习语翻译中的异化和归化 毕业论文.doc

【标题】 习语翻译中的异化和归化 【作者】陈 莉 【关键词】异化；归化；习语翻译 【指导老师】 【专业】英语 【正文】I. IntroductionTranslation is of great importance in learning a foreign language. Translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two kinds of cultures. Different views of language and culture determine different views about translation. The cultural factors in translating are more significant than the purely linguistic differences. In Nidas view: “the most serious mistakes in translating are usually made not because of verbal inadequacy, but of wrong cultural assumptions.”1 Idioms are more typical and representative than other forms of language on reflecting the cultural diversity. Almost all languages have lots of idioms which are a reflection of the wisdom and various lives of people. Idioms are often colorful, expressive and thought-provoking. Thus they have been employed constantly either orally or in written forms. When we depict or describe something, it will be directly to the point if idioms are used. Thus, used properly, idioms will add life as well as vividness to ones expression or illustration. On the contrary, without idioms language may become boring or even lifeless. Idioms carry the native cultures and ideas, so the understanding of idioms can lead people to a better understanding about a certain culture. Because idioms are short in form, rich in meaning and easy to be memorized, they are popular and used a lot in communication. Generally, the most difficult thing in idiom translation centers on dealing with the cultural factors, for quite often one culture doesnt correspond to another in many aspects. Thus arise various difficulties in idiom translation. There are mainly two ways used in the translation of idioms, foreignization and domestication which have been at least for a century at the heart of most translation controversies. Domestication has made a great contribution to idiom translation, making the translated script smooth and the meaning easy to be understood by target readers. Foreignization also has made a great influence on idioms translation, with the application of foreignization in idioms translation, one culture can absorb new nutrition from other cultures to rejuvenate and upgrade it.This thesis discusses the two strategies popularly employed in idiom translation: domestication and foreignization. In the discussion, more attention will be paid on the application of foreignization and domestication in idiom translation.II. IdiomIdioms are not a separate part of the language which one can choose either to use or to omit, but they form an essential part of the general vocabulary of the language. In fact, it is difficult to speak or write without using idioms. A native speaker is very often not aware that he is using an idiom; a non-native learner makes the correct use of idioms one of his main aims, and the fact that some idioms are illogical or grammatically anomalous causes him difficulty.A. The Definition of IdiomThere are many different definitions about idioms, one kind of the definition is that idiom is a phrase, construction, or expression that is recognized as a unit in the usage of a given language and either differs from the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken together (Websters New World College Dictionary) the other kind of the definition is that idiom is a set phrase of two or more words that means something different from the literal meaning of the individual words. (Ammer, 1997).2B. Types of Idiom CollectionIn a broad sense, English idioms include fixed expressions, slangs, proverbs, allusions, colloquialisms and so on. Most of the idioms are vivid, carrying strong local color or national features. Some of them are explicit; some are implicit and can arouse varieties of associations; some may contain more than one meaning and must be judged from the context. Furthermore, they are important rhetorical devices of the language and centralized expressions of rhetorical devices as well. According to Leon Jaeger (1999), in English as well as other languages, there are three main types of collections in which idioms are gathered methodically: a) general language dictionaries; b) glossaries of basic idioms; and c) specialized idiom dictionaries.3 These three types are distinguishable from each other with their own features.Idioms in general language dictionaries are structurally marked as a definite part of entries and graphically by italics or bold print. The number of idioms incorporated in such dictionaries under a component word is not usually specified. Actual numbers entailed seem to differ from dictionary to dictionary. But one point is for sure: Inclusion in such dictionaries, particularly in the case of such national institutions as the Oxford dictionaries, indicates authoritativeness as being representative of the national language at a given point in time. That is, idioms admitted in such dictionaries are sanctified by usage and widely accepted throughout the speech community.Glossaries, as Leon Jaeger has explicated, are represented by smaller volumes claiming specified numbers of idioms, usually in the 3,000 to 5,000 range. Also stipulated is the purpose to aid learners of English to acquire the idioms most commonly used in everyday communications. The chief characteristic of glossaries is to serve effectively as teaching or learning aids. The third type of collection is specialized idiom dictionaries. Some are based on up-to-date citations from contemporary sources and meant to satisfy the needs of learners of current English. For instance, the Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English, with a total of 18,000 entries, is meant for speakers of modern English. The other subtype, targeting on researchers or translators, might include antiquated, obsolescent or even obsolete expressions, as in the English-Russian Phraseological Dictionary compiled by Aleksandr V. Kunin in 1984, which covers idioms used in English over approximately the last 150 years from Dickens to the present day. Kunin 1984 with about 20,000 entries is meant to satisfy primarily the needs of researchers and of people reading older works of literature in the original.In the 1950s the American writer Hockett put forward the concept “random holes in patterns” which means “the accidental gap” in conservation when contrasting two languages.4 And Nida had said: “There must be information drains in any course of conservation and the absolute equity is never possible.”5 As we all know, the goal of translation is conservation in maximum to enable the foreign readers understand the source culture. Therefore, the strategies used in the translation of idioms are very important.III. Foreignization in Idiom TranslationA. Definition of ForeignizationIn the early stage of the nineteenth century, foreignization rose in Germany. Schuttleworth and Cowie defined foreignization as:“A term used by Venuti(1995) to designate the type of translation in which a TT is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the original.”6 However, there is another definition of foreignization.Foreignization is a term used by Venuti(1995) to designate the type of translation in which a target text is produced which deliberately breaks target conventions by retaining something of the foreignness of the original Venuti sees the origin of such a concept by Schleiermacher, who discusses the type of translation in which “the translator leaves the author in peace, as much as possible, and moves the reader towards him.”7Generally speaking, foreignization is a source-culture-oriented translation which strives to preserve the foreign flavor as much as possible in order to transfer the source language and culture into the target one.Although idiom translation is often considered to be the most difficult part in all fields of translating, nowadays, as foreignization is the tendency, foreignization in idiom translation is of no exception and is applied on more and more occasions. It provides a good opportunity to introduce native culture to people from other cultures as well as bring other foreign cultures to the native. Foreignization used in the translation of idiom is propitious to the two different cultures and language exchanges and infiltration, and promotes the integration between them.B. The Application of Foreignization in Idiom TranslationStable in structure, unpredictable in meaning, and rich in cultural factors, idioms are the major barriers in translation. In fact, idiom translation may be considered as the most difficult in translation. Some even hold the view that idioms are untranslatable.The most difficult part in idiom translation lies in the confrontation between the literal form and the connotation. Thats to say, how to keep the real meaning of an idiom without abandoning its original form.Idioms, as the essence of the culture, involve great difficulties in translation if the translator wants to keep the original flavor without distorting the original meaning. To solve this problem, some foreignizaing strategies are to be used in the translation of idioms.1. Literal Translation Literal translation refers to a full representation of the original when the original coincides with the target language idiom in the sequence of lexical items, grammatical structure and rhetorical device. Literal translation faithfully conveys the meaning of the original and at the same time keeps the full flavor of idioms. This is the ideal solution. Lets look at two examples.1) She refused several offers of marriage, and then, at her age of forty, found herself left on the shelf.她拒绝了多次求婚，到了四十岁，发现自己被“束之高阁”了。Here on the shelf was translated literally as “束之高阁”. In this way, the translation expresses the content of the sentence smoothly and faithfully and at the same time retains the figure of speech. If it is translated liberally as “没有结婚希望了”, though smoothly, the translation loses the original form and the figure of speech and seems to be inferior.2) He who follows two hares is sure to catch neither.  Benjamin Franklin  追逐两只兔，两头都落空。Foregnization successfully reproduces the form and the figure of the original proverb, producing the same vivid effect on the reader as the original. If it is translated liberally as “同时干两事，全都干不好”, though smoothly, the translation is not faithful and vivid because of the loss of the figure of speech.2. Literal plus Liberal Translation When literal translation cannot make the idiom understood and liberal translation may cause the loss of its flavor, we may combine these two methods to reach an ideal solution. For example:1) Make hay while the sun shines. 趁着晴天晒干草，莫失良机。“趁着晴天晒干草”, belonged to literal translation, successfully conveys the content and flavor of the proverb. However, the reader may not perceive the implication. Thus “莫失良机”, a kind of liberal translation, is added. The combination of these two methods increases the readability and retains the spirit of the original.2) Oh, but his wrath was up!Look here! What do you suppose I told you the names of those points for? Well to  to be entertaining, I thoughtThis was a red rag to the bull. He raged and stormed sothat I judged it made him blind.(Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi)哦，他愤怒起来了！“看这儿！我告诉你那些岬的名字，你以为是什么意思？”“我想，这个-是-是说着好玩的。”这话简直是对公牛摇晃一块红布，火上加油。他勃然大怒我想一定是这话把他气昏了A red rag to the bull is an expression used in bullfight. Since not all the Chinese readers know the effect of a red rag to the bull, it is necessary to add a phrase to show the effect. “火上加油”, a Chinese idiom serves this purpose well, so the combination translation “对公牛摇晃一块红布，火上加油” not only conveys the meaning of it but conveys the spirit vividly.3. Literal and Annotating TranslationLiteral and annotating translation is another kind of annotation. It can make up for the latent significance and correlative background knowledge of idioms. Adding the annotations and comments in the margin will work well. It not only makes the target language readers achieve the same effect as free translation, but also gives them more detailed information.Sometimes there are some idioms in one language whose image cant be found in the other language, such as “太岁” in “太岁爷头上动土”and “ Solomon”in “as wise as Solomon”. Or some idioms in one language have completely differently connotations from the other, such as “羊头” and “狗肉” in “挂羊头买狗肉” and “skeleton” in “to have a skeleton in the cupboard”. If translated literally, their meanings cant be grasped by foreign readers, and then literal and annotation translation is a good way to achieve the goal. Examples are as follows:1) 韩信将兵，多多益善。The more the better, as Han Xin said about the number of troops he could command. (Han Xin was a leading general under Liu Bang, first emperor of the Han Dynasty. According to the Historical Records, Liu Bang once asked Han Xin how many troops he could command. “The more the better,” he answered.)82）司马昭之心，路人皆知This Sima Zhao trick is obvious to every man in the street. (Sima Zhao was a prime minister of Wei who nursed a secret ambition to usurp the throne. The emperor once remarked, “Sima Zhaos intention is obvious to every man in the street”.)Adding an explanation may be troublesome and inconvenient. However, after constant exposure to such idioms with a strong foreign culture, readers will become familiar with them and finally these idioms will be assimilated into the target culture.IV. Domestication in Idiom TranslationA. Definition of DomesticationIn western translation history, domestication translation came into being in Britain in the seventeenth century. Schuttleworth and Cowie give a definition to domestication in Dictionary of Translation Studies:“A term used by Venuti(1995) to describe the translation strategy in which a transparent, fluent style is adopted in order to minimize the strangeness of the foreign text for TL reader.”9There is another definition of domestication.The American translator L.Venuti(1995) proposes domestication and foreignization as two translation strategies. His proposition of domestication can be summed up as follows:Domestication conceals the translators hard efforts in translation and cultural differences, hence imposing current values of the main culture on the source text.10Generally speaking, domestication refers to the target-culture-oriented translation in which unusual expressions to the target culture are exploited and turned into some familiar ones so as to make the translated text intelligible and easy for the target readers.B. The Application of Domestication in Idiom TranslationDomestication can be equally good at conveying the deep meaning and spirit from the source language.Idioms, the essence of a language, carry rich cultural connotations. An idiom is the contracted expressio