on-translation-of-english-chinese-and-chinese-english-idioms--英汉互译中对习语翻译的探析大学论文.doc

On Translation of English-Chinese and Chinese-English Idioms英汉互译中对习语翻译的探析

Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………….……1Key Words………………………………………….……………..……..…1
1. Introduction ………………………………………..…………………..…2
2. Gaps between English Idioms and Chinese Idioms………………...…2
2.1 The Gaps in Religion……………………………………………..……3
2.2 The Gaps in Living Circumstances………………………………….….3
2.3 The Gaps in Social Custom and Habit………...……………………..…..3
2.4 The Gaps in History Allusion.…………………………………………..4
3. The Categories of Translation of Idioms.…………………………..…...4
3.1 The Translation of Corresponding Idioms………………………….…....4
3.1.1 The Translation of Corresponding Idioms in English..…...…….…...5
3.1.2 The Translation of Corresponding Idioms in Chinese...……..……..5
3.2 The Translation of Partial Corresponding Idioms.……………………...5
3.3 The Translation of Specific Idioms.……………..………………………6
4. The Methods of Translating Idioms.…………………….………………8
4.1 Literal Translation .…………………………….…..…..….....….….....8
4.2 Literal Translations with Notes .………………………….….……..….9
4.3 Free Translation...…………………………..…….…..…...…..……..9
4.4 Free Translation with Notes..………………………………………....9

4.5 Free Translation-Replacements with Similar Idioms.….……....…….10
4.6 Combination of Literal and Free Translation..…...…….………............10
5. Conclusion.…………………………………...………………………….10
References……………………………...……………………….…….…….11

On Translation of English-Chinese and Chinese-English Idioms

Abstract: Idioms are linguistic chunks formed by the regular phrases and sentences. It is a special and inseparable part of language. An idiom takes a very important part in the language, which reflects the national colors of the native speakers and is considered as the sinew of the language. Every language has its own idioms. There are a large number of idioms existed in both English and Chinese, and they make the two languages more colorful and beautiful. This thesis is about the translation of idioms in both English and Chinese. After the general understanding and introduction to the source of idioms, a series of methods of idioms’ translation would be discussed. The thesis is divided into three parts. Firstly, it will give the general understanding and introduction to the source of the idioms. And the source of the idioms will be divided into four parts. Secondly, it is discussed the ways of translation of the three kind idioms according to the relationship between English idioms and Chinese idioms. Thirdly, several practical translating methods of the English idioms and Chinese idioms would be introduced from the point of the view of keeping the flavor of the original idioms.
Key words: English idioms; Chinese idioms; categories; translating methods

摘　要：习语是指由固定词组和句子组成的模块。它是语言中不可分割的一部分。习语反映了一个国家的民族特色在语言中占有举足轻重的作用。因此它可谓是语言的精髓和源泉。英语和汉语中都存在着大量的习语。这篇论文是对英汉语习语的浅析。它首先对习语做了整体上的介绍并对其来源进行了分析。接着从两个角度分别讨论了习语的翻译方法。一是根据英汉语习语的关系探讨了三种习语的翻译方法。二是从保留英语习语迎合汉语习语口味目的角度讨论了六种实用的翻译技巧。

关键词：英语习语；汉语习语；类别；翻译技巧

1. Introduction

Idioms are widely used all over the world. They are a large number idioms existed in literature works and our daily life that contain special meanings. It has been described as the quintessence of the language. Without idioms language would become dull and dry. So understanding the language and the language culture plays a very important role in the translation of idioms. According to The Oxford Advanced learners’ Dictionary, idioms are “phrase or sentence whose meaning is not obvious through knowledge of the individual meaning of the constituent words but -must be learnt as a whole”. We can see the characteristics of idioms that the meaning of an idiom is not the collective meaning of all the words that form it and each part of the idiom can not be replaced by other words. On the whole both English idioms and Chinese idioms are fixed phrases with special meanings that can not be changed in any way.
As most of the idioms are formed or created by the people especially during their daily life, idioms are the creation of the working people’s life practice and experience in some degree and can not be changed freely. We must keep its original form. For example, if you say one stitch in time saves nine instead of a stitch in time saves nine, a foreign native speaker would feel strange since the native speakers do not say English that way. Only we know the cultures of the two languages we can have a better translation. Of course people’s daily life is not the only one source of the idioms. There are also some others. A large percent of the English idioms come from the literature works, Bible and Greek myths. Idioms, such as the apple of one’s eye, a drop in the bucket, wolf in sheep’s clothing, pride before a fall and a living dog is better than a dead lion are from Bible. Shakespeare’s play and other famous writers’ works are other sources of idioms.
From the above we can easily see that idioms have close relationship with people’s common life, Literature, religion, ancient legends and fables. As idioms have kinds of different sources, every idiom has its own special and proud meaning. Just for that idioms are widely used in the whole world. If we can do well in idiom translation it is very helpful for us to have a better understanding of the culture of the countries in the world.

2. Gaps between English Idioms and Chinese Idioms

Just because of these differences in the culture between English and Chinese, there are a lot of difficulties in the process of translation. We must consider about the culture background. Four main parts must be considered carefully.

2.1 The Gaps in Religion
Religion is people’s consciousness about the nature and social power that control the life of them. All over the world people always considered the unreal images as the control power. And just this religion not only affects politic, science, art and other social aspects but also affects the cultural psychology structure that influences people’s thought and actions. Every religion has its own belief that also affects people’s life style and language. Buddhism is one of the biggest religions in the world. Most Chinese believe in Buddhism. Buddhism praises highly that all over lives are painful and all pain in the world will disappear. So you have no need to pursuit for something. Believing in Buddhism and dropping out all desires can get us out of the pain world and reach the happiness world. But most westerners believe in Jesus. They consider the God as the master of the world. Jesus Christ is the son of the God. Jesus comes to the world and aims to save human beings. We can reach heaven by persisting belief in Christ. Otherwise we will be thrown out to hell. Bible that was written by Jesus’ followers is the most popular book in western world. It describes Jesus’ effort to save human beings. As the thought of Christ was known throughout all kinds of people’s daily life, we can easily find the word “God”.

2.2 The Gaps in Living Circumstances
The whole world is rich and colorful nature. The climate, land property and living condition are different from one to another, so the culture is also different from the others. In China “coward” is described as “Afraid leaves falling down hit head”. Because leaves are so light that even ten leaves hit on head, there is nothing at all. But in the other country “Afraid leaves falling down hit head” is not fit for describing a coward. For example, some peasants who live in inland take care of cattle know that the cattle always take amount of water. As a result they use “牛饮” to describe someone who drink too much water. But England is an island country. The particular geographical environment makes English people familiar with fish. They always see fish drink water without stopping. So they describe those who drink too much water “drinking like a fish”.

2.3 The Gaps in Social Custom and Habit
Custom and habit are formed in the process of development. They are reflected in every aspect of people’s life. As it is not based on law, the custom and habits of different nations shows different methods. In another word, they are different from nations to nations. Every nation has its own custom and habit. For example, in China, people often refuse on the reason of politeness when receiving gifts. But in America and England, they are glad to receive the gifts at once and say “thanks” to the given side and praise the gifts. The given side would talk about the gift and ask: Do you like it? It is completely different with Chinese.

2.4 The Gaps in History Allusion
Different social systems have different culture. From the historic allusion the culture of slaving society is different from feudal society, capital society and socialist system. In Chinese, thirty years ago, people called “comrade” for each other in their daily life. However, in American people are called “sir”, “madam” or “miss”, instead. In China, people always stress the social relationship and emphasize moral principles. They pay much attention to the social status. On the contrary, westerners pay much attention to the personal success and individual freedom. Chinese people will avoid a taboo word in their name. But westerners never consider that

3. The Categories of Translation of Idioms

The two languages, English and Chinese, belong to two different cultures individually. English idioms and Chinese idioms are countless and form the crystallization of two respectively. From the perspectives of the comparison of the two languages, English idioms and Chinese idioms can be divided into three categories: the translation of corresponded idioms, the translation of partial corresponded idioms and the translation of specific idioms.

3.1 The Translation of Corresponding Idioms
Many general features have existed in the aspect of human itself, which contain thinking ways, life style, cognitive ability and the outside condition such as geographical condition, ecological environment, season alternation and climate change. The general character creates the kinds of human’s common understanding about itself and the outside world. The common understanding is expressed by a language, especially by idioms. So any two languages have a lot of idioms with the same rhetoric and meaning. The two advanced languages, English and Chinese, are also so. There are many Chinese idioms and English idioms are similar in meaning and structure so Chinese idioms can be used to translate English idioms. We call this kind of idioms corresponding idioms. Take the following for an example, a wolf in sheep’s clothing 披着羊皮的狼; A barking dog is better than a sleeping lion 吠犬不可怕,睡狮难提防; The great fish eats up the small 大鱼吃小鱼; 骑虎难下 He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount; 好马无劣色A good horse cannot be of a bad color.
3.1.1 The Translation of Corresponding Idioms in English
For this kind of English idiom there are four type of translation, they are word-equivalence, word-amplification, word-simplification, and word-transformation. First, word-equivalence is practical to the idioms that are equivalent in meaning and form. For example, Castle in the air 空中楼阁; Self do, self have 自作自受; Cut the feet to fit the shoes 削足适履; An inch of time is an inch of gold 一寸光阴一寸金. Second, Word-amplification is to add some words that don’t exist in the idioms. For example, Be in to two minds 三心二意; Two-faced tactics 两面三刀. Third, word-simplification is to omit some words in the phrase. For example, to sit on pins and needles is 如坐针毡. Forth, word-transformation is to change some words in English idioms in order that the translation can be easily understood and accepted. For example, at sixes and sevens is乱七八糟and a drop in the bucket is沧海一粟.
All of the above English idioms just mentioned have the same content and form with Chinese idioms. They have not only the absolute same meaning, but also the almost same vivid description. So when we translate them we can directly use the corresponding Chinese idioms.
3.1.2 The Translation of Corresponding Idioms in Chinese
Similarly there are also some Chinese idioms which have the corresponding English idioms in structure and meaning. When we translate this kind of idioms we use the corresponding English idioms. There is no doubt that it is the best way to translate the corresponding idioms. For examples, 捧上天去 to praise to the skies; 混水摸鱼 to fish in trouble water; 沧海一粟 a drop in the ocean ; 合抱之木,生于毫末 great oaks from little acorns grow; 人靠衣裳马靠鞍 it is the saddle that makes the horse and the tailor the man; 一燕不成夏 one swallow does not make a summer; 玩火者自焚 he who plays with fire gets burned;风驰电掣 to pass swiftly like the wind or lighting.
It is a good way to use the corresponding idiom to translate the idioms in another language, which are the same in the structure and meaning. By this way the general character of the two languages and the two cultures can be expressed very well.

3.2 The Translation of Partial Corresponding Idioms
Owning to the different social background, custom, religions and living environment, people’s attitude towards the objective world is different. Thus differences are inevitable to appear in idioms of both languages. It is very possible that one meaning has many different expressing ways. Though they are different in the form, the deep meaning of them may be of the same. This kind of idioms is called partial corresponding idioms. When translates this kind of idioms, we should figure out the real meaning of the idioms firstly and then find out the suitable idioms in another language to match.
Take the English idiom the apple of one’s eye for example. If we directly translate it into “某人眼中的苹果”, it has no meaning of existence for the Chinese. In the culture of Chinese “apple” is only one of the common fruit, but in the western culture it is completely opposite. “Apple” is a kind of valuable thing in the western culture. But if we translate it into “掌上明珠” it is would be easy for us to understand its meaning though they are not the same in the structure. Another example, the westerners who have belief in Jesus think that man propose, God disposes and Everyone for himself, God for us all. However Chinese who believe in Buddhism always think that 谋事在人,成事在天 and 人人为自己,老天为大家. Here are more examples: In English there is as timid as a hare and in Chinese it is 胆小如鼠; In English there is as strong as a horse and in Chinese it is 力大如牛; In English there is poor as a church mouse and we say 一贫如洗.
In fact, both English and Chinese have a lot of idioms that involve different images but with the same meaning. These kinds of idioms are more than the corresponding idioms. Let’s see the following partial corresponding idioms and its translation.
First let’s see the English idioms: A small bird wants but a small nest 燕雀无鸿鹄之志; Take not the musket to kill a butterfly杀鸡焉用牛刀; When the cat is away, the mice will play 山中无老虎,猴子称霸王; You can not