”inChinese.Themeaningofanidiomisnotclearfromthemeaningofitsindividualwords.Anidiommustbelearnedasawholeunit.Englishhasmanyidioms.E.g.giveway,achangeofheart,behardputtoit.Chinesealsoboastsplentyofidioms.E.g.“小题大做”(tomakeamountainoutofamolehill鼹丘)、“后来居上”、“朝秦暮楚”(serve等。expressionsandsentences.ItheStateofQininthemorningandtheStateofChuintheevening—bequicktoswitchsides;befickle;beinconstant);“杯弓蛇影”(mistakingthereflectionofabowinthecupforasnake—besetwithimaginaryfears;extremelysuspicious);“杯水车薪”（tryingtoputoutablazingcartloadoffaggotswithacupofwater—anutterlyinadequatemeasure）theStateofQininthemorninIdiomsarebasedonpeople’scommonexperiencesinlife.Theyshinewithpeople’swisdomandtheyarecharacterizedbynationalcultures.Nowondersomepeoplesaythatidiomsarethecreamorthebestpartoflanguage.Idiomsarebasedonpeople’sTranslationisnotonlyaninter-lingualtransfer,butalsoacross-culturalcommunication.Beforewetalkabouttranslationofidioms,wethinkthatitisnecessarytodiscusstherelationshipbetweenlanguageandculture.betweenlanguageandculture.Translationisnotonlyanint1.2

TheRelationshipBetweenLanguageandCultureCultureisthemediumevolvedbyhumanstosurvive.Nothinginhumanlifeisfreefromculturalinfluence.Itisthekeystoneincivilization’sarchandisthemediumthroughwhichalllife’seventsmustflow(Samovar&Porter,2000:22).Cultureisreallyanextremely习语的分类与翻译课件wideandcomplexconcept.Themoderntechnicaldefinitionofculture,associallypatternedhumanthoughtandbehavior,wasoriginallyproposedbythe19thcen-turyBritishanthropologist,EdwardTylor(2005):“Culture…isthatcomplexwholewhichincludesknowledge,beliefs,arts,moral,law,customsandanyothercapa-bilitiesandhabitsacquiredbymanasamemberofsociety.”

Thestrategiesfortranslationofidioms,includingculture-loadedexpressions,aretheliteraltrans-wideandcomplexconcept.TheThereisnostandarddefinitionofculture.InCiHai(《辞海》),thedefinitionofcul-tureis“inabroadsense,thesumtotalofmaterialandspiritualwealthcreatedbyhumanbeingsintheprocessofsocialde-velopment;narrowlyspeaking,itreferstosocialideologyandtheinstitutionandorg-anizationstructurecorrespondingtoit.”(“……从广义来说，指人类社会历史实践中所创造的物质财富和精神财富的总和。从狭义来说，指社会的意识形态，以及与之相应的制度和组织结构。”)Thereisnostandarddefinitio“Languageistheprincipalmeanswhere-byweconductoursociallives.Whenitisusedincontextsofcommunication,itisboundupwithcultureinmultipleandcom-plexways”(Kramsch,2000:3).Atfirst,languageexpressesculturalre-ality.Thewordspeopleutternotonlyre-fertocommonexperienceandtheknow-ledgeabouttheworldthatpeopleshare,butalsoreflecttheirattitudesandbeliefs.“LanguageistheprincipalmeaSecondly,languageembodiesculturalrealitythroughverbalornon-verbalcom-munication.MembersofasocialgroupNotonlyexpressexperience;theyalsocreateexperiencethroughlanguage.TheygivemeaningtoitthroughthemediumTheychoosetocommunicatewithoneanother.Finally,languagesymbolizesculturalre-ality.Languageisasystemofsignsthatisseenashavingitselfaculturalvalue.

Secondly,languageembodiescuSpeakersidentifythemselvesandothersthroughtheiruseoflanguage;theyviewtheirlanguageasasymboloftheirsocialidentity.Theprohibitionofitsuseisoftenperceivedbyitsspeakersasarejectionoftheirsocialgroupandtheirculture.“Althoughalanguagemayberegardedasarelativelysmallpartofaculture,itisalsoindispensabletoboththefunctioningandperpetuationofculture.”“LanguageAndculturearetwointerdependentsymbolicsystems”(Nida,2001:139).

SpeakersidentifythemselvesaHumanculturewithoutlanguageisun-thinkable.Withoutlanguage,therewouldNoculture.Languageisthekeystoneofculture.Withoutculture,languagewouldloseallitsmeaningsandvanishintheend.“Alanguageisapartofacultureandacultureisapartofalanguage,thetwoareintricatelyinterwovensothatonecannotseparatethetwowithoutlosingthesignificanceofeitherlanguageorculture”(Douglas,1980:16).

Humanculturewithoutlanguage1.3TheRelationshipBetweenCultureandTranslation

TranslationisinitsessenceakindofInterculturalcommunicationandiscloselyrelatedtoculture.Translationandcultureshareaninterdependentrelationship.First,translationdefinitelyinvolvesculture.Inappliedlinguisticsandanthropology,acultureiscloselylinkedwithacertainlan-guageandmakesthislanguageculturally-loadedinamannerdifferentfromother1.3TheRelationshipBetwelanguages.Theintimaterelationshipbet-weenlanguageandculturedeterminesthatintheprocessoftranslation,cultureisanimportantpartneededtobedealtwith,andmoreattentionshouldbepaidtoculturalelements.Second,translationisameansoftrans-mittingcultureeversincenationsandlanguageshavebeenincontactwitheachother.Translationservesasabridgebetweendifferentcultures.languages.TheintimaterelatiForinstance,manyEnglishexpressionshavefoundtheirwayintotheChineselanguage,whiletheChinesepeoplefeelnoforeignnessatall,fortheyhavebeenassimilatedintotheChineselanguage,suchas“Ivorytower”(象牙塔),“atrumpcard”(王牌),“honeymoon”(蜜月),“blue-print”(蓝图),“TheOpen-doorPolicy”(门户开放政策),etc.Third,translationpromotesculturalde-velopmentbyimportingforeignculturalForinstance,manyEnglishexpnourishmentsandtransplantingtheout-sideculturesintoitsownculturalenviron-ment,thusenhancingtheimprovementoftheworldculturesonthewholeandleadingtothebetteringoftheworldcivili-zation.TakeChinaasanexample.InSuiDynastyandTangDynasty,alargenumberofworksofSutraweretranslatedintoChinese,whichwassagreatimpetustothedevelopmentofBuddhisminChinesereligion.nourishmentsandtransplantingLastbutnotleast,cultureexertsagreatinfluenceontranslation.Eg.thetranslator’saesthetichabitsandoptionswillbeaffectedbythecultureinwhichhefindshimself.

1.4Translatabilityand“Untranslatability”ofCultureTranslatabilityand“untranslatability”seemalwaysoppositetoeachother;however,itisamatterofdegree,since

Lastbutnotleast,culturtherearesimilaritiesanddifferencesbe-tweenculturesatthesametime.“Untran-slatability”indicatesthelimitationoftrans-lation,whichisrelativeratherthanabso-lute.Tosomeextent,thedegreeoftrans-latabilitydependsontherelationshipbe-tweentheculturesinvolved.Theclosertherelationship,thehigherthedegree.therearesimilaritiesanddifHumanbeingsliveonthesameglobeandsharemanyexperiences.Weknowthatatleastninetypercentofthebasicstructuresofalllanguagesarequitesimi-lar,andlanguageuniversalsfaroutweighthedivergences.ThoughEnglishandChinesearedifferentlanguages,westillcanfindmanyequivalentexpressionsandcloselyrelatedexpressionsbothatbothlinguisticandculturallevels.E.g.“burnone’sboat”(破釜沉舟),“aneyeforaneye,atoothforatooth”(以眼还眼，以牙还牙),“topouroilontheflame”(火上浇油),etc.HumanbeingsliveonthesameHowever,thediversityofcultureisobvious.Becauseofdifferentgeogra-phicallocations,conventions,religiousbeliefs,values,politicalsystemsandsoon,theculturaldifferencesaredisplayed,whicharecertainlyembodiedindifferentlanguages.Theinfluenceofcultureonlanguagemakesitdifficulttotranslateartisticimages,puns,allusionsandotherfigurativespeecheswhicharerathersubtleHowever,thediversityofcultandambiguouseventoChinesereadersWithouttheprerequisiteknowledgeofhistoryandpoeticcultivation.Theywillalwaysbetheobstructionsintheprocessoftranslation.Thusthetranslatedversionisboundtolosesomething,especiallyitsbeautyinformandinsound.Inaword,theculturaluniversalsofthewholeworldmakelanguagestranslatablewhiletheculturalcharacteristicsofdiffer-entnationsmakelanguages“untranslatable”.andambiguouseventoChineseTranslatabilitycoexistswith“untransla-tability”.Therefore,intheprocessoftranslation,translatorsshouldhaveadequateculturalawarenessandapplysuitabletranslationstrategiessothattheymayavoidfallingintothe“CulturalTraps”.Translatabilitycoexistswith1.5BasicStrategiesforTranslationofIdiomsWehavesomeessentialtranslationapproachesfortranslationofalltexts,suchastheliteraltranslationapproach,theliberaltranslationapproach,andtheliteral-plus-liberaltranslation.Ofcourse,theyaresuitablefortranslationofidioms.Let’sreviewthemonebyone.Howtodefineeachofthem?1.5BasicStrategiesforThesetranslationapproacheshavebeenpopularizedandadoptedbymanytrans-lationtheorists&practitionersinChina.Ofcourse,thereareothertranslationstrategieswhichincludeforeignizingtranslation(异化)orforeignization,anddomesticatingtranslationordomesticati-on（归化）,whichhavebeenintroducedtoChinafromtheWest.

1.5.1ForeignizationandDomestication

Thesetranslationapproaches

AfamousGermantheologian,philosopherandtranslator,arguedthat“thereareonlytwomethods.Eitherthetranslatorleavestheauthorinpeace,asmuchaspossible,andmovesthereadertowardshim;orheleavesthereaderinpeace,asmuchaspossible,andmovestheauthortowardshim.”(Venuti,2004:19-20).Itcanbeillustratedbythefollowingfigure:.AfamousGermantheologian,pTheauthorThetranslatorReadersDomesticationForeignizationFigure3-1:Schleiermacher’sDichotomyofTranslationstrategiesTheauthorThetranslatorReaderAlthoughSchleiermachergaveadetaileddescriptionofthesetwotranslationstrate-gies,hedidn’tproposedefinitetermsforeach.Differentscholarsdefinedthesetwotranslationstrategiesfromtheirownunderstandings.E.g.LuXun(鲁迅,1984:301)thoughtdomesticationas“rewriting,changingaforeignstoryintoaChinesestoryandchangingforeignersintoChinese.”AlthoughSchleiermachergaveaSomescholarsuseothertermsinsteadofforeigni-zation,suchas“alienation”,“Europeanization”or“westernization”.ItwasLawrenceVenuti,anItalianAmericantranslationtheorist,whofirstcoinedthesetwotranslationstrategiesinhisbookTheTranslator’sInvisibility—AHistoryofTranslation:adomesticatingmethod(domesti-cation)isanethnocentric(以人为中心的)reductionoftheforeigntexttoTLculturalvalues,bringingtheauthorbackhome,andaforeignizingmethod(foreignization)isanSomescholarsuseothertermsethnodeviant(偏离人的，不考虑读者的)pressureonthosevaluestoregisterthelinguisticandculturaldifferenceoftheforeigntext,sendingthereaderabroad(2004:20).Sogenerallyspeaking,domes-ticationisaTLculturallyorientedtransla-tionstrategyinwhichanatural,fluentstyleisadoptedinordertominimizethelinguis-ticandculturalstrangenessoftheforeigntextfortargetlanguagereaders;foreigni-zationisaSLculturallyorientedtransla-ethnodeviant(偏离人的，不考虑读者的)tionstrategyinwhichtheoriginalforms

andcontent,especiallytheoriginalculturalfeaturesarekeptinordertoretaintheforeignism.

1.5.2DomesticationandForeignizationVsLiberalTranslation&LiteralTranslationweknowthatthesetwopairsofdichoto-mies(一分为二，二分法)sharesomesimilarities.Freetranslationanddomes-ticationpaymuchattentiontothetargettionstrategyinwhichtheoriaudience,becauseofidiomaticsentences,familiarexpressionsandculturalphenomena,sometimesthetargetlanguagereadersmaynotrealizethattheyareactuallyreadingatranslatedtextfromanotherculture.Whileliteraltranslationandforeignizationputem-phasisonthelinguisticandstylisticfeaturesofthesourcetext,andthetargettexttrans-latedinthiswaymaynotbeverysmoothinlanguageandthecontentmaynotbefami-liartothetargetreaders,sotheymayfeelforeignwhenreadingthetranslation.audience,becauseofidiomaticSomesaythatthedichotomyofdomestica-tionandforeignizationisthedevelopmentandelevationofthedichotomyoffreetrans-lationandliteraltranslationfromthediachronicprospective.ButIdon’tagree.Inmyview,astheliteraltranslationstressesfaith-fulnessbothtotheoriginalformandcontent,itcertainlyhighlightstransplantingtheforeigncul-turalaspectsofthesourcelanguagetextintothetargetlanguagetext.Somesaythatthedichotomy二、ClassificationandTranslationofEnglishandChineseIdioms

2.1EnglishandChineseIdiomsCorrespondingtoEachOtherandTheirTranslationAspeoplehavemanythingsincommon,e.g.theyhavemanysimilaritiesinmodesofthinking,lifehabits,cognitionabilities,aswellasingeogra-phicalconditionsandgeologicalenvironments,i.e.theysharemanyculturalaspects,thereareplentyofidiomsbetweentwoculturesandtwolanguages.二、ClassificationandTranslatiThesameistrueofEnglishandChinese.TherearequiteanumberofidiomsinEnglishandChinesewhichcorrespondtoeachother.Lookatthefollowing:Thegreatfisheatupthesmall.大鱼吃小鱼。

Hewhoridesatigerisafraidtodismount.

骑虎难下。//It’sthesaddlethatmakesthehorseandthetailor,theman.人靠衣裳马靠鞍。//Oneswallowdoesnotmakeasummer.一燕不成夏。//洗手不干washone’shandsof//旧瓶装新酒newwineinoldbottles.//玩火者必自焚。Hewhoplayswithfiregetsburned.ThesameistrueofEnglishaPleasegivemoreexamplesofthistypeofidioms.Whichisthebeststrategyfortranslationofsuchidioms?

在翻译此类习语时，“等效理论”（Tytler,1790;Nida,1964,）得以彻底实施，即这样的英汉习语应该套用相互对应的习语进行对等翻译Theliteraltranslationapproachisapplicablehere,anditisusedwiththebestpossibleresult.Why?Pleasegivemoreexamplesof2.2PracticeinVariousWays2.2.1Askyourpartnerordesk-matetogivemoreexamplesofthistypeofidioms.(1minute)2.2.2Translateandmakesentenceswiththefollowingidioms:bearmedtotheteethbeasmildasalambtoplaywithfireasgay/cheerfulasalark(像云雀那样快活)

2.2PracticeinVariousWays

toshedcrocodiletearsBeautyliesinthelover’seyes.Inthecountryoftheblind,theone-eyedmanisking.toteachapigtoplayonaflutetoflogadeadhorseThereisnosmokewithoutsomefire.Beautyisbutskin-deep.Cantheleopardchangehisspots?Asgaudyasapeacock像孔雀一样华丽toshedcrocodiletears武装到牙齿；全副武装鳄鱼的眼泪；伪善的眼泪；猫哭老鼠假慈悲情人眼里出美人；情人眼里出西施盲人国里，独眼人称王。山中无老虎，猴子称霸王。教猪吹笛；对牛弹琴；做荒唐不可能的事鞭打死马；做无用功；白费唇舌无火不生烟。无风不起浪。美貌只是一层皮。不可以貌取人。花豹岂能改变身上的花斑？本性难移像孔雀一样华丽；穿得过于艳丽武装到牙齿；全副武装2.2EnglishandChineseIdiomsThatPartiallyCorrespondtoEachotherandTheirTranslation

英语和汉语分属两种不同的语系，属于不同民族的母语。在不同的环境下生存的人们，其生活经历和对外部世界的看法不可能完全一致，因此，反映人民生产和生活的习语也必然千差万别，对应的习语毕竟是少数，大量的习语只是呈半对应关系。半对应的英汉习语通常是比喻意义相同，但喻体迥异。为使目的语读者顺利地理解源语习语中所承载的文化信息和比喻意义，译者最好对源语习语喻体加以转换，2.2EnglishandChineseIdioms用合适的目的语习语将其译出，以达到跨文化交际的目的。如：astimidasahare胆小如鼠；asstrongasahorse力大如牛；aspoorasachurchmouse一贫如洗；Manproposes,Goddisposes谋事在人，成事在天。//宁为鸡口，不为牛后。Betterbetheheadofadogthanthetailofalion.//正中下怀afterone’sownheart//一箭双雕killtwobirdswithonestone//水中捞月fishintheair//过河拆桥kickdowntheladder//进退维谷betweenthedevilandthedeepsea.翻译半对应的英汉习语时，套用喻体不同但喻意相同的习语是可取用合适的目的语习语将其译出，以达到跨文化可行的译法。这种改变喻体、保留喻意的译法是一种活译法。2.3EnglishandChineseIdiomsWhichDonotCorrespondtoEachOtherandTheirTranslation

可行的译法。这种改变喻体、

由于英汉两种语言有巨大差异，英语习语中存在大量与汉语惯用法和汉文化特征大相迥异的习语，既非对应的习语，汉语习语中也有为数不少的与英语表达习惯和西方文化大相径庭的非对应的习语。非对应习语的喻体意象和表达方式是源语所特有的，它们在译语中是空缺的，体现了东西方人民认识上的差异。这类习语用两种不同的译法处理：一是采用直译法，二是使用意译法。由于人类有许多共识，由于英汉两种语言有巨大差异，英语习语中存在大量与汉语源语中有些包含独特喻体的习语在目的语读者心中引起的联想意义很可能也相同，这类习语的比喻意义谁都能理解。因此，英汉两种语言均有很多互不对应的习语可采用直译法处理。如：sourgrapes酸葡萄；eyeforeyeandtoothfortooth以眼还眼，以牙还牙；bullmarket牛市；bearmarket熊市；armedtotheteeth武装到牙齿；shedcrocodiletears掉鳄鱼眼泪；towerofivory象牙之塔。//竭泽而渔todrainapondtocatchallthefish;打草惊蛇tostirupthegrassandalertthesnake;易如反掌tobeaseasyasturningoverone’s源语中有些包含独特喻体的习语在目的语读者hand;对牛弹琴toplaythelutetoacow;守口如瓶tokeepone’smouthclosedlikeabottle;雪中送炭tosendcharcoalinsnowyweather;画蛇添足todrawasnakeandaddfeettoit;声东击西toshoutintheeastandstrikeinthewest;井底之蛙tobelikeafrogatthebottomofawell;调虎离山tolurethetigerfromthemountain;口蜜腹剑tobehoney-mouthedanddagger-hearted.英语中还有一些非对应习语涉及广为流传的典故，亦可采用直译法翻译。例如：Trojanhorse（特洛伊木马）；aswiseasSolomon（像所罗门一样聪明）；aJudaskiss（犹大之吻）。hand;对牛弹琴toplaytheluteto

总之，易为目的语读者所接受的源语习语采用直译法为佳。著名翻译家张培基教授（1980：12-13）指出，直译既能保持原文的内容，又能保持原文的形式——特别是保持原文的比喻、形象、和民族、地方色彩等。通过直译法，不同的语言、不同的文化相互学习，相互借鉴，共同繁荣，共同发展。文化之间必然存在差异，这是民族文化的个性。民族文化个性蕴涵在许多习语中。包含民族文化个性的习语如果采用直译法翻译，能为目的语读者所理解和接受，便可大胆使用直译法处理。否则就必须采用意译法处理。总之，易为目的语读者所接受的源语习语什么叫意译法？笔者参考刘重德教授（1994：173）给意译下的定义，将意译定义为：如果采用直译法处理，译文不忠于原文，或不能为译语读者所接受，或诘屈聱牙，难读难懂，在这种情况下，译者不得不舍弃或改变原文的形式或修辞，使用目的语习惯表达法，或运用目