Abstract:With the rapid development of social economy and globalization, exchanges between oriental and western culture becomes more and more frequent. While the difference in language and culture remains to be the main barrier in bilateral communication. Idiom, as the crystallization of the language, is refined after a long usage in social life. Idiom is with strong national and regional flavors and colors, whose translation has been a hard nut to crack. English idiom is the very part with the rich national characteristics in English language culture. It has a close connection with English eco-culture, language culture, religious culture and social culture and bears a good number of national cultural characteristics and information. The translation of English idioms is not only a language conversion process, but a process of cultural transplantation. 

There exist many wrong translations of English idiom, whose reasons can be concluded into three aspects. One is culture difference. Idiom is culturally-loaded; it has a close relation to its national culture. And each nation differs from each other in tradition and custom. Translators tend to neglect the difference existing in two cultures. Second is literal quotation. A good number of English idioms contain allusions, and the translators, do not know them, would not express the idiom’s connotation. Third is translators are likely to translate the idiom just per its literal meaning. Many component words of the idioms may look similar, while in fact the idiom can not be translated into another language.  

The Chinese translation of English idioms has been a reputable topic, and its translation of the cultural background has also been a problem. During the past years, many great translators have dwelled on the study of English idioms, which very helpful to get a correct understanding of English idiom’s definition. The research on idioms translation will help us get a right understanding to the meaning of idiom. In this thesis, I will have a preliminary discussion about the Chinese translation of English idioms and the translating principles and strategies in the cultural perspective. And I will, through a large number of case analyses, show the matters that we should notice when translating the English idioms, which will analyze the translating methods in cultural perspective in a relatively all-round way. This paper is aimed to point out that idiom translation is not only a practical activity between two languages, but also the exchange involving two different cultures and the purpose of idiom translation is to promote the cultural exchanges, and this is also the main task of the translators. 

Keywords: English idioms; language culture; translating principles; Chinese translation

Contents

摘要

Abstract

Chapter 1 Introduction-1

1.1 Background of the Study-1

1.2 Significance of the Study-1

1.3 Aim of the Study-2

1.4 Layout of the Thesis-2

Chapter 2 Language, Idiom and English Idiom-5

2.1 Concept of Language, Idiom and English Idiom-5

2.1.1 Definition of Language-5

2.1.2 Definition of Idiom-5

2.1.3 Definitions of English Idiom-5

2.2 Features of English Idiom-6

2.3 The Source of English Idioms-7

Chapter 3 Culture and English Idiom Translation-9

3.1 Concept of Culture-9

3.2 The Relationship between Language and Culture-9

3.3 The Cultural Factors Affecting English Idioms-10

3.3.1 Historical Development-10

3.3.2 Geographical Environment-11

3.3.3 Manners and Customs-11

3.3.4 The Religious Belief-12

3.3.5 Literature Works-12

3.4 Cultural Difference between Chinese and English-13

3.4.1 Different Cultural Manifestation of Natural Substances-13

3.4.2 Different Cultural Manifestation of Colors-13

3.4.3 Different Cultural Manifestation of Animals and Plants-13

Chapter4 The Approaches to English Idiom Translation-15

4.1 The General Translation Criteria-15

4.2 The Translating Principles and Strategies-16

4.3 The Practical Translation Methods-17

4.3.1 Literal Translation-17

4.3.2 Liberal Translation-18

4.3.3 Literal and Liberal Translation-19

4.3.4 Amplification-19

4.3.5 Omission-19

4.4 Matters that the Translator Should Notice-19

Chapter 5 Conclusion-21

References-23

Acknowledgements-24