Application Of Vague Language In English Translation Of Chinese Cuisine Names

As an old Chinese saying goes, “Chinese people regard food as their first want”. Chinese food culture takes up an important position in Chinese culture. With globalization coming into our life, exchanges between the east and the west have become increasingly frequent. More and more foreign friends have developed a strong interest in Chinese food. Chinese cuisine has become an important window for foreign friends to get to know Chinese culture. Whether Chinese dish names could be understood by foreigners has posed a question for translators. Therefore the English translation of Chinese dish names is of great significance, requiring more and more contributive studies. Through a comparison of characteristics of Chinese and English dish names, the author finds out that vagueness exists in both kinds of dish names and that in order for foreign friends to better understand Chinese cuisine culture, the application of vague language is necessary in translating Chinese cuisine names. Based on this, the author puts forward the strategy of domestication, two principles, namely “translating vagueness into vagueness”, “translating exactness into vagueness” as well as two techniques, namely amplification and omission for guiding such translation practice.