对英译汉中文化缺失现象的探究.docx

1、对英译汉中文化缺失现象的探究对英译汉中文化缺失现象的探究An Analysis on the Phenomenon of Culture “Lost” in English to Chinese TranslationContentsAbstract.1Key words.1I. Introduction1II. Cultural “lost” caused by different religions and faiths2III. Cultural “lost” caused by different social backgrounds33.1 The sources of Englis

2、h surname43.1.1 Names of old places 43.1.2. Dwelling places 43.1.3. Career43.1.4. Colors43.1.5. Family names43.1.6. Names of animals and plants43.1.7. Natural phenomenon43.1.8. Shape nickname43.2 The sources of English names53.2.1 Season, month, date and weather53.2.2 Names of Animals53.2.3 Names of

3、 plants53.2.4 Names of metals5 3.2.5 Names of God and hero53.2.6 Names of surnames of parents 53.3 Different associate meanings.73.4 Geographical reasons.7IV. Cultural “lost” caused by different historical backgrounds8V.Cultural “lost” caused by different political backgrounds10VI.Conclusion10Refere

4、nce10摘 要： 本文主要研究翻译中的文化差异所产生的交流方面的影响。 尽管文化是个复合体, 它仍然被分为三个流派: 物质文化, 制度文化以及人文文化. 语言属于制度文化, 也紧紧的依附于人文文化之上。 人文文化的不同造成了翻译中的文化缺失现象。本文将首先分析各种翻译文化缺失的具体原因，再进一步阐述如何解决文化缺失这一英译汉翻译中的难题。关键词: 英语 汉语 翻译 文化缺失Abstract: This article discusses the influence of cultural differences on a cross-cultural translation event. H

5、owever complex a culture is, it can roughly be divided into three categories: material culture, institutional culture and humanitarian. Language belongs to institutional culture, which is closely related to mental culture in formation and performance. Differences in humanitarian are what produce the

6、 differences in languages involved in translation. The article first elaborates the reason for producing so many culture lost problems, then further provides effective methods to solve culture-lost-problems in translation from English into Chinese.Key words: English Chinese translation culture lostI

7、. IntroductionTranslation is unavoidable to connect with the abundant cultural information contained in the language. At the beginning of language manipulation, translation comes into contact with the culture. Language reacts the culture information on two levels, they are interior language and exte

8、rior language. We are trying to use typical translation cases to analysis and research how translation completed the tasks of cultural information delivery on the basis of knowing the cultural information that the language itself carried to realize the communication between different cultures.In the

9、 process of translation, different cultural accumulation appearing apparently in their own languages, has become independent, with no connection between the manuscript and source language.It is well-known that the culture refers to the summary of substantial wealth and spiritual wealth which created

10、 by human-beings during the long history. Generally speaking, culture refers to the social ideology and the corresponding system. The culture is a historical phenomenon, every society has a certain culture which fit for it, and in different periods, the same country has different cultural details. L

11、anguage is the ingredient and the carrier of culture; it is the base which language depends on, the source of language metabolism at the meantime. As a matter of fact, language is the reflection of culture, and also an efficient tool to master a culture. The translators have to not only master the s

12、ource language and the target language skillfully, but also be familiar with the culture of the two languages, then confirm the differences between them.II. Cultural “lost” caused by different religions and faithsIn our many-facet world, the system, the faith, the aesthetic appreciation, the notion

13、of morality and the idea of value of different nations are varied, people have different opinions on the same thing. Eg. The American and the Chinese have different viewpoints on human rights. Democracy, freedom, justice and humanism, this kind of abstract conception have the same fate. For example,

14、 “individualism” comes to China and is regarded as “egoism”. However, as a matter of fact they are quite different from each other. Historically, Chinese people think that the community is superior to individual. In contrast, “egoism” is the opposite of the spirit and is looked down upon. However, A

15、mericans respect individualism because of their history. Those European pioneers who came to American survived and developed based on the individual spirit. Some people think that individualism should be translated as “individual consciousness” and “individual spirit”. Since in China, “spirit” is mo

16、re positive and “consciousness” is neutral. In English it can be called “egoism”.For another example, our nature is colorful, and different nations define these colors into different meanings. It is well-known that in China, the color “red” refers to the meaning of jubilant, propitious, so there is

17、a custom when Chinese brides on their wedding, they are in red and wear red flowers, therefore, in the Western countries, the bride is in white to stand for the clean and honest love. As in China white is a sad color which stand for condolences, sometimes black plays the same role. In China yellow i

18、s a authority color which can not be infringed, only imperial family have the right to wear yellow clothes. But the meaning of “yellow book(色情书籍)” in China is different from the color itself. In western culture, we can know from these words “blue films, blue gag” that they use “blue” instead of “yel

19、low”. so to a translator who knows nothing about language color, it is difficult to understand the intention of it.England and other western countries are Christendom and have formed strong Christ culture. But in China, people mainly believe in Buddhism which seriously influence Chinese people. Ther

20、e goes a well-known Chinese proverb of three monks. It is difficult to translate the proverb into English since westerners are not familiar with the conception “monks” and they rarely know the meaning of it. In English there is a similar set phrase: “one boy is boy; two boys are half a boy; three bo

21、ys are no boy.” Or “too many cooks spoil the broth.” If you need pay more attention to form we can translate literally: one monk, two buckets; two monks, one bucket; three monks. (no bucket, no water-more hand, less work) And the westerners also have stories from the Bible. Eg. Let both sides write

22、to heed in all concerns of earth command of Isaiah to “undo the heavy burdens (and) let the oppressed go free”(John Kennedy: Inaugural Speech) Isaiah is a prophet in Old Testament of Bible. He is named “rescue Jesus”. He is well cultivated, intelligent, knowledgeable and brave enough to offend the p

23、ower and predict that one day Israel will be rescued. In that short inaugural speech, Kennedy mentioned the name, which is well known by people of Christendom. But if it is translated just according words pronunciation without any explanation, many Chinese people dont know the mission endowed by God

24、. For another example, David and Goliath -David is a shepherd boy, when he fought with the giant Goliath, he killed him with a catapult. So people use this sample to metaphor that the weaker one defeated the stronger one. Judas is one of the Jehovah votaries who betrayed Jehovah, so people use the n

25、ame Judas to metaphor the traitor, and he got thirty pieces of silver is used to refer to the wealth of betray my others, at the meantime, Judas kissed Jehovah to make him arrested, so “a kiss of death refers to friendly on the surface, but frame others up in the darkness. And “forbidden fruit”, “be

26、ar ones cross”, have their special meanings, too. Therefore, the main religion conviction of Han nationality is Buddhism and Taoism, so they have some special cultural phrases about them .eg. “道高一尺，魔高一丈，“放下屠刀，立地成佛”， “临时抱佛脚”，“做一天和尚，撞一天钟”，“不看僧面看佛面”， “苦海无边，回头是岸”，“救人一命胜造七级浮屠”etc. Translators have to res

27、earch then to understand and master them.III. Cultural “lost” caused by different social background; Different social backgrounds cause different culture phenomena, it also causes culture lost. Different countries have various social forms, people living in different places have different opinions o

28、n social events, that is the main reasons why culture lost appeared. In the following, I will study the case of the origins of the Chinese and English names. In China, we use our fathers surname and pass it to our children, in western countries, they create their surnames by names of places, career,

29、 colors and so on, when we translate English names and surnames into Chinese, we can not understand the real meanings of these names. Here are some examples below:3.1. The sources of English surname3.1.1 Names of old places“Lancaster” （兰开斯特） and “Boston”（波士顿） are names of cities in Britain and U.S.,

30、 “Everest”（埃弗里斯特） is the name of the highest mountain in the world, “Snowdon”（斯诺登） is the name of a British mountain, “Thames”（泰晤士） and “Hudson”（赫德森） is names of rivers.3.1.2. Dwelling placesField（费尔德 田野） Hill（希尔 小山） Brook（布鲁克 小溪） Lane（莱蒽 乡间小路） Shore（肖尔 海滨） 3.1.3. CareerBaker（贝克 面包师）Carpenter（卡朋特 木匠

31、） Fisher（费希尔 渔夫） Hunter（亨特 猎手） Butcher（布切尔 屠夫） Manson（曼森 泥瓦工） Merchant（默昌特 商人） Sailor（塞尔 水手） Scrivener（斯克莱文那 公证人） Tailor（泰勒 裁缝） Smith（史密斯 铁匠） Goldsmith（古德史密斯 金属铁匠） Tinsmith（廷史密斯 白铁匠） Coppersmith（古柏史密斯 铜匠） Blacksmith（布莱克史密斯 铁匠）3.1.4. ColorsBlue（布鲁 蓝色） Brown（布朗 褐色） Red（莱德 红色） Green（格林 绿色） Orange（奥兰治 橙色） Black （布莱克 黑色）Scarlet（斯卡丽特 猩红色） White（怀特 白色） 3.1.5.Family namesTom Johnson（汤姆约翰逊） is the son of Tom