Cultural Differences and the Strategies of English Proverbs Translation 英諺漢譯的對(duì)策與文化差異1

1、英諺漢譯的對(duì)策與文化差異cultural differences and the strategies of english proverbs translation摘要：英語諺語是民間廣為流傳的一種較為定型的語句，它語言精練，意蘊(yùn)雋永，形象生動(dòng)，妙趣橫生；便于記憶流傳，并反映英國的文化特征和價(jià)值觀念。通過了解英語諺語，讀者能夠獲得大量的英國文化中有趣的信息，翻譯家在翻譯英語諺語是面臨著保留原諺語特點(diǎn)、形象和民族風(fēng)格的難題。英語諺語源遠(yuǎn)流長，它既有來自民間的諺語，又有來自圣經(jīng)的，來自莎士比亞作品和許多智者的作品與語言的，還有很多外來諺語。當(dāng)然博大精深的漢語中漢諺也有許多的來源。在英語諺語漢譯時(shí)

2、，怎樣處理好由于地理環(huán)境，宗教，文化傳統(tǒng)和思維方式不同而引起的文化差異成為了翻譯的一大難題。而在具體的翻譯過程中，應(yīng)該注意的問題與應(yīng)該采用哪種翻譯策略來處理也是很關(guān)鍵的問題。在用到的四點(diǎn)策略中，三種與直譯有關(guān)，這表明在英諺漢譯時(shí)，直譯是英語諺語漢譯是最主要的原則與策略。它是保持原諺語英語諺語的目的意義、文化形象、修辭的最好辦法，它能最大程度達(dá)到文化交流與學(xué)習(xí)英語的目的關(guān)鍵詞：英語諺語、文化差異、翻譯原則與策略、直譯abstract: as a particular part of language, proverbs are concrete fragment of wisdom, resul

3、ts of observation and embodiments of universal truths. they are pithy, comprehensive and full of figures of speech and serve as a mirror of the cultural conceptions of a social community. readers can enrich themselves with plentiful interesting information of english culture by familiarizing themsel

4、ves with english proverbs. when english proverbs are being translated, translators are confronted with difficulties of retaining the characteristics as well as the images and national flavor of english in translation. english proverbs have a long history which derived from various resources, among t

5、hem, some are from the crowds,some are from the bible, some are from famous wits and many foreign language.and of course,chinese proverbs also have many origins,so, translating the english proverb to chinese,we are confronting the problem of the cultural differences.how to avoid the factors and choo

6、se a proper strategy to receive a faithful and elegant version. the four strategies used,three are related to literal translation which is the best way to keep the senses, figure of speech as well as images of english proverbs and to acquire the highest degree of cultural exchange. large number of e

7、xamples used mainly excerpted from the publications mentioned in the bibliography and their different versions are also presented.key word: english proverb, cultural differences, principles and strategies, literal translationintroduction language is a part of culture and plays a very important role

8、in it. meanwhile, language is also a cultural carrier and container and serves as the principal means to cross-cultural communication. as a particular part o language, proverbs are no exception indicating the distinctive features of a culture.proverbs are small pieces of folk wisdom, often involving

9、 old images and frequently jingles that catch the memory which have been handed down from generation to generation, they express ideas in short and recognizable sentences, what might have taken an entire paragraph to explain is expressed metaphorically in these pithy english proverbs, which contain

10、in a nutshell the philosophy of the common people. english proverbs also embody a concentrated reflection of various rhetorical means and serve as a mirror of the historical and cultural conceptions of their social communities. as francis bacon, famous english philosopher, said,” the genius, wit and

11、 spirit of a nation are discovered in its proverbs.” nowadays, the factor of cultural differences turns to the heat and hard part of english proverbs translation. translators all over the world have made a great deal of achievements on the cultural differences and principles of translating the engli

12、sh proverbs. coming from various sources, english proverbs give information about their culture on many social subjects, so, it is necessary to find the cultural difference between english and chinese and to find a proper way to translate them. translation is becoming increasingly important as a med

13、ium of cross-cultural communication. a faithful translation of english proverbs will attract the chinese readers not only for its vivid and expressive language, but also for much interesting cultural information. so the purpose of english proverb translation is not only to absorb and introduce their

14、 expressions, but also to enrich the chinese readers with the culture of english and learn their basic philosophy of life or world view. for this purpose, translators should adopt literal translation as a principal medium to keep the sense and flavor of the original and acquire the highest degree of

15、 cultural exchange.in order to meet the purpose of english proverb translation and introducer the faithful translation to chinese readers, a lot of examples are used and the majority of the examples and their translations used are taken from the publications, which are mentioned in the bibliography,

16、 for these examples are of much help to analyze the proverbs and their translation.1.the definition, origins and features of english proverb in order to translating english proverbs, we should learn their definitions, origins and features. in this section, the author gives specific definitions from

17、different sources, four origins and two fundamental features of english proverbs.1.1definition of proverb whats a proverb? an english proverb tells us:“proverbs are daughter of daily experience.” websters new world dictionary defines it as a short saying in common use that strikingly expresses some

18、obvious truth or familiar experience. 1 and the longman modern english dictionary gives this definition,“a proverb is a brief familiar maxim of folk wisdom, usually compressed in form, often involving a bold image and frequently a jingle that catches the memory.”2another definition is offered by the

19、 chinese辭海（a collection of words）“諺語是流傳于民間的簡煉通俗而富于意義的語句，大多反映人民生活和斗爭的經(jīng)濟(jì)眼?！?（a proverb is a short, popular saying pregnant with profound meaning among the people, most of which reflect the experiences in the struggle of life,.）from the above mentioned definitions, we can sum up three characteristics p

20、ossessed by proverb in common.1). short and brief.2). vivid and forcible.3). pregnant with profound meaning. so, proverbs are short saying of folk wisdomof well-known facts or truthsexpressed succinctly and in a way that makes them easy to remember. these facts and truths often expound the profound

21、truths from the simple matters in daily life. they sum up daily experience of people and tell people how to conduct themselves in society. bearing some similarities to other nations proverbs, english proverbs are widely loved and used by people and regarded as the cream of the english language and g

22、orgeous treasure of english cultural treasure-house. they deserve to be called the nations spiritual values and cultural heritage. 1.2 origins of english proverbs proverbs are the integral part of a language that represents the unique characteristics and cultural features of a nation. derived from d

23、ifferent sources, english proverbs are heavily culture-loaded. four important sources of english proverbs prove further that english proverbs actually serve as a mirror of their cultural conceptions of social communities and represent panoramic pictures of culture. 1.2.1 english proverbs came from d

24、aily activities an english proverb tells us：“proverbs are daughter of daily experience.”many english proverbs are derived of their daily life and experience. britain is an island country which has a ling history of navigation, and therefore a great number of english proverbs. and also their peasants

25、 are from their hunting experience. some proverbs often come from the cooks and house-wives. 4(1) still water run deep it implies that a placid exterior hides a passionate nature. its literal translation“靜水流深”can also tell such a philosophy to the readers. 5(2) make hay while the sun shines this pro

26、verb actually indicates that one should profit from or take advantage of something while he has the chance. its literal translation and an adding of an explanation will produce a best version“太陽好時(shí)快曬草，時(shí)機(jī)來是莫停留”to the chinese readers. 5（3）an empty hand is not lure for a hawk from“空手引不來老鷹”，the chinese r

27、eaders may easily known the implied meaning o this proverb that one must not expect to receive anything without giving a return. 5(4)you cant make an omelet without breaking eggs. it implied that you cannot achieve anything without sacrificing something .its literal translation“雞蛋不打破，蛋卷做不成”meaning a

28、nd original flavor. 5daily activities of people and the experience derived from them are inexhaustible resources that provide abundant language materials for the constitution of english proverbs1.2.2 english proverbs came from the bible the bible is one of the most extensively read books and the mos

29、t influential religious classic work in the west including english-speaking countries. it is also regarded as a wonderful literary work. although it was originally written in hebrew, english speakers have had english versions for almost 1000years. and the proverbial sayings in it have become a major

30、 component of the popular wisdom. so, many english proverbs in common use can be traced back to the bible. 4（5）the spirit is willing ,but the fresh is weakones strength falls short of one will.心有余而力不足。.（6）a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches. if there are two things to be chosen: a g

31、ood name and great riches, it is better to choose the former rather than the latter. 寧要美名，不要巨富。（7）the love of money is the root of all evil. the desire to have riches is the causes of all crimes and evil situation. 貪財(cái)乃萬惡之源。（8）a soft answer turneth away wrath.speak gently to a person who is very angr

32、y with you and then his anger will be turned away from you, or come to an end. 婉言可以釋怒。1.2.3 english proverbs came from some famous wits. after the bible, shakespeares plays are, as we might expect, the richest literary sources of english proverbs. also, many famous wits, english poets and other wits

33、 passed their wit and wisdom into the thought of common people. 4all that glisters is not gold. 閃閃發(fā)光的不全是黃金。6too swift arrives as tardy as too slow. 欲速則不達(dá)。alls well that ends well.皆大歡喜。care killed the cat. 憂慮傷人。the course of true love never did run smooth. 愛情道路多崎嶇。every wise man dreadeth his enemy. 聰

34、明人不吃眼前虧。knowledge is power.知識(shí)就是力量。the childhood shows the man.從小看大，三歲看老。 the above examples are so popular that we can use them often without definite consciousness of their origins. they have, as dr. henry bradley puts it, “enter into the texture of the diction of literature and daily conversation,

35、” and may now “fairy be regarded as proverbs of the english language.”1.2.4english proverb taken over from foreign language english owes many of its useful proverbs to importation from foreign tongues, among which french, latin and greek are three main sources. 4(9)time flies this proverb is from la

36、tin and it vividly shows that time passed more quickly than one takes note of .it can be translated into “時(shí)光易逝” 5(10)better later than never this proverb comes from french and it tells us that it is better to do something late than not do it at all. “遲做做比不做好”is the same with the original in meaning.

37、 5tough cultural exchange between eastern and western worlds, some of the eastern proverbs have been absorbed into english and become part of english proverbs, these proverbs have pronounced local color and distinctive national flavor.(11)only an elephant can carry an elephants load this is an india

38、n proverb which shows that only a great man can do his own great work and others are not competent on that job. so, “巨象才能托重物”carries the meaning and keeps the image of the original proverbs in a best way. 5(12) the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean coming from japan, this proverb ind

39、icates that japanese peasants have a narrow horizon. so, its literal translation “井底之蛙不只大海的浩瀚”is faithful to the original one in sense as well as in image. 5 since english borrowed some of the chinese proverbs and put them into its own proverb reservoir without changing the meaning and cultural imag

40、es, the english proverbs, so to speak, have the same origin with the chinese ones.(13)every river has its source and every tree its roots.chinese proverb:水有源，樹有根。(14)one kind word will keep you warm for three winters.chinese proverb:好話一句暖三冬 (15)a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step

41、.chinese proverb:千里之行，始于足下1.3the fundamental features of english proverb english are noted for their wealth of proverbs, they form an essential part of the general vocabulary of the language. they have their own peculiar features. according to the definition of proverb, they at least possess two fun

42、damental features:1.3.1 structural stability 7 many english proverbs are characterized by structural invariability. their form is often fixed. the words in the proverb cannot, as a rule, be deleted, added to, replaced by synonymous words, or meaning.(16) a stitch in time saves ninein this proverb, i

43、ts impossible to say “a stitch in time saves ten” or “a stitch on time saves nine” which is a unity to create the meaning “correct the small details of a thing in time can keep the whole thing.” 7(17) good hand, good hirein this proverb, we cannot change it into “good worker, good hire” or good hand

44、, good pa.” its the whole form to form the meaning of “a skillful man will get a higher pay.” 71.3.2semantic unity 7english proverbs are mainly characterized by its semantic unity. by semantic unity we mean a proverb functions as a unit of meaning, and must be learned as a whole. that is, the meanin

45、g of the proverb cannot be deduced from the literal meaning of its member words.(18) a feather in somebodys capthis proverb is not at all connected with feather or cap. it means an honor, success, of which one can be proud. as in “it was a feather in his cap for the new teacher when he was made head

46、 of the history department.” (19)industry is fortunes right hand, and frugality her left.this proverb is not connected with hands at all. it means fortune depends in hard work and wise management of ones money. if one wants to succeed, one must be both industrious and thrifty.2. cultural differences

47、 in translation of english proverbs as we discussed, english proverbs have four important sources: daily activities and experience, the bible, well-known wits and foreign language. of course, chinese proverbs also have its own special sources. so, when we translate the english proverb into chinese,

48、we cannot avoid the trouble of dealing with the cultural differences between the two languages.2.1cultural differences in living conditions and human experience living environment and human experience hold an enormously broad impact on the coinage of proverbs. britain is an island country which has

49、a long history of navigation, and therefore a great number of english proverbs are derived from the sea, they were originally employed by sailor to refer to nautical activities and some hunters from their hunting activities, on the other hand, china since time immemorial, has been a large country ch

50、iefly based on agriculture, so that there are a large number of proverbs from agricultural activities. 8(20)all is fish that comes to ones net.this proverb is translated to chinese “抓到籃子里便是菜”. there are only “fish and net” in the original proverb, but they turns into “籃子和菜”in the chinese proverb. (2

51、1)hoist sail when the wind is fairit seems that this proverb is talking about sailing, but actually it tells people to take advantage while they have the chance. it may be translated into “乘風(fēng)揚(yáng)帆，乘機(jī)行事,” and from which the readers cannot only known the origin of this proverb, but also understand its im

52、plied meaning.(22)catch the bear before you sell its skin.this proverb vividly warns those who act prudently and do not be over-optimistic. its literal translation “捉到熊再賣皮” just reproduces such vividness to the readers(23)瑞雪兆豐年this chinese proverb means that snow foretells a bumper harvest. so its t

53、ranslation “a timely snow promises a good harvest” is good enough to retain the original meaning and effect. (24)豹死留皮，人死留名。the chinese proverb tells us that a man has a reputation to leave to posterity when he dies; its literal translation “a dying leopard leaves his skin, a dying man his name.” is

54、faithful to the original both in meaning and image.2.2cultural differences in religion as religion once had an immense influence on people in feudal society, there are still many proverbs remaining which reflect religious belief at that time. owing to their different religion, the english and chines

55、e people used different figures in their own proverbs with religious allusion “god”, “heaven”, “devil”, “hell”, “church” etc, are often used in christianity, whereas“佛” (buddha) , “廟” （temple）, “和尚” (monk) ,etc. in buddhism. 8 english proverbs:（25）god help those who help themselves. 天助者自助（26）the dev

56、il is good to his own 惡人自有惡人保 chinese proverbs:（27）跑了和尚，跑不了廟。the monk may run away, but the temple cannot run with him.（28）做一天和尚撞一天鐘。go on tolling the bell as long as one is a monk.2.3cultural differences in cultural tradition both english and chinese cultures have their traditions.greek and roman m

57、ythology also generates colorful proverbs. it has, in fact, produced tremendous influence on english literature and arts. nevertheless, because of their too heavily cultural loan, a translation of them into chinese can hardly preserve both its image and meaning. 8 (29) love is blind this proverb is

58、from roman mythology. cupid, the god of love, is a boy with two wings. his eyes are blind-folded and he is flying in the sky with bow and arrows in hand, shooting his arrow of love. the one who gets the golden arrow will win his love. this proverb implies that lovers can not see each others weaknesses and shortcomings. so “愛情是盲目的” is the same as the original in implied meaning. (30) ba