为您找到与中英文化差异对翻译的影响 英语论文相关的共200个结果:
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摘要文化渗透于社会生活的各个方面,英文翻译不可避免地受到文化因素的影响。英文翻译不仅是一种语言翻译,更是一种文化翻译。翻译过程中的文化因素:思维方式、习俗文化和宗教信仰等,一直是翻译工作者关注的问题。只有深刻把握不同文化背景知识、不同民族思维模式的差异,以及英汉两种语言风格的异同,才能进行成功的翻译交际。
关键词:文化因素 翻译 影响
近些年来,翻译中的文化问题越来越受到人们的关注。人们重视翻译中的文化问题,源于对背景知识的作用的正确认识。在翻译实践中,由于文化不解与误解导致误译和错译的例子屡见不鲜。于是文化因素对英文翻译的影响,便成了众多学者的研究对象。正如美国著名翻译理论家尤金·奈达所说:“就真正成功的翻译而言,译者的双文化(bicultural)功底甚至比双语(bilingualism)功底更重要,因为词语只有在起作用的文化语境中才有意义。”翻译并不像许多人想象得那么容易,深层次的思想意识方面的“文化鸿沟”时常难以逾越。由此可见,文化因素在翻译中占有重要的地位。
一 翻译与文化释义
1 翻译与文化的内涵
翻译的诞生给说不同语言的人们带来了很大的方便,它是人们彼此之间进行信息交流的桥梁。所谓翻译,就是运用一种语言把另一种语言所表达的思维内容准确而完整地重新表达出来的语言活动,是两个语言社会之间的交际过程和交际工具,它的目的是要促进本语言社会的政治、经济和社会文化进步。
何谓文化?英国学者泰勒(E.B Tylor,1871)给“文化”下的定义是:“所谓文化或文明,即知识、信仰、艺术、道德、法律、习俗以及其它作为社会成员的人们能够获得的包括一切能力和习惯在内的复合性整体。”文化并不是抽象的,它是我们所感知的一切。人类以自己的情感、技能和智慧创造了自己的文化,更新了自己的文化。不同民族语言不同、文化各异,但人类的能力本质是相同的。因为人类所创造的文化在深层意义上反映了人类的共同能力。各民族的文化都有同一性,不同国家、不同民族活动的多样性和观念的多元化使其文化内容和形式出现多样性,这就是文化差异的渊源。翻译则是运用一种语言把另一种语言所表达的思维内容准确而完整地重新表达出来的语言活动,是两个语言社会之间的交际过程和交际工具。
2 翻译与文化的关系
任何翻译都离不开文化,许多有经验的译者或翻译研究者都比较注意文化与翻译的关系。谭载喜说:“翻译中对原文意思的理解,远远不是单纯的语言理解问题。语言是文化的组成部分,它受着文化的影响和制约。在翻译过程中,译者对某段文字理解的正确与否,在很大程度上取决于他对有关文化的了解。对于译者来说,没有两种文化的对比知识,就无从谈起对语言文字的正确理解与表达。”
在翻译过程中,表面上存在着中外文字表达上的差异,仅仅从文字技巧上来着手是难以解决含义差异的,必须要从文化背景上来处理中外文字在表达内涵上的差异,因为这些差异源自生活上的不同而形成。文化背景对翻译是极其重要的,缺乏文化元素的译文等于缺乏了灵性的翻译。所谓“文化元素”其实也包括了译者对原文化背景、译文、译文文化背景、原文作者的气质和风格的了解、译者的气质和风格的混合体。
3 语言和文化的关系
瑞士语言学家Saussure把语言看成是社会现象。他认为,语言史和文化史总是交织在一起,彼此之间相互联系;民族的风俗习惯常反映在语言之中,阐明了不同民族间不同的语言与文化差异。美国语言学家Sapir认为,“语言不能离开文化而存在”。“语言不仅包含着该民族的历史和文化背景,而且蕴藏着该民族对人生的看法、生活方式和思维方式……应该指出,语言和文化互相影响、互相作用;理解语言必须了解语言。”可见,不了解目的语的文化,便无法正确理解和运用该目的语,更无法进行沟通。当今,不同文化背景下的交流日益增多,密切的跨文化交流成了当今世界的主流,这就要求我们在了解相关国家的语言的同时,还必须要了解他们的文化知识,做到二者同步发展。
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二 文化因素对英文翻译的影响
1 思维方式方面
翻译是语言的翻译,而语言是思维的外壳。迥然不同的自然、社会条件使人们在思维习惯和表达方式上自然不同。西方民族惯用抽象性、由一到多的分析型思维方式,句子常以主语和谓语为核心,统摄多个短语和从句,由主到次,但形散而意合。而东方民族的综合思维方式,使得中国人注重整体和谐,强调“从多到一”的思维方式;句子结构上以动词为中心,以时间顺序为逻辑顺序,横向铺叙,层层推进,归纳总结,形成“流水型”的句式结构。英汉民族熟悉和思维方式的不同决定了其在翻译过程中句式选择、遣词造句、词句省略等的不同。例如:
“It had been a fine,golden autumn,a lovely farewell to those who would lose thEir youth,and some of them thEIr lives,before the leaves turned again in a peacetime fall.”
如直接译成:
“那是一个夸姣的金秋,在离别了那些可能丢失他们的青春甚至生命的人之后,树叶才慢慢地落下。”
这种翻译显然受到了语言形式的拘束,译句结构混乱、呆板、没有条理性,且语言支离破碎。如将译文译成:
“那是个天色晴朗、金黄可爱的秋天,夸姣的秋色为那些青年们送别。待到战后和平时期,黄叶纷飞的秋天再度来临时,当日的青年们已经失去了青春,有的甚至丧失了生命。”
就比较符合中国人的思维方式,不失为一段出色的翻译。再如奥运口号“北京欢迎您!”表达了中国人民欢迎世界各国人民到北京的心情,我们常见的译文为“welcome to Beijing!”翻译中句式的改变,使用英语祈使句,恰当地表达出中国人期盼奥运的热情。如译为 “Beijing is welcome you”,则语气过于清淡,效果大打折扣。
2 文化背景和社会习俗方面
不同的国家具有不同的文化背景,文化背景差异对翻译实践产生很大的影响,并对翻译实践提出了更高的要求。民族文化背景对语言的发展有极大的影响,每个民族的语言都会带有各自历史文化的痕迹。英汉民族的历史发展不同,因而语言中沉积的文化内涵也不相同。历史文化的一个重要内容体现为历史典故和习语;要译好不同语言中的习语和历史典故,就必须对该语言所反映的历史文化有所了解。Cowboy在汉语中常译为“牛仔”,所以很多人把“He runs a business as a cowboy”译为“他像牛仔一样管理企业。”其实“cowboy”在美国人心目中的真正形象是“独来独往、无拘无束、我行我素”。因此这句话应译为,“他办企业态度不诚实,缺乏经验技术,工作也大大咧咧。”汉语中常说:“说曹操,曹操到”,曹操是中国历史上的著名人物,但许多英语读者就不知他为何人。不过英语中有类似的说法:“Talk of the devil,and he’s sure to appear.”
社会习俗更是如此,它影响和制约着翻译的精确性。在英语国家对一个经过长途旅行后的人可以说“You must be tired from such a long trip.”、“Did you have a good trip?”,表示“路上辛苦了”、“一路好吗?”之类的问候。对正在进行或刚完成一项艰难任务的人,可以说“Well done,That was a hard job”。不同的文化有不同的表达方式,因此在翻译时,一定要考虑两种文化间的差异,决不能望文生义,更不能机械地直译。又如,bread and butter这两样东西在英语国家历史悠久,面包是他们生活中不可缺少的一部分,也是日常的主要食品,所以在语言中的转义也较多。如“bread and butter”还有“生计,谋生之道,靠山”等含义,美国《新闻周刊》评论家大卫·安森说过:“As ever,politics,vulgarity and senti mentality were the bread and butterof the Academy Awards.”(政治、粗鄙和感伤一度成为奥斯卡奖的支柱。)
3 宗教信仰、宗教意识方面
宗教是人类思想文化的重要组成部分,它是由一个民族的宗教信仰、宗教意识所形成的。不同的宗教体现了不同的文化特色和文化传统。__认为,上帝创造了人,人来自尘土,又回归尘土。如:
“BEing a teacher is bEIng present at the creation when the clay beginningto breathe.”
有些人译为,“教师一直在创造中,当土地开始呼吸。”这是由于他们不了解西方人的宗教信仰所致。因为,英语中的“creation”常指“上帝创造”,而“clay”常指“上帝创造的人”。这句话的译文应该是:
“教师是创造的见证人,目睹生命呼吸成长。”
又如,“红色”在汉文化中象征着“喜庆、吉祥、胜利、好运、受欢迎的东西”。而西方则因为耶稣甘愿被钉在十字架上流血牺牲,用生命来拯救世人以及中世纪教派之间的相互残杀,使英民族文化中的“red”总是同流血、牺牲、殉难等不好的事情联系起来,因此“red hands”译为“沾满鲜血的手”,“a red battle”译为“血战”。
4 生存环境方面
因为各民族所处地理位置、天然前提和生态环境等的不同,就形成了不同的地域文化。这不仅影响着各民族语言的表达方式,也直接影响着人们对同一事物不同的理解、语义联想和情感,这就对翻译提出了进一步的要求。英国是一个岛国,历史上航海业曾一度领先世界;而汉民族在亚洲大陆生活繁衍,人们的生活离不开土地。比喻“花钱浪费,大手大脚”,英语是“spend money like water”,而汉语是“挥金如土”。李白《江上咏》中有“功名富贵若长在,汉水亦应西北流。”此处翻译的枢纽就在于如何理解“西北流”。我国地形特征是西高东低,李白用“西北流”喻指功名富贵如过眼烟云,不可能与江河永流。这一比喻是基于我国的地理特征,但因为英美国家处于不同的地理位置,地形特征相异,如采用直译法,很多英国人可能并不解其真正含义,这就要求翻译“西北流”时应做适当的变通,于是译成:
“But sooner could flow backward to is fountains;This stream,than wealth and honor can remain.”
这样译文顶用flow backward(倒流)的方式表达了原文中“西北流”所蕴含的“不可能”之意,但却不能体现原文的工整对仗及中国的地域特征。
5 习语方面
习语的翻译可算得上是难中之难了,因为习语不仅是一种语言现象,更是一种文化产物。如“黔驴技穷”可译为英语中的习惯说法“at one’s wits end”,也可翻译为“The proverbial donkeyin ancient Guizhou has exhausted its tricks,and it can do nothing more.”这种翻译,既传播了汉文化、保存了原汁原味,也符合英语读者的阅读习惯,达到使文化交流贯穿于语言交流的目的。如:“Love me,love my dog”,译为“爱屋及乌”;“A loss may turn out to be a gain”,可译为“塞翁失马,焉知非福”。
同样英汉习语中有大量是由历史典故形成的,这些习语结构简单、意义深远,往往是不能单从字面意义去理解和翻译的。如汉语中的“名落孙山”、“叶公好龙”等;英语中的“meet one’s waterloo”(一败涂地)、“a Pandora’s box”(潘多拉之盒—灾难、麻烦、祸害的根源)等。
三 结语
总之,文化与翻译关系密切,不可分割。翻译离不开文化因素的影响,翻译不仅是语言表面上的题目,更是文化层面上的题目。因为“翻译实质上是文化翻译”,终极目的除了传递原信息外,更要传递文化,促进文化间的交流和理解。在翻译的过程中,译者要让目标文成功地表达源文的内涵,不但要求译者有扎实的语言功底,而且还要熟悉和了解两种语言的文化背景。因此归根到底,语言的翻译就是文化的翻译,其根本任务不仅是翻译文化,而且是翻译容载或蕴含着文化信息的意义,达到中西文化相互交流、融合的目的。
参考文献:
[1] Eugene A.Nida.Language Culture And Translating[M].1993.
[2] 刘宓庆:《文化翻译论纲》,湖北教育出版社,1999年版。
[3] 谭载喜:《新编奈达论翻译》,中国对外翻译出版公司,1999年版。
[4] 王婧媛:《浅谈翻译中的文化因素》,《中国校外教育理论》,2008年版。
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摘 要:商务英语翻译是一种语际转换。它不仅包括语言符号的转换,更涉及不同商业文化之间的沟通。进行国际商务英语翻译时必须特别注意文化差异,必须在外国文化和本国文化中找到一个切合点。
关键词:商务英语翻译 文化差异 思维方式
Abstract: Business English Translation is a Interlingual conversion. It not only includes the conversion of linguistic signs, but also involves communication between the different commercial cultural. International Business English translation must pay special attention to cultural differences, must find a relevant point between foreign culture and national culture.
Key Words: Business English Translation ;cultural differences ;mode of thinking
综上所述,要准确地进行翻译,就必须考虑这三个要素:不同语域的民族文化传统、文化内容和文化心理。各民族有着其独特的文化。东西方人有不同的哲学 、文化传统,所以,文化差异就必然存在。此外,差异的原因还在于东西方民族地理、历史、风土人情等的不同。正是这些文化差异的存在使得文化翻译的可译性受到限制。进行国际商务英语翻译时必须特别注意这些差异,必须在外国文化和本国文化中找到一个切合点。如果这个切合点是两种文化的交融,那就是最理想的了。
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英语论文的写作,主要用于参加国际学术研讨会,促进中外学术文化交流;在国际学术刊物上发表,在国际上共享科研成果,英语论文也是达到学术交流的目的;另外英语论文还包括英语相关专业人员必要地用英语撰写学术报告或毕业论文等等。不同的学科或专业领域、不同的刊物对英语论文的内容、格式等有不同的要求,不同领域的研究论文在文体和语言特点上既有许多共性,也不乏各自特点。
Eugene A. Nida. Lannuane and Culture- Contexts in Translation.上海:上海外语教育出版,2001.
《汉语大词典》. 汉语大词典出版社, 1989.
《现代汉语词典》. 北京:商务印书馆, 2005.
李波.《“吃”垮中国—中国食文化反思》 北京: 光明日报出版社, 2004.
马会娟 对奈达等效翻译理论的再思考[J]. 外语学刊, 1999.
申雨平《西方翻译理论精选》, 2002.
谭载喜.《西方翻译简史》. 北京:商务印书馆, 1991.
徐文红 “吃”+n 特征分析[J]. 东南大学学报, 2001.8.
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语言基本上是一种文化和社会产品,要理解它就应该从文化和社会的角度出发。英汉两种语言之间的文化差异给其在语义层面上的转换带来了巨大的障碍,其差异首先表现为价值观念的不同。汉文化是一元文化,强调“社团价值论”;英文化是多元文化,崇尚“个人价值至上论”。除了价值观念差异之外,英汉文化差异还与两个民族所处的地理环境与社会环境、气候条件和风俗习惯等息息相关。
英汉民族由习俗引起的文化差异在一些与动物有关的词汇短语上体现得非常明显。英国人喜欢马,养马、骑马、赛马成为其风俗,英国文化就属于典型的的“马文化”,所以英语中有关马的说法极其丰富,诸如talk horse(吹牛)、 get on one’s high horse(趾高气扬)、horse and horse(并驾齐驱)等等。然而中国是传统的农业国,世代的牛耕生活使汉语囤积了大量的“牛文化”。牛是“吃苦耐劳,勤奋踏实”的象征,“俯首甘为孺子牛”就是体现的这种情结。相反在英语中却用马来代替,汉语中的“老黄牛”翻译成英语也就成了“a willing horse”。
不光如此,英汉语言中的一些表示颜色的词汇也沉淀了不同民情的文化。“红色”在汉语中含有极强的褒义色彩,“大红大紫”显示的是成功和富贵、喜庆和吉祥。与此相反, “red”却常常让西方人想起流血、战争、恐怖、愤怒和危险,含有较强的贬义。
伴随着二十世纪六十年代以来西方翻译的科学理论化进程,我国自八十年代后期,翻译研究呈现出突飞猛进的发展势头。与此同时,随着经济与文化等各方面全球化的影响,无论是翻译理论研究还是翻译实践都展现出一派蓬勃发展的面貌。
在我国,翻译的对象领域被人为的划分为“非文学”的和“文学”的。“非文学”的主要是指一般的实用性文体,如政治、经济、科技、金融、商贸、旅游、体育等,其中最主要的要数“科技翻译”;“文学翻译”则是与科技翻译并行的翻译的门类和方法论。随之也便产生了“非文学”研究和“文学”研究。“非文学”翻译被认为是一种技术性的活动,在翻译活动中长期处于优势地位,与此同时,我们不能否认,文学翻译研究在翻译研究这一领域中占了主导地位,一直是人们关注的焦点。
20世纪80年代以来,受文化研究大潮的影响,翻译的历史文化研究日益受到重视,中西翻译的语言和文化思维的差异表现得极为突出,基于对语境、语气、含蓄等的敏感度及广泛运用各种修辞手法等方面的关注,翻译的文化因素被更多地加以考虑。
语言不仅是人类思想感情表达与交流的工具,而且是文化的组成部分,是文化的载体。语言能真切地反映一个国家、一个民族的生态地域、政治经济、物质文化、宗教信仰、风俗习惯等。不同的语言决定了不同民族不同的思维方式、行为方式以及语言表达方式。然而语言的个性与共性是共存和并重的,洪堡特曾经说过:“比较语言研究是对语言差异的准确探索。”可以说,寻找差异的目的是达到统一,其中必须特别关注的,则是语言的音形、词句、文体等形式中所内涵的精神文化实质。
翻译的实质是将一种语言转换成另一种语言,其目的在于把原语的全部信息输入译语,同时取得最大限度的等值效果。英汉两种语言分属于印欧语系和汉藏语系,不同的语系特点,决定了各自的构词法和词义表达差异很大,要想确切地表达原作内容,在翻译过程中就要应用各种技巧。
有时为了使译文更加符合汉语的表达习惯和规律,在忠实于原文的前提下,必须选词、增词、省略、把词类适当地加以转换,才能使译文通顺自然。当然翻译并不是纯语言本体的转换,它与社会文化等有着各种关系。每一个民族都有自己的社会文化特色,文化是使人们凝聚为一个共同整体的一系列共享的意义、信仰和价值,有其特定的时空范围,因此,一些话语的正说与反说、句型和习语等在翻译时也要考虑到它们各自的特点。
在中国文化和历史中,有许多辉煌成就令外国学者向往,他们认为中华文化博大精深、多姿多彩,其历史源远流长,因此形成了构思方式和语言组织上的重视意合和悟性,区别于西方思维差异上的重形合和理性。汉语的意合无须借助词汇语法的衔接手段,仅靠词语与句子内涵意义的逻辑关系或借助语境、语义、语用的因素,便能构成连贯的语篇,这一特点集中体现在古汉语文学作品中;而英语在语言形式上把词语句子结合成语篇整体时则少不了词汇语法的显性衔接。
德国思想领袖哈贝马斯倡导的“交往行动理论”以理解与沟通为现代社会最高目标,认为翻译研究应该成为人类交往实践的一项基本训练,从他人的角度出发,建立起主客体间的有效联系。这对不同文化背景下的交往甚至是相同背景下的交往都是必要的,这样可以改变现实生活中单向的思维模式,建立一种新的主客体认识模式。
中国人的传统思维讲究天人合一、人法自然、万物皆备于我,所以主体参与意识很强,在语言表达上表现为多以“人”作主语。西方人由于理性的分析而偏重于主客分离和区别,所以有时以“人”这个主体为主语,有时以客体为主语,视情况需要而定,但更多的是抱着客观审视的态度,以事物为主语并进行客观、冷静的剖析和描述,这就导致了英汉语篇主语、主位或是重心上的差异。
从根本上讲,这是中西方各自重综合与重分析思维习惯的表现。中国人喜欢螺旋式的展开方式,先宣称主题之重要,继而进行反复的论述和强调,最后回归到主题;西方人喜欢直线形逻辑思维,就是先表达出中心意思,由此展开,或层层推演或逐项分列,后面的语句由前面的语句自然引出。在一句含有时间、地点、事件的通知性的话语中,中国人的习惯表达是“我们将在什么时间什么地点做什么事情”,西方人的表达是“要进行的事件+地点+时间”。
例如,中国人习惯上说:我们明天早上去看姑妈,7∶00在院子门口集合。西方人的表达是:We will meet at the courtyard gate at 7 O’clock tomorrow morning in order to visit our aunt.
翻译是传译两种相异的语言与文字,总需要将译者与被译者两方面的语言文字做一番深刻的研究,看中文与外文究竟有哪些相异之处。这些相异之处有文法上的、修辞上的、习惯上的和表现手法上的。
如:由于英语重句子的建构,英语句型多,尤其长句多,西方人习惯于使用“叠床架屋”式结构的长句子,在进行翻译时,都要关照到。
在某种意义上说,翻译活动中准确和流利的表达就是在理解原文的基础上,通过深入的逻辑分析和推理,不断冲破原文词义或句法结构的强制范畴,把原文精髓用规范、通顺的译文语言全息再现出来。由于这样的译文不是原文的机械复制品,它往往需要创造性劳动,亦即语言艺术。而表达的艺术主要体现在理解翻译法以及对于原文用词、句法结构、叙述顺序等问题的恰到好处的处理上。由“直译”与“意译”引发出“异化”和“归化”,在翻译实践中都不能不采用。没有哪一种译文是完全异化或完全归化的,在翻译过程中若能使二者相得益彰,那么就会收到意想不到的效果。
西方美学有着悠久的历史和许多优良的学术传统,尤其是近几十年来它的飞跃发展,对译学影响越来越大。在进行文学翻译时,不能忽略作品的比较美学价值,不拘泥于表层结构和形态,不注重译作语言质量的高下。现代翻译需要我们对译品所蕴含的代表不同文化系统的审美特征,乃至于对不同国家和民族所持有的不同的审美理论和思维方式,做出美学价值上的判断,以探索其审美本质和规律。
比较文学的翻译研究不能局限于某些语言现象的理解与表达,也不参与评论其优劣,而是把翻译文学作品作为既成事实加以接受,不仅要对其进行一般意义上的价值判断,还要在此基础上展开对文学交流、影响、接受、传播等问题的考察与分析。
研究文学翻译,研究翻译理论,可以拓展新的角度、新的方法,不再单纯评价译品的优劣高下,而是将各类译品作为审美对象,从美学角度进行鉴赏、品味、对比、分析,使文学作品及其译品所蕴含的美学因素及其价值得到淋漓尽致的揭示,使读者在研读文学翻译作品的同时,充分领略原作与译作的审美价值。
英汉互译实践与技巧翻译是一门实践性极强的学问,需要长期下苦功夫才能真正学到手。译者的翻译能力的形成不能单靠学习理论知识、强化技巧训练,而是需要扎扎实实的双语功底及大量的翻译实践。
无论什么翻译,都不可避免地带有交流的目的。在国际文化交流日益繁荣,在中国与国际各领域接轨日益加速的时代,为使翻译学得以更好的发展,在注意到中西语言文化思维差异性的同时,必须打破翻译研究的地域、学科、流派的限制,形成跨学科综合、多元互补的研究格局,在译学领域加强交流,跨越不同的传统与体系,进行中西译论体系间的双向互补、借鉴和相互渗透,以达到中西译学的交融与共生。
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商务英语翻译是一种语际转换。它不仅包括语言符号的转换,更涉及不同商业文化之间的沟通。文化信息的传递是完全可能的,主要是通过翻译了解他国文化。文化信息的对等也是可能的,我们可以遵循奈达先生的“功能对等”(Functional Equivalence)原则,这里的“对等”不能理解为数学意义上的等同,只能是近似的等同,即以功能对等接近程度为依据的近似。他认为翻译的目的应该是原文和译文在信息内容 、说话方式、文体、文风、语言、文化、社会因素诸方面达到对等。为了达到这些对等,必须在翻译中进行调整。
1.探究词语的历史、社会背景意义及文化内涵,准确把握文化信息的对等。文化翻译既要考虑历史、社会背景,又要注重那些有同有异,大同小异,同中有异的词语,译者要保持清晰的思维,既要注重文化深层的蕴含,又要了解语言表层含义的异同之处。
2.恰当使用汉语中的习语和规范语,以最佳的方式展视文化信息。文化翻译实践的过程,可以说是对原语文字与文化内容进行深刻剖析,得其义,悟其神,然后用锤炼过的译语文字将其表达出来的过程。译语不仅要保持前面所说的“原味”,而且必要时还要具有“本土味”,即采用规范的汉语和被中国人接受的习惯表达方式,否则同样也达不到“传真”效果。
3.不要给“洋人”穿上“长袍马褂”,原汁原味地体现文化。鲁迅先生在谈翻译时特别强调要注意异国情调,也就是所谓的洋气。此处“洋气”是指保存原语所蕴含的异域文化特色,不要使英语说法带上特有的中国色彩。例如:英语成语(a region) flowing with milk and honey 来自《圣经》,牛奶和蜂蜜是西方人熟悉的食品,这一成语如译成汉语的“鱼米之乡”,虽然意思相近,但未免有些不伦不类了。故还是译成“物产富饶之地”比较合适。
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商务英语的作用是在国际商务中不同国家的双方进行交流的通用语言,比起一般的英语,更加严肃也更加规范。它是一种功能性的语言,对比一般的英语,官方性的应用更为广泛一些,特别是在国际商务交流上,商务英语的应用显得尤为重要,所以对翻译的要求就更严格。由于中西方历史和文化的截然不同,导致中外的英语应用是存在着一些细微差别的。不注重这些差别的话,不仅不利于双方的交流,也是对对方文化的不尊重。所以我们有必要对中外的文化差异进行探究,讨论文化语境对商务英语翻译实践的影响。
语境,顾名思义指的就是语言环境,是指在不同的情形下对同样的事物进行表达,内容是不尽相同的,语言的产生也是依存于一定的语言环境,不同的环境下,语言的却别比较明显。通常情况下语境分为三类:语言整体的结构和逻辑、进行语言交流时所处的时间地点和交流双方文化背景的差异。后者就是我们这里要探讨的文化语境。近些年来,国际交流日益频繁,国际商务活动也越来越多,此时,中外的交流就愈加频繁。如果不能对西方的文化背景和社会生活习惯进行了解,很可能会影响交流的效果和商务活动的成败。当然,除中国之外世界上的190多个国家与地区的文化也是不尽相同的,我们本文谈的主要是以英美语言为母语的英美系国家。
商务英语通俗来说就是在商务情境下所要用到的英语,其本质还是英语,跟英语的一般特性并没有太大的差异。它不能够脱离了英语而存在,唯一的不同是比起普通的英语内容更多、要求更严格。它具有以下的特点:第一,有很多的专用词汇。一般场合的英语用不到那么多的专业词汇,很多英语专业词汇仅出现在各种专业的场景之中。商务英语就有很多专有的商务词汇;第二,语气更为正式。商务英语中,口语和俚语虽说不是禁忌,但是也是在交流中应当避免的;第三,要有确定性。商务英语服务于商务活动,所表达出的东西不能够是模糊的,而必须是清晰的、明确的。
文化语境的不同,对于商务英语的翻译能够产生极大的影响,产生的影响极其原因如下文:
第一,空间地理上的差异,不同国家所处的地理位置不同,导致了翻译的不同。举一个最简单的例子,英国和中国的地理位置不同,所以导致了气候也会有很大的差异。所以在中国和英国的表达中,不同方向的风所带来的含义是不同的。中英的海风分别是从东边海洋和西边海洋吹来,这就导致了中英对于温暖的风的风向表达是截然相反的,所以中国有东风品牌,英国有西风品牌。
第二,由于历史因素的影响,中西方在语言表达方式上有巨大的差异。中国人讲求的是委婉,无论是语言表达还是求人帮忙,都要做好很长的铺垫;而英美国家则讲求直截了当,开门见山,不喜欢遮遮掩掩和欲擒故纵。这样的文化背景也造就了中西方的风格是不同的,中国人更注重情感,而西方人更注重利益和效果。所以在翻译中西方国家常常将商务活动的目的、要求放在文件的前部,而中文往往需要先论述可行性,再进行具体建议和要求的书写。
第三,自古以来,在中国人眼中,集体的利益都是要高于个人利益的。当然,在封建王朝,至高无上的是皇帝的意志,但是皇帝是一个群体的代表,皇帝代表的还是地主阶级整体的意志,一旦对整个地主阶级的利益有损害,皇帝的意志也会遭到人们的抵抗。在英语翻译中最直接的例子就是关于信件的地址,中国人自上而下,国家-省市-县区-街道-个人,而西方人恰好相反。
第四,由于历史的积淀,导致中西方对于某些词汇的理解不同。举例来说,关于老和old,在中国,老不仅不是贬义词,还透着一股亲近,例如叫老张、老王,就显得亲热;而在西方,old一词中内含的却是过时、不能与时俱进等等含义。另外,中西国家对于颜色偏好是不同的。例如黑色,在中国一般表示的是一种悲哀的气氛,而在西方black则是邪恶的象征。如果在翻译的时候不注意这一点的话,极容易引起对方的反感。
第五,中西文化语境下,对于同样词汇表达的隐喻含义是截然不同的。例如最常见的就是狗和dog,狗在中国人心目中除了是忠诚的象征之外,运用的具体词汇中却有贬义的色彩,例如狗仗人势、狼心狗肺等等;而在英美国家中,狗就是忠诚的代表,不存在贬义的情况甚至还将幸运的人称之为lucky dog。再比如最常见的数字背后带来的隐喻也是不同的。对于中国人来说,4与死谐音,8与发谐音,18往往跟十八层地狱相联系,所以中国人对待这几个数字的态度是不同的,虽然这是迷信的思想在作祟,但是毕竟也是中华文化中的一部分;而在西方,因为耶稣的第13门徒犹大背叛了耶稣,所以西方人对于13特别反感。那么在翻译的时候就应当特别注意这一点。
基于上述文化语境对于商务英语的重要影响,在商务英语的翻译中应当特别注意下面的几个要点:
首先,在商品和商标翻译上,应当充分考虑到上面所说的影响,避免一些避讳事物的出现。例如,对于中国商品带有13等数字的,应当以音译或者其他的译法来避免该数字在国外出现,否则将会极大影响西方人对该商品的认同。要适当迎合对方的一些习惯。当然,这个前提是不能够损害国家的利益和集体的利益,不能够拿中国的形象去刻意迎合。例如,东风品牌在中国是非常重要的汽车业的象征,在翻译的时候不必照顾西方人的习惯翻译为西风。但是若是中国的某商品品牌为南风的话,为了迎合英国人的习惯,大可以翻译为西风。当然,这个要在不侵犯对方商标权的情况下进行。
其次,翻译过程要合理的运用一些技巧。例如直译、音译或者移译。直译是说在某些情况下其词汇内涵的隐喻在我们看来或者在对方看来是不恰当的,那么此时就应当忽视其隐喻的内容,直接按字面意思译出即可。音译则是指根据发音来翻译。翻译者往往忽视音译,其实音译运用恰当,能够产生意想不到的效果。例如,Coca Cola在中国翻译为可口可乐,这就是根据读音来翻译,但是效果却极好,这是因为翻译者既关注了音译,又兼顾到了产品的内涵,可口和可乐都是直接表达商品的特性的好的翻译。移译则是通过对中西方文化的对比和研究,进行一些技巧上的变化,例如,英文中的black tea并不是指的中文中的黑茶,而是表示红茶。
商务英语以其功能性和实用性在英语应用中占有十分重要的位置。它不仅仅具有中外两国的人进行交流的属性,还具有商业交流和谈判的性质,所以就更加重要。语言的学习不能够仅学习语言本身,那样的语言是僵化的也很容易在交流过程中出现一些自己意识不到的错误,从而影响双方的商务活动。双方对于英语的理解和应用不同是基于文化语境不同的,所以翻译者不仅应当有牢固扎实的英语基础和翻译功底,还要潜心研究各国的文化背景,以期达到在翻译中更为准确,在商务活动中更好表达的目的。
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随着全球化的进展,世界各国的文化交流也日趋频繁。胡文仲认为“文化是人们通过长时间的努力所创造出来的,是社会的遗产;价值观念是文化的核心,可以根据不同的价值观念区分不同的文化。”不同文化的人们需要了解他国的图书、音像作品,因此需要将这些文化作品从一种语言转换到另一种语言,即翻译。美国翻译理论家奈特认为,所谓翻译就是指从语言到文体在译语中用最贴切而又最自然的对等语再现原语的信息。因此翻译的本质是将一种语言以最为贴切恰当的对等方式转换成另一种语言。由于文化差异的存在,不同的语言之间的翻译往往是一件非常困难的事情。在一种文化中被人所熟知的事物可能在另一种文化中成为鲜为人知的事情,因此要做到对等翻译需要翻译者对目标语文化具有足够的了解,能够恰当地找到两种文化之间的对等语言。总的来说,中西文化差异对英语翻译的影响主要有以下几点:
宗教文化作为西方国家重要的社会文化和人们日常生活的重要组成部分,已经渗透到西方人们的日常行为习惯和民族风俗等各个方面中去了。宗教是西方人们的精神支柱,宗教文化对英语词汇的影响也是非常大的,英语中的很多词汇和典故都出自宗教中记录的一些民间故事和传闻,例如很多派生词、格言、习语都出自《圣经》。相对应的,在中国汉语文化中也有很多语言文化出自佛教。由于中西文化的差异,具体是宗教文化的差异,商务英语翻译者需要准确了解中西文化的背景,保证翻译的准确性,提高商业活动的效益。
谚语的流传都带有一定的小典故,其中蕴含着浓厚的民族气息,也可能是历史文化或者人物传记演变而来,所以在商务英语的翻译过程中,关于谚语的翻译一定要注意文化差异。关于谚语的翻译有三种方法,下面来一一介绍:to be on thin ice 和burnone’s boats 这一类的谚语可以采用套译法,翻译为:如履薄冰和破釜沉舟;to turn a blind eye to 可以采用直译法,翻译为熟视无睹;to ride one’s high horse 可以采用意译法,翻译为趾高气扬;对于有一定典故的谚语,需要熟悉典故的出处,例如Achilles’s heel 这个谚语,直译过来就是“阿基里斯的脚踵”,然而这样的翻译没有太大的意义,首先我们要了解阿基里斯的出处。在希腊神话里面阿基里斯是一位勇士,从没有被打败过,但是敌人找到了他的弱点,就是他的脚踵,然后通过攻击他的脚踵打败了阿基里斯。所以Achilles’s heel 在中国文化里面,翻译为“致命弱点”。
思维方式即人们思考和认识外界事物的方式,它是人类在漫长的历史发展中所形成的。由于欧美和中国所处地区环境不同,因此而形成的风俗习惯、生活条件各不相同,由此而形成了该语言所特有的思维方式。一般说来,西方人比较重视抽象思维。英语在表达思想时,逻辑严谨,由主到次。如英语句子通常先给出主要信息,然后再介绍辅助信息,如时间、地点等等。而汉语言则是散点思维,表达按照多种关系排列,如时间顺序,因果关系等等。同样,英语重视形式逻辑,即形和,在表达时使用各种形式连接词以表示其连接关系;而汉语恰好相反,“汉语句法结构重意合,句中各成分的相互结合多依靠语义的的贯通、语境的映衬,而少用连接词语”。②例如,“早知今日,何必当初?”翻译过来为“If I had known itwould come to this, I would have acted differently.”。上面的汉语句子是由两个分句构成的而没有连接词,但是从逻辑上是从属关系,因此表达意思简洁明了。而翻译成英语时则使用连接词来表达条件和结果的逻辑关系,这符合英语的形和的特点。
翻译中,人们不仅需要注意词的准确性,而且要了解词的内涵意思,而词的内涵意思又是其所承载的文化所决定的。因此如果不了解目标语言的文化,就有可能在翻译中造成理解错误或者语用失误。例如在美国的大街上可以偶尔看到一辆红色或者黑色的小汽车上面喷涂着“I am yellow”的句子。如果直译过来就是“我是黄色的”。而这样的翻译通常让中国人很困惑,在中国人眼里,说一个人是黄色的代表其低俗与下流。其实美国文化中出租车通常是黄色的,因此yellow通常有出租车的意思。因此正确的翻译应该是“这是出租车”。又如美国文化中涉及到狗的成语很多,狗在美国文化中被视为是人的忠实的朋友,因此涉及到狗的成语一般是褒义的,如a lucky dog(幸运儿),Love me, love my dog. (爱屋及乌),Give a dog a bad name and hang him. (欲加之罪,何患无辞)等等,而狗在中国人眼里一般含有贬义,如走狗、狗仗人势、狂犬吠日等等。又如中国人常说“惧内”为“气管炎”(谐音“妻管严”),因此中国开玩笑中的“他有气管炎”如果翻译成“He suffers from trachEitis”在外国人眼里一点也不好笑,外国人会疑惑的问:“So what? Why are you laughing so hard when heis suffering from tracheitis?”这显然是一种翻译的语用失误。如果翻译成“He is an obedient husband.”虽然可以基本表达意思,但是丢失了原话的幽默。因此如果翻译成“He is a henpecked man.”则会在效果上更加惟妙惟肖。
总而言之,语言是人类交流的桥梁,英语和汉语虽然拥有近似的表达方式,但其表达方式的个性特征却不尽相同。正是这些因素,导致了中西方文化差异,让人们在英语翻译过程中产生了许多错误和困惑。因此我们在翻译过程中必须对与中西方文化差异所导致的风俗与礼仪、思维模式以及文化差异引起的词汇歧义加以考虑,多了解西方的风土民俗、文学艺术、宗教信仰及历史背景,透过语句的表面看本质,以达到更加良好、还原度更高的翻译效果。
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随着国际化时代的到来,企业的跨国经营成为常态,国际间沟通和交流正呈现不断发展和扩大的态势,在国际商务活动不断增加的今天,国际商务英语翻译工作显得越来越重要,熟练应用自身水平于能力,准确地翻译商务用语成为商务英语翻译的关键,对于一个企业顺利地进行商务活动来讲更是具有重要的意义。而在商务英语的翻译中,各国的文化差异有着重要的影响,是商务英语翻译过程中不可忽视的因素,中西方国家的文化背景、宗教信仰、风俗习惯和文化传统等有着一定的差异性,因此,商务英语翻译人员必须充分了解各国的文化差异,掌握翻译中的技巧,在交流中准确翻译,促进商务活动的进展,加速全球一体化的进程。
中国和英美国家分处不同的文化圈,文化的核心和重点存在着显著的差异,中国文化重视人伦、强调道德、重在会意、提倡综合,在天地人三者之间主张和谐同意,力图以集体主义和群体意识来实现整个社会的发展。而英美文化更加重视物质,利益是价值观的出发点,对个人的权利和感受更加注重,在人与社会和人与自然的关系上,英美文化更加强调"人"的因素,在一定程度上割裂了人与其他方面的关系。
每种文化都有其独特的文化符号,这是由于不同文化对事物的认知差异造成的,龙是中华文化的瑞兽,象征着吉祥、神圣、威严,这是几千年中国文化不断沉淀,历史不断发展而形成的独特现象。而在英美国家龙被看作是邪恶的代表,在很多国家的传说中都有勇士杀死恶龙的作品,在苏格兰和爱尔兰地区龙还是暴徒和恶妇的代名词。从上面的例子我们可以得出,商务英语翻译中应该根据国家、文化的不同有针对性地选择替代词汇,这样才能避免因文化跨越而阐述的沟通障碍,加速国际商务更为全面地沟通。
中国地处亚洲,英美分处欧美,在地理上存在着位置上的巨大差异,因此,在文化中很多关于地理知识的名词具有本质上的不同,例如:中国人对"东风"有着积极的意愿,"万事俱备只欠东风"就是这一认知的基本代表,在中国文化看来东风有及时、有效、温暖的含义,因此,第二汽车制造厂出产的品牌以"东风"为核心。而在英国由于受到大西洋暖流的影响,同样的含义被"Zephyr(西风)"这一单词替代,这是由于大西洋吹过来的西风给英国带来干爽和温暖的季节,如果不重视此类差异势必给商务英语翻译和深度沟通工作带来巨大的障碍。
英美在宗教信仰上属于基督教文明范畴,文化中基督教和圣经的影响十分明显,特别在英美文化形成和发展的过程中基督教文明起到了决定性的作用,导致英美国家在习惯和思维上对基督教文化都有着不同深度的体现。而中国文化主要受儒家、道家和佛教的影响,汉语中很多耳熟能详的词汇都来自于上述的学说、信仰和宗教,这一现实性差异要在商务英语翻译中加以重视,既不能机械性简单直译,也不能任意拼造,否则会阐述商务活动的障碍,失去英语翻译的价值。
中国文化源远流长,其语言表述的方式也非常复杂,在汉语中的"太阳"一词就有:金轮、大盘、金乌、赤日等称为,不同的地点存在着不同的用法。同样情况在英美文化圈也有相同的现象,"抱歉"对应的词语有:regret、I'm sorry、apology等不同的表达方式。进行商务英语翻译要考虑到语言表述方面的差异,要将商务英语翻译纳入中国和英美两种语言环境,这样才能有效地提高商务英语翻译的表述能力,将商务英语交流与沟通的精髓展现出来。
商务英语翻译的实质是在两种语言之间进行转换,进而实现商务沟通的目标,在商务英语翻译的过程中既要实现不同文化符号之间的转换,同时也应该做到不同商业文化背景和商业行为之间的有效沟通。在商务英语翻译过程中要以文化信息的沟通作为深层次的手段,通过对双方历史和文化的深层次解读来实现进一步地交流,在促进国际商务发展的同时,加速国际文化的融合。商务英语翻译是一项技巧,没有固定的格式和体系,既不能根据原文进行直译,同时也不能凭空捏造,要对国际商务参与者的文化、宗教、信仰和习俗有深层次地把握,利用对方可以接受的语言习惯于交流方式来实现国际商务的沟通,在做好商务英语翻译的基础上,促进国际商务的顺利开展,避免因文化、语言和习惯上的差异给国际商务带来的不便。在国际商务英语翻译中应该讲求方式和方法,这样才能实现更为有效地沟通,在提升商务英语翻译技巧的前提下,使商务英语翻译发挥出应有的作用。当前应该从如下几个方面提升商务英语翻译的技巧:
商务英语翻译质量提升的一个重要前提使对原文的深刻理解,只要将原文所要表达的意图做深层次地研究,才能够了解国际商务活动的实质和真正想法。因此,在商务英语翻译中不能单一观察和理解原文的意义,要进一步挖掘原文的思想和表达的关键,这样才能更好地针对不同国家的文化差异而做到对精神和思想实质的把握,进而利用恰当的词语来实现商务英语翻译工作。
国际商务沟通有着约定俗成的规范,在商务英语翻译过程中应该善于使用这些规范,进而形成商务英语翻译的技巧,这是以为成功商务英语翻译者应该做到的。商务英语翻译工作者要正确认知自身工作的意义,从翻译、传播、渠道等方面借鉴国际商务活动的惯例与习惯,迅速对商务英语翻译工作进行调整,建立起适于商务英语翻译,有利于国际商务交往的相关技巧,通过素质的提升来武装自己,实现对商务英语翻译工作更深层次地发展。
在不同的商务英语翻译活动中应该把握语言的艺术,通过不同的风格来提高商务英语翻译的有效性,实现国际商务交往的深化。与英美人士进行国际商务沟通中要注重用词的恰当和礼仪的周到,在口头沟通中,商务英语翻译要突出礼貌用于,在信函交往中要重视语气的委婉和用词的准确,既要给人礼貌的印象,同时也要做到严谨而周密。
在国际商务交往中应该注重对方的文化背景和个人特质,不能擅自用本民族和本文化圈中的认知来杜撰商务英语翻译,要理解个人是文化的组成部分,个人深受文化影响的深刻含义,要在商务英语翻译中体现出目标语言的文化背景,反映出目标语言的社会特性,从更艺术、更合理的角度对商务英语翻译进行结构,在应用文化和社会相关知识的基础上,平复广大文化间的差异,实现更为有效地商务英语翻译和国际商务沟通。
中国和英美国家在文化、习俗、宗教等方面存在着巨大的差距,这会给商务活动造成诸多的不便,若在英语翻译中没有把握各国的特点,不能够对文化和意识差异进行沟通,则会形成商务英语翻译的困难于问题。商务英语翻译人员应该加深对中国和英美国家习俗、背景、信仰等方面的研究,做到对文化深层次地展示,在提高商务英语翻译准确性和恰当性的基础上,有效实现商务的沟通于交流,在基础上促进国际商务活动的进一步发展,为全球化商务活动的不断深化提供文化与交往的空间和氛围。
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从古至今,中方与西方都存在着无尽的差异,中西文化差异及其对语言学习也有一定的影响。下面是读文网小编带来的关于中西文化差异及其对语言学习的影响论文的内容,欢迎阅读参考!
《中西文化差异对英语学习的影响》
摘 要: 运用文献资料、逻辑分析等方法,主要探讨中西文化差异对英语学习的影响。研究表明:中西文化差异对英语学习的影响突出表现在词汇理解、阅读理解和表达方式等方面,主要受地理环境、思维方式和肢体语言等因素的影响。克服中西文化差异对英语学习的不良影响的主要途径和策略如下:第一,熟悉中西文化差异;第二,培养英语交际能力;第三,转变传统思维方式。
关键词:文化差异;英语学习;中国文化;西方文化
随着经济全球化的深入发展,世界各地文化交流也越来越频繁。而语言在文化交流中扮演着重要角色。在此基础之上,本文主要探讨中西文化差异对英语学习的影响,以期为中国学生更好地学习英语提供参考和借鉴。
1 中西文化差异对英语学习影响的表现
词汇理解上,笔者通过查阅大量文献,总结出:在宗教信仰、神话传说、风俗习惯方面,许多西方国家都有着其本土文化的特色。例如:西方国家将dog视为人类忠实的朋友,用“Love me,love my dog”、“Every dog has his day”等来表达对狗的喜爱。对比看来,中国却用“累成狗”、“看门狗”等来表示贬义。还有Cheesecake汉译为“奶酪蛋糕”,在西方却指女性健美照;beefcake汉译为“牛肉蛋糕”,在西方却指男性健美照;Black tea汉译为黑茶,在西方却指红茶,等等这些,在汉语翻译中都给英语学习者们带来了不少困扰。汉语中雨后春笋在英译中却是“spring up like mushrooms”,多如牛毛在英译中却是“as plentiful as blackberries”。商业中“in the red”,不是盈利,相反却表示亏损、负债。类似的情况比比皆是,看似没有任何关系甚至词意相反的翻译,却因中西文化的差异造成不同层次的影响。
阅读理解上,笔者指出:学习词汇是为了习得词组,学习词组是为了连成句子,学习句子是为了练就段落,学习段落是为了组合成一篇完美的文章。文章几乎涉及到了所有英语类知识,英语基础正是体现在每一篇文章的理解之上。实践表明,在英语文章阅读上,掌握词汇量是难点,而中西文化意识更是重难点。文章从头读到尾,却不能理解作者想表达的核心观念,找不到文章的中心主题,导致对文章不理解,心情烦躁,题目难做,甚至放弃习题。这一点许多英语学习者深有体会。譬如:在第三版《综合英语教程》中第五单元标题“Is my team ploughing”,见此,大家第一感觉就会翻译成“我的团队努力(耕作)吗”或者其他,但是编者想表达意思的却是“我的马队是否在犁耕”,联系了A.E.Housman的诗歌题目,重点讲述的是“生死”,旨在表达作者告诫世人“Live in the present and cherish what we have”。翻译上的差异,导致我们对本单元的主题产生误导,甚至不理解文章大意。由此可见,对西方文化知识的缺乏会极大影响我们对文章的理解能力。
表达方式上,中国人往往会以“你吃饭了吗”、“你要去哪里”等作为开头语,而译为英语则是“Have you eaten yet”、“Where are you going”,在西方人看来却是被邀请去吃饭、约在某地玩,碰撞在一起便会尴尬。而西方人大多用“Good morning/afternoon/evening”、“Find day,isn’t it”来作为自己的开场白。送客时汉语中常会用到“一路平安”或“慢走”,翻译成英文却不是字面的“Go slowly”,而是“Take care”或“Watch your step”,旨在出门要小心。在接受礼物方面,中国人较为含蓄,收到礼物后不拆开,为不让他人认为贪心等性质,而西方人却大都会当面拆开礼物,以示自己对礼物的喜爱,更是对送礼人的一种尊重。
2 中西文化差异对英语学习影响的原因
从地理环境的角度看,中国文化主要是指以黄河中、下游流域及长江流域为轴心发展起来的华夏文明,或曰中国文化;西方文化则主要是指以爱琴海、地中海为中心兴起的古希腊文明、古罗马文明、古埃及文明。黄河、长江流域为大陆提供了农业方便,因此,中国文化更大程度上属于农业文化。北海、大西洋等海洋围绕着西方国家,为其摇篮,为其捎去航海方面的商业福利,因此,西方文化更大程度上属于海洋文化。中国兴种水稻瓜果蔬菜,“稻花香里说丰年,听取蛙声一片”、“忽如一夜春风来,千树万树梨花开”等绘出了有声有色的农业文化。西方国家在海洋中成长,“all at sea”、“To keep one’s head above water”等都会用“water”来表现资源丰富的海洋文化。中国地处东、北半球,在中国人心目中的东风是温暖的春风,而西北风才是寒冷的。英国地处西半球,北温带,海洋性气候,感知到春天的消息的却是西风。在不少英文著作翻译中,翻译者尤其要注意的是二者文化的差异造成读者理解上的干扰,而文明的起源首先也是要依赖于地理环境。
从思维方式的角度看,中西家庭教育的目的上亦有所差别:美国家庭教育目的期望值不太高,旨在培养孩子的独立能力,让孩子自己去习得新的知识及能力,父母并不为子女的将来而担忧,只是将其个性中积极成分挖掘出来,指引孩子前进的道路,让孩子独自去旅行。譬如:Bill Gates――微软公司主席和首席软件设计师,他小学时发现了自己在软件方面的兴趣,并于13岁开始了计算机编程,不畏惧未来,勇敢尝试的他,最终取得成功。相比较之下,中国家庭教育目的期望值高,“望子成龙,望女成凤”正是这样一种体现,父母为孩子铺好未来的道路,让孩子专心致志投入学习,却极大忽视他们潜在的天赋及创造力。因此,孩子们培养成了死记硬背的习惯,却忽视单词之间的相互贯通、联用,极大影响到孩子们的兴趣以及英语学习的积极性,导致其成绩下降,畏惧英语。笔者指出,大多数英语学习者在翻译时直译了文章,或者轻描淡写译出文章大意,并没有深入去感悟文章的中心思想,没有深入作者的内心世界,只是以偏概全去翻译文章,效果自然不佳。
从肢体语言的角度看,不同领域也有不尽相同的含义。众所周知,点头表示同意,摇头表示否定,高兴时张嘴呲牙,生气时瞪大眼睛似有火焰,痛苦忧伤时会眉头紧锁、面无表情,因为人类天生的面部表情并不受文化的制约。另一方面,中国对OK手势的理解是数字“0”或“3”,在西方国家却用来征求对方意见或回答对方征求意见的回话;中国对V手势的理解是数字“2”,在西方国家大多表示胜利“Victory”;在中国,竖起大拇指表示夸奖、敬佩对方,在西方国家更多用来表示搭乘车。见面时,西方人较讲究“见面礼仪”,女性间的“亲吻礼”,特别在于久别重逢的母女,而在中国,却是少之又少的情景,较多的是二者间的握手、拥抱。由此表明,中西风俗习惯的差异极大程度上抑制了二者间的交流理解。随着中国日益走向国际化市场,与西方交流合作也日益增多,汉文化中的肢体语言在一定程度上受到了西方文化习俗的影响,做到了中西文化完美的契合。但中国传统文化仍然是根深蒂固的,具有相对的稳定性,“自卑而尊大,贬己而尊人”则被视为汉文化的传统美德。而西方人却旨在追求个人主义,为实现平等自由、个人隐私以及自我发展的传统原则思想。
3 克服中西文化差异对英语学习影响的途径和策略
首先熟悉中西文化差异。中西方文化都有着悠久的历史,他们在发展过程中形成了独具特色的风俗文化,英语学习者要学好英语,不仅仅要深度理解词根、语法、句意,了解西方文化历史背景以及风俗习惯更是提高英语水平的一个大的工程。了解西方文化背景知识,可以理解西方的价值观念、风俗习惯,感受异国风情以拓宽学生的知识面。多查阅西方国家历史文化的相关书籍、资料,多观看西方电影,更有甚者,学习英文歌曲,都能在其中习得新的知识,感悟语言的魅力,拉近中英的距离,提高英语学习效率及水平。
其次培养英语交际能力。增强对英语国家的了解、锻炼学生口语,有助于提高英语交际运用能力。学习英语是为加强国与国之间的交流,疏通国与国之间的脉络,做到和平共处。口语在国际、生活上都占相当高的地位,学习者学习英语的同时,难点亦是口语的表达。中国学生含蓄,以文字代替语言,西方国家学生开放,以语言与他人交流。由此可见,口语的培养是必不可少了,学生自觉主动锻炼口语语感,老师督促同学口语练习,为学生培养出一定的环境,用配音来展示学生的风采。
最后转变传统思维方式。在英语的学习中,将中西结合考虑周到就要求一改以往死记硬背,倡导单词联想法,将每一个单词都灵活运用到文章甚至生活中。根据自己的英语学习能力,为自己量身制定一套属于自己的学习方法。当中国的传统式碰上西方国家的开放式,要学会判断哪种方法更利于英语学习,选择其一又或者二者相结合,创造出双赢甚至多赢。与此同时,深入了解双方文化的特点,民族心理、宗教信仰和风俗习惯,对肢体语言在中西文化中要规范礼仪文明,入乡随俗的信仰也会更多的避免交际失误。
4 结语
英语学习的最终目的是培养语言应用能力,体现在英语交际能力以及国际交流能力。随着中国在国际上的地位越来越高,与其他国家的合作越来越多,这就要求中国不断建立起彼此间良好的合作关系。越来越多的人逐渐意识到文化在国际交流间的重要性了,而交际能力也离不开对其他国家文化的了解。我们不仅要掌握语言的表面形式,还要熟悉语言深层次的精神文化内涵及其重要意义。学习中西方文化差异是培养交际能力的基础,对英汉两种语言差异性原因进行比较研究,不断探索语言的文化内涵,不断实践国际交流合作,就能提高对中西文化差异的敏感度。中国要发展、要富强,就要做好国际间的交流,与世界各国和平共处,创造共同的精神文明世界!
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中西文化价值观差异及对各自语言的影响》
摘要: 集体主义与个人主义是中西两种文化不同价值观的核心。语言是一种社会文化现象,是社会文化的产物,社会文化又制约着语言使用者的思维方式和表达能力。本文拟探索中西两种不同文化价值观的渊源及其对各自语言的影响。
关键词:中西文化 价值观差异 语言 影响
语言与文化的关系极为密切。语言是一种社会文化现象,是社会文化的产物。任何语言的生存发展都离不开其赖以生长的社会文化环境。社会文化又在一定程度上制约着语言使用者的思维方式和表达能力。语言是文化的载体,而信息丰富的文化又是蕴涵于语言之中的。中西方文化价值观的核心内容就是集体主义与个人主义。
一、中西文化的核心价值观――集体主义与个人主义
在中国,“个人主义”作为异域文化的核心价值观,我们往往能够意识到那些在西方文化语境中被想当然的东西,但是它与我们离得太远,我们由于缺少相应的历史和现实境遇而无法获得对个人主义的真切理解。对于个人主义,中国的学术界有多种理解:“个人主义是奴隶主阶级、地主阶级和资产阶级共同的思想基础和道德原则”;“是资产阶级的意识形态,是以个人为本位和目的的,是资本主义政治、经济、思想制度的最重要的理论基础之一”;“是一种强调个人自由、个人利益,强调自我支配的政治、伦理学说和社会哲学。实质上是一种从个人至上出发,以个人为中心来看待世界,看待社会和人际关系的世界观。个人主义的膨胀,必然会损害他人利益和社会整体利益,破坏社会人际关系的和谐,因而为共产主义道德所不容”。由此看来,“个人主义”这个词语在中国有着多种贬义理解,这与西方文化价值观是不相符合的。
在西方,个人主义(individualism)是其文化的核心价值观。个人主义首先表现为强调个人自由最大化。这种个人自由表现为他们的个人意志不受任何政府、统治阶级、教会和其他官方的干涉。个人主义价值体系可以概括为三个方面:一、一切价值都是以人为中心的,即价值都是人所经验到的(但不必为人类所创造);二、个人就是目的本身,个人是最高的价值,社会存在仅仅是实现个人目的的手段;三、所有个人都是道义上平等的,这种平等的最佳表述是,任何个人都不可被当作他人谋求利益的手段。
中国文化的核心价值观是集体主义,它的基本内涵包括:广大人民群众的根本利益是一切言论和行动的出发点和归宿;以集体利益为基础,把国家利益和个人利益结合起来;当上述三者利益发生冲突时,强调集体利益高于个人利益,在保证集体利益的前提下保障个人利益。
二、中西各自文化价值观的渊源
个人主义作为一种完备的理论形态是伴随着西方社会政治、经济、文化的发展,直到19世纪才正式确立的一套现代思想体系,而自私自利、自我中心的意识则从人类诞生之日起便根植在人们心中了。现代个人主义理论可以追溯到西方文明的源头:古希腊――罗马文明和希伯莱――____文明。16世纪开始的文艺复兴以一种狂欢的形式唤醒了沉睡在人们心中的自我意识,从而使个人正式登上了历史的舞台,宗教改革运动以一种更强大、更深刻、更进入自身内质的方式在个体灵魂的深处真正确立了个人的尊严和价值。
集体观念在中国源远流长,历史上有关国家、民族意义上的大集体观念和家族、宗族、家庭意义上的小集体观念历时久远。受两千多年封建宗法“集体观念”的浸染,中国没有产生类似西方近代资产阶级价值观意义的个人主义,因此,与历史上各种形式和内涵的集体观念不同,社会主义集体价值原则是我国社会主义特有的新型道德原则。
三、中西文化差异对各自语言的影响
语言和文化是密不可分的,语言是一种社会文化现象,是社会文化的产物。任何语言的生存发展都离不开其赖以生长的社会文化环境。社会文化又在一定程度上制约着语言使用者的思维方式和表达能力。语言是文化的载体,而信息丰富的文化又是蕴涵于语言之中的。
英语中许多词汇在汉语里是没有对应词的,西方家庭中,父母与孩子是平等的,他们之间可以直呼姓名,这也是西方文化尊重自我的体现;在中国的封建文化中,家庭中有着严格的辈分制度家庭成员之间的关系非常复杂,强烈的封建等级思想在婚姻和继承遗产上都有体现。“grandson”这一词语在汉语中可以包括六代人:孙、曾孙、玄孙、来孙、仍孙、云孙。众所周知,英美人对人的称呼,名在前、姓在后,人的姓名是以名、姓为序排列组成的。西方人第一名又称教名,是受法律承认的正式名字,例如Benjamin Franklin。中国人是把祖宗的姓放前面,名随其后,例如毛泽东、周恩来。在填写简历时,特别是填写教育背景时,中国人是按照时间先后写,由最低层次到最高层次的;而西方人是按最近的教育培训往前写,由最高层次到最低层次的。在英语的信函写地址是从小到大,即门牌号、街区、镇、市、省、国名,而汉语信函中的地址是从大写到小,即国名、省、市、镇、街区、门牌号,例如,中华人民共和国山东省烟台市莱山区滨海中路191号。
近年来许多美国大学都推行美语“三不”:“不用难字”、“不用长句”、“不写不讲含偏见的词和句”。即尽量使用简短易懂的白话英语,使人一目了然,充分理解。这样做不仅可以节省思索时间,还可以避免对方的误解。中文的许多俗语都大量运用比喻,深含哲理,例如,“少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲”、“解铃还需系铃人”等。
语言是社会文化的产物,社会文化又在一定程度上制约着语言使用者的思维方式和表达能力。强调集体利益高于个人利益,在保证集体利益的前提下保障个人利益的社会主义集体主义的新型道德原则与强调个人自由最大化的个人主义是中西方两种不同文化价值观的核心,它们的产生与存在都有着深厚的历史渊源,并对各自的语言系统有着深远影响。
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[4]张灵灵.旅游英语翻译浅谈[J].贵州商业高等专科学校学报,2005,(3).
《浅谈中西文化差异对语言翻译的影响》
摘 要 语言翻译不仅是对原文的重新排列编码,有时要从文化的角度对原文进行诠释,翻译在一定程度上受到文化差异的影响。本文试图从思维方式、价值取向、宗教信仰和风俗习惯四个方面进行分类分析,结合实例探讨翻译过程中应注意的问题。
关键词 文化差异 语言 翻译
1 思维方式的影响
1.1 顺向与逆向
不同文化背景的人在观察同一现象时,其角度和顺序存在不同甚至完全相反,作为翻译的人员需格外注意。最常见的如信笺地址的书写,中文习惯从国家省份到市区街道,由大到小,而英文正好相反。再如表示方位,中文通常以“东西南北”为顺序,而西方人习惯按祷告时划十字的先后顺序来表达,即clear divisions of the earth’s surface are usually called North, South, East, West. 因此中文的“东北”应译为northeast才符合习惯。同样,关于打折,汉语着眼于打折后的实际付款比率,如“九折”,而英语着眼于打掉的折扣,用ten percent discount表示;汉语说“自学”,强调学,而英语说“self-taught”, 强调教;汉语说“寒衣”,而英语却说“warm clothes”。
1.2 求同与求异
中国的传统文化强调“大一统”的思想,西汉的“罢黜百家,独尊儒术”,“春秋大一统者,天地之长径,古今之通义也”奠定了其根本的思想基础,儒家的礼教,科举的八股,经过多年来统治阶级的倡导和时间的沉淀,形成统一的价值标准和行为规范。这体现到思维方式上,力求“异中求同”、“整齐”、“一刀切”、“随大流”等等。而西方文化在民主、人权、独立的氛围中,多强调个体、创新、忌同和立异,认为批判不是为了废除知识,而是开拓创新,增长知识。纵观西方文明史,不同时期各流派、不同学术团体和思想体系并存。个体主义的影响使之形成不易苟同和挑战权威,更喜各抒己见的个性。亚里士多德曾说过“吾爱吾师,吾更爱真理”。正因如此,当外宾看到学校学生一律坐的整整齐齐,手统一放背后,教室鸦雀无声时,甚是不解。再如,“随便”两字在点菜时频频出现,或是说“客随主便”,对应的英语up to you。中国文化强调不要让主人太为难,万一我提的要求他做不到怎么办,考虑甚多。而西方文化则认为这没有个性。例如,在告别晚宴上的讲话一律是“风景很美丽,人们很友好,接待很热情”。深知文化差异的翻译灵机一动,将讲话翻译为“牛排能否煮烂一点;多数人不懂外文,能否将材料译成中文;马桶不习惯,最好是蹲坑”。结果这些建议被如获至宝,过好久还表示感谢。
2 价值取向的影响
首先,对时间的看法不同。中国人崇尚悠久的历史,在时间上采取过去取向。如“老”在中文中往往意味着资历、经验和权威。当表示尊敬时也习惯用“老”字,如王老,您老,老先生,老革命,姜是老的辣等。但对应的英语old 一词在英语中含有失去竞争力和可能被淘汰的危险。所以,在翻译中应注意避免使用。如表示上了年纪,可以说in one’s golden age, in one’s advanced age, the mature, the longer living, a seasoned man, senior citizens. 公汽上老人专座应译为courtesy seats.
其次,谦逊的程度。中国人习惯谦逊内敛,甚至自贬。如招待时常说“家常便饭,没什么菜”等等。西方人费解,也许心里会问,十个凉菜,十个热菜,为什么还说没有菜。既然菜不好,为什么不把好菜端出来呢?换做他们,就会说“这是我们这里最好的菜”,如果是在家里做客,就说“这是我夫人最拿手的菜”。同时,中文称呼别人家为令尊、高堂,说自己家是鄙人、贱内、犬子,对于英语是一样的,就是your father, your mother, I , my wife, my son 等等。
再次,人与人之间的距离差异。中国人习惯将家庭视为内团体,其他人是外团体。在内团体中,自我与他人的距离很近。所以,表示感谢一类的话多用于外团体中。即使是非家庭成员,有时也会认为是“自己人”,做点事是应该的,说谢的话就太“见外”了。相比之下,西方人的心理距离要大一些,他们区分的是自己和其他人,包括家人在内。他们认为除自己以外的任何人都要说thank you。就是夫妇两人一起出去吃饭,也习惯各自付账。这种潜移默化的人与人之间的距离也反映在称谓上。中文中的亲属称谓数目远多于英语,也更细化,还常用来称呼非血缘关系的人。如孩子称呼长辈为叔叔、爷爷等。这在中国人看来是一种很好的沟通,可以拉近双方距离,而西方人不会随便用这些称呼,会引起误会。同样,西方人忌讳谈论年龄、婚姻、收入、小孩等,认为那是个人隐私,他人无权干涉,而中国人习惯谈论上述话题,反而认为是关心和亲密。
另外,如何对待个人安全感的基础也不尽相同。中国人往往习惯从社会关系中寻求安全感,首先在亲属和自己的社会圈子中寻找,再向外逐步扩展,形成互相依赖的特点。如常说的“在家靠父母,出门靠朋友”,“大树底下好乘凉”,“一个兄弟三个帮”,“老乡见老乡,两眼泪汪汪”。而西方文化强调独立和靠自己。他们认可的英雄是“自我成功的人”(a self-made man)或“白手起家的人”(going from rages to riches)。英语谚语说“自助者天助”(God helps those that help themselves),“自我是我们的核心”(Self is our center),“生活就是战斗”(Life is a battle)。这些谚语都告诫人们,只有靠自己,才能获得成功和安全感。
3 宗教信仰的影响
宗教在西方历史和思想文化上有着举足轻重的作用,同样也反映到社会生活的方方面面,对生活方式都有根深蒂固的影响。西方人多信____和天主教,而中国主信佛教、道教等。因此,中文讲“佛光普照”,“佛祖留心中”,“万信向佛”,而大量英语的习语出自圣经或希腊神话,如Helen of Troy(美人祸水),restless like Ulysses(劳顿不休),Achilles’s heel(唯一致命的弱点), Pandora’s box(大祸临头)。看到朋友打喷嚏会连忙说“God bless you”(上帝保佑你),因为根据西方人的古老传说,打喷嚏会喷出气息,连魂魄都会一起跑掉,当然需要上帝保佑一命了。又如英国人常常会对拙于言辞的人说“You should have kissed the Blarney Stone”(你早该亲一下布拉芮城的那块石头了)。原来在爱尔兰的Blarney城有快怪石,据说只要在这石头上亲一下,笨嘴笨舌的人就会变得口齿伶俐。再如,当有人说“My ears are burning.”(我的两耳发热了)就表示有人在背后造谣。中文常说的“望子成龙,望女成凤”,不能直接翻译成“dragon, phoenix ”,因为“龙”和“凤”在西方文化中是两种妖怪,而要翻译成“somebody”,即“人物”。可见,在这种情况下的翻译,多半不能直译,只能根据出处,尽量保留原文特点后,翻译出其潜台词。
4 风俗习惯的影响
不同民族的风俗习惯对语言同样有深远的影响。中国人见面习惯以“吃了吗?”“到哪去?”作为打招呼,有时并没有真正意义上的想获取信息,因此不能直译为“Have you had your meal?”“Where are you going?”只需简单地说“hello, hi ”就行了。曾有文章报道说,中方一位领导在与美国的老客户见面时,一时忘记了对方国家的习俗,为了表示热心和亲切,马上迎上去问:“你们去哪里了?可把你们盼来了。”这句话如果照直译,容易引起对方的误解甚至反感,翻译按照西方的习惯译为“It’s a lovely day today, isn’t it? And it’s a great pleasure to see you”,因为谈论天气这个中性话题,是西方人见面时的主要问候习惯,这样就使双方感到既自然又亲切,同时又为谈判营造了一种良好的气氛。
综上所述,中西文化的差异普遍存在,民族个性不仅不会因为时间的流逝而消失,还会随着文化精华的不断沉淀和社会历史的日益进步而影响一代又一代的人,这会让翻译过程中遇到许多复杂的困难和新的问题。因此,在翻译过程中,除了要精通两种语言外,还必须通晓两种或多种文化,经过仔细分析,精心推敲,才能有效地处理好各种文化差异现象。
参考文献
[1] 包惠南.文化语境与语言翻译[M].北京:中国对外翻译出版公司,2003.
[2] 金惠康.跨文化交际翻译[M].北京:中国对外翻译出版公司,2000.
[3] 刘季春.实用翻译教程[M].广州:中山大学出版社,2000.
[4] 杨自俭.英汉语比较与翻译(第三册)[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2002.
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东西方思维方式的差异主要体现在辩证思维与逻辑思维上,一般用辩证思维来描述东方人,尤其是中国人的思维方式;用逻辑思维或者分析思维来描述西方人,尤其是欧美人的思维方式。今天读文网小编将与大家分享:谈东西方文化差异以及对国际贸易的影响相关论文。具体内容如下:
摘要 :随粉经济全球化进程的深化,国际贫易活动与交往的须繁进行,不用国家与民族,尤其是东西方文化差异在国际贫易中的影响日益凸现,充分了解和认识文化差异,并来取恰当的方法和措施应时国际贫易交往中的丈化差异在当今世界1得尤为重要。
关键词:国际贫易文化差异
论文正文:
谈东西方文化差异以及对国际贸易的影响
国际贸易就是国际间的商品和劳务的交换。由于人的购买行为是由需求决定的,而需求受文化背景制约,人们总是依照本民族的文化习惯、文化标准和风俗来审视和评价外来文化,在国际贸易这种跨文化的经济活动中,任何细节都无时不受到不同文化的冲击。所以说在国际贸易中,适应特定文化环境的企业就能抓住消费者的需求,取得巨大的成功,不能很好把握文化环境的特点和消费者的需求,其国际贸易活动就难以展开,可见能否适应不同国家的文化氛围是国际贸易成败的关键。在现代东西方国际贸易中影响国家间跨文化交际的文化差异,主要表现为以下几个方面:
价值观是人们对好与坏、美与丑、值与不值、干净与肮脏、正确与错误、善良与残酷、公正与不公正、得体与不得体所进行判断的标准。价值观寓于人的思想之中,是控制行为选择的心理活动,是人们对周围的世界进行思考并使自己与之适应的活动。
东方文化注重“和为贵”,以“和”体现其最核心的宗旨。而在西方人的意识中,全局的观念比较淡薄,个人的利益是至上的。西方人在道义上没有东方人的背负,他们只知道为生存而奋斗;为利益而争斗;为欲望而决斗。获取个人利益是其社会行为的指南,也是其事业成功的支柱。
西方人尊重个人权力,向往自由,崇尚平等,他们心目中理想的社会是一个任何人,无论出身贵贱,都能站在同一条起跑线上从头开始的社会,这一“平等”观念体现在行为模式中常表现为对陌生人甚至是家人的过份客气和礼貌,如对任何服务都要说声“谢谢”,作完报告也要说声“谢谢”,对待家庭成员甚至是晚辈也是“谢谢”挂在嘴边,连打个喷嚏也要说声“对不起”。
东西方思维方式的差异主要体现在辩证思维与逻辑思维上,一般用辩证思维来描述东方人,尤其是中国人的思维方式;用逻辑思维或者分析思维来描述西方人,尤其是欧美人的思维方式。中国人的辩证思维包含着三个原理:变化论、矛盾论及中和论。变化论认为世界永远处于变化之中,没有永恒的对与错;矛盾论则认为万事万物都是由对立面构成的矛盾统一体,没有矛盾就没有事物本身;中和论则体现在中庸之道上,认为任何事物者街年在着适度的合理性。
对中国人来说,“中庸之道”经过数千年的历史积淀,甚至内化成了自己的性格特征。与中国人的辩证思维不同,西方人的思维是一种逻辑思维。这种思维强调世界的同一性、非矛盾性和排中性。同一胜认为事物的本质不会发生变化,一个事物永远是它自己;非矛盾性相信一个命题不可能同时对或错;排中性强调一个事物要么对,要么错,无中间性。西方人的思维方式也叫分析思维,他们在考虑问题的时候不像中国人那样追求折衷与和谐,而是喜欢从一个整体中把事物分离出来,对事物的本质特性进行逻辑分析。正是因为思维方式取向的不同,在不少情况下,东方人和西方人在对人的行为归因上往往正好相反:美国人强调个人的作用,而中国人强调环境和他人的作用。东方人信仰理想主义,重视主观看法。西方人则信奉现实主义,重视客观事实,一切以数据和事实为依据。
人的思想是通过语言来表达的,而语言的表达又必须根据习惯。东西方国家有着不同的风俗习惯,他们在传统生活方式、爱好、忌讳等方面体现出的风土人情都不尽相同。在对颜色的理解上,红色在中国象征喜庆吉祥,而在西方,红色常常让人联想到危险、鲜血和死亡,产生恐俱}L}理。
白色在西方象征纯洁无暇,而在中国常常让人想起丧葬的场面;黄色在中国象征富贵,而在伊斯兰教国家却代表死亡。在图案的喜好上也有较大的差异,如孔雀在缅甸象征喜庆,在英国却象征祸害;土耳其禁用绿色三角形等。再如,龙和凤在中国,龙是图腾的形象,在图腾发展的进一步神圣化之后,形成了龙,凤等具有多种动物特征的综合性图腾形象,在我国龙凤指才能优异的人,龙比喻豪杰志士。
汉民族素以“龙的传人”自称,以“龙的子孙”自豪;凤也是一种神异的动物,凤在中国指优良女子,还有太平昌盛之意。而在西方龙和凤完全不是这个意思,在西方,龙是罪恶和邪恶的代表,西方的凤,是再生复活的意思。在英语中,龙所引起的联想与“龙”在中文中所引起的联想完全不同。还有西方人时常用亲吻和拥抱来表示亲热和友好,也常用于表达友情,而在中国的亲吻和拥抱却主要用来表达爱情。另外中国人喜欢“6”、“8”,而日本则忌“6”,英语国家的人受基督教影响不喜欢数字“13",若13日又是星期五,则更不愿举行或参加社交活动。中国人没有这一忌讳,但是在与英语国家的人交往中,就不能不注意避开这个数目了。
综上所述,由于东西方国家的历史发展不同,在其漫长的历史长河中所沉淀形成的历史文化也不相同,历史文化的不同往往会使人们形成对待同一事物上的不同观念。在国际贸易活动中,不同文化背景的人在时间观念、决策方式和处理冲突的态度上也就存在较为明显的差异。
因此,在跨文化交际的国际贸易中,由于文化差异表现在诸多方面。跨文化交际成败的关键就在于正确对待文化差异,坚持不懈地排除文化优越感、文化模式化和文化偏见的干扰,正确对人,正确待己,相互尊重,平等交往,面对无形的文化差异,靠一种文化完全地压制或征服另一种文化是不可能的。减小文化差异的影响最有效的方法就是文化的融合,而这种融合又需要相当长的时间。现阶段,对于我们来说首先就是要转变观念,积极采取措施,应对文化的差异障碍,只有这样,才能在国际贸易活动中成功地进行跨文化交际。
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今天读文网小编要与大家分享的是外语翻译论文:从习语中看翻译和文化的关系以及影响文化的相关因素。具体内容如下,欢迎参考阅读:
The Relation between Translation and Culture from the Aspect of Idioms and the Factors which Influence the Culture
(从习语中看翻译和文化的关系以及影响文化的因素)
This thesis concludes my postgraduate study in Henan Normal University. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the professors in the College of Foreign Language, whose preciseness and strictness set a good example for me in the future academic career. I felt gratitude especially goes to my supervisor , Guo Yingzhen ,whose illuminating instruction and endless assistance have greatly conduced to the accomplishment of this thesis.
I’m also very grateful to the teachers who have taught me in various ways during the course of my study for the bachelor’s degree.Especially I would like to thank Professor Guo Yingzhen and other professors in the Faulty of Foreign institution who inspired me a lot.
Last but not least, I contribute this article to my dear family for their help during my college life.
翻译是一个复杂的过程,对于文化翻译尤其如此。一般来说,翻译涉及语言以及文化。译者应该知道外国文化以及文化自己的人民。此外,译者应连续比较两种文化之间的等价获得意义。翻译的主要任务是翻译源语言到目标语言。如何消除不同文化之间的语言障碍,如何传达源语言的意义的重点到底是不同国家的人。本文说明了不同文化的影响已经在翻译。文能从不同的方面分析:如思维的差异,心理学的文化之间的差异,不同的宗教、环境和生活环境不同的人,等等。
翻译是一个复杂的过程,它是关于文化翻译尤其如此。一般来说,翻译涉及语言以及文化。译者应该知道外国文化以及文化自己的人民。此外,译者应连续比较两种文化之间的等价获得意义。翻译的主要任务是翻译源语言到目标语言。如何消除不同文化之间的语言障碍,如何传达源语言的意义。本文说明了不同文化的影响已经在翻译。文能从不同的方面分析:如思维的差异,心理学的文化之间的差异,不同的宗教、环境和生活环境不同的人,等等。 关键字:翻译;文化意识;文化和思维;文化差别;习语
Translation is a complex process, especially when we translate the cultural text. Generally speaking ,translation involves language as well as culture. A translator should know foreign culture as well as the culture of his own people. Moreover ,a translator should make continuous comparisons between the two cultures for getting the equivalence meaning . The major task of translation is to translate the source language to the target language How to get rid of the language barrier between different culture, how to convey the meaning of the source language exactly is the focus of the people in different countries. This thesis illustrate the influences of different cultures have upon translation. Wen can analysis it from different aspects: such as the difference of thinking, the psychology of culture, the difference between different religion, the environment and living surroundings of different people, and so on.
Key Words: translation; the consciousness of culture; culture and thinking; cultural difference; idioms
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments I
Abstract III
Table of Contents IV
Introduction 1
PART ONE THE CONCEPT OF TRANSLATION AND CULTURE 2
1.1 The concept of translation 3
1.2 The concept of culture 5
PART TWO THE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE CULTURE 7
2.1 Religion 7
2.2 The psychology of culture 8
2.3 The way of thinking 9
2.4 different ways of life 10
2.5 Geographical environment 14
2.6 Geographical environment 15
PART THREE BETWEEN CULTURE AND TRANSLATION 16
CONSLUSIONS 18
Bibliography 19
Introduction
This article contains the concept of translation and the concept of culture. The aim of translation is to making communication. Human’s social development and process need translation and human’s social development and progress should make communication between different nations, and during the process of communication, translation is indispensable. Translation, as an cultural phenomenon, thinking activity, related to the era and social background all in all. Translation is to render the meaning of a text into another language in the way the author intended the text. Translation is an art that involves the re-creation of a work in another language for readers with a different background. Culture is a very broad concept, to give it a rigorous and precise definition is a very difficult thing. Many philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists, historians and linguists have been trying to define the concept of culture from the perspective of the respective discipline. However, so far it still has not have a recognized and satisfactory definition. According to statistics, about "culture" at least, it has more than two hundred kinds of different definition. Broadly speaking, culture is a social phenomenon, which is the creation of the products for a long time. But it is also a kind of historical phenomenon and is the social history remains. Rather, culture refers to a state or national history, geography, local conditions and customs, traditions, lifestyles, literature and art, behavior standards, way of thinking, values, etc. When we translate something, the background of the culture and the background of history should be considered. The relation between culture and translation is very close in a great extent. In this context, we analysis this problem from different aspects: the way of thinking, the psychology of thinking, and the customs and habits in different nations. If the background of culture and history is ignored, the truly meaning of the context will be lost.
PART ONE THE CONCEPT OF TRANSLATION AND CULTURE
One linguist in China has said: “what is the most difficult thing during the process of translation , it is the differences between two cultures.” Nida has mentioned this too: “translation is the communication between two different cultures.” And we can not ignore the importance of the background of culture and the background of history if we want to translate a piece of text which contains the information about culture or some thing else. When translating some thing, mastering the knowledge of culture and history is indispensable. There are too much factors which can influence the culture of the source language.
Zhu Guangqian, one writer in modern times, thinks the associate meaning is the most difficult thing when we translate one language into another language. Because in the dictionary you can not find the truly meaning under a certain context.
But for literary study, it is one important factor you can not ignore. This requires us to know the custom and habit of the country we want to translate the language of it. Or we will find we do not know how to translate when we are given a piece of text. We can take a poem as an example. For example the poem:
《静夜思》 “窗前明月光,疑是地上霜。举头望明月。低头思故乡。”
Using English, we can not convey the essence of this poem without the background of old Chinese and the thought when the author write this poem. And there are so many versions of it. For instance:
(1) In the still of the night : I descry bright moonlight in front of my bed. I suspect it to be hoary frost on the floor. I watch the bright moon, as I tile back my head. Yearn, while stooping, for my home land more.
(2) A tranquil night: before my bed I see a silver light, I think the ground is covered with hoar frost. Raising my head, I find the full moon bright; and bowing down, in thought of home I’m lost. And there are lots of other versions translated by other translators. No matter which version , the emotion of the author must be considered, or they will ruin the essence of the poem. Tyler, one anthropologist in England, whose book primitive culture raises the concept of culture and describes it as “culture is a kind of complex abilities and habits, which includes knowledge, faith, art, moral, law and custom”. Thus we can know the wide coverage of culture, it is a complex system. Language, as a component of culture, reflect the phenomenon of a resourceful culture.
Translation is so difficult as language reflect the culture, which conveys to much cultural content and limited by culture. Once language entered the human’s life as a tool of communication, the problem of cultural connotation and the ability of express something will arise. This not only requires the translator master the knowledge of bilingual ability but multilingual ability, especially they must know the consciousness of two different culture, religious culture and the geographic features, the historical customs and traditions, the process of forming culture, etc. For these factors, the language cultures of different nations reflect their own national features and the background of the nation.
1.1 The concept of translation
There are many different definitions of translation, in The Oxford English Dictionary it means “to turn from one language into another ”. Or recreating according the original text. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language gives us the definition of translation is “to turn into one’s own or another language”. While the definition in Columbia Encyclopedia is that translation is the art of recomposing a work in another language without losing its original flavor. “Translation is the replacement of textual material in one language by equivalent textual in another language.(J.C.Catford, 1994)”. “Translation consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style. (Eugene Nida, 1969)”. Translation is an old and young work, which come into exist since the old times and it becomes so hot in modern times.
Translation is the need of human’s development and progress. The concept of translation can be defined from two aspects: broad sense and narrow sense. Generalized translation refers to the language and the language, language variation and language variants, such as language and nonverbal code conversion which convey the basic information. Extension of the concept is quite broad, including his translation between different languages, translation between language variation, language and other symbols of the communication conversion, etc. The contents of translation rules only emphasizes the "basic information", does not emphasize "completely loyal". Some translation theorists put forward the understanding and translation theory, so the language and thinking are also included in the general translation.
Narrow sense translation is a linguistic activity, which is a kind of language to express the content of the faithfully expressed in another language. This definition emphasizes "translation is a language activity". The nature of translation determines the narrow sense ,which indicates that it is a human’s communicative approach in language communication, which emphasis on "one language to another language",which ruled out unification between different variants of translation between languages, which emphasis on "faithfully", avoiding the confusion of the translation and interpretation or rewrite. For example:"Sent someone to Coventry" refers to “reject someone”. The Coventry is a small town in UK, where the people hate soldiers very much, so when the soldier
was sent after Coventry, there will be people from the group. Look at this sentence “1 will be with you from the egg to apples”, if translated into "I will eat eggs and apples with you”.It sounds obviously puzzling. Be translation should "I will always be with you"? This is because "in the west, people always eat eggs, bread and drink milk for breakfast, and finally a dish always ended up with desserts including apple". Then, from the egg to the apple, from dawn to dusk, from the beginning until after the most. Again, such as, "fishery occupies an important position in the British Isles, so that the British fish (fish) is commonly used to represent all kinds of people, poor fish (poor), a strange fish (eccentric)". If the translation were translated into the big fish, small fish and poor fish, can every person can really understand the meaning of it, sometimes may even make a joke.
Translation is not simply a matter of seeking other words with similar meaning but of finding appropriate ways of saying things in another language. Different languages, may use different linguistic forms. Translation is also the social and psychological activities. One should be familiar with one’s own culture and be aware of the source language culture before the attempting to build any bridge with an alien culture that requires that its message be conveyed in anything but a alien way. That culture expresses its idiosyncrasies in a way that is “culture-bound”cultural words, proverbs and of course idiomatic expressions, whose origin and use are intrinsically and uniquely bound to the culture concerned. So we are called upon to do a cross - cultural translation whose success will depend on our understanding of the culture we are working with.
1.2 The concept of culture
In dictionary the definition of it is the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc. Or a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period. Or the development or improvement of the mind by education or training. Or the behaviors, beliefs or characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.
Culture is a very broad concept, to give it a rigorous and precise definition is a very difficult thing. Many philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists, historians and linguists have been trying to define the concept of culture from the perspective of the respective discipline.
However, so far it still did not have a recognized and satisfactory definition. According to statistics, about "culture" at least, it has more than two hundred kinds of different definitions. Broadly speaking, culture is a social phenomenon, is the creation of the products for a long time. But it is also a kind of historical phenomenon, is the social history remains. Rather, culture refers to a state or national history, geography, local conditions and customs, traditions, lifestyles, literature and art, behavior standards, way of thinking, values, etc.
About the relationship between translation and culture, Bassnett think the relation between culture and translation is the relation between the body and heart., culture is the body, language is the heart. As surgeons do surgery can't ignore the body surrounding tissue, the translator can not ignore the factors of culture when they translate some material. Hatmi and Mason believe that translation is a dynamic communicative process, the translator should not only understand two languages themselves,they should have two more cultural horizons, the translator should be acted as the role of the coordinator (mediator) between the original author and the reader .
Anyhow, the translators emphasize the cultural factors of translation scholars stressed. The translator should be familiar with two cultures, introduce the primitive cultural factors in the translation activity. Whether translators' understanding of the original is correctly or not, largely depends on his understanding of the culture, the success of translation, is mainly related to culture .
PART TWO THE FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE CULTURE
2.1 Religion
Everyone knows, Bible plays the role of the source in western’s life. Some statistic shows most Americans still have faith in the church. The British law protects religious freedom. Everyone has the freedom to believe any church, or not to believe any religion at all. There is no interference from the state or the community.
Most of the world’s religions have followers in Britain, but the majority of the British people believe Christianity. The first Christian church was established at Canterbury in 597. While the Chinese are under the influence of Confucian School in great extent. Though the Buddhism, which spreads very well in China, is till a polytheism. This is different from westerners’ religious faith.
In China, people have faith in the Buddhism and Taoism, so there phrase arises, such as “YuDi” “FoZu” and so on. While the westerners have faith in Christian, so there arises the word “God”. In Chinese, “谋事在人,成事在天”, In English there are two different versions, (1) “man propose, heaven disposes” or “man dropose , god disposes”. Their difference lies in the different translations of the word “天”。“天”has the strong color of Buddhism and Taoism. While the word of “God” has the oblivious color of Christian. The latter translation version is easy to understand and accept for the westerners, but can not convey the essence of connotation of it in China. The religion has great influence on English, it expresses in such phrases as “It is in God’s hand”(听天由命), etc.
When translation, it is very necessary for us to master the basic knowledge of religion. We can take the example of “临时抱佛脚”. If we translated it into “to embrace Buddha’s feet in one’s hour of need”. It is very eccentric for the westerner. Why we need to embrace the Buddha’s feet sometimes? What is the use of this strange act? If we can deal it a little, it is another meaning for the westerner. We can translate it into “to embrace Buddha’s feet in one’s hour of need ----seek help at the last moment”. So the westerners always say “God” “Holy” “Goddess” etc. While we Chinese choose to take the Heaven as our faith. This truly gives us another example of the different religious belief.
Religious culture is an important part of human culture, which is made up of ethnic culture which is formed by the religious beliefs, awareness, etc. Fang Wenhua thinks different religion penetration and melt in their own language to express, only a deep understanding of many of the differences between Chinese and western culture, unique cultural connotation of understanding language, to avoid wrong translation, mistranslation, making the translation really play the role of cultural exchange. Chinese culture is extensive and profound, has a long history, in China's traditional culture, owing to the popularity of Taoism and Buddhism, there are many "the jade emperor, the view sound, bodhisattva." terms. Westerners believed in Christ thought that god created everything, many religious "god, the bible, the church, nuns," and other words.
2.2 The psychology of culture
As different nations use different language, and their history and culture are different too. So during the process of development in every nation, they formed their own national features owning to the unique historical background and cultural background. It is very important for the forming of a nation’s psychology state. The difference of history and culture mainly reflect on the aspect of some history stories , many taboos and preferences, and so on. We can take the number of “9” for an example, the number has special meaning in the culture of China, no matter in old times or in modern times, for it stands of the high position-- “jiujiu gui yi--the meaning of ruling the world”. While most Chinese do not like the number of “4”, for the pronunciation of it is similar with the pronunciation of “死--which means death”, especially in the number Of telephone, most people do not like the number “4” ended as the ending. As for another number “8”, which have the similar pronunciation of “发--which means fortune”.
While in the eyes of the westerners’, “4” “8” “9” is only the common signs, which do not has special meaning. As we all known, “13” is a bad number for the westerners, which means bad luck. So the number are absent in the daily life. Especially, the number of seat, the number of the floor, and so on. But in China, this number do not have this kind of meaning. For the cultural connotation of these nonlingual words represent, the translators can understand and translate them well after knowing the historical culture of every nation.
When talking about Chinese culture, people always come to the word “龙”. Because in old times, the emperor always describethemselves as “龙”,which is a symbol of “God”, which can consolidate their power, nation and land. But for the westerner, “龙” is another symbol, “a large fierce fabulous animal with wings and a long tail , a crested head and big claws, that can break the outfire ”. So it is very strange for the westerner to see the meaning the dragon. And they will not wish their children to be the Dragon. So to avoid misunderstanding the word of dragon, we can translate the phrase “望子成龙” into “long to see one’s child succeed in life ”.
2.3 The way of thinking
Different district, different physiology, different psychology and the difference of culture will form different ways of thinking, especially the difference of culture decides the way of thinking in great extent. When translating, the translator must know the the barrier of the different culture and overcome it , then grasp the two different thinking moods. The Chinese will take a whole thing as a organic part. While the westerner are good at logical thinking, they will take the whole thing into different part. The difference between Chinese doctor and western doctor can illustrate this point very well. Chinese doctor emphasize the measures according the whole symptom. While the western doctor emphasize headache is an illness, foot ache is another disease, they will separate the whole thing into different part.
2.4 different ways of life
Different ways of life influence on translation: from the history tradition and the real life, China has a long history of farming life, which formed the “farming”in Chinese is traditional, and is associated with the large number of idioms. If we meet the Chinese,they will ask "eat?" And according to the tradition of western English habits. They often talk about the weather.So we can only translate it into “how do you do” or “hello”.
Three different influence of custom on translation in social life and cultural exchange, different countries will be formed in the process of its peculiar customs. The differences of English custom is various, such as in the attitude to the dog, the dog in Chinese is commonly used to describe the bad things, such as "evil, a coward, bailiffs, brutal and cold blooded" etc.The British people usually use “dog” to express good meanings. however, they often be used to describe people, such as "lucky dog" (lucky), "top dog" (VIPs), "love me, love my dog" (love me, love my dog). Again, such as, "dead and marriage", if we translate them into "weddings, funerals," is inappropriate. Chinese symbol red festival, when they get married in red color, and the funeral to wear white, so the Chinese idiomatic "red" said "marriage", "white" means "death". Westerners, however, think the white represents purity, loyalty, bride wears white,when there is a funeral they should wear black. So "funerals" is not accurate for people in British or American. And there is another example, when talked about dragon. British people often takes it as an bad word. They often refer it as “evil” or something related. But for our Chinese, we thinks that dragon is our ancestors. So they are totally different between our Chinese and the English.
Historical allusions in different countries.They have different influence on translation between English and Chinese.Two languages have been formed by historical allusion, language acquisition. These idioms simple structure, profound, often come from a single literal meaning to understand and translation. Such as "meet one's Waterloo” means totally failure for somebody in western countries.But in Chinese we cannot understand this phrase without the background it concerned.And there is another example.”一个臭皮匠,顶个诸葛亮”, they can translate it into “three cobblers equal to Zhu Geliang -----the master mind”. When we translate it, if we don’t consider the background in China, the westerners even don’t know what is Zhu Geliang. Let alone the truly meaning of the sentence. In western countries , they don’t know the truly meaning of the sentence for the deficiency of cultural background. However, in China, even a little child can understand it with his mind abstracted.
Chinese and English, two languages are produced in different cultural background. This will lead to two languages existed in the expression of difference it the views of people. To deal with the culture differences during the process of translation, we should focus my mind on the two cultures, comprehension ability. We should also improve our cultural accomplishment. To overcome the differences between Chinese and western culture in the translating process into obstacles, make the translation vivid as possible.
Understanding the meaning of the original text while translating is not simply a matter of understanding. The language is a component of the culture, which is affected and limited by culture. In the course of translating, whether the translator has the right understanding or not, depends on his knowledge of the relevant culture to a great extent. For a translator, without the comparison of two culture, whether he can understanding the spoken and written language well is unimaginable. That is why we say, “learning a language is kind of learning the culture and habit of the country where the language is spoken”. So long as we study the culture behind the language during the process of studying a language, a large amount of culture information can be transmitted equivalently. These are comparatively simpler in translation.
Besides similarities, there are also many differences between two cultures, which from the most difficult part in translation. We must keep in mind that translation is a cross - cultural activities. When we face an original text, it may be well written, attractive, tempting and aesthetic. But if one does not know the difference between two cultures, it would be rather difficult for him to achieve the same effect in the translated work.
National culture and long history and develops with the time. Although they are very short sometimes ,their significance is far-reaching. However the thinking modes of different notions are very different sometimes . We need to make some conversion while translating the idioms.
路遥知马力,日久见人心。 A long road tests a horse’s strength and a long task proves a man’s heart
飞流直下三千尺,疑是银河落九天。Down it cascades a sheer thousand feet, as if the Silver River were falling from Heaven!
树倒猢狲散。 Once the tree falls, the monkeys on it will flee helter-skelter.
穷棒子闹翻身,是八仙过海,各显其能? The way we poor folks try to emancipate ourselves is just like the way the Eight Fairies crossed the sea each displaying his own talent......Note: The Eight Fairies are the eight immortals of Taoism in Chinese folklore.
成也萧何败萧何 To meet one’s Waterloo
逼上梁山 Watergate Scandal
杀手锏 Lame duck
一个和尚挑水吃,两个和尚抬水吃,三个和尚没水吃。 One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy.
杀鸡取卵 Kill the goose to get the eggs.
鱼米之乡 Milk and honey
青出于蓝而胜于蓝 The master is surpassed by the apprentice.
贪字变贫字 Grab all, lose all.
人不可貌相 You can not judge a horse by its saddle.
As for the ways of cohesion, English will choose hypotaxis, namely in the syntactic form using the connection words connect sentences or causes; While Chinese intentions Darataxis, which depends on the sense of cohesion rather than relying on connectors. English grammar is quite closely, pay attention to hypotaxis, precise shape. Each sentence, paragraph or paragraphs usually consists of some function words and some specific phrases, clauses. These features can represent different function or a word or phrase ideas, such as cause and effect, comparison, concessions, conditions, twist, etc. Each clause in complex sentences, distinct, clause must be guided by the subordinator. In the compound, coordinate clauses are usually connected by some punctuation marks. As we all know, Chinese is heavy parataxis, regardless of primary and secondary relationship between a lot of sentences or clauses, only through meaning for cohesion. There are some sentences which we can compare them with each other.
It is so cool that we decide to go out for a walk. 天气凉爽,我们决定出去散步。
Where there is a will, there is a way. 有志者事竟成。
The difference between the overall thinking and individual thinking. Chinese culture emphasizes the overall thinking pattern no matter in old times or modern times .Harmony and unity is good embodiment of thought.
So, In Chinese as the main body of the behavior subject, often omitted, is often said that without the main clause. But western culture is different, which emphasizes the opposition of subject and object. In the embodiment of the language is what is called a subject-predicate two points. In addition to the imperative sentence, every English sentence should have a subject, or the sentence is incomplete. In the english-Chinese translation, therefore, for many Chinese sentences we need to according to the specific context for them to add the subject. There are an example of it: “眼看天就要下雨,又没有带雨伞,都很关着急,真不知该去哪里。 It is raining; we do not have no umbrella with us. We are all worried about it, because we do not know where to go at the moment ”.
We can see that the original words of description is not a word which can be made as the subject. But here, according to the context and context of the specific environment, when we translated into English, adding “ it “ and “ we “ as different clauses of the subject, so it make the state of the person’s mind be in harmony with the environment at the time, and totally reached the realm of "harmony between man and nature". After added the subject, which is in conformity with the English sentence --it must have a subject requirements. Also, it is in line with the European and American culture known as the separation of the subjective and the objective mode of thinking. The whole structure of the target language is complete and distinct.
2.5 Geographical environment
As we all known, England is an island country, more than one thousand kilometers from south to north and 500 kilometers from east to west. Its coastline runs about ten thousand kilometers, making it one of the countries with a long coastline in the world. In Britain no place is over kilometers away from the sea. British people are sensitive to privacy and they do not like to talk of personal affairs such as money, wage, age, or wealth, but they are fond of discussing the weather. Sometimes they even argue heatedly over what the weather is going to be like. Perhaps it is nothing more than a habit.
The weather in England is changeable, even the weather is raining at most times. Britain has a maritime climate and changeable weather. So the people in England have special feelings about the weather and then they want to talk the weather when they meet each other. There are some examples: “a lovely day. Is not it ?” “What is the weather like today?” and so on. This is the common phrase they use when they meet. And England is a typical maritime nation. So there are a lot of idioms and phrase about the ocean. While the land of China is interior. The resource of culture have relation with the farmland and the Chinese have a special feeling with the land. For example: we can express spend money very quickly and without limited. In English, we can say “spend money like water”. And in Chinese, we can say “挥金如土”.
2.6 Geographical environment
Geographical environment has great influence on climate. At the same time, geographical environment have great influence on the the language or clause used by the local people. For example: in Chinese culture, "dong feng" is "spring wind", summer often and intense heat relates in together, hot "scorching sun" is often used to describe the summer. And British in the western hemisphere, north temperate zone, oceanic climate, report message but is west wind in spring, a famous poet Shelley's "ode to west wind" is the song of spring. The British summer is a pleasant season, commonly used "lovely, gentle, beautiful" to describe.
PART THREE THE RELATION BETWEEN CULTURE AND TRANSLATION
Different nationalities in greeting, appellation, thanks, compliments, apologies, farewell, phone calls etc are different. Customs is with corresponding national characteristics. As Chinese people meet each other , they often say "hello" to each other or "where are you going?" , "what do you do?" or "have a meal?" and so on. In Chinese culture, these words do not have any meaning. these words is just a courtesy meet, a way of greeting. For westerners, however, it is sensitive to this kind of problem. Because in their view, it is a purely private matter, which can't be casually asked. Meet greeting, like that in the western world should do according to the specific circumstances corresponding culture conversion, convert in English idioms, such as "Hi!" , "Good morning" or "How are you?.
In terms of title, and allegations of a concepts in different languages have different application scopes. This is also decided by beauty, such as different cultural background. Because Chinese pay attention to the concept of family and the system of family is very big, so the system becomes more developed to distinguish different relations between family members. Like “sister”, “brother” and “sister” and “brother”, they are distinguished clearly between the lines. In western countries because of focus on so-called nuclear family, so family members is not too much and appellation vocabulary is not rich. Sister and brother in English can be respectively used to say sister and brother and sister and brother. So many Chinese feel they don't understand about this appellation very much. In many cases, the translation of this kind of text must be quoted so as not to cause misunderstanding. Also Cousins is also not the same in both English and Chinese kinship terms, all require that we should be careful in Chinese and foreign communication, so that communication can be re-scheduled accordingly.
To sum up, a kind of language is the product of this kind of specific culture. In cross-cultural communication, the "cultural conflict" (culture shock) phenomenon is inevitable. However, if you want to overcome these conflicts , it may be very difficult in a short time. Because taking a language from the surface meaning to all of the ingredients in the symbolic meaning by translation all accurate expression is almost impossible. Translation of translatability is restricted by many factors, like differences in people's thinking, the different culture and regional culture differences and so on. In the process of translation, therefore, how to deal with the cultural factors becomes the translator is very important task. As a responsible for the translator, the translator should be able to accurately grasp the cultural meanings of the original, if necessary, to the original because of the cultural background in translation properly, for easy to make readers misunderstanding in the alien culture concept to make the necessary clarification, which can help the readers across the cultural divide, to achieve the best understanding.
CONSLUSIONS
All in all, any translation can not be separated from culture. Culture is a complex collection of experiences, which includes history, social structure, religion,traditional customs and everyday usage. This is difficult to comprehend completely. Especially in relation to a target language, one important question is whether the translation will have any readership at all, as the specific reality being portrayed is not quite familiar to the reader. Whether the translator can express the original meaning or not depends on his understanding of the relevant culture to a great extent. For a translator, it is impossible for him to do so if he does not possess the knowledge of the two cultures. Cultural transfer requires a multi - pronged approach. It is concerned with the author’s relationship to his subject matter and with the author’s relationship to his reader. These should be reflected in a good translation. The translator has to transmit this special cultural quality from one language to another. So we should pay much attention to the relationship between culture and translation when we are doing translation.
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今天读文网小编要与大家分享的是外语翻译论文:文化对影片翻译的影响。具体内容如下,欢迎参考阅读:
The influences of Cultural factor on film translations
文化对影片翻译的影响
Thesis Statement: Difference in eastern western culture causes a thing different in value orientation, Translation of a work of a movie gets a way of direct translation, and, it's possible to admit for an audience. It’s need to changed the Culture in the movie.
Ⅰ. Introduction:
China's movie translation enterprise has passed through more than 50 year magnificent course, Movie translator offered many outstanding translated movies to the mass audiences. Through these outstanding translated movies, the audience while understood foreign land local conditions and social customs also to feel the language infinite charm, many splendid dialogues have become the beautiful line which struggled is on everybody's lips. If "there will be bread. All would have. " (the former Soviet Union film "Lenin in 1918") has inspired generations of adversity live audience in China . Evidently, the film as the mass media, its social effects are incalculable. However, in academic fields, Because of the impact of secular bias, the film is certainly very cold : Translation Studies, Translation Studies seem to completely ignore this area for the. To this end, China's famous scholars Television translation Professor Qian Shao wrote that Television translation of the translation is far less atte
nti
on to literary translation. This translation of the Television disproportionate role in the community. This phenomenon frequently This should arouse the attention of the translation industry.
The language is a country culture carrier, reflects this country's the political economy, the material culture, the religious belief, the manners and customs and so on. The language is different, the thinking mode, the behavior way as well as the language expression way is also different.
This shows that the translation is not as simple as it is not only doing language, in which it stresses culture in the story.
The movie translation namely has the general character with other literary work translation also to have its own particularity. Same is all is expresses in the thought with the language art, different is the movie translation needs simultaneously to achieve manifests in the writing, forms in the sound, expresses in the audience.
Strictly speaking, the translation of a film like filling a word, thinking the contents can not be altered. Each expression has the "style Melody" has also been strictly limited. If translator neglected "I type" of the law, regardless of the words "priorities", said the mayor short, "meaning the right can be," Well, the voice-over : guns, then there will be the following
Ⅴ. Conclusion :
The choice of film translation modes largely contributes to the reception of a source language film in a target culture. The influences of culture factor are leading.
the influences of objective factors on film translations
Abstract: Difference in eastern western culture causes a thing different in value orientation,Translation of a work of a movie gets a way of direct translation, and, it's possible to admit for an audience. It’s need to changed the Culture in the movie.
Key word: Translation of a movie Culture gap
China's movie translation enterprise has passed through more than 50 year magnificent course, Movie translator offered many outstanding translated movies to the mass audiences. Through these outstanding translated movies, the audience while understood foreign land local conditions and social customs also to feel the language infinite charm, many splendid dialogues have become the beautiful line which struggled is on everybody's lips. If "there will be bread. All would have. " (the former Soviet Union film "Lenin in 1918") has inspired generations of adversity live audience in China . Evidently, the film as the mass media, its social effects are incalculable. However, in academic fields, Because of the impact of secular bias, the film is certainly very cold : Translation Studies, Translation Studies seem to completely ignore this area for the. To this end, China's famous scholars Television translation Professor Qian Shao wrote that Television translation of the translation is far less attention to literary
tr
anslation. This translation of the Television disproportionate role in the community. This phenomenon frequently This should arouse the attention of the translation industry.
The language is a country culture carrier, reflects this country's the political economy, the material culture, the religious belief, the manners and customs and so on. The language is different, the thinking mode, the behavior way as well as the language expression way is also different. The language in the sound film is the essential constituent, in the movie work the splendid dialogue, the fragment makes one be worth hearing a hundred times, cannot dismiss from mind for a very long time. The culture in the society on like the memory in the individual, was the people all feasible thing precipitation gets down in the past life, turned the language slowly, turns the writing, turns music, turns the custom, turns the construction, turns the clothing, even turned not the obvious thinking mode, did not affect the future thought, the experience and the motion.
Language and cultural interdependent. Language is the crystallization of culture, culture is transmitted through language. Pragmatic exchanges as a medium for the inevitable translation different language deal can not but be with their respective culture communication. Translation understanding of the basic links and expression is subject to the original language and translated phrase structure rules, and their rules for the use of double requirement. Understand the results of the original language is the meaning and bearing the cultural information, It familiar with the original language of the rules and structure of the use of rules of the community, which can not be divorced from the original language of social and cultural factors; expression with the purpose of understanding found in the information with the target language in its social and cultural context for the effective exchange, It consistent with the structure of language translation rules and the rules for the use of the conditions, So in kee
pin
g with the target language the social and cultural factors collide, the integration phase, therefore, the mission of the translation, in the final analysis, is a social and cultural context to get out and then enter a social and cultural context, and its appearance and the language is the language of communication, and the essence of culture and cultural exchanges. Therefore, the cultural translationby the point of view of language is the carrier of culture, culture is the language of the regulation, translation is culture and culture of dialogue, cross-cultural transmission. As such, the translator must be familiar with the two cultures.
Translation cross-cultural communication is the intermediary links, culture and communication with the dual nature. And the dissemination of culture and integration, is like a "wave-particle duality" -- its "tablets" is a cultural, The "wave" is spread. (15) In other words, Culture and Communication each other for the survival of that culture is the spread of content, is culturally. cultural context of communications. Therefore, we can say this is the process of translating culture and the culture of dialogue, the dissemination of culture, translation itself is a culture, is spread occurs in the language exchanges in the process of cross-cultural communication.
This shows that the translation is not as simple as it is not only doing language, in which it stresses culture in the story; We should not only understand one language, one culture, but also links the two languages, two cultures -- This is the minimum condition For this one, everyone is very difficult to do. Cultural Images "a cultural symbol, it has a relatively fixed unique cultural meaning, and some are still rich with meaning Lenovo far-reaching, as long as the people I mentioned them, a tacit understanding between each other immediately, very easy to communicate ideas. "phenomena and the implication of the two images is an important component. Phenomena is the significance of the information carrier, which was formed image of the objective facts; implies is phenomena in a certain language and the cultural environment of the extended meaning. Imagery that is the function in a variety of contexts, with concrete to the abstract performance, known or easy to know the unknown or enlightenment is difficult
to
know. If the Song Dynasty poet Su Shi, in his famous "Ode of Chibi before," using such Ephemeroptera Chaoshengmusi small insects to describe life is short, people are very insignificant : "Ephemeroptera sent to earth, there has been a drop in the proverbial bucket. "English Proverb It is the last straw that breaks th e camel 's back. meaning "camel overloading, with a straw it will be crushed. "Proverbs imagery words the last straw" Finally a rice grass, "and vividly symbolize" of a people or something intolerable to the pole. "
The movie translation namely has the general character with other literary work translation also to have its own particularity. Same is all is expresses in the thought with the language art, different is the movie translation needs simultaneously to achieve manifests in the writing, forms in the sound, expresses in the audience.
But Chinese, English belong the entirely different two big language families, Chinese are the glyph English are the alphabetic scripts. Movie translator must carry on the successful cut between these two kind of entirely different language families is not an easy matter. The cultural reconstruction finds at everywhere in the movie translation.
The English movie 《Red Shoes》 , mainly narrated an England ballerina cannot make the correct choice facing love and the enterprise, finally moves towards the cliff the chilly wan story. At first when domestic showing, the movie is translated “the red dance shoes”, although the literal translation is faithful to English original intention, also threads up the plot, but appears after all writes in a straightforward manner, arouses audience's any association with difficulty. Later period, the identical movie film title is translated on a foreign outstanding movie exhibition tour “the red water chestnut to be colorful”, thin savors thin, although the movie flipped the translator to compare with that double delicate red dance shoes the red water chestnut which the Chinese audience women and children all knew, the implication red water chestnut grew in the muddy water sludge, actually tender and beautiful enchanting, curved red water, justed like China ancient times female's woman's bound feet, the woman's bound
fe
et although exquisite, but condensed how many female's tears of blood, some has even paid the life price for it. Therefore passes “the red water chestnut to be colorful” this film title to cause the audience to associate is putting on like the red water chestnut dance shoes dancing girl gorgeous actually star crossed. Translator's ingenious borrowing “the red water chestnut” a word, the Chinese culture will graft the movie in the implication, the success has restructured one the cultural image which for the Chinese audience familiar, will comprehend, accepts[Www_LunWenData_Com]
The American movie 《Waterloo Bridge》 , described First World War period, young attractive actress Masurium La knew young military officer Luo on the Waterloo bridge to depend on, has combined to make or become the lover. But after, Masurium La learned Luo Yi died in battle the battlefield, is in deep sorrow, in order to survive reduces for the prostitute. When Luo appears according to the miracle, she is unable facing the reality, for love and the reputation, she arrives once more with Luo according to the first love place, got killed on the wheel billowing Waterloo bridge. It is well known, in 1817 England has made the Waterloo bridge in the Thames river bank investment, commemorates the Wellington duke by this to direct the English army to defeat the battle of waterloo victory which Napoleon obtains. If the literal translation film title is “the Waterloo bridge”, as soon as looked for the first time, the audience can think this is one goes to war the related war piece with Napoleon or is the introduction
an
d this building related documentary film. In the Chinese several millennium cultural histories, with the bridge correlation love story, such as, the cowherd and the weaving maidens “meeting of lovers”, the Shanxi Province Lantian “the blue bridge meets” and so on. “The blue bridge meets” plot has places of the many equally good results from different methods with Waterloo the Bridge. Therefore the translator finally translates the film title “the soul to break the blue bridge”, has avoided the audience ingeniously because the city cultural difference, the historical perspective knowledge lacks losing which causes, as soon as borrows “the blue bridge” to cause the audience to see the film title instantly comprehends this is about love movie.
British film "Night Merry" in the conversation:
Peter: Oh, this? Well, I like privacy when I retire. Yes, I’m very delicate in that respect. Prying eyeeees annoy me. Behold the walls of Jerichho! Err, maybe not aaas thick aas the ones that Joshua blew down with his trumpet. I just show you my heart’s in the right place, I’ll give you my best pair of pajamas. Do you mind joining the Israelites?
White said this is a very representative, because in the meantime, said there were "Jericho walls, Joshua. Israelis "and three" Bible "of the historical story of the words. As we all know, the prevalence of Buddhist East, particularly in China, Chinese viewers can get some idea of Buddhism, and the Western culture, especially the Western religious history knows very little about the culture. Hence the film switch for a moment the Chinese audience of the above three is a link between a difficult matter. They do not understand this, "Jericho wall", "Joshua" and "Israelis" between what is the relationship. Literal translation for the above not only Chinese audiences Lee puzzling. It also lost the film translation of real meaning. To enable the Chinese audience aware of this three terms of relations so that the text of those involved in the special cultural imagery fullness, Translator in the film translation of this text as follows embellishment :
Peter : this? I do not want to break the interference by others, in that regard I am very sensitive, others do not want to be peeped at. You see this as the "Bible" of the Jericho walls, Although not as good as the "Bible" -- Israeli commander Joshua trumpet blown by the thickness, than it much safer. You see, I did not bugle call, in order to express my impartiality, and I put my pajamas happens to the best of you right. You do not want the Israelis? Because of the "Jericho wall", "Joshua" "The Israelis" from the "Bible" of the words added to the story the necessary cultural meaning Xiurun words, audiences not only understand the "story" of the source The next in the Context also realize a final word "Israel" refers to the specific. Xiurun strengthened the language in the context of transparency; Enhance the cultural image in the audience understanding of the definition.
The movie translates the Chinese-adapted reconstruction the significance to lie in it to be able effectively to achieve promptly the movie work the concealed implication, causes the effect which the audience understands.
As a result of the East and West culture difference, movie translator should help the audience to understand as far as possible these with a nationality's history, the region culture, the religious custom and so on have the close correlation language phenomenon. In if the movie translation does not do to certain specific cultural image any touches up processing, considers the matter in and of itself the literal translation, can create this cultural image the damage, the cultural implication is torn to pieces.
American movie Waterloo Bridge, from the very beginning, has this kind of section of offscreen voices:
Announceer’s Voice: At 11:15 this morning, the Prime Ministeer, speaking to the nation from Numbeer Ten Downing Street,announced that Great Britain is at war with Germany.
Right “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” this concealment culture image geographic name does not give supplement showing the speech, believed the overwhelming majority China ordinary audience meets the uninformed at sea its cloud. First the audience does not know “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” in any place. Next, they did not know the radio announcer mentions “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” in here to have what special implication especially. In order to enable the movie translation to reach it in the limited time in the mass audiences. The translator suitably to above translates the document to appropriately supplements touches up, “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” will translate English prime minister the mansion. Through supplements “English prime minister the mansion”, causes the audience now at last truly realized “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” true meaning. Here, “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” conceals the image three-dimensional unfolds in audience's front, the audience understood only then truly has typically the terr
ito
ry culture geographic name “Numbeer Ten Downing Street” complete cultural connotation.
Film translation somewhat like two-man, and the dramatis personae-mouth assembly actor voices sound, words and phrase as its mouth. Translation task is to provide a blueprint for the dubbing, asked to guarantee the accurate, vivid, touching premise, in an attempt to length Rhythm, ventilation, pause and even open-mouth, and other aspects of cooperation with the dramatis personae seek to speak expression, consistent tone, finally give the audience heard the sounds, to see people who know Which statement from the mouth. Translation must take into account a standstill, rhythm and movement, the characters, but also improved the formal and resourcefulness language, humor, intended implication, subtext. Finally, you need to think opera is staged, but also "singalong." It is these elements give the scripttranslation stage theater seeks to rebuild the formal beauty of character.
Strictly speaking, the translation of a film like filling a word, thinking the contents can not be altered. Each expression has the "style Melody" has also been strictly limited. If translator neglected "I type" of the law, regardless of the words "priorities", said the mayor short, "meaning the right can be," Well, the voice-over : guns, then there will be the following : For example, too long phrase translation, dubbing can only accelerate the pace of "drive" -- the results become calm mind anxiously. the occurrence of the character shown impetuous lightly; Instead, the translation of long sentences too short, dubbing can only slow down the "stall" -- the results become agitated enthusiasm sluggish indifference able decisive become Had no resolution. and so on and so forth.
Linguists believe that all the world to see the same objective, different ethnic languages will give it "brush different colors." Because of this, the cultural dislocation images will be specific performance as a metaphor for the culture of body image on the difference. In other words, in a cultural tradition implies a positive image of a beautiful culture in another culture podiums become negative implication of the ugly Cultural Images.
British film "Wuthering Heights" has this kind of a fragment
Isabella: It’s a brother’s duty,dear Edgaar, to introduce his sisteer to some other type than fops and pale young poets.
Edgar: Oh, you want a dragon?
Isabella: Yes, I do. With a fiery mustache.
In Translation "dragon" is the key word. In the English language, the "dragon" as a "devil" interpretation. Whenever the term and Western ideologies will immediately showed an ugly face of the devil are threatening manner toward humans, It is not difficult to see the "dragon" in Western language and culture implicitly pejorative. In Chinese culture "dragon" symbolizes the word "elegance, and the supremacy of" Italy, former emperor of the Chinese people to call "the real dragon the emperor." Thus, the "Dragon" related to the majority of terms agreed with great reverence. If the Chinese refer to themselves as "descendants of the dragon"; Long for their children for the future of promising "succeed." "Dragon" in the East and West languages, its cultural image of the natural implication is absolutely contrary. In short, although the phenomena, but the implication is completely different. Evidently "carabiniere" hard Translation "dragon" is clearly inappropriate. When the Chinese audience watching the film Humi
he
ar, "carabiniere" the word They certainly will immediately think of "he" may be "the Royal Cavalry." But Yishabeila answer to allow the audience to the film's elaborate those induced by consciousness altering clouds. Viewers can not help but ask : The upright "Royal Cavalry," is how "a red-hot long-bearded"? In Chinese tradition, history and culture, Only those who have more heads and hands of a terrible monster green eyebrows, red bearded face. Such copying can not handle things to the language and the cultural dislocation Images of the thorny issues, also not translated this vividly the true meaning of dialogue, but to the semantic context of the link set up a language barrier. Therefore, in the cases of China and Egypt and Yishabeila increase in the last paragraph of dialogue might translate as follows : Edgar : Oh, you want a dragon Oh, you do not want to marry a barbarian! ?Isabella : Yes, I do. With a fiery mustache. Yes, also a long-bearded red-hot. As the East-West cultural differences, the film tr
ans
lation of many English words if the hardware directly translated, will make the Chinese audience unacceptable and endorsements. In addition, the film version of the translation of film screen switching time constraints, not as translated literary works, in some obscure's Office to make some notes, so we will have to give white audience : a, a view that is fully understood. The translator should be based on national audience from the audience were dubbed in Tibetan taste to appreciate the art of perspective, Selection of the national language and the original art is most similar to the unit, most close to the national audience for the familiar, readily accept the terms and cultural imagery to the film translation.
In summary, in the Trans-Culture background must accurately express the implication which the movie must reflect, macroscopically, the translator wants to understand the culture contains, the translation elementary theory and the skill, and in on microscopic must observe the different language family carefully the national culture tradition, the cultural content and the cultural psychology difference performs to contrast and the analysis. Only then in considered the foreign land culture under the premise “the letter, reaches, elegant” merges into one organic whole, causes the translation “the god, the shape” and the cyclopentadiene, like this can guarantee the culture “the facsimile” the realization, can complete the cultural translation truly.
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