1、Session 22 Classification and Translation of Idioms习语的分类与翻译,Each language contains many elements derived from its culture, such as idioms and other fixed expressions. First, it is necessary to have a clear knowledge of some basic concepts.一、A Brief Discussion of Several FundamentalConcepts 1.1 Defin
2、ition of IdiomsEach language has many idioms. Idioms are linguistic chunks (语言模块)made up of fixed,expressions and sentences. Idioms include set phrases, proverbs, allusions, common sayings or folk adages(俗语) , ect. Theyare known as “熟语” in Chinese. The meaningof an idiom is not clear from the meanin
3、g of its individual words. An idiom must be learnedas a whole unit. English has many idioms. E.g. give way, a change of heart, be hard putto it. Chinese also boasts plenty of idioms. E.g. “小题大做” (to make a mountain out of a molehill 鼹丘)、“后来居上”、“朝秦暮楚”(serve 等。,the State of Qin in the morning and the
4、State of Chu in the eveningbe quick toswitch sides; be fickle; be inconstant);“杯弓蛇影” (mistaking the reflection of a bow in the cup for a snakebeset with imaginary fears; extremely suspicious); “杯水车薪” （trying to put out a blazing cartload of faggots with a cup of water an utterly inadequate measure）,
5、Idioms are based on peoples common experiences in life. They shine with peoples wisdom and they are characterized by national cultures. No wonder some people say that idioms arethe cream or the best part of language.,Translation is not only an inter-lingualtransfer, but also a cross-cultural communi
6、cation. Before we talk about translation of idioms, we think that it is necessary to discuss the relationship between language and culture.,between language and culture.,1.2 The Relationship BetweenLanguage and CultureCulture is the medium evolved by humans to survive. Nothing in human life is free
7、from cultural influence. It is the keystone in civilizations arch and is the medium through which all lifes events must flow (Samovar & Porter, 2000:22). Culture is really an extremely,wide and complex concept. The modern technical definition of culture, as socially patterned human thought and behav
8、ior, was originally proposed by the 19th cen- tury British anthropologist, Edward Tylor (2005):“Culture is that complex wholewhich includes knowledge, beliefs, arts,moral, law, customs and any other capa- bilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” The strategies for translation of
9、idioms, including culture-loaded expressions, are the literal trans-,There is no standard definition of culture. In Ci Hai (辞海), the definition of cul- ture is “in a broad sense, the sum total of material and spiritual wealth created by human beings in the process of social de- velopment; narrowly s
10、peaking, it refers to social ideology and the institution and org- anization structure corresponding to it.” (“从广义来说，指人类社会历史实践中 所创造的物质财富和精神财富的总和。从 狭义来说，指社会的意识形态，以及与之 相应的制度和组织结构。”),“Language is the principal means where- by we conduct our social lives. When it is used in contexts of communication, it
11、 is bound up with culture in multiple and com- plex ways” (Kramsch, 2000:3). At first, language expresses cultural re- ality. The words people utter not only re- fer to common experience and the know- ledge about the world that people share, but also reflect their attitudes and beliefs.,Secondly, la
12、nguage embodies cultural reality through verbal or non-verbal com- munication. Members of a social group Not only express experience; they also create experience through language. They give meaning to it through the medium They choose to communicate with one another. Finally, language symbolizes cul
13、tural re- ality. Language is a system of signs that is seen as having itself a cultural value.,Speakers identify themselves and others through their use of language; they view their language as a symbol of their social identity. The prohibition of its use is often perceived by its speakers as a reje
14、ction oftheir social group and their culture.“Although a language may be regarded as a relatively small part of a culture, it is also indispensable to both the functioning and perpetuation of culture.” “Language And culture are two interdependent symbolic systems” (Nida, 2001:139).,Human culture wit
15、hout language is un- thinkable. Without language, there would No culture. Language is the keystone of culture. Without culture, language would lose all its meanings and vanish in the end.“A language is a part of a culture and a culture is a part of a language, the two areintricately interwoven so th
16、at one can not separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture” (Douglas, 1980:16).,1.3 The Relationship Between Culture and TranslationTranslation is in its essence a kind of Intercultural communication and is closely related to culture. Translation and culture share
17、an interdependent relationship. First, translation definitely involves culture. In applied linguistics and anthropology, a culture is closely linked with a certain lan- guage and makes this language culturally- loaded in a manner different from other,languages. The intimate relationship bet- ween la
18、nguage and culture determines that in the process of translation, culture is an important part needed to be dealt with, and more attention should be paid to cultural elements. Second, translation is a means of trans- mitting culture ever since nations and languages have been in contact with each oth
19、er. Translation serves as a bridge between different cultures.,For instance, many English expressions have found their way into the Chinese language, while the Chinese people feel no foreignness at all, for they have been assimilated into the Chinese language, such as “Ivory tower” (象牙塔), “a trump c
20、ard” (王牌), “honeymoon” (蜜月), “blue- print” (蓝图),“The Open-door Policy” (门户 开放政策), etc.Third, translation promotes cultural de- velopment by importing foreign cultural,nourishments and transplanting the out- side cultures into its own cultural environ- ment, thus enhancing the improvement of the worl
21、d cultures on the whole and leading to the bettering of the world civili- zation. Take China as an example. In Sui Dynasty and Tang Dynasty, a large number of works of Sutra were translated into Chinese, which was s a great impetus to the development of Buddhism in Chinese religion.,Last but not lea
22、st, culture exerts a great influence on translation. Eg. the translators aesthetic habits and options will be affected by the culture in which he finds himself. 1.4 Translatability and “Untranslatability” of CultureTranslatability and “untranslatability” seem always opposite to each other; however,
23、it is a matter of degree, since,there are similarities and differences be- tween cultures at the same time. “Untran- slatability” indicates the limitation of trans- lation, which is relative rather than abso- lute. To some extent, the degree of trans- latability depends on the relationship be- tween
24、 the cultures involved. The closer the relationship, the higher the degree.,Human beings live on the same globe and share many experiences. We know that at least ninety percent of the basic structures of all languages are quite simi- lar, and language universals far outweigh the divergences. Though
25、English and Chinese are different languages, we still can find many equivalent expressions and closely related expressions both at both linguistic and cultural levels. E.g.“burn ones boat”(破釜沉舟),“an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” (以眼还眼，以牙还牙),“to pour oil on the flame” (火上浇油), etc.,However, the
26、 diversity of culture is obvious. Because of different geogra- phical locations, conventions, religious beliefs, values, political systems and so on, the cultural differences are displayed, which are certainly embodied in different languages. The influence of culture on language makes it difficult t
27、o translate artistic images, puns, allusions and other figurative speeches which are rather subtle,and ambiguous even to Chinese readers Without the prerequisite knowledge of history and poetic cultivation. They will always be the obstructions in the process of translation. Thus the translated versi
28、on is bound to lose something, especially its beauty in form and in sound. In a word, the cultural universals of the whole world make languages translatable while the cultural characteristics of differ- ent nations make languages “untranslatable”.,Translatability coexists with “untransla- tability”.
29、 Therefore, in the process of translation, translators should have adequate cultural awareness and apply suitable translation strategies so that they may avoid falling into the “Cultural Traps”.,1.5 Basic Strategies for Translation of Idioms,We have some essential translation approaches for translat
30、ion of all texts, such as the literal translation approach, the liberal translation approach, and the literal-plus-liberal translation. Of course, they are suitable for translation of idioms. Lets review them one by one. How to define each of them?,These translation approaches have beenpopularized a
31、nd adopted by many trans-lation theorists & practitioners in China. Of course, there are other translation strategies which include foreignizing translation (异化) or foreignization, and domesticating translation or domesticati-on（归化）,which have been introducedto China from the West.1.5.1 Foreignizati
32、on and Domestication,A famous German theologian, philosopher and translator, argued that “there are only two methods. Either the translator leaves the author in peace, as much as possible, and moves the reader towards him; or he leaves the reader in peace, as much as possible, and moves the author t
33、owards him.” (Venuti, 2004:19-20).It can be illustrated by the following figure:.,Although Schleiermacher gave a detailed description of these two translation strate- gies,he didnt propose definite terms for each. Different scholars defined these two translation strategies from their own understandings. E.g. Lu Xun (鲁迅, 1984: 301) thought domestication as “rewriting, changing a foreign story into a Chinese story and changing foreigners into Chinese.”,
