Further Discussion On C-E Idiom Translation

In the era of saving the nation from subjugation and ensuring its survival, the mainstreamChinese translation is from foreign languages into Chinese, which offers other cultures,especially western culture, as a reference to reconstruct Chinese cultural ego. With China’seconomic power growing stronger,“internationalization of Chinese culture”, instead of“introduction of western culture”, has become the mainstream of the present era China andaccordingly C-E translation, instead of E-C translation, will become the mainstream of thepresent China’s translation. Just as post-colonial translation theory reveals, translation is not ahumanism enterprise shared by all human beings. Different from the translation in the era ofsaving the nation from subjugation and ensuring its survival, China’s translation in the nationalrenaissance age must have some new features.The mainstream of Chinese translation in the era of national renaissance is C-E translationwhich helps spread Chinese culture to other countries, especially English-speaking countriesand update the image of Chinese people in the eyes of westerners so as to strengthen China’sinfluence in politics, economy and thoughts in the world. Chinese character is the carrier ofChinese culture. C-E translation is, in essence, to translate and spread Chinese culture. Chineseidioms cover every aspect of Chinese culture and converge the essence of it. They directlyreflect particular geographic environment, historic background, religious culture and values ofChina. Translation quality of Chinese idioms is the key in introducing Chinese culture to theworld. Therefore, it’s necessary to further explore C-E idiom translation.Since it’s the re-exploration of C-E idiom translation, the existing research is the logicalstarting point for this dissertation. According to literature review, current translation skillsinclude literal translation, liberal translation, combination of literal and liberal translation andword-for-word translation. Cultural strategies for translation include domestication andforeignization. Obviously, existing translation skills are diversified and existing culturalstrategies for translation are in binary opposition. How do translators of this era choose fromdiverse skills and binary cultural strategies? Scholars have made little study in this respect.Blind spots in theoretical research inevitably result in blind practice.The translators adopted different skills and cultural strategies in dealing with thetranslation of different idioms in Fortress Besieged. Whether these choices are guided bytheories or merely based on translators’“genius”, namely, the activity in the “black box”remains an unresolved mystery. However, the adequacy of idiom translation can be analyzedvia the translation product, the target text. Seen from the examples listed in this dissertation, theidiom translation for this book is mostly inadequate in terms of conveying Chinese culture,although the translators made their choices in diversified skills and binary cultural strategies. This inadequate translation of idioms makes it obviously necessary and urgent to discuss therational and better choice in diversified skills and binary cultural strategies, which ensures anauthentic Chinese culture in the target text to stand firmly on the commanding height of“introducing Chinese culture to the world” by translation.On the basis of existing theoretical research and the examination of practice in idiomtranslation in Fortress Besieged, the dissertation singles out foreignization as an ideal culturalstrategy and literal translation plus explanation as an optimal skill for “introducing Chineseculture to the world” strategy, because the close bond between linguistic form and its meaningnaturally leads to the conclusion that a combination of the two in target text should be the besttranslation. However, such an ideal choice shouldn’t challenge readers’ cognitive ability sinceno matter what a translator does, he does it for readers. If the efforts to render an idealtranslation of both linguistic form and its meaning by adopting certain translation skill andstrategy make the target text obscure, translators should do an either-or choice betweenlinguistic form and its meaning. Under such circumstances, translators should switch fromlinguistic form to meaning and choose domestication instead of foreignization and liberaltranslation instead of literal translation plus explanation to adapt to readers’ cognitive ability,which is a decisive factor in understanding and accepting Chinese culture.Guided by the above-mentioned order in strategy and skill choice, the author of thisdissertation attempts to retranslate some Chinese idioms in Fortress Besieged. Readers canmake a comparative reading and make their own judgment on the idiom translation resultingfrom different translation strategies and skills.