【精品】汉英动物词的文化内涵对比及翻译

1、a comparision of cultural connotations between chinese and english animal words and their translationbywang senjune, 2007xiaogan university abstractthere are a large number of words, idioms and expressions both in chinese and english that are related to animals. some of their meanings, cultural conn

2、otations and the range of usage are the same or similar, and some are different. on the one hand, they are the same or similar, because human beings have some similar capabilities of thought, some same laws of cognition, and some animals have the same important role in the human life of these two na

3、tions, and have the same attributes and features. on the other hand, because of the long course of history between these two social groups, they are discrepant in religion, history, geographical environment and customs. these discrepancies make animal words different in their cultural connotations i

4、n these two languages. because of these discrepancies, we should consider the differences and similarities of the cultural connotations carried by animal words when translating animal words. only in this way, can we translate correctly the real meanings and the style of the original, and promote the

5、 cross-cultural exchanges between the two countries.key words: animal word; cultural connotation; discrepancy; translation method汉英动物词的文化内涵对比及翻译摘要 中英文里都含有大量和动物有关的词语、习语和表达。它们的词义、文化内涵及其应用范围都有相同或相似之处，也有不同之处。一方面，它们有共同或相似之处，这是因为人类有相似的思维能力；共同的认知规律；一些动物在汉英两大民族生活中占有同等重要的地位；以及这些动物本身的固有属性和特点。另一方面，由于汉英两大社会群体在各

6、自漫长的历史进程中，各自的宗教不同；历史文化不同；地理环境不同；习俗不同，这又形成两者之间的差异。由于这种差异的存在，在翻译时，我们应充分考虑动物词所含文化内含的差异。只有这样，我们才能正确传译出原文的真正含义和风格，促进两者的跨文化交流。关键词：动物词；文化内涵；差异；翻译方法contents1. introduction12. cultural connotations of animal words in chinese and english12.1 a comparison of animal words in chinese and english12.1.1basic corre

7、spondence of cultural connotations22.1.2 partial correspondence of cultural connotations22.1.3 no correspondence of cultural connotations22.2 the causes of the discrepancy between cultural connotations between chinese and english animal words32.2.1 religion32.2.2 history32.2.3 geographical environme

8、nt42.2.4 customs53. some methods of translating animal words 63.1 literal translation63.2 substitution73.3 liberal translation84. translations change as the time changes85. conclusion9 bibliography11 a comparison of cultural connotations between chinese and english animal words and their translation

9、1. introductionin the long history of human beings, animals are always closely related to our existence and development. some are a kind of important food to people; some offer the labor for agriculture; some support the inspirations for some inventions of science and technology; and some are a kind

10、 of close friends of people, playing an important role in the mankinds society. thus animal words and expressions have slowly become a significant member of the basic vocabulary of many languages in the world. chinese and english are no exception. some animal words in chinese and english are the sam

11、e or similar in cultural connotations, because the chinese people and the english people have some same capabilities of thought, some same laws of cognition, and some animals have the same important role in the human life of these two nations, and have the same attributes and features. but some of t

12、hem are dissimilar or different. the cause of it is that the english people and the chinese people are different in religion, history, geographical environment, customs and so on. this paper tries to elaborate the similarities and the differences between the cultural connotations carried by animal w

13、ords in chinese and english, find out the causes of differences, and then discuss some methods and techniques for translating these animal words.2. cultural connotations of animal words in chinese and english in linguistics, english lexicon includes simple words, compounds and idioms. and the meanin

14、g of a word includes grammatical meaning and lexical meaning. lexical meaning has two parts. they are conceptual meaning and cognitive meaning. the former is the center of the meaning of the word, and it indicates definitely the object. conceptual meaning has comparative stability, so it is also cal

15、led referential meaning. cognitive meaning has the meaning of emotional color, it shows emotions and attitudes to the contents that the word refers to. so cognitive meaning is also called connotative meaning. cultural connotation contains cognitive meanings and cultural meanings. cultural connotatio

16、n of a word refers to the cultural information that a word has been given by the society, including the added meaning or the implied meaning given by the social background, and the special feelings conveyed among a certain social group.2.1 a comparison of cultural connotations of animal words in chi

17、nese and english according to the linguistic-domain category, there are three cases in correspondence of chinese and english animal words. they are basic correspondence, partial correspondence, and no correspondence. 2.1.1 basic correspondence of cultural connotationsthere are various things in the

18、world. different nations have different views to different objective things, but all human beings have some similar capabilities of thought, some same laws of cognition, and some animals have some same attributes. in different languages, some same animals will be endowed with the same or similar ima

19、ges. these images will make different nations have a same or similar association of some ideas. their usages and meanings both in chinese and english are basic correspondence or similarity.e.g.(1) eat like a wolf 狼吞虎咽(2) fish in trouble water 浑水摸鱼(3) ride the tiger 骑虎难下 (4) parrot what other people

20、say 鹦鹉学舌(5) kill two birds with one stone 一石二鸟2.1.2 partial correspondence of culture connotations. the english culture connotations of some animal words are the same or similar to the chinese cultural connotations of other chinese animal words. their implied meanings are the same, but their names a

21、re different. this is a case that we often have in translation.e.g.(1) kill the goose that lay golden eggs 杀鸡取卵(2) as strong as a horse 壮如牛(3) like a dunk to water 如鱼得水(4) a drowned rat 落汤鸡(5) like a cat on hot bricks 热锅上的蚂蚁(6) better be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. 宁为鸡头，不为凤尾 2.1.3 no

22、correspondence of cultural connotationsbecause of the differences between the two cultures and image thoughts of the two nations, its natural that the two nations have different emotional reaction to the same kind of animal. in different cultures and civilizations, the same kind of animal might be g

23、iven different cultural connotations, which will lead to the vacancy of cultural connotation in the other language, and lead to the obstacles for cross-exchanges. for example, peacock(孔雀) represents “arrogance” in english, but it stands for “beauty” in chinese. the chinese think “owl”(猫头鹰) means “il

24、l-omened”, while in english culture, it is viewed as “wisdom”. and “鸳鸯” means that husband and wife in chinese, but “mandarin duck” has not such cultural connotation in english. “山羊” has no special meaning in chinese, but “goat” means “lecher” in english. in chinese we have the idiom “指鹿为马”, but the

25、 equal expression in english is “talk black into white”. the english version of the chinese saying “挂羊头卖狗肉” is “to cry up wine and sell vinegar”.2.2 the causes of the discrepancy between cultural connotation of english and chinese animal words the culture of a nation is formed by many factors. and t

26、he development of a society influences the formation, the development and the disappearance of the culture. cultural connotations of some animal words in english and chinese are closely related to the religion, history, geographical environment, and the customs of a nation. according to these factor

27、s, i will take some typical animals for example to elaborate the causes of their discrepancies in chinese and english.2.2.1 religionwe know that there is a big difference between the chinese religion and the english religion. the chinese people believe in buddhism, but the english people believe in

28、christianity. that is why some animal words about religion are quite different in chinese and english. for instance, “dragon” and “龙” have different cultural connotations in the two languages, chinese and english. in the chinese culture, “龙” has been a symbol of “power, being sacred” from ancient ti

29、mes to now. in the feudal society, emperors were addressed with “真龙天子”. to some extent, “龙”is a symbol of china in the world, which stands for the source of the chinese culture of about five thousand years. it is a special product of the chinese culture. the chinese take proud of being “the descenda

30、nts of dragon”(龙的传人). some chinese idioms like “望子成龙”, “龙凤呈祥”are well known to the chinese. their meanings contain a commendatory sense. but because of the influence of the bible, the dragon in westerners minds is a kind of evil monster, which can vomit fire and sometimes possess three to nine heads

31、. therefore, there are few idioms and phrases about dragon in english. generally speaking, in english the word dragon has a derogatory sense when it is used to refer to somebody. collins cobuzld english language dictionary explains: if you call a woman as a dragon, you mean that she is fierce and un

32、pleasant. so “亚洲四小龙” is often translated as “ the four tigers of asia”, not “the four dragons of asia”.we have some other idioms that are associated with animals from the bible: (1) cast pearl before swine 明珠暗投（把珍珠抛给猪）(2) separate the sheep from the goats 把好人与坏人分开2.2.2 historyeach nation has its own

33、 unique history, which affects the culture of theirs. meanwhile the history is an important part and factor of each nations culture.in chinese, “ox” has the same meaning as the “horse” in english. thats caused by their different histories. the earliest cultivation mainly depended on “ox” in china, w

34、hile the heavy farm work was done by “horse” in the early stage of britain. “ox” is always a kind of food in britain, but horse is mainly ridden in china. so “ox” of chinese and “horse” of english are both the same laborious livestock, and they have the same cultural connotations. today, their funct

35、ions have more or less changed in these two nations, but their cultural connotations given by history have been carried on as before by their people. e.g.(1) as strong as a horse 壮如牛(2) work like a horse 像牛一样地辛勤干活some special animal words, idioms come from historical books and classical works, and f

36、able and story are the important components of them.for example, we have the english idiom “cook ones goose”. the literal chinese translation of this idiom is “烹某人的鹅”. thats confusing to the chinese. its correct translation should be “挫败某人的计划” or “战胜某人”.this idiom comes from an ancient story. englis

37、h tradition has it that in the middle ages, a city was suddenly surrounded by enemies. a resident of the city hanged a goose on a tower to express his scorn for the enemies. but that was a terribly wrong action. the enemies could not stand this shame. every soldier became mad, and soon they conquere

38、d the city. the goose was cooked by the enemy soldiers. later, people use the idiom to mean “frustrate somebodys will” or “destroy or defeat somebody”. e.g. if we try hard, we will surely cook their goose. 只要我们努力，我们肯定就能战胜他们we also have some idioms that come from the fables of aesop. e.g. (1) cherish

39、 a snake in ones bosom 养虎贻患(2) cry wolf 发假警报 （烽火戏诸侯）2.2.3 geographical environmentthe differences between the geographical environments of the two nations make many animals images and cultural connotations different or even vacant.e.g. beavers (河狸) mainly live in north america. they build their nest

40、s with high techniques and inflexible will. people of american countries are familiar with this kind of animal. so in english “beaver” means “the people who work hard”. as the geographical environments in china are quite different, the chinese people hardly know this kind of animal and their special

41、 cultural connotations. they dont know their “diligence” and what they really mean sometimes. hence, if you translate beaver literally, sometimes you can not make the original understood by the chinese people.e.g.(1) they didnt study hard at ordinary times. so when the examination came, they had to

42、work like beavers. 由于平时不努力，考试来临时，他们就不得不日夜苦读了(2) we often beaver away at school. 我们常在学校里用功读书as we know, britain is a typical island country. the navigable industry and marine products of britain are developed. so, some animal words, idioms, proverbs about ocean and marine aquatics are plentiful and p

43、opular. but the living environments of the chinese nation have been restricted mainly to the mainland. comparatively speaking, the chinese animal words about ocean and marine aquatics are fewer than britains. sometimes, they might even make cultural vacancy in translation. for example, in english “f

44、ish” has rich cultural connotations while in chinese it doesnt. e.g.(1) a pretty kettle of fish. 一团糟(2) to fish in the air 水中捞月(3) to have other fish to fry 有别的事要干also, in english “fish” can be used to refer to “person”. e.g. (1) an odd fish 怪人(2) a loose fish 放荡不羁的人(3) a poor fish 可怜虫或倒霉的家伙(4) a fi

45、sh wife 没教养的女人(5) a cold fish 冷酷无情的人(6) a big fish 大人物2.2.4 customsthe words and idioms about dog even reflect more the dissimilarity between the english customs and the chinese customs. both the english-speaking people and the chinese people like raising dogs, but their aims and attitudes towards d

46、ogs are quite different. in english-speaking countries, dogs are generally persons companions, just few dogs are raised to hunt or look after the house. some people have no children, and their dogs can take the place of children. dogs often have preferential treatments, even “privileges”. their food

47、, clothes are no less good as their masters. they even can listen to some songs specially created for them. they can see a veterinary surgeon when they are ill. they can also enjoy a “vacation” when their hosts spend their holidays. these customs of raising dogs are common in western countries. west

48、erners sometimes use the animal word dog to refer to their friends. but this behavior makes the chinese puzzled. in china, dogs usually do not “enjoy” this kind of treatment. in the chinese culture, dogs are disgusting, and the word dog often has a derogatory sense, especially when used to refer to

49、a person. generally speaking, the chinese despise this kind of animal in heart. they breed them just for hunting and looking after the house. i believe these customs will not change in a short time.e.g.(1) a lucky dog 幸运儿 (2) every dog has his day 人人都有得意时(3) love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌in english we h

50、ave some other animal words and expressions that are connected with traditional customs:(1) carry owls to athens 运猫头鹰到雅典；多此一举 ( the reason is that athens is rich in owls )(2) as well be hanged for a sheep as for a lamb 一不做，二不休 ( the reason is that a former british law had this rule: a person who ste

51、als a sheep, whether the sheep is big or not, will be hanged.)(3) live like a fighting cock 吃最好的东西；养尊处优 ( the reason is that in the past, englishmen would give their fighting cocks the best food before the game so that they could win the game.)3. some methods of translating animal wordssince there a

52、re some similarities and dissimilarities regarding animal words in chinese and english, we should strive to know the cultural connotations carried by animal words in these two languages rather than translate the animal words directly. we should replace the symbolic images carried by some animal word

53、s in these two languages if necessary. some sayings involving animal words in the two languages are the same, such as “as stupid as an ass” 蠢得像驴, “as fat as a pig” 肥得像猪. but some are not so simple as they seem to be. sometimes you have to consider carefully their cultural connotations before you can

54、 translate these animal words properly. some methods are suggested in the following parts for your animal words translation in the future.3.1 literal translation in chinese and english, some animal words are the same or similar both in literal meanings and cultural connotations. in this case, we can

55、 use the method of literal translation to translate them. e.g.(1) barking dogs dont bite. 吠犬不咬人(2) as ugly as a toad 像癞蛤蟆一样丑陋(3) a wolf in sheeps clothing 披着羊皮的狼(4) make a monkey out of somebody 拿人当猴耍(5) a rat crossing the street is chased by all. 过街老鼠，人人喊打literal translation can make the translatio

56、n vivid, keep the feature and style of the original, and it is beneficial for the cultural exchange between the two nations.some idioms and expressions that are connected with animals exist just in english or chinese, but their literal meanings and cultural connotations can be understood by the peop

57、le of the other nation if they are translated literally. in order to keep the image and style of the original, we can use literal translation for them.e.g.(1) when the fox preaches, then be aware of your geese. 狐狸说教时，要当心你的鹅(2) dont count your chickens before they are hatched. 小鸡未孵出，不要急着数鸡数(3) set the wolf to keep the sheep 让狼看守羊(4) every bird likes its own nest. 每只鸟都喜欢自己的窝(5) a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. 双鸟在林，不如一鸟在手english is the widest used language in the world. the culture of english-speaking countries, their science and technology are also do