1、论文 英汉习语的文化差异与翻译学 士 学 位 论 文题 目 英汉习语的文化差异与翻译学 生 史 伟指导教师 胡振伟 讲师年 级 2006级班 级 专升本三班学 号 0603150319专 业 英 语学 院 外语学院长春师范学院2010年5月英汉习语的文化差异与翻译史伟 摘要：习语是人类语言文化的结晶，共翻译更是引起了翻译界的普遍关注。习语来源于各种不同的文化创迨之中，它负载了很多文化内涵。它们能够直接而深刻地反映出不同语言的文化因素。英语和汉语走当今世界上两种拥有最多伎用孝的语言，二孝都拥有大量的习语。对英汉习语中文化因素的误解常常迨戍英汊跨文化交际的失败。因此对比研究英汉刁语中的文化因素意义
2、深远。对比研究走进行语言文化研究的重要方法之一。近几十年来，英汉对比研究在我圉获得了长足的发展。虽然一些学者进行过英汉习语对比研究，但是由于习语中的文化因素的复杂性，还有必要从文化角庋对英汉习语进行更多的研宪。本论文的目的就是进行英汉习语文化差异的对比研究以及翻译。本文对英汉习语中的文化因素的对比研究揭示了这样一个事实， 要掌握两种语言，必须掌握两种文化。除了引论和结尾，论文划分为三章。首先，作者明确了英汉习语的定义和种类。紧接着的第二章从文化角庋对英汉习语进行对比分析，作者分别从不同的居住环境、不同的历史典故、不同的宗教信仰和不同的传统文化方面研究英汉习语的差畀。第三章是翻译理论的学习及其在
3、实践中的应用，介绍了诸如：直译、意译、苴译加意译等翻译方法。作孝希望通过对习语的对比研究激发学生对翻译的热情，提高学生的翻译能力，培养大家的跨文化意识，最终服务于英语教学，取得更好的教学效果。 关键词：英汉习语 习语翻译 对比研究ContentsIntroduction 1I.Definition of Chinese and English Idioms 21.1Definition of Chinese idiom 21.2 Definition of English idiom 31.3.1 Set phrases 31.3.2 Common sayings 41.3.3 Proverb
4、s 41.3.4 Two- part allegorical sayings 41.3.5 Vulgar expressions 51.4Classifications of English idioms 51.4.1 Idiomatic expressions 51.4.2 Proverbs 51.4.3 Slangs.6II.Cultural Similarities and differences in English and Chinese Idioms 72.1Cultural Similarities in Engish and Chinese Idioms 72.2 Cultur
5、al Differences in English and Chinese Idioms 82.2.1Differences Rooted in Geographical Conditions 82.2.2 Differences Rooted in Social Customs 82.2.3Differences Rooted in Religious Beliefs 82.2.4Differences Rooted in Historical and Literay allusions.9III.Translating Methods of English and Chinese Idio
6、ms 103.1 Literal translation 103.1.1LiteraI translation examples of set phases： 103.1.2Literal translation examples of common sayings： 103.1.3 LiteraI translation examples of proverbs： 11 3.2 Liberal translation.113.2.1Two-part allegorical sayings translation 113.2.2 Idiom originated from historical
7、 events,fables,etc.123.2.3 Idiom with dim images 123.3Combination of literal and liberal translation 13Conclusion 14References 15IntroductionCulture and language depend on each other for existence. It is impossible to translate a foreign language text without taking into account the culture it embod
8、ies. In this sense, translation becomes a cultural exchange as a cross.linguistic, cross,cultural and cross.social communicative activity.Idioms, formed in a particular period and passed on from generation to generation, reflect various cultural elements. They are comparatively fixed in matters of m
9、eaning and structure, that is, the meaning of idiom cannot be determined by the meanings of its words, To let the whole people be familiar with other nations, cultures, it is really valuable to translate various idioms into different languages.However, idiom is difficult to translate in that it is o
10、f peculiar cultural origin and therefore reflects clearly national or cultural characteristics. It is impossible for the translators to avoid cultural elements in idiom translation. Chinese and English belong to diferent language families. Although they share many things in culture, each language ha
11、s its own specifc cultural property. There are some similarities between English and Chinese cultures, which make idiom translation possible and easy. However, there is more dissimilarity between the Chinese culture and the English culture than similarities. Accurate understanding and proper transla
12、tion of idiom is the key to the breakthrough of barriers in intercultural communication.This paper tries to analyze idioms from the perspective of cultural,translation with the purpose of illustrating how cultural factors influence the translation and comprehension of idioms, and exploring effective
13、 principles and strategies of idiom translation.Definition of Chinese and English Idioms Idioms, conventionalized multiword expression,exist as a sub-group of vocabulary. Refined and accepted by long usage，idioms have been described as the crystallization of languageIdioms，as the essence of language
14、，are frequently used in literary works and our dai1y life。NevertheIess，it is no easy job to give a clear-cut definition to it.1.1Definition of Chinese idiom According to the Chinese dictionaries:现代汉语词典(Modern Chinese Dictionary）by Commercial Press and新华词典（xinhua Dictionary）by Commercial Press，A Chin
15、ese idiom，which is called习语，is described asa fixed phrase， can Only be used as a whole unit， no element in it can be changed at random,and usually cant be analyzed by ordinary regular wordformation. Chinese idiom is newly described as a Chinese idiom，constituted by words，re1atively fixed in structur
16、e, is a narrative 1anguage unit which can perform a multiple functions. Both definitions stress two features that an idiom manifests.First,an idiom must be used as a who1e unit，and the phrase has no meaning by its individual words，like不管三七二十一，胡说八道etc. Second,no element in an idiom can be changed at
17、random. For example，we can on1y say垂头丧气，but not低头丧气though “垂” and “低” has the same meaning;八九不离十，not七八不离九.Third，in terms of grammatical function，both an idiom and a word can serve as parts of a sentence, while an idiom can be used as an independent sentence and frequent1y quoted in different context
18、s.1.2 Definition of English idiom According to the latest Websters New World College Dictionary, the third edition, idiom is a phrase, construction or expression that is recognized as a unit in the usage of a given language and either differs from the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that d
19、iffers from literal meaning of its part taken together. In Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionarg idiom is a group of words in a f1xed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meaning of each word understood on its own Longman gives such a defnition: a group of words with a sp
20、ecial meaning which is different from the meaning of the individual words. Oxford defines idiom as follows: phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit. Among all of these explanations, the first one is the commonest
21、 and the most popular meaning of the word ,idiom. From the above definition, we can see that the meaning of an idiom cannot be understood only by its individual words, but by a whole unit.1.3 Classifications of Chinese Idioms Idiom in Chinese, in the broad sense, can be roughly c1assifed into set ph
22、rases, common sayings, proverbs, two-part allegorical sayings and vulgar expressions.1.3.1 Set phrases Set phrases, whose storehouse seems to be inexhaustible, play an important role in our mother tongue. Generally speaking, a Chinese set phrase is a well estab1ished f1xed phrase or short sentence w
23、ith terse sty1e and pithy meaning habitually used by peop1e for a long time .Chinese set phrases are phrases with 2 p1us 2 pattern with descriptive or informative fmction. (Wen 2005: 290). From the above defnition，it is clear that fourcharacter with two-meter in poetry form is essential attribute of
24、 chinese set phrases，which distinguishes Chinese set phrases from other types of Chinese idioms，such as proverbs common sayings or allegorical sayingsChinese set phrases may possess three features:comprehensiveness，c1assic and fusion。 Such as the idiom“倾盆大雨”，referring to raining cats and dogs or rai
25、ning heavily which is used to describe the image of raining in figurative language.The idiom“卧薪尝胆” means to sleep on brush-wood and taste gall to undergo self-imposed hardships so as to strengthen ones resolve to wipe out a national humiliation.The phrase“胸有成竹”means to have bamboos in ones chest，imp
26、lying to have had ready plans or design in ones mild.1.3.2 Common sayings Chinese common saying，widely used in the colloquial 1anguageMost of themare created by working peop1e and reflect their 1ife experiences and wishesCommon sayings are Non-four-character, non-informative expressions 1ike proverb
27、s，an idiomatical unit which has descriptive function. The common saying老油条referring to an old deep-fried twisted dough sticks，is often used to describe a hard-boiled slippery person.The idiom不管三七二十一”which means to consider nothing at all，is one of the conventional cases.1.3.3 Proverbs Chinese prover
28、b is a stock expression，tooChinese proverb，widesread among ordinary eople，is conclse，fixed phrase or sentence in which a profound truth is implied by simle and informal language.An appropriate use of proverbs will add to the variety and force of language.The proverb“看菜吃饭，量体裁衣”,is to teach us to act
29、according to circumstances1.3.4 Two- part allegorical sayings Two-part a11egorical saying is a special kind of idioms which is unique to Chinese without any counterpart in any other languages，which is composed of two parts with the first part like a riddle and the other part like an answer to therid
30、d1e。Usually only the frst art will be spoken，the actual meaning 1ies in the second part. But now it is quite common to state both the former and 1atter parts.As it contains an analogy,the a11egorical saying is then vivid and full of imageryAllegorical sayings display the most salient feature of coll
31、oquialism among Chinese idioms.The following are several examp1es of allegorical sayings: 和尚打伞一无发（法）无天 When a monk opens an umbrella，there is neither hair（law）nor sky-to deny all laws，human and divine；to become completely lawless. 泥菩萨过江自身难保Like a clay idol fording a riverowho is hardly able to save oneself, let alone anyone e1se.1.3.5 Vulgar expressions They are only used in co11oquial speech.They are used so frequent that most of them do not have their origina1 rneaning any more.Peoples attention has been paid to their rough images.Below are
