思维方式对中英语言的影响及其翻译策略.docx

思维方式对中英语言的影响及其翻译策略.docx

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思维方式对中英语言的影响及其翻译策略

思维方式对中英语言的影响及其翻译策略

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思维方式对中英语言的影响及其翻译策略

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思维方式对中英语言的影响及其翻译策略

TheInfluenceofPatternofThoughtonChineseandEnglishLanguageandtheMethodsofTranslation

Ⅰ.Introduction

Sofarasthedefinitionoftranslationisconcerned,itiseasyforustocopyonefromadictionary;translationisarenderingfromonelanguageintoanother,（ASHornby,1989）butthatseemstobetoosimple.Actually,translationconcernswithnotonlytherenderingbetweentheoriginalandtargetlanguages,butalsothecommunicationbetweenthetwocultures.Andthemostdifficultthingintranslatingisjustthetranslatingofthetwocultures.JiXianlin,aprofessorofBeijingUniversity,notesthatthemostessentialdifferencebetweenEasternandWesternculturesliesinthedifferentpatternsofthought.

Languageisthereflectionofthethought.LiuMiqingpointsoutthatthoughtcontrolslanguage.Theformationsformanylanguagesexpressionsresultfromtherelationbetweenlanguageandthought.Thepatternsofthoughtdeterminethewordsorwordgroupsindiscoursewhichembodyconceptions,thesentenceswhichexpressjudgment,thestructureandalignmentofthediscourseswhichconveyinference.

Theemploymentoflanguageembodiesthechoiceandcreationofthought.Theprocessoftranslatingisnotonlythetransferoflanguageformsbutalsothetransferofthought.Makingthetransferofthoughtpatternswithpurposeinthecourseoftranslationaswellashavingtheknowledgeofthedifferencesofthepatternsofthoughtiscontributivetothenaturalandidiomatictranslation.

BycomparingChinesepatternsofthoughtwithWesternpatternsofthought,thethesistriestoshowthattheyaredifferentinmanyways,andthatthesedifferencescanbeseeninChineseandWesternlanguages.Inthethesis,ChineseandWesternexpressionsaretakenasexamplestoillustratethat:

（1）Patternsofthoughtandlanguageexpressionsaredeeplyinterrelated;inotherwords,thewaypeoplethinkandthewaypeoplespeakorwritedohaveintrinsicrelations.

（2）Differencesbetweenlanguagesresultfromdifferencesbetweenpatternsofthoughtandarethemediathroughwhichpeopleshowthewayofthinking.（3）Theawarenessofthesedifferencesisconducivetothetranslationbetweenthesetwolanguages.Onlythroughthetransferofpatternsofthoughtinthecourseoftranslation,cantheintelligibleandidiomatic

translationbegot.

Ⅱ.IntroductionofChineseandEnglishPatternsofThought

2.1TheDefinitionofpatternsofthought

PorterandSamovarpointedoutthatthoughtistheprocesswhichusestheconceptions,judgmentandreasoningtoreflecttheobjectiveworld.Itisprovedbypsychologiststhatthoughtcanprocessallkindsofinformationwhichentersthehumanbrainandwhatwethinkcanreflectthematerialessencesandsolvetheproblems.

Forpatternofthought,therehavebeenmanyotherexpressionstodenotethesamemeaning:

“modeofthinking”,“waysofthinking”,“thinkingstyle”.Theformofreasoningprevalentinasocietymaybecalledthepatternofthoughtinthatsociety,whichhasbeenanaspectofculturethatinfluencessocialperception.KarlPribramnotedthatmutualunderstandingandpeacefulrelationsamongthepeoplesoftheearthhavebeenimpedednotonlybythemultiplicityoflanguages,buttoanevengreaterdegreebydifferencesinpatternsofthought―thatis,bydifferencesinthemethodsadoptedfordefiningthesourcesofknowledge,andfororganizingcoherentthinking.Themoststrikingdifferencesamongphilosophicaldoctrinesareattributabletodeep-seateddivergencethemethodsofformingfundamentalconceptsandofdefiningthefunctionsofReason―thatis,thecognitionpowerofthehumanmindandtheextentandvalidityofthatpower.

2.2TheFeaturesofChineseandEnglishPatternsofThought

2.2.1TheIntegralPatternofThoughtandtheAnalyticalPatternofThought

TherelativestabilityofagriculturalsocietymadeChinesepeopleinharmonywithnature.Chinesepeoplewereclearthateverythingcamefromnatureandthattheirexistencewasdependentuponthebestowalofnature.Theintegralpatternofthoughthasbeendevelopedgradually.Chinesepeopleconsideredittobeanindivisibleandinteractivewholebetweenmanandnature,humanorderanduniverseorder,individualandsociety,betweenspiritandsubstance,thoughtandexistence,subjectandobject.IntheopinionofZhuangZi,thegreatancientChinesethinker,lifewoulddisappearoncethereweresomeclearclassificationsinit.ThisisalsoaChinesenationalcharacter.Theyareafraidofestablishingaclear-cutdefinitionoftheworld.Rather,theywouldliketogetageneralcomprehensionofthematter,whichresultedinambiguity

sometimes.

IntheWest,Platofirstproposedthethoughtof“separationbetweensubjectandobject”.Sincethelatterhalfofthe15thcentury,thenaturalsciencehasadoptedtheinductiononthebasisofobservingandexperiments,andthusmetaphysicthoughttookthedominantpart.ThelogicofWesternpatternofthoughtputsemphasisontheresearchonappearanceonthebasisofnature,whichresultedfromanalyzingthewholethings.TheanalyticalpatternofthoughtisprevailingintheWest.TheWesternsystematicworldandanalyticalpatternofthoughtoftenleadstoclarity.

Fromtheabove,itcanbeconcludedthatoneofthemajordifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternpatternofthoughtisthat:

Chinesepeoplecarryoutapatternofthoughtinwhichmanandnatureareregardedasanintegralwhole.Theidealoflifeistounitemanwithnature,sincetheyareoriginallyawholeunit.Thispatternofthoughtisappliedinanalyzingnature,societyandhumanbeings.WhiletheWesternpeopleimplementapatternofthoughtinwhichmanandnatureareseparate,theworldiscomposedof“ego”and“non-ego”.

Suchadifferencecomesfromthedifferentsystems–feudalsocietyandcapitalisticsociety,naturaleconomyandcommodityeconomy.Innaturaleconomy,natureisanobjectformantoworshipandobserve.Thehigheststandardisthe“Nature-ManOneness”.IncommodityeconomyintheWest,natureandsocietyareonlytheobjectsformantomakeuseof.Therelationshipbetweenmanandnatureis:

（1）Manisabovenatureandoutsidenature,grantedwiththerighttogovernnature;

（2）Manandnatureareopposites,natureistheobjectformantowinover,analyze,andrealize;（3）Mancanonlyexistinthestrugglesforconqueringnature.Asaresult,differentattitudestowardnatureleadtothebasicdifferencesinChineseandWesternpatternsofthought.

Thesedifferenceshaveproducedtwodifferentcultures–collectivisticcultureandindividualisticculture.InthecollectivisticcultureofChina,theindividualwillconnecthimorhertoalargegroup.SoChinesepatternsofthoughttendtoconsideritmoreimportanttocomplywithdirectrequestsfromothers,tomaintainself-controlinfrontoftheothers,andtosharecreditforthesuccessesandblameforthefailuresoftheothers.WhilemembersofIndividualisticcultureintheWestwouldbemuchlesslikelytoshowthesecharacteristics.Theytendtothinkofthemselvesasseparateandindependententities.

Asrestatedabove,theagriculturalsocietyofprimitiveChinesepeopleenforcethe

ideathatmanisdependentuponnature,needstheprotectionandthebestowalofnature.Naturalconditionsarecloselyrelatedwiththeirexistence.Theylovetheirlandaswellaswind,rain,sea,lakeandtrees.Mandoesnotwanttoshowhisownstrengthandpowerinfrontofnature.Heiseasilysatisfiedwithwhatheisbestowedbynature.TheTaoist,whosebasicphilosophyisbasedupontheneedtoachieveharmonywiththecosmos,observesnatureinordertoachievethisrelationship.Taoistphilosophystatesthathumanlifeisconditionedandnotfree.Onlywhenmanrecognizesthislimitationandmakeshimselfdependentupontheharmoniousforcesofthecosmoscanheachievesuccess.Italsoemphasizestheunityofopposites,suchastheunityofHeavenandEarth,theunityofNatureandMan,theunityofMaleandFemale,theunityofYinandYang.

TheWesternpeopleholdthatnatureisanadversaryagainstmanratherthanaprotector.Itisanobjecttobefoughtagainst,employedandconquered.Withsuchabelief,theWesternpeoplepaymoreattentiontodifferencesandconflictsinsidetheworld.Theytakestruggleforgrantedandbelievethateverythingisgotbymeansofstruggle.Althoughtheyalsothinkharmonyaspraiseworthy,theharmonyasacombinationofthingsinconflictinsteadofpureharmony,isacquiredthroughcountlessstruggles.Substanceandspirit,subjectiveworldandobjectiveworld,knowledgeandbehaviorareallopposingsidesfullofconflicts.ThetraditionofWesternpatternofthoughtistoseekconflicts.

Thedifferentpointsofviewasforthequestionofwhether“manisinharmonywithnature”or“manisinconflictwithnature”leadtodifferentkindsoftraditionsinChineseandWesternpatternsofthought:

（1）Chinesepatternsofthoughtemphasizethepreservationoftradition.Inasocialsense,thenotionof“Nature-ManOneness”basicallymeanstheadaptationofpeopleasindividualstothecommunity.Inemphasizesthedevelopmentofharmonioushumanrelations.Asocietythatemphasizesconformitytotraditionmaystagnate.InChineseculture,aconservativepatternofthoughtisencouragedandaliberalpatternofthoughtisnotpermitted.Originalityandreconstructionoftheknowntheoriesarefairlyrare.WhileWesternpatternsofthoughtemphasizequestioningandcriticizingthealready-existedtheoreticalframework.Theyencouragethekindofliberalthinkingwhic