Translation of the Chinese Menu from the Perspective of Food Culture.docx
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Translation of the Chinese Menu from the Perspective of Food Culture.docx
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TranslationoftheChineseMenufromthePerspectiveofFoodCulture
TranslationoftheChineseMenufromthePerspectiveofFoodCulture
【Abstract】Chinesefoodcultureissimilartoapearlshinninginthiseraofglobalization.Duetoahigherfrequencyofcross-culturalcommunicationthaneverbefore,peoplefromwesterncountriesshowincreasinginterestsinChinesecuisine.Therefore,astandardizedtranslationoftheChinesemenuplaysamoreindispensibleroleingraspingthepreciseunderstandingofChinesefoodnamesforforeigndiners.Fromaculturalperspective,thispaperprimarilydiscussesvariousdifferencesbetweenChineseandWesternfoodcultures,andprovidesmajortranslationprinciplesandtipsoftheChinesemenusoastoarriveatastandardizedtranslationasclearlyandaccessiblyaspossible.
【Keywords】Chinesemenu;culturaldifferences;translationprinciples;translationtips
Contents
Introduction
1.DifferencesBetweenChineseandWesternFoodCultures……1
1.1DifferencesBetweenFoodConcepts
1.2DifferencesbetweenCookingMethods
1.3DifferencesbetweenDishNames
2.TranslationPrinciplesofChineseFood
2.1UnderstandingChineseFood
2.2KeepingtheOriginalContents
2.3AvoidingtheCulturalClashes
3.ClassificationofChineseFoodNames
3.1FoodNameswithRawMaterials,CookingMethodsandFlavors
3.2FoodNameswithHistoricalFiguresandStories
3.3FoodwithRegionalNames
3.4FoodwithAnimalNamesandPlants’Names
3.5FoodNamesRelatedtoJewelries
3.6FoodNameswithAuspiciousExpressions
4.TranslationTipsofChineseFoodNames
4.1TranslationofMainFoodSources
4.2TranslationofCookingMethods
4.3TranslationofFoodFormsandFlavors
4.4TranslationofPlacesandPersons
Conclusion
WorksCited
Introduction
LanguageplaystheroleofcarrierinthecommunicationbetweenChinaandWesterncountries,especiallywiththerapiddevelopmentofglobalization.ChinesefoodissowidelyknownaroundtheworldthatmanyforeignerswithdifferentfoodculturalbackgroundstraveltoChinatohaveataste.Forthisreason,itposesadifficultbutsignificanttaskinthetranslationofaChinesemenu.ThepurposeofthispaperistopresentthedifferencesoffoodculturesreflectedinthetranslationoftheChinesemenu,andfromthisperspectivetooffersometipsintranslatingaChinesemenu.
1.DifferencesBetweenChineseandWesternFoodCultures 1.1DifferencesBetweenFoodConcepts.WhatChineseandWesternpeoplefocusonaboutfoodisquitedifferent.ToChinesepeople,theperfectcombinationofcolor,aroma,tasteandappearancecomesfirst.Stressislaidonwhetherthecolorvisuallymatchesandthearomastimulatesone’sappetite,whethertheappearancereflectsaestheticfeeling,and,atthecoreofChinesefoodwhetherthetasteaccordswiththedemands.ThisgivesexpressiontotheaestheticfoodconceptofChinesepeople.Inotherwords,aslongasthedishtastesheavenly,regardlessofitsnutritionalvalue,peoplewillfeelluckyfortheopportunitytoenjoyit.Bycontrast,inwesterncountries,scientificandrational,insteadofaesthetic,foodconceptisaccepted.Westernersgiveprioritytonutritionalvalueratherthanthecolor,aroma,tasteandappearanceoffood.Whattheyenjoyfromthefoodisthenutritionalvalueandnotparticularlythespiritualdelight.Particularcareisdevotedtohowmanycalories,vitamins,andtheamountofproteintheywilltakeindaily.Thatis,anegg,aglassofmilk,afewslicesofbreadaddedwithasausageareenoughforbreakfast,abuffetdinnerforlunch,alongwithbread,Frenchfries,cheeseandsomeothersimplebutnutritionalfoodforsupper.Whattheyeateverydayisalmostinthesamekey,butofhighnutritionalvalue,whichembodiesthewesternfoodconcept.
1.2DifferencesBetweenCookingMethods.AsanartinChina,cookingappealstomostChinesepeopleforitsinfinitefunandtoacertaindegreeitsnatureofentertainmentwhichaddshappinessandenjoymenttodailylife.
Chinesecookingmethods,includingdeep-frying,stir-frying,quick-frying,assorting,panfrying,braising,boiling,par-boiling,scalding,poaching,andcandiedflossaremethodsdiverseenoughtodazzleone’seyes,aswellasarethecookeddishes.ToChinesecookingmasters,profoundculinaryknowledgeandexperiencedskillarerequiredtoprepareanexcellentdinner,justthesameasworkmanship.Preparationsforcooking,cuttingandthepreparationofsuppliesbeforecookingaremorediverseandcomplexinChinaastheyareinthewest.Evencookingduplicatecourseswiththesameingredients,thetastewillnotbethesameduetodifferentpeople’spalates.Conversely,thewesterncookingismorelikeamechanicalconcern.Asindicatedabove,nutritionalvalueissobasicherethatstandardizedrulesforcookingarefollowed.Roasting,fryingorbraisingisusedasaonestepmethodincookingadish,rarelymixedwithtwoormorekindsofstapleingredients.TakefriedchickenatKFCasanexample.Onceacookknowswellabouttheweightoftheingredientstobeused,theprecisetemperatureoftheoil,andtheaccuratefryingtimerequired,foodpreparationshouldbeasimplechore.ItcanbesaidthatChinesecookingisanartasitrequiresexperienceandcreationwhilewesterncookingisliketechnologywithstandardizedoperations. 1.3DifferencesBetweenDishNames.Whenadishisnamed,theChinesestriveforasenseofelegance,reserveandauspiciousness.Enormousrhetoricdevicesareusedtoconveytheideas,feelingsorimaginationsofpeople.Apartfromafewmostdishesaredirectlynamedaftertherawfoodsource.Considerabledishesaregivennamesreferringtothefigures,sceneries,allusionsorlegendsthatarerelevant,suchas八仙过海(EightImmortalsCrossingtheSea),佛跳墙(BuddhaJumpingovertheWall),etc.Chinesedishnamesaresaidtoimplicatepeople’sphilosophical,ethical,aestheticandartisticthought.Whatadishnamecontainsisnotapuremeaningofadish,butmoreaculturalphenomenonwhichcombinesscience,philosophyandart.AperfectChinesedishnameispursuedtoachievebeautyinsoundthroughmethodsofhomophonyandrhyme,tofulfilltheaccuracyinformbywayofstructuralmatch,balance,antithesisanddependenceand,atthesametime,toattaintoprecisenessinsensebymeansofexpressingwishes,luckandpraise.Incontrast,Westerndishnamesaremorestraight-out,highlightingthemainfoodsourceofthedish,whichlackartisticsensebutdeliverpracticalityinasuperiormanner.
2.TranslationPrinciplesofChineseFood
2.1UnderstandingChineseFood.TounderstandtheconnotativemeaningandculturalbackgroundofChinesefoodistocorrectlyprovidethecornerstonefortranslatingtheChinesemenumoreaccurately.Perhapsthemostseriousmisconceptionistheideathateachlanguagemoreorlesscontrolsthewaypeoplethink,sometimesexpressedas‘Wethinkthewaywethinkbecausewetalkthewaywetalk’(Nida,78).”ChinesepeopleuseChinesetogiveanameforacertainmenusoastoexpresswhattheythinkaboutthefood,evenifthenameisnotalwaysrelatedtotheingredientsintherecipeorinthecookingmethodsused.Butforwesternpeople,theknowledgeofwhatthefoodcontainsorhowthefoodiscooked,moreoftenornot,willdeterminewhethertoorderthecourseornot.Correctunderstandingofthefood,includingingredients,cookingmethodsandflavorsformabaseforproperlytranslatingaChinesemenuintoEnglish.Forinstance,“焦熘鱼片”istranslatedas“FriedFishSlicesinSauce”,themainingredientsbeing“fishslices”,theseasoning“sauce”andthecookingmethod“fried”arealsogivenexpressioninthename.Take“翡翠绿”asanotherinstance.“FreshGreenVegetableSoup”isacceptedasapropertranslation,for“翡翠”inChinesefoodculturereferstoagreenvegetableinsteadofajadeoranemerald.ThereexistssomespecialexpressionsinChinesefoodnamesthatshouldbetranslatedwithsolidunderstanding,suchas“芙蓉”meanseggwhiteand“拔丝”means“inhottoffee”or“hotcandied”.Otherwise,thetargetlanguagereadermayfailtounderstandwhatexactlythemenuconsistsof. 2.2KeepingtheOriginalContents.InChinesemenutranslations,keepingtheoriginalcontentsmeansprovidingaccurateandadequateinformationaboutfood.Thatis,tryingtoseizetheessenceofaChinesefoodname,mainlyincludingitsrealingredients,cookingmethods,seasonings,tastesandsoforth,insteadofliterallytranslatingthemodifierrelatedtothename.Forexample,if“八仙过海”isdirectlytranslatedinto“Eightimmortalscrossingthesea”or“鱼香肉丝”into“Fish-flavorshreddedpork”,peoplefromabroadwillfeelconfused.Meanwhile,duetobeingmorecomplexandtedious,Chinesefoodnamessometimespuzzletheforeigners.Forthisreason,translationbeingbriefandtothepointisabetterchoice.Let’stake“罐头碎牛肉”asanexample.Initstranslatedname“cornedbeef”,“corned”isexplainedinEnglishas“beefpickledinsaltorbrine,whichdeliversthemaininformationaboutthisdish;method-“pickled”andseasoning-“salt”or“brine”.Insomecasescookingmethodscanbeeasilyjudgedfromthecombinationofmainandsupplementarymaterialsorviceverse,thetranslationofeithermethodsortheseasoningsusedoreventhesupplementarymaterialsusedareoftenomittedtoavoidbeingcumbersome.Forinstance,“蒜茸猪红拌时蔬”istranslatedinto“spicedpig’sbloodwithvegetables”andthat“garlic”isleftout.
2.3AvoidingtheCulturalClashes.Aswereferredtotheabove,Nidasaid,“Wethinkwhatwethinkbecausewetalkwhatwetalk”(78),peoplefromdifferentculturalbackgroundshavetheiruniquelikesa
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