文化差异和不可译性.docx

文化差异和不可译性.docx

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文化差异和不可译性

毕业论文

题目：

文化差异和不可译性

CultureGapsandUntranslatability

2009年5月22日

Acknowledgement

Firstandforemost,myappreciationgoestomyaffectionateparents,andtherestofmyfamily.Throughoutthedevelopmentofthispaper,theyhavebeentherealwaysgivingmecontinuoussupport,encouragementandunderstanding.Theirloveandsupportencouragemetopursueprogressallthetime.

Iwouldalsoliketoextendmysincerethankstoallotherteacherswhogavemelecturesduringthepastthreeacademicyears.Ihavebenefitedsomuchnotonlyfromtheircoursesandlecturesbutalsofromtheirconstantencouragement.

Finally,mydeepestgratitudeandrespectgotomysupervisor,CaiDingzhong.Itisforhisconstantencouragement,criticalinstructions,hisgreatcareandpreciousadviceandsuggestionsthatthispaperappearsinthepresentform.

Abstract

Itisknownthatdifferentnationshavedifferentcultures,andtheyhavecontactandindividualcharacter;owingtothecontact,theyhavedistinctivecultureessentialfactor.However,theseindividualcharacter,distinctiveessentialfactorandpeculiarityformthecommunicationalobstacletothedifferentcultures.Peopleshouldnoticethatdifferentculturalcommunicationinevitablytakesplacesomeconflictsandcontradictions,whichleadtomanydifficultiesthatarehardtoovercome.Therefore,itaddstheuntranslatabilitytolanguagecommunicationtranslation.Fromthisangle,translationisdifficulttocomprehendandexpresstheculturalbackgroundknowledge.Therelationshipbetweencultureandtranslationcomplementaleachotherandprerequisite.Translationisconnectedwithculturalessentialfactor,backgroundknowledgeandtheinherentvalueconception,atthesametime,itisaffectedandrestrictedbythem.

Keywords:

character;culturefactor;communication;backgroundknowledge

摘要

众所周知，不同民族有着不同的文化，他们之间既有联系，也有个性；既有联系，也各有独特的文化要素，而不同文化所具的个性，独特的要素或是特点，则构成了一种文化与另一种文化进行交流的障碍。

我们应该注意到，不同的文化不可避免地发生某种程度的冲突和矛盾，给语言的翻译带来种种难以逾越的鸿沟和难以克服的困难，从而增加语际翻译的不可译度。

从这个角度讲，翻译难，难就难在文化背景知识的理解和表达上。

翻译同文化因素，背景知识和内在的价值观有很大的关联，并受它们的影响和制约。

关键词：

个性；文化要素；交流；背景知识

Contents

Introduction…………………………………………………...1

I.Therelationshipbetweencultureandtranslation….................2

II.Translation’seffectonChineseculture……………………….2

III.Thereasonsaboutculturalgaps……………………………..4

A.Valueconceptions………………………………………………..4

B.Geographyenvironment…………………………………………5

C.Thinkingpatterns…………………………………………….....6

IV.Thegapsbetweeneastandwest………………………………8

A.Expressionways………………………………………………...8

B.Familyconception………………………………………………..9

C.Language…………………………………………………………9

V.Untranslatability………………………………………………11

A.Definition…………………………………………………11

B.Thecauseofculturaluntranslatability………………………….11

C.Thesolutionoftranslationaboutculturalgaps………………12Conclusion……………………………………………………13

Bibliography………………………………………………….15

Introduction

Themodernlinguisticstudyshowsthatlanguageisnotonlyaphysiologicalphenomenabutalsoaculturalone.Translation,ameansofexchangefromonelanguagetoanother,isbynatureanimportantwayinthecross-culturalcommunication.Therefore,thepurposeoftranslationistointroduceoneculturetoanotherbythemeansoftranslating.Thetranslatingactivityplaysanimportantroleintheculturalexchange,concerningbothdifferentlanguagesanddifferentcultures.Whileaccordingtoourtranslatingactivity,culturalfactorsalwaysbecomethebarrierintranslationandresultinuntranslatability.

Fromthese,peoplecanseethattherelationshipbetweencultureandtranslationisnotonlyinseparable,butalsoiscomplicated.Translationcan’tdepartfromculture,becausecultureexistsinallrespectsinlife,meanwhile,cultureisgenerallytranslatable,butsometimesitisuntranslatable.ThegapsbetweentheEastandtheWestinculturebringaboutnoequivalencetothelanguageexpression.

Owingtothedifferencesofvalueconceptions,geographyenvironmentandthinkingpatterns,theseleadtothegreatgapsamongcultures,whichadddifficultiestotranslationandmakeithardtodealwith.Peopleshouldpayattentiontotheseconditions:

noequivalent,consideringformandcontentatthesametime,what’smore,somewordshaveextrameanings.Mostoftime,peoplecandealwiththephenomenonofuntranslatabilityintranslatingbysomemethods,suchas,literaltranslation,transliterationandfreetranslation,andsoon.

I.Therelationshipbetweencultureandtranslation

Therelationshipbetweencultureandtranslationiscomplementaleachotherandprerequisite.Differentculturecommunicationinevitablytakesplacesomeconflictsandcontradictions,bringaboutmanydifficultiesthatarehardtoovercome.Therefore,theseproducetheuntranslatabilitytolanguagetranslation.

Peopleindifferentculturalbackgroundstocommunicatearecross-culturalcommunication.Differentcountrieshavedifferenthistoricalbackgrounds,customs,traditionsandcultures;therefore,thetranslatorswhoengageininternationalcommunicationshouldunderstandtheirculturaldifferences.Thesedifferencesininterpretationandthetranslatorstrytomakeculturaldifferencesdisappeartheprocessoftranslatinginthetargetlanguage,andfindouttheexactwords,sodifferentcultures,whichisreproducedinthetargetlanguage.Languageispartofculture,alsothecarrierofculture,whichplaysanimportantculturalrole.Languagetranslationisnotonlytheinternationalexchangeofthetwolanguages,buttwoculturesrelay.CultureinTranslationisafactorwhichshouldnotbeignored,asafamoustranslatorEugeneNitasaid:

"Toreallydoagoodtranslation,mastertwolanguages,twocultures,evenmoreimportantaspect,becausethetermsonlyusedinaparticularculturetobemeaningful."BusinessEnglishtranslationoftheinternationalmustpayattentiontothetransmissionofculturalinformation.AccordingtotheinternationalbusinessEnglishtranslation4standardsandtoensurethatculturalandotherinformationequivalent.However,inpractice,andsometimesculturalinformationisdifficulttoconveytothetargetlanguageandtheresultsofsuchstandardswillnotbefullydone.

II.Translation’seffectonChineseculture

Sinceancienttimes,translationplaysapositiveandhugeroleintheprocessoftranslationaboutnation’sculture.Forexample,Chineseculture,translation’seffectmainlyembodiestheseaspects:

A.Understandingthesamethoughthasdifferentexpressionwaysindifferent

cultures.

Throughtranslation,theChineseunderstandeachnationoftheworld,withtheinfluenceondifferentculturalcustom.itexistsmanydifferentwordswhentheyexpressthesameconception.TheChinesesay“天生有福”，theRussiansay“穿着衬衣生下来的”，theEnglishsay“生来嘴里就含着一把银勺子”（bebornwithasilverspooninone’smouth）,theGermansay“梳好了头才出世的”；TheChinesesay“一箭双雕”or“一举两得”，theFrenchsay“一块石头打两处”，theEnglishsay“一石打死二鸟”（tokilltwobirdswithonestone）,theRussiansay“一枪打死两只兔子”，theGermansay“一个拍子打死两只苍蝇”；TheChinsesay“说曹操，曹操到”，TheRussiansay“说狼到，狼就到”，theEnglishsay“说魔鬼，魔鬼到”，theSpanishsay“说国王，国王到”。

TheChinesenodtheirheadstoexpressaffirmation,however,theIndianshaketheirheadstoexpressthemeaning.TheChineseextoltheEastWind,while,theEnglishextoltheWestWind.

B.EnrichtheexpressionwaysonChineselanguage

Throughtranslation,modernChineselanguagecomeintobeingsomelivelyimageexpression,suchas“一石二鸟”（killtwobirdswithonestone）,“武装到牙齿”（armedtotheteeth）,“时间就是金钱”（Timeismoney）,“掉鳄鱼眼泪”（shedcrocodiletears）,“盲人国里，独眼龙为王”（Amongtheblind,theone-eyedmanistheking）.UsingthesimilarmeaningexpressionofChineselanguagetocomparewiththeEnglishexpression“一箭双雕”,“全副武装”,“惜时如金”,“猫哭老鼠假慈悲”,“山中无老虎，猴子称大王”。

C.Findoutthesameobjectivethingcontainsdifferentvaluesinforeignlanguagecultures,whichleadstodifferentassociations,atthesametime,itpossessesdifferentconnotationtobetranslated.so,weshouldtakevariouskindsofwaysaccordingtopractice.

Throughtranslation,theChinesecomprehendthesameobjectivething,inothercultures,itfrequentlycontainthedifferentassociations,whichisdifferentfromtheChineselanguageculture.Forexample,incolorwords,“黄承天德”,somebodyisacclaimedemperor,yellowrepresentsimperialfamily,itisaverywealthycolor,“朱紫青绿”itsignifiesthecoloroftheantiqueofficialrobes,itarrangesaccordingtothebigorsmallofofficialtitle.InChineselanguage,theplant“柳树”is　gifted　theseassociationmeanings“分离”　，“思念”　，“柳”and“留”ishomophonic.Duringthelongperiodofusingprocess,“挽留”　，“思念”　，“离别”thesemeaningofwordsendowthisplant“柳树”　。

ThephenomenoniseffectedtheculturalofChineselanguage,meanwhile,itreflectsthattheChineselikecomparingthingtopeople,makinguseofscenerytoexpresstheiremotions,advocatingnaturalpsychologymentality.

D.Comprehendthedifferenceaboutpeople’slifecustomandthoughtpatternsbetweenforeignlanguageculturesandChineseculture.

“民以食为天”　，inChina,itisalwaysexiststhisthoughtthateatingquestionisthemostimportantquestionindailylife.So,itbecomestheoralsubjectofatalk.Peoplealwaysliketosay“吃过了吗”，mostofsituations,thespeakerdoesn’ttakecareofwhetherthelistenerdrinksornot,itisjustagreeting.TheChineseheartheseinquiries,theyjustanswer“吃了”or　“不啦，不啦”，Infact,itisakindofsocialappointments,showingthethankstotheinquirerfortheirconcernmentandenthusiasm.ForthosepeoplewhoregardtheEnglishastheirmothertongue,theirfirstreactionis:

“whetherIhavehadmymealisnoneofyourbusiness.”or“Doyoumeantoinvitemetoameal?

”,theyappearthisreaction,justbecausetheydon’thavethelifecustom.　

E.Understand