| The effectiveness of the international communication of Chinese cateringindustries is decided by the following two points, the first is about the communicatingmethods and strategies, the second is about the quality of the dishes’ names in C-Etranslation (of course, the delicious taste of the dishes themselves are very important).As the global development of the world economy in recent years, the importanceof studies on Chinese dishes’ names’ C-E (from Chinese into English) translatingprinciples, methods and strategies in cross-language&cross-cultural communication,and international communication is achieving more and more interest and attentionfrom the domestic scholars and the relevant academic organizations. This kind ofcross-language&cross-culture communication involves the transition of the languagesymbols, but also the culture integration. During the course of Chinese cateringindustry’s overseas development and expansion which is an important part of theworld economic activities, C-E translation of Chinese dishes’ names is not a pureliterary text translation any more, though it is well known that language always carriesthe culture. In a sense of foreign publicity, the activity of C-E translation of Chinesedishes’ names is a kind of international communication, what’s more, completely, it isa kind of foreign economic activity. Why is it said to be a kind of economic activity?It is because whether the C-E translation of the names of Chinese dishes is good ornot will directly influence the economic benefit and the scale of Chinese cateringindustries development abroad, which, of course, vice versa, will give an impetus tothe optimization and readjustment of the relevant industrial structure at home. So, inorder to realize the economic effectiveness in the course of the C-E translation, thetechnique of amplification and highlighting some specialties are necessary very muchwhich can make the regional characteristics and the national features included in thenames of Chinese dishes outstanding.In the course of the C-E translation of the names of Chinese dishes (especiallythe artistic cuisine’s names), whether national culture of China can be abundantlytransmitted to English-the target language-receptors or not judges the proper or improper of the English names translated from Chinese, the source language. Ofcourse, during the C-E translating activities of Chinese dishes’ names, the meaning ofthe linguistic symbols, that is to say, internal meaning of the words, but not the literalmeaning of the words, should be approximately (close to the original meaning of thesource language) transferred into target language, which can be helpful to the targetlanguage receptors’ understanding of the source language. This is the basis oftranslation, whether you concern the translating activities from the view of culturetransmission or economic effectiveness in communication. In order to truly transferthe original meaning for the receptors, translators can utilize the translating method ofparaphrase (such as explanation, illustration and supplement, etc.). In past, it isn’trecognized as a kind of translating method by most of the scholars in china, but in thisarticle, as far as the author is concerned, it should be classified into the translatingskills. Furthermore, it is a very important translating skill for truly transferring theoriginal meaning of the source language, which would, for the target languagereceptors, contribute to acquiring the semantic information and cultural information ofthe source language’s.From the perspective of communication science, C-E translating activities onChinese dishes’ names not only carries approximate transferring the internal meaningof the source language and complete transmission of the original national culture, butalso the burden of extending Chinese in the world. So, for getting the so-calledequivalence in translation, zero translation and transliteration are always regarded asthe best translating methods, which are often used to keep the original meaning of thesource language in the target language without losing or misrepresenting any semanticinformation, and without misunderstanding the true culture in source language. So,the purpose of putting forward the method of transliteration in translating the dishes’names with Chinese alphabetic writing which is also called “cultural transplantation”in this dissertation is to attach symbols to Chinese dishes at overseas market.Especially, in the international communication of Chinese classic literature works,these two translating methods are applied from time to time for holding back Chinesecultures in the target language. As everybody knows, Many English words, such as kung fu, mahjong, etc., are derived from Latinized Chinese phonetic script, whichhave been accepted by most of the English-speaking countries and some overseaspeople whose native language are not Chinese. Translating Chinese literature works intransliteration or zero translation actually has obtained significant achievement onspreading Chinese culture and China language to the world, which promotes theoverseas people’s understanding China: Chinese culture, Chinese unique aestheticsand social values, and so on. Food is thought as the first necessity for all of the peopleon earth. It is the case in China as well as in the world. As to Chinese dishes’ names’translation from Chinese to English, appropriate translating names can help the targetlanguage receptors grasp the source language’s characteristics and the culturecontained in it. On the premise of avoiding ambiguity and reducing the targetreceptors’ reading difficulties, it is advisable to attach visual non-verbal picture of thedish to the appropriate transliteration dishes’ name, which is expedient for thereceptors to recognize the fascinations of the source language and culture, and whichis helpful to make them widely spread in the world.Cross-cultural communication translatology emphasizes the translated text’sequivalence to the original text from the semantic, grammatical and social functions,especially, the reflection of the target audience equivalent to the source audience whenthey read the different texts. As for Chinese dishes’ names’ translation into English incross-cultural communication, it includes every aspects of translatology. In this course,what the translators should concern is not only the literature and the different cultures,the informative and the speciality, but also the economical efficiency andtransmissibility. As a result, simply using one of the translation theories or translatingmethods or strategies in translating Chinese dishes’ names into English is unscientific.Therefore, in the practice of the C-E translation of the names of Chinese dishes,according to the traditional division on Chinese dishes, it is divided into two types:artistic dishes’ name (emphasizes on the artistic effects of the dishes) and realisticdishes’ name (emphasizes on the contents of the dishes). In this dissertation, thedishes’ names including the artistic effects and the realistic contents of the dishes areclassified into artistic dishes’ name. Compared to the expression form and the structural features of the western dishes’ names, the author will apply the method ofliteral translation (in a sense, word-for-word translation, of course, not deadtranslation) in translating the realistic cuisine’s names; as for the C-E translation ofthe artistic dishes’ names, transliteration with paraphrase are put forward to resolvethe cultural conservation, the semantic information transferring and the artisticaesthetics appreciation. To a certain degree, the activity of translation is another kindof creation different from the original text creation. During the translating process, forthe conventional transliteration dishes’ names which have been accepted by the targetreceptors, we directly adopt them without additional thoughts on changing the form ofthe conventional dishes’ names, but for the other dishes’ names with distinct Chinesecharacteristics, especially, the names which include some allusion, legend or fable,etc., or the meaning of the dishes’ names which can’t be transferred to the targetreceptors in one or two words, translators should fulfill his or her subjectivity, takingthe translating methods of borrowing and homophonic transliteration in translationwhich are apt to create some wonderful translating dishes’ names, such as Gobelive(goubuli), Longkudo (longhudou), etc.. These homophonic transliterating names makethe names of the dishes brief, specified, catchy and vivid in target language context,most of the importance, they are easy to be spread and memorized by the targetreceptors. So, this kind of creativeness would help the brand-building which canpromote the impact of Chinese dishes in the world.The researching of this project will be divided into eight respects on the C-Etranslation of the names of Chinese dishes. The purpose of this dissertation is to findout proper translating methods through analyzing the commonness and theirrespective individualities between the names of the western and Chinese dishes. Sure,proper translating methods would ensure the translated texts more effective andapproximated to the original texts, and make the translations more readable to thetarget readers without misunderstandings.First, in the preface (or introduction), the background, the significance of thisresearch are elaborated, then the author introduces the present situation of the relatedstudies at home and abroad, puts forward the research methods, contents, objectives, the main innovation and the theory frame of this dissertation. Actually, just as there isnot the world culture integration without translation, it is impossible to bring theeconomic prosperity to the world without translation. So, economy and culture shouldbe the two highlights in the C-E translation of the names of Chinese dishes, especiallyin this dissertation.Chapter1is mainly about the differences existing in Chinese and the westerndiet cultures. In this part, the background leading to the differences of the diet culturesand the representation forms of the differences are elaborated. As for the diet culturesdifferences, the author mainly compares the diet notions, the connotations of thesocial cultures between china and the western, and then analyzes the constitution ofthe raw materials, the features of the formation of the dishes’ names, the design of themenus, cooking methods and cutting skills, which would be helpful to make thetranslating names much more appropriate to the target receptors. Compared from theformation and the ways of naming the dishes, the formulation of the western dishes’names is much more direct and plain than Chinese cuisine’s names, less artisticelements included in them, which requires the translators know it well and ensures theexpression ways of his or her target texts (translation text of the dishes’ names) accordwith the target language habits.Chapter2is about the criterion of the C-E translation of the names of Chinesedishes in cross-cultural communication. In this chapter, the author, at first, points outthe present situation of studies on Chinese dishes’ names’ translation and theshortcomings existing in the translating names. And then, the author raises thenecessities of standardizing the C-E translation of Chinese dishes’ names, proposesthe principles, methods and contents of the standardization of translating Chinesedishes’ names. The forth part of this chapter, the author gives some specific analysison the basis of the menu (used before Apr.2013) of57℃Xiang, HongkouLongzhimeng Restaurant in Shanghai, through analyzing the problems appearing inthe C-E translation of Chinese dishes’ names.The3rd chapter is about the purpose and the principles of C-E translation ofChinese dishes’ names. Generally speaking, more often than not, the methods and the principles used in a translation are determined by the purpose of the translatingactivity. So, the first item the author puts forward in this part is about the dialecticalrelationship between the translating aim and the principles and methods, and thenturns to the next core: comprehensively investigating the purpose of the C-Etranslation of Chinese dishes’ names in details. In section3, the author separatelyanalyzes the following translating principles: semanteme maximum approximate,cultural transmission, economic development, aesthetic effect, creation, brief andbrand-building. Sedulously and specifically, to emphasize the importance of theinfluence of Chinese catering industries’ international communication on promotingdomestic economic development, the author explores how to apply the principle ofeconomy in translating the dishes’ names in section four. Just as professor Li Yashuand Huang Zhonglian said in Scientific Translatology: as a kind of informationindustry, the economic effectiveness brought to the society by translation activities orindustry was unparalleled in history.(Li Yashu, Huang Zhonglian,2004: ii)，translation activities promote the social economic development.In Chapter4, the author expounds the adjustment theory in C-E translation ofChinese dishes’ names in the context of cross-cultural communication. At first, thispart analyzes the relationship between international communication and translation:successful international communication requires germane translation. No translation,no international communication; and germane translation can ensure the internationalcommunication well done. Through the maximum approximation in translation,Chinese culture can be easily recognized, grasped and accepted by the target receptors.Maximum approximation is the perfect criterion to judge the quality of the translation,just as Gu Zhengkun said, the criterion of translation had but only one, that is theoriginal text itself (Gu Zhengkun,1989:17). Then, C-E translation of Chinese dishes’names under the condition of the cross-cultural communication and the adjustmenttheory has been discussed. In these two parts, are mainly about the dishes’ names’translating methods and strategies to make the translating names not only adjustableto the target receptors’ linguistic and cultural habits, but also to their psychologicaland aesthetic demands, at the same time, the C-E translation of Chinese dishes’ names should be adjustable to the original, including the translators. In this part, Chinesedishes’ names would be classified into3kinds (artistic, realistic and compound) withdifferent translating methods and concerns.Chapter5is mainly about the translating strategies of the cooking methods andcutting skills during the course of preparing and cooking dishes. In the C-E translationof Chinese dishes’ names, moderately putting the cooking methods and cutting skillsin the translating names can make the expression of the target language perfect intransferring the meaning of the source language, make the target receptors get a vividimage of the dish, and which can reduce the target receptors’ misunderstanding. TheC-E translation of the cutting skill includes two kinds, the first one is about the cuttingskills which directly are related to the shape of the dish, and the second one refers tothe cutting skills irrelevant to the dish’s shape. Regularly, the former should betranslated into the target translating names, and the latter is omitted. Then, it comes tothe cooking methods translation. At first, the author compares the names of thecooking methods used in Chinese and the western dishes cooking. Especially,compares the different semantic meaning of the cooking methods. No absolutesemantic equivalence between Chinese and English, so, of course no absoluteequivalent translation on the meaning and effectiveness to different receptors withdifferent cultural backgrounds. But the most importance is, translators must find outEnglish words adequately approximate to its corresponding words in Chinese. In thispart, the author selects the definition of the words about the cooking methods fromLongman Modern English Dictionary, New Oxford English Dictionary, OxfordAdvanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary and Cambridge InternationalDictionary of English to find the best target cooking words. From this study, it’s notdifficult to find, cooking time and cutting skills makes up of the various Chinesecooking methods. But in the western dishes cooking, it’s much simpler. So, accuratecutting and cooking methods’ translation can make the western receptorsacknowledge the unique of Chinese splendid catering culture.Chapter6mainly deals with the strategies in cross cultural communication intranslating Chinese dishes’ names. That is to say, through applying appropriate translating methods or strategies to eliminate the cultural differences, keep the targetlanguage expression more specific and brief. So, in this chapter, the author firstlyanalyzes the following translating methods in common usage: paraphrase,transliteration, variation translation, which are often used to remove the ambiguity,limitation and fuzziness of the translation texts. Furthermore, in order to make thesemantic transferring of Chinese dishes’ names more accurate in the translation withless words, especially when Chinese dishes’ names translated in transliterationmethod, or only showed the target receptors the raw materials without specific imageforming on their mind, pictorial representation is necessary and favorable, which isoften used on the menus in western restaurants. In addition, the author discusses thetranslating strategies of changing the angle of understanding the originals, etc.Domestication (in the centre of the target language and the target readers) andforeignization (in the centre of the source language and the source readers) are twocontroversial translating strategies. Most of the time, people think that they arediametrically opposed to each other. When scholars mentioned them, they alwaysthought to be two polar conceptions. In fact, in any translation activities,domestication and foreignization are often combined together. According to theauthors’ opinion, the validity (effectiveness to the communication activities) and thereliability (faithfulness to the originals), as the core of a translation, arecomplementary. They are inseparable for a reasonable translation. So, when the authoranalyzes the foreignization and domestication, he proposes that these two strategiesshouldn’t be completely separated. Foreignization is close to the reliability of thetranslation, and validity is related to domestication. From the perspective ofcross-cultural translation of Chinese dishes’ names, the quality of the translatingnames is good or bad will lead to win or lose of Chinese catering industry’sdevelopment overseas.Chapter7mainly analyzes the translation of the special phenomenon in Chinesedishes’ names. In other words, studies the translating skills on herbal dishes inChinese cuisine. Chinese cuisine is far different from the western’. In the pastthousands of years, herbal cuisine plays an important role in Chinese people’s daily life. From a scientific point of view, Chinese people realized that medicine and foodare homologous. Herbal cuisine does not only supply people’s daily nutritional need,improve the health, but also dose good to cure some diseases. On the contrary, thewestern people think it unacceptable. On their mind, food is food, medicine ismedicine. So to speak, herbal cuisine is the essential of Chinese dishes. As to theinternational communication of Chinese catering industries, national is theinternational, translators should take Chinese herbal cuisine into consideration,carefully handling the different opinions on herbal cuisine between the east and thewest, help Chinese herbal cuisine enter the world catering market, bring benefit to themankind. So, after the author’s analysis about the history of herbal cuisine in China,grabbing the theoretical foundation on traditional Chinese medical science, he studiesthe makings of the herbal cuisine’s names, finds out the common regular structure ofthe herbal cuisine’s names C-E translation in target language. Especially, in order tomake the target receptors have the mental block on their mind, the specific names ofthe medicaments in herbal cuisine are often replaced by the abstract word “herb”. Andthen, the author summarizes the translating principles and skills on translatingChinese herbal cuisine’s names.In Chapter8, the author puts his attention on the C-E translation of the figures ofspeech used in Chinese dishes’ names. Many Chinese dishes’ names own the niceimplications, especially for the artistic dishes’ names. Most of them do not directlytell the readers the specific content of the dishes, but through applying exaggeration,metaphor and symbolism, from other angles, such as the dishes’ characteristic of theshape, artistic features, etc. describe the national good wishes and the profoundimplications. The primary coverage in this part includes the following dishes’ namesC-E translating methods and the artistic processing strategies: metaphor, metonymy,Symbolization, exaggeration and cuisine’s names with literary quotations.In the last part of the dissertation, that is in conclusion, the author restates hisC-E translating views on Chinese dishes’ name: the dishes’ name translated intoEnglish and accepted by most of the westerns, continue to use without necessary tochange; realistic Chinese dishes names can be translated in literal translation or transliteration to make the translating names plain and understandable, and literaltranslation can give the target receptors the basic information of the dish; artisticdishes’ names and the compound dishes’ names can be translated into English withthe model of “transliteration+paraphrase”，“transliteration+literal translation”，and“transliteration+paraphrase+literal translating the image in the original dishes’name”. Chinese dishes’ names expressed in target language, generally, must bespecific, brief and stable; it is not advisable to change them optionally once they arewell-established. So, stability of the target names of the original dishes’ names is veryimportant in the cross-cultural communication, and during the communicating course,dishes’ names translating activity require the names with the original culturetranslated from the source language clear and easy to be understood by the targetreceptors.According to the polynary translating methods and principles used in the courseof achieving the maximum approximation to the originals, the purpose of translationthe author put forward requires that translators should pay attention to keep thetranslations perfectly approximate to the original texts when they flexibly use thevarious translating strategies. They should have the courage to bring forth new ideason translation according to the practical communicating requirement, but not theauthority of superstition and blindly follow the books.In the practical translating activities, poor target language vocabulary of thetranslators would be a terrible problem, which would make the translation text boringand stubborn. So, any translators should keep enlarging vocabulary from time to timein mind, adequately grasping the cultural differences between target language andsource language. Good industries aren’t able to have development and expansionwithout good propagandas. In the course of wide-spreading Chinese delicious food tothe world, it requires appropriate target names with beautiful words.In addition, during the course of translating Chinese dishes’ names in cross-cultural communication, it is important to keep using the consolidatedtranslated target names of Chinese dishes’ names, don’t change optionally. |
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