A Study On English Translation Of The Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes From A Cultural Perspective

It is generally accepted that language is the carrier of information and culture. It plays a very important role in culture. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture; it reflects culture. In a broad sense, language is the most symbolic and special representation of a people and it comprises their historical and cultural backgrounds as well as their approach to life and their ways of living and thinking. Cultures differ from one another, so it is only natural then that with differences in cultures and languages, difficulties often arise in communicating across cultures. Thus mutual understanding is not always easy. English and Chinese are languages which are formed and shaped under two markedly different cultures. According to the theory that language is a part of culture, translating from one language into another cannot be done satisfactorily without adequate knowledge of the two cultures involved. The most serious shortcomings in translating are not usually due to verbal inadequacy, but due to wrong cultural assumptions. The cultural factors in translating are more significant than purely linguistic differences.In recent years, "culture" and "translation" are combined and used together more and more often. In other words, cultural translation and cultural elements in translation have drawn more and more attentions from scholars who are studying translation. Many world-famous translation theorists have made profound discoveries on translation theory in their work. Culture is the soul of a nation, glittering in the human world like a pearl. Meanwhile, language is the carrier and an integral part of culture. Culture must be expressed, embodied and symbolized by language, for culture is not an abstract word. Therefore, culture can never be separated from language, or from translation which is a bridge between language and culture.Every language has a large number of idioms. They are so plentiful and colorful because people create them from daily life and work over hundreds of years. An idiom, which is treated as the quintessence of language, is like a mirror that reflects culture the best. Both English and Chinese are rich in culture-specific idioms, which are widely used in all kinds of work, as well as in daily life. Because idioms bear various figures of rhetorical devices and strong cultural flavors, it is often very difficult for non-native speakers to understand them. Furthermore, it is much harder to translate them faithfully and expressively into another language.The Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes are an important part of Chinese idioms. It is a kind of the special humorous language and a part of Chinese humor, which was created by the Chinese people in accordance with their rich experience of life. It is a unique way to express the Chinese national culture. The idioms can strengthen the artistic appeal of language with their vivid similes, rich association and humorous and witty style by using figures of speech such as simile, pun and euphony. They have unusual forms and characterized connotations, their exact meanings are often implied, which are commonly applied in daily life and literary works. The Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes are the priceless treasures of China, which simultaneously belong to the whole world. The study of translation of the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes do help English readers to appreciate Chinese and China, and help to convey the Chinese culture effectively, speeding up cultural communications between China and the foreign nations. This thesis is aimed at finding out suitable methods of translating the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes from a cultural perspective.The thesis is divided into six parts:Part 1 is a general introduction to culture and idioms and is also an outline of the thesis.Part 2 consists of Chapter 1, which presents a literary review of cultural translation theories put forward by various scholars, among which Nida's views on functional equivalence and the relation between culture and translation is the key.Part 3 consists of Chapter 2, which deals with the definitions, characteristics, formations and classification of the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes.Part 4 consists of Chapter 3, which is the main part of this thesis. The author compares Chinese and Western culture, which are reflected in idioms, especially in the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes, and different ways of thinking of people in different cultures. Principles of translation and the cultural connotations of the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes are also discussed. Based on the analysis of the relationship between language and culture, and between translation and culture, it can be easily found that culture and idioms are both translatable.Part 5 consists of Chapter 4, which introduces a set of English translation methods for the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes. In this chapter, the significance of equivalent translation of Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes is discussed.Part 6, the Conclusion, summarizes the main points of this thesis and concludes that before rendering the Chinese Enigmatic Folk Similes, a translator needs to contemplate the cultural discrepancies between Chinese and English, and then flexibly make use of translation methods so as to provide a good English translation.