a study on the translation of proverb from chinese to english英语专业文档格式.docx

a study on the translation of proverb from chinese to english英语专业文档格式.docx

《a study on the translation of proverb from chinese to english英语专业文档格式.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《a study on the translation of proverb from chinese to english英语专业文档格式.docx（10页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

IITheDifferencebetweenChineseandEnglish

1.TheDifferenceBetweenChineseandEnglishinCulturalBackground

A.Chineseinlunarcalendar;

Englishinsolarcalendar

ThelonghistoryofChinahasgonewithextensiveandprofoundculture.InChinese-Englishtranslation,ifyouwanttouseproverbs,itisnecessarytolettheforeignersknowtherealChinesecustomsandsomethingwhichtheydidnotknow,sotranslatorsmustkeeptheChinesetraditionsandfeatures:

Therearefifty-sixnationsinChina;

thediversityofsayingsofcoursecan’tbecounted.

SomeChinesewhoareindifferentareasevendonotknowthemeaningofotherpeoples,letaloneforeignersknowitwell,thepurposeofagoodtranslatoristomakehisworksknowntoall.Butitisunwisetolosetherealstyleofthecomposition,andtheconnotation,background,customsmustbeconcludedinit.Chinaisanagriculturecountry,thereisnodoubtthatmostofthemliveonagriculture,andplananddoeverythingaccordingtothedifferentseasonsinlunarcalendar,suchasvernalequinox,autumnalequinox,grainfull.Definitelythepeoplelivingonagricultureprefertolunarcalendar,theirfaithsbelongtowhatlunarcalendarrefersto,somostimportantthingsincludingfestivalsarearrangedonlunarcalendar:

Qingmingfestival（3rdMarch）,Duanwufestival（5thMay）,Zhongqiufestival（15thAugust）andsoon,andpeoplepaymoreattentiontheirowntraditionalfestivals.Forexample,theyareceremoniousonSpringfestivalEvewhichcomesonthelastdayofalunaryear.Usuallythewholefamilyshoulduniteandgatherathome.ItissaidthatabeggarmusthaveadenonNewYear,Theday（lunarcalendar）on13JulyiscalledYueBan,tisGhost'

sDay.Theymustsendmoneymadebyspecialpapertothepeoplewhohavebeendead,expectingtheirforefatherstoblesssendershappilyandsafely.Inaddition,differentpeopleshavedifferentfestivals,suchasMiaopeople'

slushengFestival,Yipeople'

sporchfestival,Daipeople'

swater-pouringfestival,andShuipeople'

swater-pouringfestivalismoreceremoniousthantheotherfestival.Andcomparedwiththefestivalsintheforeigncountries,Valentine’sDay,Easter,ThanksgivingDay,ChristmasDayandotherforeignfestivals,inChinatherearealsosometraditionalfestivalssimilartothoseabroad.Forexample,itisChineseValentine’sDayonJuly（lunarcalendar）,thatmustbedistinguishedfromValentine’sDayabroad（happylovebetweenyoungmen）andtheromanticbutsorrowinglovestoryfromNiunangandZhinushouldbeaddedinyourtranslationtomakethereadersknowwhatyoustate.Theexplanationisalsonecessarytoattractthereaders.

B.TheNationalherosinChina;

TheRespectedIconsinEngland

Thedifferentbackgroundandthedifferentcustomsneedthetranslatorstoabideintranslation.TheChinesesayingssometimeshavetheprofoundphilosophicalbackgroundandculturaltradition,ItalmostcomesfromChineseobjectsandallusionwhicharefamiliarandwell-known.YUHUANGDADIisdeeplybelievedasthehighestrankamongjossinChinese.ItmustbeconnectedwithEnglishGODwhiletranslating.Severalexamplesareprovedbelow.

"

三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮＂，"

thewisdomofthemassesexceedsthatofthewisestindividual"

.Thereisonneedtochange"

thewisestindividual"

into"

ZHUGELIANG"

becauseforeignersdonotwhoZHUGELIANGis,heactuallyisawiseman.SowetranslateZHUGELIANGas"

thewisdomofindividual”.

不到黄河心不死＂，＂Untilallisoverambitionneverdies"

thereisno"

yellowriver"

abroad.

情人眼里出西施＂，＂Loveisblind."

XISHI"

isaperfectbeautyinancientZhongguoinChina,butsheisunknownbyforeigners.

Chinesecultureisalwaysprofundandcopious.Itisthesameasthewaterinthesea.AsaChinesetranslatormustmakeforeignersadoreandthenfollowit,whichistomakeatranslatorsuccessful.

C.Complex,SplendidinChinese;

Simple,ClearinEnglish.

Fromthefurtherancienttopresent,alonghistoryofChinahaspassedcenturiesaftercenturies,asarealcivilizedcountry,somewordsusedbyChinesearemarvelousandpithy.Itneedssometransformation,becauseitisdifficulttoexplain.hisformerstylemustbekeptintheworksandmentionedaboutthesameastheEnglishsalience.Someexamplesareasfollows.

秀才不出门，全知天下事＂＂WithoutsteppingoutsideIrisgate,thescholarknowsallthewideworld'

saffairs.Reckonisrigorous"

.＂秀才＂isnotasthesamegradeas"

thescholar"

tomakeforeignersknowwhatis"

秀才＂，onlycanatranslatordoistochooseasimple,clearword-scholarinsteadof"

秀才＂．

　＂爱屋及乌＂＂loveme,lovemydog."

"

对牛弹琴＂＂tocastpearlstotheswine."

“黄梁美梦”,Someforeignersdon’tknowwhat“黄粱美梦”is,whileatranslatorknowwhat“黄粱美梦”meaninChinese.Thetranslatormayexpressthemeaningof“黄粱美梦”withsimpleEnglishwordswhentranslating----Fool’sparadise."

醉翁之意＂＂manykissababyforthenurse'

ssake"

thereisnoneedforusto

introducewhat"

醉翁＂refersto.

Thisisaprettywaytoavoidsomeunnecessarydifficulties.

D.ChineseHastheDictums,EnglishHastheAphorisms

SomefolkChineseexpressionscannotarriveatthehallbecauseitisvulgar.Butitiswidelyusedalmosteverywhere.

狗改不了吃屎＂isapureandsimpleexpressioninChinesewhichisneutral,anditisrudetosayitinpublic.Itmustbeturnedto"

江山易改，本性难移＂＂Youcanscareadogawayfromagreasyhide"

.

杀鸡取卵＂"

Killthegoosethatlaysthegoldeneggs"

thatisfigurativeandsuchfoolishbehaviorcannotbeseenatall.Noonedidthesuperfluousaffairs.

Plentyoffolklanguagesaredefinitelyverycomplicatedandneedcoppingwith.Lookatfollowingtheexamples.

Itisverydifficulttotranslate"

龙生龙，凤生凤，耗子的娃儿打地洞＂intoEnglish,andwecanuse"

likefather,likeson"

insteadofit.

人有失手，马有失蹄＂meansnoonecanavoidmakingmistakes,wecanturnitlikethis"

Ahorsestumblesthathasfourlegs"

雷声大，雨点小＂＂Greatcryandlittlewool"

又要马儿好，又要马儿不吃草＂＂Youcannoteatyourcakeandhaveit.

一分耕耘，一分收获＂＂Nopains,nogains"

Fromtheexampleabove,itisnotdifficulttoseethattranslatinga

sentencemustattachimportancetoitsimplicatedmeaningsoastogetthe

effectofpromotingthetranslation.

II.TheDifferentWaysofThinkingBetweenChineseandEnglish

Differentwaysofthinkingareanotherobstacleintranslationasfollows:

a.Chineseemphasizesimagethinking;

Englishhighlightsabstractthanking

Chineseattachesimportancetothinkinginimages,andareapttousetheconcretethingstoexpressabstractconcepts,whichgivesusakindofobviouslyvividanddirectfeelingwhileEnglishdoeswellinapplyingabstractconceptstoexpressconcretethingsthatgiveusakindoffabricate,extensive.indirectandconcealimpression.Thereforeitisabsolutelytomasterthecharacteristicsandorganizinglawsandseeclearlythedifferentstylesofthoughtimplicatedinthestructuresofthetwolanguageswhentranslating.ItisessentialtocarryonsomenecessarystructuretransformationandenhancethecomprehensionandharmonywiththephilosophicalbackgroundinthethinkingsystemsbetweenChineseandEnglish,inordertoimprovethetranslators'

abilityofthinkinginimages.Thereareseveralexamples,asfollows.

种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆＂whynot"

种树得树＂？

Sowecantranslateitbysaying"

Asyousow,youwillreap"

tofittheappetiteforthedishes.

不吃黄连苦，怎知蜂蜜甜＂"

Whohasnevertastedbitterknowsnotwhatissweet."

同行是冤家＂Twooftradedidneveragree"

不做亏心事，不怕鬼敲门＂Ａgoodconscienceisasoftpillow"

."

Onemaystealahorse,whileanothermaynotlookoverthehedge"

新官上任三把火＂＂Newbroomssweepclean"

Fromthoseinstances,weareabletodetectthatChinesetendtouseimagerythingsorconcreteexamplestouncoveratruth.WhileEnglishlaystressonthedirectexpressionofaabstracttruth.WehavetomaketheconcretewordsabstractinordertoconformtothethinkingcharacterofEnglish.Usuallyspeaking,weuseabundantnounsandpreparationtomakethetranslatedtextsaccordwiththeEnglishexpressivehabitsinthewayofwordstransferringaddingandreplacing.

b.ChineseincurvilinearThinking;

EnglishinrectilinearThinking.

Generallyspeaking,theChineseculturehasgotsuspensewhilethekeypointsaredirectlyandobviouslyatthebeginningofthesentence.

IntheEnglishculture,thetopicsentenceisputfirstlyandthentheideaaredevelopedtheideastepbystep.SowemustobeytheEnglishculturewhentranslatingForexample,ifwew