Cul Tural Background And Mistranslation

It is agreed that translation should transfer the original text as faithfully and correctly as possible. But owing to the differences between the two languages, translating errors and defects are inevitable. Translation involves not only languages but also cultures. Incorrect comprehension, expressive defects and lack of social cultural background are normally the three resources for mistranslations. Mistranslations related to cultural differences and non-equivalence of cultural images are crucial in translation studies and there seems to be the trend that more focus are put on studies on errors associated with cultural factors instead of linguistic forms. Because of the inevitably existent gap in material life, traditional history, politics, social system and developing process etc between China and English-speaking countries, we suffer from blunders from misunderstandings and misinterpretations, which hinder greatly the smoothness and promotion of intercultural exchange process. Besides, deliberate mistranslations can also be found in translation practice. Purposeful mistranslations are closely connected with the receptor抯 cultural environment. Anyway, either accidental mistranslation or deliberate mistranslation is of great significance to translation studies on the condition that those mistranslations are not induced because of the translator's ill responsibility in translating. The reason is that mistranslations especially those related to cultural factors reflect vividly the collisions and distortions of the two languages and cultures. In a word, studies on mistranslation contribute indirectly to the promotion of communication and understanding of different cultures. Exploration of cultural sources for mistranslations and comparison studies on the two cultures are of profound significance to translation practice and cultural exchange.