习语：文化负载与翻译
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摘要
语言是人们进行交流的最重要的渠道，而经过言语社会长期应用而形成的习语就象镶嵌在语言中的宝石一样熠熠生辉。汉英两种语言都有丰富的习语，它们象一面镜子，反映出一个民族的特质。习语言简意赅，生动活波，并常常反映出民族文化色彩。这正是习语在英汉互译中使译者大伤脑筋的原因。
许多有关论述习语的文章甚至专著都对习语的翻译，尤其是成语类的习语的翻译，进行了论述。但是大多数这样的文章或专著对习语的翻译都没有明确的限定与线索。有些指出不同文化中习语的差异，有些提供某些习语翻译的方法，但却都没有解释在习语的翻译中为什么要使用这些方法。本论文以关联理论为理论基础，讨论中译英，英译汉中的习语翻译问题。解决习语中的文化负载问题。本文采用习语的广义定义：包括成语，短语，俗语，谚语，歇后语等。一言蔽之，本文中习语的意义包括英汉两种语言中的任何固定词组。这是一个老话题，但我们试图用新的方法来处理习语的翻译问题，并从新的角度看待习语。
首先，我们介绍了意象与文化负载这两个重要概念，并以习语中是否存在这两种成分为标准把习语分成三组：一，直来直去的习语；二，包含意象但不含文化负载的习语；三，包含意象又包含文化负载的，或称民族色彩的习语。
然后，我们以关联理论与有关等效理论为指导分析讨论了这些问题。得出这样的结论：中英两国都有丰富的语言，两国也有相似的经历，所以这两种习语互译是可能的。甚至象歇后语这样的习语也能使英国人理解。
最后，我们采用了一系列技巧来处理习语的翻译问题。从以上的分析与习语翻译技巧中我们得出这样的结论：翻译毕竟是翻译意义。习语只是整个篇章的一个部分，所以在翻译的过程中，我们首先必须把意义搞明白，首先要保证交流的成功，并在尽可能的条件下保留原作的文化负载，再现原语的文化色彩。以上所有的翻译技巧都是以关联理论为指导来进行分析的。
Both English and Chinese abound in idioms. They are colorful md, like a mirror, reflect the national character of a people. Idioms are ;erse, vivid and often culturally loaded. They give translators a big leadache in translating-between Chinese and English in our case. Therefore this study focuses on cultural loading in idioms and treatment of such idioms in the process of translating.
A lot of articles and even books have written about the translation of idioms especially about the translation of the genre of proverbs. However, most of these articles and books do not have a very clearly defined clue. They only pointed out the differences between idioms in different cultures or suggested methods to be used in dealing with idiom translation, but didn't explain why we should choose these ways in dealing with them. This study focuses on the cultural loading in idioms translation. It discusses the treatment of idioms in translating from Chinese into English and vice versa. The definition of idioms used in this paper is a very broad one-any type of set phrases in English and Chinese, including proverbs, four-character phrase and two part saying in Chinese. This is an old topic, but we try to handle it in a new way and view idioms from new perspectives.
First we introduce the important concepts of imagery and cultural loading. With the presence or absence of these two elements as the criteria, we divide English and Chinese idioms into three neat groups: 1) straightforward idioms, that is, idioms that contain no images and metaphors; 2) idioms containing images that do not have cultural loading, or national coloring; 3) idioms containing images that are culturally loaded to different extents, in other words, have different degrees of national coloring.
Then we try to analyze the problem in the light of relevance theory and Nida's remarks about equivalence. We hold that both English and Chinese are rich languages and the two nations have similar experiences, idioms can be translated between these two languages. Even such difficult ones as two-part sayings can be made understandable to English readers.
Finally, we come up with a series of useful techniques that can be used to treat idioms in translation. From our analyses and the techniques we put forward, we can draw this conclusion: Translation is, after all, translating meaning and idioms are only part of the text to be translated. Therefore, we must get the meaning across by all means, and try to reproduce the original cultural loading in the target language as far as possible. And, just as we did in the previous chapters, every technique offered here is analyzed in the light of relevance theory.
许多有关论述习语的文章甚至专著都对习语的翻译，尤其是成语类的习语的翻译，进行了论述。但是大多数这样的文章或专著对习语的翻译都没有明确的限定与线索。有些指出不同文化中习语的差异，有些提供某些习语翻译的方法，但却都没有解释在习语的翻译中为什么要使用这些方法。本论文以关联理论为理论基础，讨论中译英，英译汉中的习语翻译问题。解决习语中的文化负载问题。本文采用习语的广义定义：包括成语，短语，俗语，谚语，歇后语等。一言蔽之，本文中习语的意义包括英汉两种语言中的任何固定词组。这是一个老话题，但我们试图用新的方法来处理习语的翻译问题，并从新的角度看待习语。
首先，我们介绍了意象与文化负载这两个重要概念，并以习语中是否存在这两种成分为标准把习语分成三组：一，直来直去的习语；二，包含意象但不含文化负载的习语；三，包含意象又包含文化负载的，或称民族色彩的习语。
然后，我们以关联理论与有关等效理论为指导分析讨论了这些问题。得出这样的结论：中英两国都有丰富的语言，两国也有相似的经历，所以这两种习语互译是可能的。甚至象歇后语这样的习语也能使英国人理解。
最后，我们采用了一系列技巧来处理习语的翻译问题。从以上的分析与习语翻译技巧中我们得出这样的结论：翻译毕竟是翻译意义。习语只是整个篇章的一个部分，所以在翻译的过程中，我们首先必须把意义搞明白，首先要保证交流的成功，并在尽可能的条件下保留原作的文化负载，再现原语的文化色彩。以上所有的翻译技巧都是以关联理论为指导来进行分析的。
Both English and Chinese abound in idioms. They are colorful md, like a mirror, reflect the national character of a people. Idioms are ;erse, vivid and often culturally loaded. They give translators a big leadache in translating-between Chinese and English in our case. Therefore this study focuses on cultural loading in idioms and treatment of such idioms in the process of translating.
A lot of articles and even books have written about the translation of idioms especially about the translation of the genre of proverbs. However, most of these articles and books do not have a very clearly defined clue. They only pointed out the differences between idioms in different cultures or suggested methods to be used in dealing with idiom translation, but didn't explain why we should choose these ways in dealing with them. This study focuses on the cultural loading in idioms translation. It discusses the treatment of idioms in translating from Chinese into English and vice versa. The definition of idioms used in this paper is a very broad one-any type of set phrases in English and Chinese, including proverbs, four-character phrase and two part saying in Chinese. This is an old topic, but we try to handle it in a new way and view idioms from new perspectives.
First we introduce the important concepts of imagery and cultural loading. With the presence or absence of these two elements as the criteria, we divide English and Chinese idioms into three neat groups: 1) straightforward idioms, that is, idioms that contain no images and metaphors; 2) idioms containing images that do not have cultural loading, or national coloring; 3) idioms containing images that are culturally loaded to different extents, in other words, have different degrees of national coloring.
Then we try to analyze the problem in the light of relevance theory and Nida's remarks about equivalence. We hold that both English and Chinese are rich languages and the two nations have similar experiences, idioms can be translated between these two languages. Even such difficult ones as two-part sayings can be made understandable to English readers.
Finally, we come up with a series of useful techniques that can be used to treat idioms in translation. From our analyses and the techniques we put forward, we can draw this conclusion: Translation is, after all, translating meaning and idioms are only part of the text to be translated. Therefore, we must get the meaning across by all means, and try to reproduce the original cultural loading in the target language as far as possible. And, just as we did in the previous chapters, every technique offered here is analyzed in the light of relevance theory.
引文
A.F. Tytler (1790) Essay on the Principles of Translation, J.M. Dent & Co., London
Benjamin Walter (1963) Die Aufgabe des Ubersetzers. In Storig
Baker, Mona (1992) In Other Words: A Course Book on Translation Lonson Toutledge
Bassnett, Susan and Lefevere, Andre'(eds) (1990) Translation, History and Culture, London/New York: printer
Bell, R.T (1991) Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice, London/New York: Longman
Catford. John C (1965) A Linguistic Theory of Translation, London: Oxford University Press
Chesterman, Andrew (1997) Memes of Translation. Amsterdam; Benjamins.
Chitra Fernando (1996) Idioms and Idiomaticity, Oxford University Press
Chitra Fernando. And R. Flavell (1981) On Idiom (Exeter linguistic Studies, 5) Exeter: University of Exeter.
Chomsky, Moam (1968) Language and Mind Harcomt, Brace & World, Inc., N.Y.
Dan Sperber & Deirdre Wilson (1986) Relevance: Communication and Cognition, Blackwell and Oxford.
Gutt, ernst-August(1989) Translation and Relevance UCL Working Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 1．
Gutt, Ernst-August (1991) Translation and Relevance: Cognition and Context, Oxford: Basil Blackwell
Hewson, Lance and Jacky Martin (1991) Redefining Translation: The variational Approach, London/New York: Routledge
Huang, Huanyou (1986) The Proverb: Message, Image and Translation. (unpublished dissertation for the degree of M.A. in the University of
Sheffield)
Jakobson, R (1959) On Linguistic Aspects of Translation, In R. Brower(ed) On Translation, New York: Oxford University Press
Katz. L. (1978) Effability and Translation in Meaning and Translation. Ed. H. Bergenhotz.et.al London: Duckworth
Lance Hewson and Jacky Martin (1991) Redefining Translation: The variational Approach, London/New York: Routledge
Larson, Mildred L (1984) , Meaning-Based Translation, Landham (Maryland): University Press of America
Liu, Zhongde (1991) Ten Lectures on Literary Translation-China Foreign Translation Press.
L. P. Smith (1925) Words and Idioms London: Constable.
Newmark, Peter(1982) Approaches to Translation, Oxford: Pergamon
Newmark, Peter(1988) A Textbook of Translation, London: Prentice Hall
Nida, Eugene. A (1964) Toward a Science of Translating, Leiden: Brill
Nida,Eugene. A. (1993) Language, Culture and Translating. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language education Press.
Nida, Eugene.A & Charles Taber (1969) The Theory and Practice of Translation, Leiden: E.J.Brill
Nida, Eugene.A (1982) Translating Meaning, San Dimas, CA: English language Institute
Reiss, Katharina (1976) Texttyp und Ubersetzungsmethode Fronberg: Scriptor
Richards, LA. (1953) Towards a theory of translating. In studies in Chinese Thought, ed. Arthur F. Wright.
R. C. Trench (1905) Proverbs and Their Lessons-London
Rubinstein, Annette.T. (1984) Teaching in a Changing China. In Far Eastern Reporter. June.
Snell-Hornby, Mary(1988) Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach, Amsterdam: Benjamins
Steiner, George (1977) After Babel, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Venuti, Lawrence (1997) The Translator's Invisibility: A history of Translation, London/New York
Wilddowson, J.D. (1972) Proverbs and Sayings of Filey M.F. Wakelin Ptterns in the Folk Speech of the British Isles—London
Wilss. Wolfram. (1996) Knowledge and Skills in Translators Behavior Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Xu Yuanzhong (1992) On Chinese Verse In English Rhyme, Beijing University Press
Zhao Yanchun (1999) A Relevance theoretic Account of Translation, Modern Foreign Languages No. 3 p273-295
陈定安 (1991) 《英汉比较与翻译》，中国对外出版公司 商务印书馆(香港)有限公司
邓炎昌，刘润清 (1989)《语言与文化—英汉语言文化对比》，外语教学与研究出版社
葛传规 (1940) 《日用英语习语》，上海竞文书局
韩子满 (2000) 文化失衡与文学翻译 《中国翻译》 第二期39-43页
何自然 (1997) 推理与关联《外语教学》第四期1-10页
黄振定 (1998) 简论现代西方译论的艺术观与科学观《外国语》第五期34-39页
蒋骁华 (1998) 近十年来西方翻译理论研究《外语教学与研究》第二期29-33页
金堤 (1989)《等效翻译探索》，北京：中国对外翻译出版公司．增订本，1998，台北：书林出版有限公司
林克难 (1994) 关联理论翻译简介，《中国翻译》第四期6-8页
刘传珠 (2000) 可译性问题的语言功能观，《中国翻译》第一期31-34页
平洪，张国杨 (2000)《英语习语与英美文化》外语教学与研究出版社
钱歌川 (19972)《翻译的技巧》台湾开明书店印行
秦秀白 (1983)《英语简史》长沙：湖南教育出版社
谭惠娟 (1999)从文化的差异与渗透看翻译的异化与归化，《中国翻译》第一期 45-47页
谭载喜：(1991)《西方翻译简史》，北京：商务印书馆
王东风 (1998) 论翻译过程中的文化介入，《中国翻译》第五期 6-9页
徐丹 (1998) 文化融合中的语言翻译问题，《中国翻译》第三期 2-5页
许钧 (1998) 论翻译活动的三个层面，《外语教学与研究》第三期 49-54页
徐莉娜 (1999) 隐喻语的翻译，《中国翻译》第四期 21-24页
许渊冲 (1999) 译学要敢为天下先，《中国翻译》第二期，第4-9页
杨士焯 (1998) 彼得．纽马克翻译新观念概述，《中国翻译》第一期 48-50页
郁福敏，郭珊琏 (1999)《英汉习语对比》，上海交通大学出版社
张宁 (1999) 英汉习语的文化差异及翻译《中国翻译》第三期 23-25页
张培基 (1979)《习语汉译英研究》商务印书馆出版
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman, England 1978
Longman Modern English Dictionary, 1976 edition, Longman, London.
Oxford English Dictionary, Compact edition. Oxford University Press, 1971.
A Dictionary of American Idioms, V.H.Collins (1975) New York.
《汉语成语词典》商务印书馆，1982
《新英汉词典》上海译文出版社 1978
《英汉大词典》商务印书馆
《成语分类多用词典》郑万泽主编 上海教育出版社 1998
《汉英习语大词典》A New English-Chinese Dictionary 张学英编著 湖北教育出版社 1998
《英汉辞海》The English-Chinese Word Ocean 王同忆主编 国防工业出版社 1987
《英语成语与汉语成语》陈文伯 外语教学与研究出版社 1982
Benjamin Walter (1963) Die Aufgabe des Ubersetzers. In Storig
Baker, Mona (1992) In Other Words: A Course Book on Translation Lonson Toutledge
Bassnett, Susan and Lefevere, Andre'(eds) (1990) Translation, History and Culture, London/New York: printer
Bell, R.T (1991) Translation and Translating: Theory and Practice, London/New York: Longman
Catford. John C (1965) A Linguistic Theory of Translation, London: Oxford University Press
Chesterman, Andrew (1997) Memes of Translation. Amsterdam; Benjamins.
Chitra Fernando (1996) Idioms and Idiomaticity, Oxford University Press
Chitra Fernando. And R. Flavell (1981) On Idiom (Exeter linguistic Studies, 5) Exeter: University of Exeter.
Chomsky, Moam (1968) Language and Mind Harcomt, Brace & World, Inc., N.Y.
Dan Sperber & Deirdre Wilson (1986) Relevance: Communication and Cognition, Blackwell and Oxford.
Gutt, ernst-August(1989) Translation and Relevance UCL Working Papers in Linguistics, Vol. 1．
Gutt, Ernst-August (1991) Translation and Relevance: Cognition and Context, Oxford: Basil Blackwell
Hewson, Lance and Jacky Martin (1991) Redefining Translation: The variational Approach, London/New York: Routledge
Huang, Huanyou (1986) The Proverb: Message, Image and Translation. (unpublished dissertation for the degree of M.A. in the University of
Sheffield)
Jakobson, R (1959) On Linguistic Aspects of Translation, In R. Brower(ed) On Translation, New York: Oxford University Press
Katz. L. (1978) Effability and Translation in Meaning and Translation. Ed. H. Bergenhotz.et.al London: Duckworth
Lance Hewson and Jacky Martin (1991) Redefining Translation: The variational Approach, London/New York: Routledge
Larson, Mildred L (1984) , Meaning-Based Translation, Landham (Maryland): University Press of America
Liu, Zhongde (1991) Ten Lectures on Literary Translation-China Foreign Translation Press.
L. P. Smith (1925) Words and Idioms London: Constable.
Newmark, Peter(1982) Approaches to Translation, Oxford: Pergamon
Newmark, Peter(1988) A Textbook of Translation, London: Prentice Hall
Nida, Eugene. A (1964) Toward a Science of Translating, Leiden: Brill
Nida,Eugene. A. (1993) Language, Culture and Translating. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language education Press.
Nida, Eugene.A & Charles Taber (1969) The Theory and Practice of Translation, Leiden: E.J.Brill
Nida, Eugene.A (1982) Translating Meaning, San Dimas, CA: English language Institute
Reiss, Katharina (1976) Texttyp und Ubersetzungsmethode Fronberg: Scriptor
Richards, LA. (1953) Towards a theory of translating. In studies in Chinese Thought, ed. Arthur F. Wright.
R. C. Trench (1905) Proverbs and Their Lessons-London
Rubinstein, Annette.T. (1984) Teaching in a Changing China. In Far Eastern Reporter. June.
Snell-Hornby, Mary(1988) Translation Studies: An Integrated Approach, Amsterdam: Benjamins
Steiner, George (1977) After Babel, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Venuti, Lawrence (1997) The Translator's Invisibility: A history of Translation, London/New York
Wilddowson, J.D. (1972) Proverbs and Sayings of Filey M.F. Wakelin Ptterns in the Folk Speech of the British Isles—London
Wilss. Wolfram. (1996) Knowledge and Skills in Translators Behavior Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Xu Yuanzhong (1992) On Chinese Verse In English Rhyme, Beijing University Press
Zhao Yanchun (1999) A Relevance theoretic Account of Translation, Modern Foreign Languages No. 3 p273-295
陈定安 (1991) 《英汉比较与翻译》，中国对外出版公司 商务印书馆(香港)有限公司
邓炎昌，刘润清 (1989)《语言与文化—英汉语言文化对比》，外语教学与研究出版社
葛传规 (1940) 《日用英语习语》，上海竞文书局
韩子满 (2000) 文化失衡与文学翻译 《中国翻译》 第二期39-43页
何自然 (1997) 推理与关联《外语教学》第四期1-10页
黄振定 (1998) 简论现代西方译论的艺术观与科学观《外国语》第五期34-39页
蒋骁华 (1998) 近十年来西方翻译理论研究《外语教学与研究》第二期29-33页
金堤 (1989)《等效翻译探索》，北京：中国对外翻译出版公司．增订本，1998，台北：书林出版有限公司
林克难 (1994) 关联理论翻译简介，《中国翻译》第四期6-8页
刘传珠 (2000) 可译性问题的语言功能观，《中国翻译》第一期31-34页
平洪，张国杨 (2000)《英语习语与英美文化》外语教学与研究出版社
钱歌川 (19972)《翻译的技巧》台湾开明书店印行
秦秀白 (1983)《英语简史》长沙：湖南教育出版社
谭惠娟 (1999)从文化的差异与渗透看翻译的异化与归化，《中国翻译》第一期 45-47页
谭载喜：(1991)《西方翻译简史》，北京：商务印书馆
王东风 (1998) 论翻译过程中的文化介入，《中国翻译》第五期 6-9页
徐丹 (1998) 文化融合中的语言翻译问题，《中国翻译》第三期 2-5页
许钧 (1998) 论翻译活动的三个层面，《外语教学与研究》第三期 49-54页
徐莉娜 (1999) 隐喻语的翻译，《中国翻译》第四期 21-24页
许渊冲 (1999) 译学要敢为天下先，《中国翻译》第二期，第4-9页
杨士焯 (1998) 彼得．纽马克翻译新观念概述，《中国翻译》第一期 48-50页
郁福敏，郭珊琏 (1999)《英汉习语对比》，上海交通大学出版社
张宁 (1999) 英汉习语的文化差异及翻译《中国翻译》第三期 23-25页
张培基 (1979)《习语汉译英研究》商务印书馆出版
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman, England 1978
Longman Modern English Dictionary, 1976 edition, Longman, London.
Oxford English Dictionary, Compact edition. Oxford University Press, 1971.
A Dictionary of American Idioms, V.H.Collins (1975) New York.
《汉语成语词典》商务印书馆，1982
《新英汉词典》上海译文出版社 1978
《英汉大词典》商务印书馆
《成语分类多用词典》郑万泽主编 上海教育出版社 1998
《汉英习语大词典》A New English-Chinese Dictionary 张学英编著 湖北教育出版社 1998
《英汉辞海》The English-Chinese Word Ocean 王同忆主编 国防工业出版社 1987
《英语成语与汉语成语》陈文伯 外语教学与研究出版社 1982