习语及习语的汉英翻译.docx

1、习语及习语的汉英翻译On Idioms and Their Translation from Chinese into English习语及习语的汉英翻译AbstractIdioms are just like incomparably resplendent bight pearls emitting dazzling rays in the palace of literature. Throughout the ages, they animate the works of countless men of literature and writing. Idioms have fixe

2、d patterns and abundant connotations. Their vivid images explicitly convey incisive meanings. Chinese idioms are part of the essence of Chinese culture with a history of thousands of years. In this thesis, the English translation of Chinese idioms will be discussed on the foundation of simply introd

3、ucing the definitions, origins, features, and classifications of idioms, and a series of principles and methods of idiom translation will be put forward, mainly involving the translation of the Chinese idioms which have similar and dissimilar implications in English.Key words：Chinese Idioms；Similari

4、ty；Dissimilarity摘要习语犹如文学殿堂里一颗璀璨无比的明珠放射着历久不衰的光芒， 古往今来，无数文人墨客的笔下都闪耀着它的异彩。它结构固定而涵义深刻，用生动的形象明确地表达着深刻的思想。汉语习语是几千年华夏文化的精髓之一。本文在简单介绍习语就的定义，来源，特点及分类的基础上，研究汉语习语的英语翻译并提出一系列的汉语习语英译的翻译原则和翻译方法,其中主要涉及对似和非对似汉语习语的英语翻译。关键词: 汉语习语； 对似性； 非对似性ContentsIntroduction5Section One5Introduction to Idioms5I. Definition of Idiom

5、s.6II. Origins of Idioms.6(1) The Experience of the Common People.7(2) Myths and Fables.7(3) Historical Events and Anecdotes.8(4) Classical Literary Works.9(5) Social Customs and Habits.9III. Features of Idioms.10(1) Fixed Structure.10(2) Abundant Connotations.10(3) Distinct Cultural Feature11IV. Cl

6、assifications of Idioms11Section Two.12I. Idioms with Similar Implications.12II. Idioms with Dissimilar Implications.12Section Three.12Translation of Idioms with Similar and Dissimilar Implications from Chinese into English .12Methods and Principles for English Translation of Chinese Idioms13I. Meth

7、ods of English Translation of Chinese Idioms with Similar Implications in English .13II. Principles for English Translation of Chinese Idioms with Dissimilar Implications in English.15Principle 1: Translating Chinese Idioms into English in a Correct and Accurate Way .15Principle 2: Keeping Chinese C

8、ultural Colors.15Principle 3: Making English Readers Understand the Meaning in Any Possible Way16A. Literal Translation.16B. Liberal Translation.16C. Literal Translation with Explanations.17Conclusion .17Acknowledgements.18IntroductionLanguage is the most important communicative tool of all human be

9、ings. It plays its role as not only the carrier and form of culture but also the most vital element of transmission and inheritance of culture. Language of any kind is the crystallization of the culture of its own nation. As the cream of the culture, the idiom is a kind of widespread set phrases or

10、sentences, with specific implications, abstracted from the spoken language and experience of the people and the classical works. Due to its vivid image and profound connotation, the idiom is deeply loved by the masses, as a member with fine expressible ability in the family of language. Idioms frequ

11、ently appear in the spoken language and literary works. Chinese idioms have a solid cultural base to take root, develop and flourish now that the Chinese nation has broad and profound culture.Nowadays, the international status of China is upgrading gradually. People all over the world take delight i

12、n acquainting themselves with Chinese culture. As the essence of Chinese culture and the crystallization of the wisdom of the common Chinese people, idioms are bound to become an important part to promote the Chinese culture to the knowledge of people of all the other countries. The idiom is a conta

13、ct point of the knowledge of the Chinese culture for people all over the world. To sum up, in order to make the western peoples know Chinese culture thoroughly, the study of the English translation of Chinese idioms is quite necessary and of far-reaching significance.Section OneIntroduction to Idiom

14、sIdioms are those set phrases or short sentences abstracted from the spoken language or classical works, and the like. They were passed down from generation to generation for centuries. Idioms are scientific summary of peoples experience and the crystallization of peoples wisdom. After thousands of

15、years accumulation, idioms are provided with vivid images, profound implications and exquisite rhythms.Idioms could mirror the local customs and practices of different regions, the living style of the people, the natural environment and so on. We could see that the idiom has a very strong color of i

16、ts nation. Therefore, to understand and study the idiom is supposed to start from its definition, origin, features, and classifications.I. Definition of IdiomsAs for the definition of idioms, there are various versions according to different dictionaries and scholars. I picked out some of those defi

17、nitions from some authoritative dictionaries as follows:(1) An idiom is an expression which functions as a single unit and whose meaning cannot be worded out from its separate parts (Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, 1985) and (2) An idiom is a phrase, construction or expression that is rec

18、ognized 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. (Websters New World College Dictionary 3rd Edition, 1996)Some experts, who have been engaged in the study of idi

19、oms for many years, also have opinions of the definition of idioms.(1) Weinreich held the view that a phraseological unit involving at least two polysemous constituents, and in which there is a reciprocal contextual selection of subsenses will be called and idiom.(2) Schweigert and Moates have the i

20、dea that idioms are common expressions used in colloquial speech with accepted, figurative meanings that differ from their present-day literal meanings. These above are from dictionaries and experts or scholars. To sum up, we may come to the conclusion that idioms are those concise and incisive set

21、phrase or short sentences, which mean something different from the literal meaning of the individual words, refined from peoples long-term employment, whose elements cannot be changed at random with simple words producing profound truth, thus widely spread among the common people.II. Origins of Idio

22、msThe formation of idioms is on intimate terms with the culture of the nation which its language relies on. In a sense, the culture gives birth to the idioms. On the contrary, the idioms reflect all the features of the culture. Each nation has its own national culture which owns a distinctive style

23、and tradition that come into being in the course of their work and life, including history, language, custom, life style, ways of thinking, and so on . Idioms, a kind of language form used by the people for a very long time, to a great extent, rely more on the specific social cultural connotations t

24、han the common words.Idioms, having an extremely strong color of a nation are one of the marks differentiating one language from another. Thus, the origin of the idioms may be quite varied.(1) The Experience of the Common PeopleFor thousands of years, people drew lessons and experience from their da

25、ily life, and then wrote them down to tell their offspring what they had got from their experiences. As a result, most of the idioms could invariably mirror almost everything related to the life of the common people. Take those reflecting the geographic environment of peoples inhabitations as exampl

26、e, Britain is a country with small land area but a long coast line; so many English idioms are relevant to the ocean. People in Britain always compare fish to the people. For example, they use cold fish to describe a person who is indifferent to something and feel like a fish out of water to express

27、 a feeling that is uncomfortable and unnatural. People always wrote down the lessons they got from their experience, just as the idiom who has never tasted bitter knows not what is sweet telling the people if you dont undergo hardships, you will never know what happiness is.At the beginning of human

28、 society, owing to the low productivity and lack of further knowledge of most common phenomena of the society at certain stage, people always held a kind of belief in some imaginary things or power. People believed that there existed another world in the heaven where the immortals lived and to which

29、 their ancestors would go after death. They regarded it as a carefree place where happiness lives permanently. Thus, when they were in trouble or suffered from hardships, they would rely their hope to good fortune on going to the carefree place or afterlife which they firmly believed to exist. So ma

30、ny idioms are about peoples religions or beliefs. For instance, there is an idiom man proposes, god disposes. Because people in the western countries consider that God is almighty, and human beings are paltry before God. As poor as church mouse indicates that somebody is as poor as the mouse in the church where everything had been washed clean.