Foreignization In Idiom Translation

Domestication and foreignization are two main strategies in translation and their controversy has lasted a long time both at home and abroad. In the foretime, domestication played a major role in idiom translation while foreignization was just in a subordinate status. However, domestication translation is not appropriate for transferring the cultural features in idioms. Nowadays, with the influence of historical and political factors, foreignization is becoming a tendency in translation. This tendency also appears in idiom translation. Foreignization translation in idioms aims primarily at reproducing the "foreignness" and cultural features in the original as much as possible. The application of foreignization in idiom translation can be realized through three methods: complete-literal, literal and paraphrasing, literal and annotating. However, though foreignization strategy is suitable for idiom translation, some features of idioms cannot be conveyed completely. When foreignization is not feasible, the translator should resort to domestication as a supplementary method.