英语本科毕业论文-从《吾国吾民》看文化负载词的翻译策略.doc

毕 业 论 文学生姓名： 学 号： 系 部： 专业年级： 题 目： 从吾国吾民看文化负载词的翻译策略 指导教师： 2011年 05 月 10 日On Translation Strategies of Culture-loaded Words-A Case Study of My Country and My peopleTHESISSubmitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements forThe degree of Bachelor of ArtsIn the Department of Foreign Languagesby Supervisor: May 2010Swan College of Central South University of Forestry and Technology摘 要文化负载词是指承储特定文化内涵的词、词组和习语，文化负载词反映了特定民族的历史文化和心理特征。然而，由于不同国家之间不同的语言习惯、历史背景、传统习俗，在翻译文化负载词时，译者很难找到完全对等的表达。本文通过对伟大翻译家林语堂先生的著作吾国吾民中文化负载词的归类以及翻译策略的分析，旨在探讨对文化负载词有效的翻译策略,以期给译者带来一些启示。本文特别指出在当今全球化语境下，异化作为有效的保留源语文化特色的策略，应当占主体地位。关键词： 文化负载词；异化；归化；吾国吾民AbstractLoaded Words are the words, phrases and idioms that contain specific cultural connotation. Culture-loaded words reflect a nations specific historical culture and psychological characteristics. Whereas, due to different language habits, historic background, and traditional customs, it is difficult for translators to achieve absolute linguistic and cultural equivalence when translating culture-loaded words. The paper analyzes the effective translation strategies of the great translator Lin Yutang in translating My Country and My People by means of classifying culture-loaded words. It aims to explore effective strategies in translating culture-loaded words and draw enlightenment for translators. The paper highlights that foreignization, as an effective strategy for the preservation of source language characteristics, should be in the dominant position in translation in the context of globalization.Key words： Culture-loaded words; Foreignization; Domestication; My Country and My people Contents摘 要IAbstractII1 Introduction11.1 Literature review11.2 The significance of the study21.3 Framework32. Introduction to Translation Strategies42.1 Domestication42.2 Foreignization52.3 Relationship between domestication and foreignization63. Analysis of Lins My Country and My People 83.1 My Country and My People83.2 Culture-loaded words in My Country and My People93.2.1 Physical objects without equivalents in target language93.2.2 Social customs and conventions93.2.3 Value103.2.4 Allusions103.2.5 Religion114. A Case Study on Translation Strategies of Culture-loaded Words124.1 Foreignization 124.2 Domestication 134.3 Summary155. Conclusion16Bibliography18Acknowledgement191. Introduction1.1 Literature reviewCulturally-loaded words are the common core of vocabulary. They are numerous and in high usage frequency（包惠南包昂, 2004）. These words reflect peoples values, religions, life styles and stereotypes which they gernanized from their daily life in a long evolvement of the particular nation. Therefore, the translation of culture-loaded words, as one of the cross-cultural activities, is not only the exchange of languages, but also a mode shift in cultural information. Sun Zhili（孙致礼, 2003）points out that the greatest difficulty is not the translation itself but the cultural implication the language conveys. Due to the effects of geographical environments, living conditions and development states, there are essential differences between Chinese traditional culture and West traditional culture, which also resulted in different ways of expression and culture-loaded words. By means of studying the culturally-loaded words, we can understand better the nations values, ways of thinking, customs, lifestyle, traditional customs, and religious beliefs, and so on.Culturally-loaded words load a long standing national culture, so how to cope with the culturally-loaded words has great influence on the quality of the translation work. China, as the ancient and civilized eastern country, has uniquely rich culture and history deposit that contain abundant culturally-loaded words. Proper translation strategies are of important significance for achieving the purpose of communicating cultures as much as possible. Therefore, it needs great efforts to summarize operative translation strategies to successfully translate the words into the target language and refract the splendid culture into the target reader. In recent years, studies of translation strategies of culturally-loaded words are many, when we search on CNKI(National Knowledge Infrastructure) with the key word ”culture-loaded words”, we can find more than 700 records, such as some thesis studies the cultural difference in color and animal words. Then, if search again with the key word” culture-loaded words” plus” translation”, we can get about 300 records. But most of them are about the research of only some words and phrases detached from the text, such as the study of the different cultural meaning of color and animal words in deferent countries that have always been talking. For another example, during Beijing Olympic games, there was a hot debate over the translation of word “福娃”into English and also there are lots of thesis about how to translate “福娃”in the academic community. Professor Wang adhere that “福娃” should be translated as “Fuwa” from a academic point(王银泉, 2006). Such researches are just for a single word, not a complete text or the whole Chinese culture.The English original literature My Country and My People is the first work systematically introduces Chinese culture in English to the West world. The work is written with the Eastern culture as its narrative material. A well-rounded introduction of cultures in the book provides a great many culture-loaded words. On the other hand, Lin yutang is a famous and typical image with a double cultural identity of both east and west cultures. The author, born in China, had a mature understanding in and deep emotion for the Oriental culture; at the same time, influenced by his Christian pastors father and later more than 30 years life experience abroad, he was also proficient in west culture. Because of this special double-cultural identity, Lin Yu-tang has a profound awareness and understanding for the two cultures. According to above aspects, My Country and My People could be regarded as a Chinese-English translation. Hence, choosing this book as the object, the research of culture-loaded words could be more comprehensive and profound. The present paper aims to make a specific analysis of the translation strategies of the cultural load based on Lins My Country and My People” to try to bring the enlightenment for the translation of Chinese culture-loaded words.1.2 The significance of the studyThis paper presents a thorough study of the translation strategies in My Country and My People written by Lin Yutang which contain plenty of copious vocabulary and expressions of Chinese traditional culture. The unique translation strategies for Chinese culture-loaded words in this book have gotten extensive acceptance and appreciation among both Chinese readers and Western readers. In China, the book has been extensively studied by many scholars in all respects. The American President Bush evaluates the book, “Although it describes the wonderful China what is it like ten years ago, its words, even today, are very beneficial to all of us.”(Lin Yutang, 2000) Whats more, the writer Lin Yutang is proficient in both Chinese and English and have a thorough knowledge of both western and Chinese learning. This study has directive and instructive significance to our translation practice. 1.3 FrameworkThe thesis consists of five parts. The first part introduces the definition of culture-loaded words, the significance and the framework of the paper. The second part introduces and illustrates the translation strategies-domestication and foreignization and discusses the relationship between domestication and foreinization. Here, the author put forward the argument that from perspective view of globalization the strategies of translating culture-loaded words should be mainly based on foreignization, while making domestication subsidiary. The third part is the specific analysis of Lins My Country and My People. In this part, author first introduces Lin Yutangs book My Country and My People and classifies the culture-loaded words in the book My Country and My People. The fourth part is the analysis about Lin Yutang how to translate the culture-loaded words and the translation strategies he chosen in the book. Last part is a concise summary of the thesis and restating the argument.2. Introduction to Translation StrategiesGenerally speaking, there are two principal strategies to deal with culture-loaded words translation, namely, TL (target language) culture-oriented domestication and SL (source language) culture-oriented foreignization.The famous German translation theorist Schleiermacher provides two translation strategies in his paper On the Different Methods of Translating, “either the translator leaves the writer alone as possible and moves the reader toward the writer, or he leaves the reader alone as much as possible and moves the writer toward the reader.”(Schleiermacher, 1831)At that time, the two strategies have not yet been explicitly named. Until in 1995, Lawrence Venuti called the two strategies as “foreignizing method” and “domesticating method” in his work” The Translators Invisibility”. (Lawrence Venuti, 1995) To put it briefly, domestication takes the target language as the orientation. However, foreignization takes the source language as the orientation. In domestication translation, the translator transmits the target culture into the information that readers can understand in their knowledgelead the author to the readers. In foreinization translation, the translator reserves the unique terms of the source textlead the readers to the author. 2.1 DomesticationAccording to the viewpoint of Newmark, “Domestication is the most natural translation form. It transforms the source culture to the target culture to rewrite the text.”(Newmark，1988:46) EugeneA.Nida is a typical representative of domestication. He puts forward, “The translation should make the readers react the same as the source readers.”(EugeneA.Nida, 1984) Domestication takes more about factors of readers into account and lightens the burden of readers to make sure the translation can be readily acceptable for readers.Domestication translation requires the translator leaves the writer alone as possible” in the translation to take the idiomatic expressions for readers to convey the original content. Domestication translation regard language as a tool of human intercourse on the theoretical plane and emphasis the article is easy to read to avoid ambiguity in actual practice. When the words in original text have not equivalence in translation, the translator uses the target language culture to replace the original language culture. That is applying the ready-made expressions similar to it in the target language and turning them into the target language readers familiar cultural image to help readers to understand and appreciate the text like the original readers. Lets look at a few examples:The translation of the Chinese word “阿弥陀佛” into English is “God bless you”. In consideration of the culture gap, the translation utilizes the transformation of religion. “阿弥陀佛”, a term in Buddhism, is popular in China. However, Westerners believe in Christianity not Buddhism. So ,the Western readers do not understand the word “佛”. In the translation , we use the “God” in Christianity to take place of the “佛” in Buddhism to express the meaning of the word. Here is another example: “挥金如土”is a Chinese idiom, it means to flush ones money like “土” (soil) to indicate somebody who spend money extravagantly. The translation of the word in English is “to spend money like water”. We can see that, in the translation “土(soil)”was replaced by “water”. “Water” has the same features as “soil”. They are all common things that can be seen everywhere. The translation caters for Western peoples language habits, and conveys the culture characteristics as well. Here are more such examples: translating “狐假虎威” into “like a dog in a lions shade”, here, “lion” takes the place of “虎(tiger)”.2.2 Foreignization Foreignization requires transliterating the language form of the original text to retain the cultural factors of source language. Foreignization, based on source language or original author, focuses on differences in national culture and adheres to the authenticity of culture in order to preserve and reflect the exotic ethnic identity and features of language style so that readers feel the different national sentiment, experience cultural, linguistic traditions of diversity. Foreignization is beneficial to exchange culture, enrich expressiveness of language. In order to preserve the national characteristics and images in the source text, some idioms with allusions often were translated in a foreignizing way.For example, in Lunxuns Wild Grass, In the sentence “什么红白喜事，讨媳妇，死了人，大办其酒席，实在大可不必”(Lun xun, 2003), the word “红白喜事”is the unique custom in Chinese traditional culture. Being different from western countries, most westerners wear white at the wedding; and wear black at the funeral. Some people are worried that English readers can not accept the literal translation of the sentence. But the sentence has explained the weddings and funerals, “That is “讨媳妇，死了人（brides, death）”. Whereupon, Mr. Feng translates the sentence into “When people wear red or white at weddings or funerals, the practice of giving lavish feasts can well be dispensed with in foreignized way. In this way, the translation not only can be accepted by readers, but also achieve the purpose of cultural exchanging. (冯余声, 2000 )2.3 Relationship between domestication and foreignizationDomestication and foreignization are two opposite attitudes to translation. We can not always only follow one principle or one method in translation practice. The absolute domestication result in the lost of the features of the source text because of neglecting the culture differences. Likewise, the translation only in foreignizing way is difficult for reader to understand and counts against the communication of culture. In translation we should integrate the two strategies. Venuti emphasized that a translated text should be the site where a different culture emerges, where a reader gets a glimpse of a cultural other. (Lawrence Venuti, 1995). He emphasized the cultural difference and readers eagerness to konw a different culture. Hin Huikang(金惠康, 2004)also stressed that domestication and foreignization are a couple of intensification. Foreignization requires that a piece of word translation should be faithful to the source text and should preserve the exotic forms and nationalism of language culture at the same time. Today, we are in a trend of cultural hybridity. Chinese splendid traditional culture has always been deeply loved by people around the world. Nowadays, in the background of globalization, all the countries and regions contract and influence each other in politics, culture, ideology, lifestyle, values. With the increase of culture communication among the nations of the world, the impact of Chinese culture on world culture is also growing. We should create conditions to carry forward Chinas civilization and help English readers to understand Chinese culture more in breadth and in depth. A survey of the translation hold by Professor Jiang Qiuxia(姜秋霞, 2000)at Nanjing University shows that, the majority of readers think that they read foreign literature in order to appreciate the unique charm and language style. Therefore, readers have a certain psychological preparation for the cultural gap before reading. One of the aims to read the translation is to understand what are the similarities and differences between the foreigners and Chinese. Hence, foreignization is the best option to meet such needs in literary translations, and ultimately achieve the desired results of culture exchanging. Thus, foreignization is the desirable translation strategy to safeguard cultural diversity and maintain ethnic cultural characteristics in the context of cultural globalization. 3. Analysis of Lins My Country and My PeopleLiterature is a important media for a nation to transmit her ethnic culture s to the outside world. The culture-loaded words in literary works play a central role at this time. Therefore, in order to introduce the national culture, it need for the translator to use appropriate strategies to address cultural characteristics vocabulary. My Country and My People by Lin Yutang is a famous literary translation work which has been popularized among Western readers. This proves that My Country and My People is successful in culture communication.3.1 My Country and My People My Country and My People is Lin Yutangs major and representative work in Western literature. Due to the fantastic explanation of Chinese character, spirit, ideal, life, politics, society and art and extensive comparison with Western character, ideals, life and so on, the book is quite a hit at home and abroad.Since published in 1935, the book was esteemed profusely by many American celebrities and was translated into many languages and widespread in the West.Winner of Nobel Prize in Literature, American writer, Pearls Buck evaluate My Country and My People in these words: “But suddenly, as great books appear, this book appears, fulfilling every demand man made upon it. It is truthful and not ashamed of the truth: it is written proudly and humorously and with beauty, seriously and with gaiety, appreciative and understanding of both o