从中西方文化差异看英语习语翻译(四)

While the western Halloween like Chinese ghost festival, which is full of the awe and curiosity to the ghosts, but different from Chinese ghost festival that in the Halloween Eve people will do some funny games. “Jack-o-lantern” is a pumpkin carved with the face shape of the lantern. Idioms “trick or treat” “thump-the-door night” are well expressed the way to celebrate the Halloween. For other examples, in Chinese idioms, “a small dish” has the same meaning as English idiom “a piece of cake”, which said one thing is very easy. In this sense, Chinese “side dish” and English “cake” both contain the meaning “easy thing”. But in idioms, the expression of the same thought for two ethnic groups is different, which is related to the eating habits of the two countries. Cake is a very common food culture in the UK, the British people often eat in their daily lives, so they use “a piece of cake” to express a thing that is easy to do. In China, the cake is nearly a hundred years appears in the Chinese people’s life, which they don’t eat as the staple food. While side dish is very common in the life of Chinese people, so we used it to describe a very easy thing. And take color folk custom for example, white sometimes  is the taboo color of the Han nationality, people often say “wear red or white at weddings or funerals”, white is often associated with the funeral or death together. Chinese people often send white flowers to the death, the emperor will execute the people of higher status by the white silk cloth. Because white closely linked to death, it will make aversion to the Chinese people. Yet in English, white is a popular color, white symbolizes purity, in the wedding, the bride always wear white wedding dress. Although the westerners also believe after death to heaven, it is also a white world, but in this kind of white mainly on behalf of the holy heaven, because only good people can get into heaven after die, surrounded by angels with white wings. To enjoy eternal happiness, white world is not for death but eternal life and happiness.

3. Principles to deal with culture difference in idiom translation

American famous translator Eugene A. Nida specifically introduced the “Dynamic Equivalence” translation theory in his works Toward a Science of Translating (Brill, 1964) and The Theory and Practice of Translation (Brill, 1969). He thought, translation is the closest and most natural form of equivalence from the semantic meaning to the literary form. In the translation, the translator pursues the equivalence of linguistic information and carrying capacity, instead of the form of the target language. In this sense, the translator should emphasize the original meaning rather than insist on the form of its expression. And according to Webster’s New World Dictionary of the American Language (2nd college edition, 1972), and idiom refers to an accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary to the usual patterns of the language or having meaning different form the literal. That is, and idiom must be well established and accepted through common practice and an idiom usually has an implied meaning. In general, no elements in the idiom can be changed without destroying the sense as a whole and also it cannot be interpreted only according to its literal meaning. 

   Idioms are important, peculiar and indispensable part of a language. They are special linguistic units, for they are mainly characterized by their structural stability, sematic unity and contain various kinds of rhetorical devices and thus acquire a figurative meaning. Furthermore, being heavily loaded with cultural elements, they best reflect the culture of a nation. Consequently, they have been described as the crystallization of language and the concentrated culture. An appropriate use of them will add to the strength and vividness of our language. Because of these properties of idioms, the idioms translation occupies a prominent place is greatly affected by the translation of idioms. Therefore, idioms translation becomes an important issue in translation. A good translator should not only faithfully represent the meaning of the idioms in the target language, but also keep the full favor of the idioms, such as associations, rhetorical effects, national features and local color, therefore, rendering idioms of one language into another is always complicated, so if the two languages involved, we should study the unlike backgrounds and cultures of each language.

 

4. Three common methods of translation of English Idioms 

4.1 Literal translation

 Translation of English idioms with literal translation method is not contrary to the Chinese translation of the language under the premise of literal translation of English idioms. Such translation can not only retain the style, analogy and content of the original text, but also take care of the language habits of the original and national cultural characteristics, which make the translation faithful to the original text. In addition, this kind transition it not only helpful for readers to understand the literal meaning of the original directly, more conductive to the understanding of the inside foreign culture and tradition contained in the original text, so as to promote the exchange of learning between different cultures. Because idioms can directly reflect the national cultural and traditions, its national color is very strong. Literal translation therefore has its special importance, especially for the literary works with specific cultural meaning. For example: 

sour grapes         酸葡萄

tower of ivory      象牙塔

an olive branch     橄榄枝

crocodile tears      鳄鱼的眼泪

the last supper       最后的晚餐

go with the stream    随波逐流

   Of course, due to the differences in the culture between English and Chinese idioms, at many time it cannot fully express the real meaning just take the literal translation method, the readers may not be able to well understand, thus people must make some supplement, such as “Marry in May, rue for aye”, the proverb is originated from a poem of Rome poets, which means the common people say it is bad luck to marry in May. And another example, “love is blind”, Chinese may feel confused, so it should be added annotation. This idiom is derived from the myth of Rome, Cupid armed with bow and arrow with eyes muffled, he is blind to send out the arrow of love.

Literal translation method is that the original sentence does not reproduce the original sentence composition and rhetoric method, just express the meaning and intention of the original text. It is only applicable to the inability or no need to use literal translation methods, and cannot find the proper same meaning of idioms in the Chinese language.

4.2 Semantic translation

Semantic translation method is that the original sentence does not reproduce the original sentence composition and rhetoric method, just express the meaning and intention of the original text. It is only applicable to the inability or no need to use literal translation methods, and cannot find the proper same meaning of idioms in the Chinese language. The translation method is necessary because different cultures have different connotation and linguistic differences. English idioms are established by the people through long social practice, which are very expressive words. There are many forms of language and cultural background that are not familiar to the readers. If take the words too literally and use literal translation, the language will fail to express the meaning. Therefore, people should base on context, using semantic translation method to deal with which will be more appropriate. For example:

     fly a kite                 试探反应

     child’s play               简单的东西

     dog-eat-dog               残酷的竞争

     rain cats and dogs          倾盆大雨

     count one’s chickens        过早乐观

     playing cat’s paw with us    戏弄我们

Besides, quite a lot synonymous proverbs also use the semantic translation method, such as:

It is a bold mouse that nestles in the cat’s ear.  初生牛犊不怕虎。

Nothing venture, nothing have.             不入虎穴，焉得虎子。

It is the first step that costs.                万事开头难。