The Translation Of Animal Idioms In A Cultural Discrepancies Perspective

The idioms of different languages have their own cultural imprints. It is usually related to the object or environment that is familiar to local people through long-term development. Animals are people's friends for centuries of years, so they have a very close relationship with human beings. People adopt different species of animal as metaphors in an expressive way to express their feelings or to describe social phenomena. Both English and Chinese are rich in their animal idioms. However owing to the different national characteristics between eastern and western cultures, such as economic development, geographical conditions, fable and mythology, literature, folk customs and social practice, religion etc., the attitudes between easterners and westerners towards the same animal are different and so are their associations with the corresponding animals. Therefore, there are cultural discrepancies between English and Chinese animal idioms. These cultural discrepancies can be divided into three groups: conflict of cultural meaning between English and Chinese animal idioms, divergence of cultural meaning between English and Chinese animal idioms and exclusiveness of cultural meaning between English and Chinese animal idioms. A good translation should be based on a good understanding of the cultural meaning of the source language. It requires the translator not only to correctly translate the grammar and the lexis from source language(SL) into target language(TL) but also to transfer its vivid and colorful form so as to make the animal idiom in TL has the equivalent effect to the one in SL to the most extent. Based on abundant examples, this thesis aims at making research at different levels for a comprehensive and rational conclusion about the understanding of English and Chinese animal idioms in a cultural discrepancies perspective. Meanwhile, under the direction of the translation theory of"function equivalence"proposed by Eugene A. Nida, the American translation theorist, it also probes into suitable methods to translate animal idioms from SL to TL, whether equivalent translation or idioms changed metaphors for idioms translation, literal or free translation, so as to meet the target readers'reception as far as possible.