A Study of the Translation of English and Chinese Idioms英语专业毕业设计论文.docx

A Study of the Translation of English and Chinese Idioms英语专业毕业设计论文.docx

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AStudyoftheTranslationofEnglishandChineseIdioms英语专业毕业设计论文

2014届毕业生

毕业论文

题目:

AStudyoftheTranslationofEnglishandChineseIdioms

院系名称：

外语学院专业班级：

英语F1006班

学生姓名：

学号：

201048180324

指导教师：

教师职称：

副教授

2014年5月20日

AStudyoftheTranslationofEnglishandChineseIdioms

SchoolofForeignLanguages

of

HenanUniversityofTechnology

Supervisor:

ChengXiongyong

 May20,2014

Acknowledgements

Manypeopledeservemysincerethanksforhelpingmeinvariousaspectsandatvariousstagesofcompletingthispaper.Firstofall,IwouldliketoexpressmysinceregratitudetomysupervisorChengXiongyong,whoseprofoundknowledge,strictattitudetowardsacademicresearchhavekindledmyinterestintranslation.Hehasgivenmemuchhelpfuladvice,constructivesuggestionsonthecollectionofdataandmaterials,andalotofcorrectioninthestructureofthepaperandthesentencepatternsofthethesis.WhenIfinishedthefirstdraft,ProfessorChengXiongyongreadverycarefullytheentireversionofit.Hisdetailedrevisionsandusefulsuggestionshavedrawnmyattentiontoanumberofdeficienciesandhavemademanythingsclearerforme.

Iamalsogratefultomyparentsandfriends,whoencouragemeandhelpmetoovercomethedifficulties.Manythanksalsogotothosewhohelpedmelookuptherelevantinformationandmaterials.Theirinsightfulsuggestionshavecontributedtotheshapingofmythesis.

Ialsowanttoextendmythankstoallthewriterswhoseworksarereferredtointhispaper.

Abstract

Differentpeoplefromdifferentculturesmayhavedifferentunderstandingsofthesamesentence.Thereasonistotalkthetwosidesdidnotreallyunderstandeachother'sculture.Therefore,itisnecessarytostudytheculturaldifferencesbetweenChineseandwesterncompletely.Idiomsaretheessenceofnationalculture,reflectingthenationalcustoms.Itastheessenceoflanguageisbearingtherichculturalinformation,fullyreflectstheculturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChinesetwolanguages.SoreadersofEnglishandChinesereaders,doathoroughunderstandingpreciselycontainprofoundculturalconnotationandtranslationofidiomsisrelativelydifficult.TranslationofEnglishandChineseidiomsisintheprominentpositionofthetranslation.Soaccurateidiomtranslationplaysanimportantroleinforeignlanguageteachingandlearning.BecauseofvariousfactorsontheexpressionofEnglishidiomshavealotofdifference,sotostrengthentheunderstandingofdifferencesinChineseandEnglishidiomstranslationhasveryimportantsignificance.Therefore,thispaperexpoundsthedefinitionofidioms,whichcanreflectthedifferencesbetweenChineseandwesternculturefromtheidioms,probestheculturaldifferencesoftwolanguagesinlivingenvironment,traditionalcustoms,materialcultures,religiousbeliefsandhistoricalallusionsandsoon.ItalsoincludesthetranslationskillsofEnglishandChineseidioms.Therefore,thetranslationofEnglishandChineseidiomsshouldnotonlytwolanguagessimpleconversion,moreshouldbeaculturalcommunication.Masteringthetranslationofidioms,tocultivatethelanguageunderstandingandcross-culturalcommunicativeabilityisverynecessary.

Keywords:

English;Chinese;idiom;difference;translation.

摘要

同一句话，不同的文化背景的人反应有时是不同的，甚至会截然相反。

究其原因是说话双方没有真正了解对方的文化。

因此，完全有必要对中西文化差异进行研究。

习语是各国文化的精髓，反映各国的风俗习惯。

它作为语言的精华承载着丰富的文化信息，充分反映出英汉两种语言的文化差异。

因此对英语读者和汉语读者来说，做到彻底精确地理解并翻译出蕴含深刻文化内涵的习语是相对比较困难的。

英汉习语的翻译在整个翻译中占着突出的地位。

所以准确的成语翻译在外语学习中起着重要的作用。

由于各种因素在英语习语的表达有很大的差异,所以加强了解汉语和英语习语翻译的差异具有非常重要的意义。

因此，文章阐述了习语的定义，从最能体现中西文化差异的习语着手，探讨了两种语言在生活环境中,传统习俗,物质文化,宗教信仰和历史典故等方面的文化差异。

它还包括英语和汉语习语的翻译技巧。

因此，英汉习语的翻译不应只是两种语言的简单转换，更应是文化的交流。

掌握习语的翻译，对于培养语言的领悟力和跨文化的交际能力是十分必要的。

关键词：

英语；汉语；习语；差异；翻译

Contents

Acknowledgements………………………………………………………...….ⅰ

Abstract（English）……………………………..........................................……ⅱ

Abstract（Chinese）…………………………………………………………..…ⅲ

1.TheIntroduction……………………………………………………...............1

2.Idiom.……………………………………………………………………..….2

2.1TheDefinitionofEnglishIdiom………….……………………………2

2.2TheDefinitionofChineseIdiom………………………………………..2

2.3Originsofidiom………………………………………………………..3

3.CulturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishandChineseIdiom…….…………….3

3.1GeographicalEnvironment……………………………………………...4

3.2Customs………………………………………………………………....4

3.3HistoricalAllusionsandMyths……………..….……….………………6

3.4ReligiousBeliefs…………………………………………………….….6

4.TheIdiomTranslationMethods……………………………...………………7

4.1TheLiteralTranslation…………………………………….....................7

4.2FreeTranslation…………………………………………………….…...8

4.3Replacement…………………………………………………………….9

4.4Aliteraltranslationandfreetranslation…….…………........................10

5.Conclusion……………………………………………………………….….10

Bibliography……………………………………………………………….......11

1.Introduction

Language,asasymbolsystem,expressestracesofaparticularsocietyandreflectsuniqueculturalheritage.Languageisthemostimportantcommunicativetoolforhumanbeingsandalsooneofthemostimportantpartsofculture.Languageofanykindisthecrystallizationofthecultureofitsownnation.JohnLyons,anEnglishlinguist,pointedthat,“languageisapartofculture.Differencesonthelanguageusagewillexposethefeaturesofthesocialcultureintermsofthesubstances,customsandotheractivities.”（Lyons197730）.Idiomsaretheessenceofalanguage,whichalwayshavestrongnationalcolorsanddistinctiveculturalconnotationandarephilosophicalandeternal.BothinChineseandEnglish,therearevariousidioms.

Nowadays,thestatusofChinaintheworldisupgradinggradually.Peopleallovertheworld,especiallythoseofEnglish-speakingcountries,takedelightinacquaintingthemselveswithChineseculture.SincetheEnglishandChineseidiomreflectsChineseandEnglishcultureandiscrystallizationofthewisdomofcommonpeople,thestudyofEnglishandChineseidiomsisboundtobecomeanimportantpartofculturestudy.

AccordingtoDengYanchangandLiuRunqing'sstudies（1995）,theproverbsmightprovidelittlecluestoapeople'sgeographicalenvironment,history,socialcustoms,socialvalues,andtheirattitudes.Becauseofthedifferencesinnaturalgeography,religiousbeliefs,traditionandcustoms,fables,myths,andartsofEnglishandChineseculture,thedifferencesaresignificant.It’sdifficultforpeopletounderstandidiomsofothercountrieswell.ThereforeitisimportanttostudytheChineseandEnglishidiomsforbetterunderstandingandcommunicationbetweenChineseandEnglishspeakers.

Inthispaper,theauthorwillmakeananalysisofculturaldifferencesbetweenEnglishidiomsandChineseidioms.Inaddition,thispaperdiscussedthetranslationmethodssuchasliteraltranslation,freetranslation,themethodofborrowingandsoon.Theaimistoenrichlanguagelearners'knowledgeonculturalsourcesofEnglishandChineseidioms.Soitishelpfultoavoidmisunderstandingincrossculturecommunication.

2.Idioms

Anidiomissetphrasesorshortsentencesabstractfromthespokenlanguage,classicalworksorthelikewhichispasseddownfromgenerationtogenerationforcenturies.Itisthesummaryofpeople’sexperienceandthecrystallizationofpeople’swisdom,whichhasvividimage,profoundimplicationsandexquisiterhythms.

2.1DefinitionofEnglishIdioms

Inthebroadsense,idiomsmayinclude:

setphrases;proverbs;sayings;epigrams;slangexpressions;colloquialisms;quotations;two-partallegoricalsayings.ThedefinitionofOxfordAdvancedLearner’sDictionaryofCurrentEnglishidiomisaphrasesorsentencewhosemeaningisnotclearfromthemeaningofitindividualwordsandwhichmustbelearntasawholeunit.TheWebster’sNewWorldDictionaryoftheAmericanLanguage,2ndcollegeedition1972definesidiomas,“anacceptedphrases,construction,orexpressioncontrarytothepatternsofthelanguageorhavingameaningdifferentfromthelanguageorhavingameaningdifferentfromtheliteral.”AccordingtoOxfordAdvantagedLearner’sEnglish-ChineseDictionary,anidiomis“aphraseorsentencewhosemeaningisnotclearfromthemeaningofitsindividualwordsandwhichmustbelearntasawholeunit”.LifuninghasanotherdefinitionaboutEnglishidiominthisway:

AnEnglishidiomisanelementofalanguagethatpossessesauniquewayofexpressionbasedonitstime-honoreduse.AsimpledefinitionofEnglishidiomwoundbetheuseofcommonwordsinaspecialsense.HuZhuanglinconsideredthatEnglishidiomisespeciallytrueforasequenceofwordswhichissemanticallyandoftensyntacticallyrestricted.

2.2DefinitionofChineseIdioms

InNewOxfordDictionaryofEnglish（1998）,definesidiomas:

idiomsareagroupofwordsestablishedbyusageashavingameaningnotdeduciblefromthoseoftheindividualwords.AccordingtoCihai（Xia,1999）,“Shuyuarefixedphrasesorsentencesofalanguage,whichcannotbemodifiedarbitrarily.Theymustbeinterpretedasasemanticunit.Chineseidiomsarecalledas‘shuyu’,including:

setphrases,proverbs,slangs,two-partallegoricalsayings（xiehouyu）andcommonsayings（suyu）.A“shuyu”isusuallyafixedwordcombinationorsentencewhosestructureisusuallyunabletobechangedinuse.AChineseidiomisnewlydefinedas“aChineseidiom,constitutedbywords,relativelyfixedinstructure,isanarrativelanguageunitwhichcanperformamultipleoffunctions.”（Wen200517）

2.3OriginsofIdioms

Idiomsarelongstandingandwellestablished.Forthousandsofyears,peopledrawlessonsandexperienceformtheirdailylifeandthenwritethemdowntotelltheiroffspringwhattheyhavegottenformtheirexperiences.Asaresult,mostoftheid