从文化翻译观看汉语习语的英译.docx

1、从文化翻译观看汉语习语的英译从文化翻译观看汉语习语的英译Abstract Domestication and foreignization are the terms brought up by an American scholarto describe the two different translation strategies. The former refers to translation in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted in order to minimize the strangeness of the fore

2、ign text for target language readers, while the latter designates the type of translation in which a target text deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the source text. Translation, generally speaking, is not only a transition between different languages,

3、 but also transferring information of culture in the source language to that in the target language. And the nature of translation is cultural communication. Since 1980s, many scholars put forward their own opinions upon domestication and foreignization under the light of cultural translation. In th

4、eir opinion, the fundamental task of translation is to transfer the original contents and cultures completely into the target language. During translation, translators should consider not only differences between languages but also those between cultures. Therefore, translators should put more empha

5、sis on foreignization. Take Chinese idioms for example. Since the exchanges among different countries and regions become more and more frequent, translators should put more emphasis on foreignization in translating Chinese idioms into English. During translation, translators should facsimile as much

6、 as possible the cultural features and connotations of Chinese idioms. In this way, English people can know more and better about China and really contact with the sophisticated Chinese culture. Meanwhile, to some extent, foreignization can help to spread unique Chinese cultural message and even hel

7、p to enhance cultural communication between China and foreign countries.Key Words domestication; foreignization; cultural translation theory; Chinese idioms【摘 要】归化与异化是两种不同的翻译策略。译界有许多学者对此发表了许多的观点。归化与异化之争由来已久，从古至今，从西方到中国，归化与异化都是学者译者们争论的热门话题之一。翻译基本上是一种语言转换活动但又不是一项纯粹的语言转换活动，它还牵涉到种种非语言因素，特别是牵涉到种种文化因素。翻译不

8、仅是语言层面更是文化层面上的一种活动，其本质是文化交流。自20世纪80年代后，许多学者针对归化与异化提出了应该从文化角度来审视二者的观点。孙致礼在翻译的异化与归化中提到: “翻译的根本任务是准确而完整地传达原作的 思想和 风味。在翻译中，译者不仅要考虑语言的差异，还要密切注视文化的差异，力求最大限度地保存原文所蕴涵的异域文化特色。如果不是万不得已，特别不宜归化，而要尽可能真实地传达出来。” “归化主要表现在 纯语言层面，在 文化层面上则应力求最大限度的异化。”以汉语习语为例，在当今跨文化交流不断发展的趋势下，译者在翻译中应多从文化的角度考虑，适度加以应用 “异化”策略及其方法，尽可能重现汉语习

9、语的文化特征及内涵，让西方人更多更好地了解中国，接触中华民族博大精深的文化，同时也有利于传播中国独有的文化气息，进而有利于实现中国与世界各国进一步交流。关键词 归化;异化;文化翻译观;汉语习语1. On cultural translation theoryCultural translation is discussed in the broad context of culture. It includes an analysis of the surface and deep structures of culture and language, and the examination

10、of the internal context between culture and translation as well as the objective laws pertaining to their interaction. In late 1980s, many scholars began to give their own opinions on translation from the perspective of culture. Umberto Eco considered that translation equals to culture, that is to s

11、ay, the translation activity is a kind of cultural transportation. “ Lambert and Robyns held that translation should be treated as not only an activity between two languages but also a communicative activity between two cultures. Nida pointed out: for a truly successful translation, bicultural abili

12、ty is much more important than bilingual ability” 1 p70. Some scholars suggested that culture but not text should be regarded as the translation unit and translators should pay more attention to culture during translation. To some extent, those views became symbols of formation of cultural translati

13、on theory.Different cultures have different features. Culture indicates a nation, region or a races feature. And the communication of different cultures needs translation. Translation is the production and intermedium of cultural communication. “Translation reflects the features of both cultures whe

14、n one language and culture is translated into another. And the aim of translation is to transfer the source culture into the target culture”p24. “Wang Zuoliang pointed out: The difference between two cultures is the most difficult thing in translation, so translators should have a good knowledge of

15、both the foreign culture and the native culture. The more translators understand the cultural information, the more possibly they can master the language and reproduce the original culture. Han Ziman viewed that the features of culture have an effect on the whole translation activities and the vise

16、versa is also true”p116. Therefore, the transference of cultural information should play a key role in translation.In the broad context of culture, translation means not only one language being transferred into another but also a communication between two cultures. And the purpose of translation is

17、to promote cultural communication. Translation is a kind of cultural activity that translators reproduce the original culture in the target text. Cultural information but not language is the object of translation. “During translation, translators should translate the form and essence of the original

18、 language into the target language directly and exactly. , translation should reserve the cultural difference and reproduce the original foreignness as much as possible”p37. Here, “foreignness means that translation should keep as much as possible the cultural features and information of the source

19、text”p136. All in all, in cultural translation, translators should take culture into consideration and reconstruct the source culture as much as possible into the target language during translation.2. Domestication and foreignization under the light of cultural translation The origin and definition

20、of domestication and foreignization The pair of terms, domestication and foreignization, was mentioned in The Translator Invisibility written by American famous translatorin 1995, which were used to describe two kinds of translation strategies. Their taking out were on the basis of Germany philosoph

21、er Schleier Marcher, who viewed that there were two kinds of translation, one was “the translator leaves the author in peace as much as possible, and moves the reader toward him.” the other was ” the translator leaves the reader in peace as much as possible, and moves the author toward him.” p21 .Ac

22、cording to Marchers opinion, the former sentence refers to mean the reader-oriented translation while the latter the author-oriented one. The reader-oriented translation refers to the translation that translators pay more attention to the target language readers conventions and understandings while

23、the author-oriented one means to the translation that translators take the source language authors ideas and style into account. However, he never used special terms to summarize them. It was Schuttleworth and Cowie who defined them. They gave “domestication” a definition as “a term used by Venuti t

24、o describe the translation strategy in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted in order to minimize the strangeness of the foreign text for target language readers.” p21 Venuti considered that “domestication” contained derogatory meaning, because “it is identified with a polity common in domina

25、nt cultures which are aggressively monolingual, unreceptive to the foreign, and which he describes as being accustomed to fluent translations that invisibly inscribe foreign text with target language values and provide readers with narcissistic experience of recognizing their own culture in a cultur

26、al other”p21. In other words, according to Venutis opinion, “domestication” used in translation indicates the meaning of the “dominant culture” recombining the language and cultural features of the source text with the purpose of dominating the “weak culture”. For “foreignization”, Schuttleworth and

27、 Cowie defined it as “a term used by Venuti to designate the type of translation in which a target text is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions be retaining something of the foreignness of the original.” Venuti regarded it as a challenging strategy to “domestication” and its effect

28、is to “register the linguistic and cultural difference of the foreign text, sending the reader abroad.”p21 In translation, translators should reserve the language and culture features of the source text; therefore, readers of the target text can feel some “strangeness” of other cultures. The definit

29、ion of domestication and foreignizafion has changed when they are introduced into China. “And the scope of reference is enlarged .It refers to not only the translation from foreign languages to English but also the translation from one language to another, especially from Chinese to other languages”

30、10 p22. Whats more, the elements of cultural inequality never draw peoples great attention and even are forgotten.From the exploration and discussion mentioned above, now we can sum up domestication and foreignization in this way: they are two different translation strategies used by translators acc

31、ording to different aspects such as the difference between two languages and cultures, translation purpose, type of text, intention of the author and readers of the target language etc. “Domestication” holds that translation should be in accordance with the target language and culture and get rid of

32、 the barriers as much as possible so as to meet the target language readers demands; “foreignization” views that translation should reserve the cultural features of source language so as to enrich the target language and culture and meet the target language readers demand of “strangeness”. “Domestic

33、ation and foreignization is a pair of complementary translation strategies that dont reject against each other” 11 p68. Foreignization-oriented strategy under the light of cultural translation Generally speaking, domesticating translation gives the reader more convenience and saves the reader much time. In th