1、论文化差异视角下的英汉成语翻译 英语习语的文化差异及其翻译对比1. 论文化差异视角下的英汉成语翻译 英语习语的文化差异及其翻译对比研究论文关键词文化 文化差异 成语 翻译策略 论文摘要成语作为英汉语言的精华，带有浓厚的历史和民族文化积淀，它的产生和使用在各自的文化中表现出各自的特色，成语翻译历来是翻译的难点。文章从英汉文化差异的视角，阐述文化差异对英汉成语翻译的影响，探讨如何灵活运用英汉成语翻译策略，以尽可能在译文可读性和保留原语文化间寻求最佳平衡点。 一、引言 成语（set phrases）是习语（the idiomatic phrases）的一种，是人们在长期实践和使用过程中提炼出的语言结
2、晶。成语一般来自于古代经典、著名著作、历史故事、民间传说等，蕴含着丰富的文化信息，具有强烈的民族特色。 进行英汉成语互译，要处理语言和文化的矛盾，不仅要译出原语成语的形象、喻义、修辞，也要译出其文化含义。如成语“守株待兔”，是中国的一个古代故事,若译为stand by a stump waiting for the appearance of a hare,会令人大惑不解。若译为stick to old practice and refuse to have a change 或是trust to chance and windfall，虽然其意表达出来了，但成语的文化特征已是荡然无存，因而也
3、不可取。可见, 处理英汉成语互译的关键是运用文化差异的视角。 二、英汉成语所反映的文化差异 如果说语言是反映文化的一面镜子，那么作为语言的核心和精华的成语更是文化的结晶，集中的体现了各自文化的差异。英语和汉语作为两门完全不同的语言，体现的是两种完全迥异的文化。 文化的最早定义是来自英国人类文化学家泰勒，他下的定义：文化是一个复杂的总体，包括知识、信仰、艺术、道德、法律、风俗，以及人类在社会里所得的一切能力与习惯。可见，文化是一个很复杂的系统。通过比较，英汉成语所反映的文化差异主要体现在地理环境、风俗习惯、宗教信仰和历史文化四方面。 （一）地理环境文化 自然环境是人类赖以生存和发展的基础，不同的
4、自然环境对民族文化的形成和发展有着不同的影响。中国属于典型的大陆环境，自古以来，就是一个农耕气氛比较浓厚的国家，土地在人们的生活中显得至关重要，汉语中有相当一部分和土地和农业生产相关的成语。如“挥金如土” “面如土色”“瓜田李下”等等。西方受海岛狭小范围的限制，土地资源十分有限，为了生存发展，航海业和渔业十分发达，英语中有很多关于船和水的成语，如plains ailing(一帆风顺)to go with the stream(随波逐流)、to keep ones head above water(奋力图存)等等。 （二）风俗习惯文化 风俗习惯的差异是文化差异的一个主要方面，在成语当中有较多的反
5、映，特别是在动物形象上。龙在中西文化中代表了两种完全相反的形象。在中国传统文化中，龙象征着吉利，汉语中与龙有关的成语一般都含褒义。如“望子成龙”“龙凤呈祥”等。但在西方神话传说中，dragon是一种长着翅膀，能够从口中喷火的怪物，令人感到恐怖。因此，在西方文化中，dragon通常是邪恶的代表，a dragon就常被用来形容飞扬跋扈、令人讨厌的人。 （三）宗教信仰文化 与宗教信仰有关的成语也大量地出现在英汉成语中。佛教传入中国已有一千多年的历史，有佛教关的成语有很多，如“借花献佛”“平时不烧香、临时抱佛脚”等。在英国等西方国家，影响最大的宗教是基督教。在人们心中，God具有无上的法力。英语成语中
6、有许多与God相关的成语。如God helps those who help themselves, Man proposes, God disposes。人们诅咒一个人常说God damn you ,危险过后常说God bless you。 （四）历史文化 历史文化指由特定的历史发展进程的沉淀所形成的文化，其中一个重要内容是历史典故。历史典故是民族历史文化中的瑰宝，蕴含着丰富的历史文化信息。汉语的典故成语多出自四书、五经或神话传说，如“东施效颦”、“名落孙山”等。英语的典故成语多来自圣经，希腊罗马神话或伊索寓言等，如：Achilles hell，a Pandoras box等。 三、英汉成语
7、的翻译策略 一些翻译理论家，如兰博（Lam Bert）和雷恩（Robins）认为：与其把翻译视为一种双语之间的转换活动，不如把翻译看成是两种文化之间的交流活动。由此可见文化必须纳入到英汉成语翻译的研究范围，王佐良说：“翻译者必须是一个真正意义上的文化人。人们全说，他必须掌握两种语言，确实如此：但是，不了解语言当中的社会文化，谁也无法真正掌握语言。” 翻译的最终目的是实现不同文化之间的交流，成语翻译更应遵循这个原则。奈达说：“The best translation does not sound like a translation”,鲁迅先生讲过：“凡是翻译，必须兼顾着两面，一当然为求其易解，
8、一则保存着原作的风姿。”就成语翻译而言，就是能直译的就直译，不能直译的就意译，尽可能在译文可读性和保留原语文化间寻求最佳平衡点，确保在最大程度上将原文所包含的文化信息呈现给译文读者，达到“文化传真”的目标。实践当中，英汉成语翻译通常采用以下方法： （一）直译法 直译法，指在不违背译文语言规范以及不引起错误联想的条件下，在译文中保留原成语的比喻、形象和民族、地方色彩。如：A gentlemans agreement(君子协定)；Wall have ears（隔墙有耳）；竭泽而渔（to drain a pond to catch all the fish）;前人栽树，后人乘凉（One genera
9、tion plants the trees under whose trade another generation rests）。直译能够比较完整地保留原成语的比喻形象、民族色彩，可以丰富译语的词汇，使读者体验到一种新鲜感。 （二）直译加注法 有些成语，其历史典故文化比较浓厚，直译之外，还需加必要的注释。如a Don Juan 唐磺。 意为风流浪子。Don Juan是英国诗人拜伦作品中的人物，他是一个勇敢、风流的骑士。现在，他经常被用来指代具有这些品质的年轻人。这类成语如果不加解释地直译出来，译文读者一般很难理解其寓意。再如，汉语成语“班门弄斧”：show off ones proficie
10、ncy with the axe before Lu Ban, the master carpenter。如在译文中不加后半部分解释语，只译Lu Ban,恐怕大部分英国读者不知道Lu Ban 为何许人，自然对这一成语的理解会产生疑惑。 （三）意译法 意译法指翻译时仅保留原文的意思而不保留原文表达形式的方法。当由于文化差异而无法直译，直译加注释过长，会破坏成语的简洁性和可读性时，就用意译法，灵活传达原意。如英语成语Two friends are hand in glove with each other(亲同手足)， to snap and snarl at a kind-hearted man
11、(狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心)。汉语成语具有的民族文化特色很多情况下在英语中难以用直译法体现，也常采用意译法，虽难以保全成语的文化特色和形象，却能简洁地反映出成语的喻意。如事实胜于雄辩Facts speak louder than words。背黑锅hold the bag，汉语口语中“背黑锅”的说法意指某人干了坏事而责任却落在未干坏事的人身上。英语中把这种情况说成“捧着布袋子”（hold the bag），值得注意的是：英美人讲hold the bag既可能是同犯错误的人，也可能是没有牵连的人。（四）直译加意译法 应注意到，直译和意译是相对而言的，没有一个绝对的界限。在很多情况下，为保留原文形象
12、，并使译文畅达，英汉成语可部分直译，部分意译。如成语“东施效颦”，如意译成Dong shi, an ugly woman, knitting her eyebrows in imitation of the famous beauty Xishi only to make herself uglier,英文读者会由于不知道西施是何许人而无法理解其含义。若采用直译加意译的方法，在上文之后加上意译“blind imitation with ludicrous effect”,其意便一目了然了。在英语中有这样一句成语“Even Homer sometimes nods”，在这句成语后面，译者会加上一
13、句“Even the wise are not always free from error”，正好对应了汉语成语“智者千虑，必有一失”。 （五）回译法 有一小部分成语，本来自于源语，翻译时可采用源语的成语，如以眼还眼an eye for eye，鳄鱼的眼泪 crocodilestears，武装到牙齿 armed to the teeth等。 四、结束语 作为一种独特的语言文化现象，成语具有较大的文化信息负载量，是英汉民族语言中最富有民族文化特色的部分。正如Lotman所说：“没有一种语言不是植根于具体的文化之中的；也没有一种文化不是以某种自然语言的结构为中心的。”在翻译成语时，关键是把握好汉
14、语和英语各自的文化，运用文化差异的视角根据实际情况灵活采用恰当的译法，尽可能了解民族语言与文化，深刻理解成语本身的意义，才能使成语的翻译达到最高的境界。参考文献 1 Nida Eugene A. Toward a Science of Translating M.Leiden; 1964 2 Peter Newmark.翻译问题探讨M，上海，上海外语教育出版社,2001 3包慧南，文化语境与语言翻译M，北京，中国对外翻译出版公司,2001 4金惠康，跨文化交际翻译续编M，北京，中国对外翻译出版公司,2004 5刘宓庆，翻译美学导论M，北京，中国对外翻译出版公司,2005 6鲁迅，“题未定”草A
15、，鲁迅杂文全集C，洛阳，河南人民出版社,1994 7孙会军、郑庆珠，译论研究中的文化转向J，中国翻译，2000，(5):11-14 8王佐良，翻译中的文化比较J，翻译通讯，1984(1) 9张培基、喻云根、李宗杰等，英汉翻译教程M，上海，上海外语教育出版社，1980Cultural Differences of English and Comparative Study of TranslationI. IntroductionIdioms (set phrases) is the idiom (the idiomatic phrases) a, is that people in long-
16、term practice and use the language to extract the crystal. Idioms generally come from the ancient classic, well-known works, historical stories, folklore, etc., contains a wealth of cultural information, with strong ethnic characteristics.To C translation, language and culture to deal with the contr
17、adiction, not only translated the image of the original language idioms, figurative meaning, rhetoric, have translated their cultural meaning. Such as the phrase passive is an ancient Chinese story, if translated into the stand by a stump waiting for the appearance of a hare, would be puzzling. If t
18、ranslated stick to old practice and refuse to have a change or a trust to chance and windfall, although its meaning expressed, but the idiom of cultural identity is gone, and therefore undesirable. Shows that the key to dealing with C translation is to use the perspective of cultural differences.II.
19、 English and Chinese cultural differences reflected inIf language is a mirror reflecting the culture, then as the language of the core and essence of the idiom is culture, the concentrated expression of their own cultural differences. English and Chinese as two completely different languages, reflec
20、ting the two entirely different culture.Culture is defined as the first scientist from the United Kingdom Taylor of human culture, he defines: Culture is a complex whole, including knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and human society from all the capabilities and habits . Shows that cultu
21、re is a very complex system. By comparison, English and Chinese cultural differences reflected mainly in the geographical environment, customs, religion, history and culture in four areas.(A) of the geographical and culturalThe natural environment of human existence and the basis for development of
22、different natural environment of the formation and development of national culture have different effects. Environment typical of the mainland of China since ancient times, is a relatively rich country farm atmosphere, land in peoples life are critical, a considerable portion of Chinese language and
23、 land and agricultural production-related idioms. Such as big spenders Mianrutuse highly suspicious and so on. Narrow the scope of the West by the islands limited land resources are limited, in order to survive the development of seafaring and fishing very well developed, there are many English idio
24、ms on the boat and water, such as the plains ailing (smooth) to go with the stream (drift), to keep ones head above water (struggling for existence) and so on.(B) of the customs and culturalDifferences in customs and cultural differences is a key aspect, in the idiom of which reflect more, especiall
25、y in the animal image. Dragon in East and West represent two totally opposite image. In traditional Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of auspiciousness in Chinese dragon with the phrase generally commendatory. Such as family resemblance Dragon and Phoenix and so on. However, in the Western leg
26、ends, dragon is a kind of wings, to fire-breathing monster from the mouth, it is terrifying. Thus, in Western culture, dragon is usually representative of evil, a dragon is often used to describe the domineering, obnoxious people.(C) religious beliefs and culturalAnd religion-related idioms are also
27、 large numbers in English and idioms. Buddhism came to China has 1000 years of history, there are many Buddhist-related idioms, such as Jiehuaxianfo usually do not burn incense, cramming, and so on. In the UK and other Western countries, the most influential religion is Christianity. In peoples hear
28、ts, God has the supreme powers. There are a lot of English idioms and God-related idioms. If God helps those who help themselves, Man proposes, God disposes. A common saying among the people curse God damn you, after the often dangerous said God bless you.(D) history and cultureHistory, culture refe
29、rs to a specific historical development of culture formed by the precipitation of one of the important contents of historical allusion. Historical allusion is in the national historical and cultural treasure, with rich historical and cultural information. The story of Chinese idioms and more from th
30、e Four Books, Five Classics or myths and legends, such as mere copycat, Mingluosunshan and so on. The story of English idioms come from the Bible Greek and Roman mythology or the Aesops Fables, and so on, such as: Achilles hell, a Pandoras box and so on.III. English and Chinese TranslationNumber of
31、translation theorists, such as Rambo (Lam Bert) and Rennes (Robins) that: as a bilingual translator with the transition between activities, it is better to translate as exchanges between the two cultures. This shows that culture must be incorporated into the translation of the scope of study, WANG Z
32、uo said: The translator must be a real intellectuals. People all that he had to master both languages, do so: But, do not know Among the social and cultural language, no one can really master the language. Translation ultimate goal is to achieve communication between different cultures, idioms translation should follow this principle. Nida said: The best translation does not sound like
