A Study On Strategies For Translating Chinese Idiomatic Phrases Into English From A Cultural Perspective

Translation involves not only two different languages, but also two different cultures. Translation studies and cultural studies have been closely connected since translation studies occurred a"cultural turn"in 1990s. Chinese idiomatic phrases are special entities of Chinese language and the integral part of fine traditional Chinese culture, therefore a study on strategies for translating them into English from a cultural perspective will be of great significance to solve the difficulties occurred in their English translation and carry forward the fine traditional Chinese culture among the English-speaking countries.The dissertation comprises five chapters.Chapter one briefly introduces the purpose and significance of this study.Chapter two carries out a comparative study of Chinese and English idiomatic phrases. Chinese and English idiomatic phrases can be divided into set phrases, proverbs and vulgarisms. Enigmatic folk similes are unique fixed expressions of Chinese language. Though they share some identical or similar characteristics, Chinese and English idiomatic phrases are endowed with many differences which mainly result from different Chinese and English cultural factors. This chapter presents four aspects of difference in cultural factors leading to the differences between Chinese and English idiomatic phrases.Chapter three presents theoretical basis of this study. The theoretical basis consists of translation studies'"cultural turn"put forward by Susan Bassnett & Andre Lefevere, resistant translation proposed by Venuti, foreignizing and domesticating translation. According to Susan Bassnett and AndréLefevere, translation studies and cultural studies have been closely connected since"cultural turn"occurred in translation studies. Translators don't work in a vacuum; therefore they are always constrained by power, ideology, patronage, poetics and Universe of Discourse. Venuti found that"smooth"translation has prevailed in Anglo-American countries for many years and translators were invisible in"smooth"translation, therefore he proposed the resistant translation strategy with the purpose of opposing"cultural hegemonisim"enjoyed by Anglo-American countries and transforming translators'invisibility. Foreignizing and domesticating translation are two different translation strategies. With foreignizing translation"the translator leaves the author in peace, as much as possible, and moves the reader toward him"(Schleiermacher 1838/1963:47, 1838/1977:74; Venuti 2004:19). While domesticating translation"the translators leaves the reader in peace, as much as possible, and moves the author toward him"(Schleiermacher 1838/1963:47, 1838/1977:74; Venuti 2004:19-20).Chapter four devotes to a study on strategies and methods for translating Chinese idiomatic phrases into English from a cultural perspective. The information of an idiomatic phrase comprises the literal meaning, rhetorical meaning and figure of speech which often contains an image. An ideal English translation of a Chinese idiomatic phrase should retain all the information components, but in many cases translators fail to do so. Taking the characteristics of Chinese and English idiomatic phrases, type of text and purpose of translation into consideration, foreignizing translation strategy and domesticating translation strategy can be adopted respectively when translating Chinese ones into English. Foreignizing translation strategy attaches great importance to retaining of cultural factors and images the Chinese idiomatic phrases possess, while domesticating translation strategy takes fluency and readability of TT as the primacy. Under the foreignizing translation strategy, translation methods such as literal translation, literal translation with annotation and literal translation with additional remark are employed respectively. Free translation, borrowing, substitution and omission are used when domesticating translation strategy is adopted. In addition, this chapter discusses how to dispose the stylistic features of Chinese idiomatic phrases when they are translated into English.Chapter five draws a conclusion of this dissertation. The study shows that it is feasible to solve the difficult problems occurred in translating Chinese idiomatic phrases into English with the translation strategies and methods put forward by this dissertation.