On Translation Of Culture-bound Terms

The thesis deals mainly with the translation of culture-bound terms in the Mencius in the perspective of comparisons of two English versions.Considering from the perspective of intercultural exchanges, the author believes that the focus should not stay only at the level of language differences when translation is under our discussion. The most important consideration in this case is cultural differences. When cultural differences are mentioned in language, they usually exist in the form of culture-bound terms and bring some difficulties at the same time. It is just as Eugene A. Nida points out in his book Language, Culture and Translating: "for truly successful translating, biculturalism is even more important than bilingualism, since words only have meanings in terms of the cultures in which they function." However, these words usually contain some important cultural information that is necessary for reader's comprehension of a culture, so we should pay more attention to the translation of culture-bound terms.The thesis begins with a brief consideration of the Mencius and two English versions of it. Many culture-bound terms in the Mencius elude the efforts of the translator to convey their delicate cultural connotations; every translator must rack his brain to deal tactfully with this thorny issue. The Mencius is an important component in the classics of the Confucian School, which serves as a bridge between the past and future of the Confucian doctrine and further develops Confucius' ideology. In the cultural exchange between the east and the west, its influences and values cannot be replaced. There are two English versions of the Mencius, one is translated by famous Sinologist James Legge, and the other is translated by Zhao zhentao and others. The main reason for choosing these two versions is their wide influence, they were produced in different times and by different translators; and you can see the vast difference of the languages and skills in the tow versions.In chapter two, the author comes up with a simplified definition and roughclassification of culture-bound terms in order to draw attention to some basic problems. The Chinese culture-bound terms are embedded with rich cultural connotations, and the translation of them is one of the most difficult points and major barriers in C-E translation.In chapter three, eight commonly used methods of translating such terms are reviewed. The author points out that each method has its own merits and demerits, and it is usually the case that these methods are often used together to fully convey the cultural connotations of such terms.In chapter four, some representative culture-bound terms from the original are compared with their counterparts from two English versions in the following seven areas: 1. Confucian Terms; 2.Historical figures; 3. Modes of addresses; 4. Units of measurement; 5. Animals and plants; 6. Utensils; 7. Others.In the last chapter, two English versions are evaluated in the perspective of the translation of culture-bound terms. The results of the comparisons clearly show that each of the two versions has its advantages and disadvantages. In general, Zhao's translation is more concise, more precise than Legge's. Besides the comparative study, the author also touches upon some demerits of the two English versions and analyses the possible causes of those failures in the hope of perfecting them in future editions. The ideal translation strategies, both succeed in maintaining the important cultural information and simultaneously guaranteeing readability need much effort of coming generations. As to evaluate the achievements of a translated text, general linguistic equivalence is no longer the only yardstick. The translation of culture-bound terms, and its influence upon readers in a given culture should all be taken into consideration. Translation criticism should extend its scope to cover more factors relevant to culture. This can further prove the necessity of the discussion on translation of these terms in cultural exchanges. At last, a general conclusion of the thesis is advanced on the basis of the above analysis in the hope of improving the quality of the future translation of cultural classics and facilitating the intercultural exchanges.