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1、Practical Methods in Idiom Translation between English and ChineseAbstract: Translation is an important and indispensable segment not only for increasingly popular daily international communication, but also for the academic studies of a foreign language. However, idiom translation is one of the mos
2、t difficult tasks in intercultural communication and language learning, owing to cultural differences. What techniques do translators tend to use in idiom translation? This dissertation is an attempt to find out the answer to the question by looking into the translation procedures of Chinese idioms
3、into English and vice versa. The dissertation presents a variety of examples of idiom translation and concludes with some practical methods. Key words: idiom translation translation method literal translation free translation 【中文摘要】翻译不仅在日益普遍的日常国际交往中起着不可替代的桥梁作用，而且是外语学术研究中不可或缺的重要环节。翻译涉及两种语言之间的转换，如何处理蕴
4、含在源语言和目标语言中的文化差异成为翻译中的最大困难。而英汉习语具有强烈的文化特征，因此一直是译者面临的最艰巨的任务。译者在习语翻译中多采用哪些方法呢？本文将从探究英汉习语互译的过程中找出上述问题的答案。本文通过列举各种例子，总结出习语互译的一些实用技巧，除了直译、意译、同义习语借用法之外，我们还可以运用直译兼意译以及全译和部分译法。 【关键词】习语翻译 翻译方法 直译 意译 1. Introduction Since the earliest beginning of human civilization, one of the key problems facing human being
5、s has been how to communicate. We are in a small planet of millions of people, all speaking hundreds of different languages. Translation is for interlingual communications. It bridges the gulf between different-tongue speakers, and reproduces and spread the message in the original language. Translat
6、ion permits knowledge to be transmitted to different corners of the world and to succeeding generations. Translation provides information, reveals feelings, and affects peoples thought or behavior. Without translation, the worldwide civilization would not be possible.（Jin Meilin, 2003：3） Translation
7、 is of great importance in learning a foreign language. The English-Chinese translation has now been proved to be a valuable aid to the Chinese learners of English because it gives them a better understanding of the English language and the Chinese language. It helps to brush up their English used a
8、s either the source language or the target language. Gideon Toury once said in 1978, “Translation is a kind of activity which inevitably involves at least two languages and two cultural traditions.” As this statement implies, translators are permanently faced with the problem of how to treat the cul
9、tural aspects implicit in a source text (ST) and of finding the most appropriate technique of successfully conveying these aspects in the target language (TL). These problems may be obvious in idiom translation. In order to solve such problems, it is necessary for us to make an in-depth study on tra
10、nslation between Chinese and English. Before a detailed analysis of the examples and methods of idiom translation, a few words about idiom and idiom translation are needed. 2. Towards the translation of idioms 2.1 The definition of idiom Idioms are an important part of a language. As a language form
11、, idioms has its own characteristic and patterns and are used in high frequency whether in written language or oral language because idioms can convey a host of language and cultural information when people chat to each other. What does “idiom” mean? Different experts have different opinions and def
12、initions to idioms. Some people consider idioms as quintessence of a language. Others regard them as treasury of a language. These statements in certain degree reflect the idioms characteristics, but cant be regarded as idioms definition. It is difficult to give a clear definition to idioms. First,
13、people are often confused with their scope, content and form. Second, experts have different opinions about how to divide idioms from narrow sense and general sense, and what kind of language expression really belongs to idioms .All of these causes bring difficulty to define a idiom .Maybe owing to
14、those causes, the word “ idiom” even hasnt been collected in such authoritative reference books as Modern Chinese Dictionary and Cihai(辞海).However, some English Dictionaries give“idiom”a variety of definitions. For example, Longman Active English-Chinese Dictionary (1990) defines an idiom as “a phra
15、se which means something different from the meanings of the separate words”. The concise Oxford Dictionary (2000) gives such a definition as “a group of words established by usage and having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words”. Longman Dictionary of contemporary English (1998
16、) gives the definition “a phrase which means something different from them meanings of the separate words from which it is formed”. And Websters New World Dictionary of the American language (2nd college edition, 1972) gives this definition “an accepted phrase, construction, or expression contrary t
17、o the patterns of the language having a meaning different from the language or having a different from the literal”. According to all those descriptions, “idiom” is a phrase or a group of words approved by people and has unique form. Its meaning is different from the literal. In general sense, the s
18、cope of English and Chinese idioms includes, set phrase, common sayings, proverbs, idiomatic phrases, slang, a two-part allegorical and allusion, and so on. There are many characteristics in English and Chinese idioms. The first one is colorful and vivid in meaning, which is rich and varied. English
19、 and Chinese idioms have various rhetoric meaning, such as 明喻(simile)：“like a cat on hot bricks” (像热锅上的蚂蚁 ), “as brave as a lion”(勇猛如狮）；暗喻（ metaphor）：“沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌” (have features that can make fish sink and birds alight , and looks that can outshine the moon and put the flowers to shame) ,“光阴是锉，细磨
20、无声”（Time is a file that wears and makes no noise.）；借代（metonym）：老骥伏枥，志在千里(An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand Li)；回文 (chiasmus)：人不犯我，我不犯人；人若犯我，我必犯人。 (We will not attack unless we are attacked; if we are attacked; we will certainly counterattack.)；倒装（inversion）：“A thousand sa
21、ils pass by sunken ship, ten thousand saplings shoot up beyond the withered tree ”(沉舟侧畔千帆过，病树前头万木春)。There are many other rhetorical means we cant list one by one here .The second one is similarity in metaphorical meaning. Because peoples experience and thoughts about the world in many quarters are s
22、imilar, although English culture differs from Chinese culture, there are similarities, even the same between these two cultures. For example, both in the east and the western countries, workers have the experience “strike while the iron is hot”(趁热打铁), and nearly all peasants say “As a man sows, so h
23、e shall reap”(种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆). Through the struggle with nature both the easterners and westerners have come to know that unity is strength. The following idioms “walls have ears” and “隔墙有耳”, “burn ones boats” and “破釜沉舟”, “add fuel to the flame” and “火上加油”, “practice makes perfect” and “熟能生巧”, and so on,
24、 as well versed in connotations and figures. Unless such circumstances, English and Chinese idioms in usage are interlinked, which is conformed to the structure and form of idiom and faithful to the original figure and characteristic. As to English and Chinese idioms, English idioms mainly include:(
25、1) set phrase, idiomatic phrases such as “to have ones head in the clouds”, “the man in the streets”; (2) proverbs such as “many men, many minds”, “No man is born wise or learned”;(3) common sayings “to charge someone an arm and a leg”, “going bananas”; (4) allusion such as “meet ones waterloo”, “sk
26、eleton in the cupboard”;(5) slang such as “cop”(a slang word for “Policeman”). Chinese idioms generally include:(1) set phrase especially the four-word set phrases “气贯长虹”，“国泰民安”; (2) proverbs “好事不出门 ,坏事传千里 ”; (3) common saying “天下无难事 ,只怕有心人 ”; (4) allusion “名落孙山”; (5) a two-part allegorical saying “
27、按鸡头啄米白费心机”, and so on. 2.2 Idiom translation As was mentioned, translation is an important part of intercultural communication, and equivalence between the source language and the target language is what translators strive to arrive at. However, due to linguistic and cultural diversity, exact equiva
28、lence is very hard to achieve, especially in the translation of idioms, since they are heavily culture-laden. For example, the Chinese idiom (“八字没一撇儿 ”) in word-by word- translation is “eight character not a stroke”. The literal meaning is “Not even the first stroke of the character for eight is in
29、sight.” The idiomatic meaning of this idiom is “Theres not the slightest sign of anything happening yet”. If translated literally, the version will be meaningless, if translated liberally, the version will lose the original flavor. Likewise, the English idiom “skeleton in the cupboard” will seem obs
30、cure if translated literally. However, the form of an idiom also carries meaning, and lexicographers should not abandon form every time they come across an image. For example, the English idiom “kill two birds with one stone” is similar in meaning to the Chinese idiom “shoot two hawks with one arrow
31、”. They both mean “achieve two things at one stroke.” The image in an idiom is also a sign, carrying informative or expressive or aesthetic function that should not be ignored. Therefore, translating “kill two birds with one stone” as “shoot two hawks with one arrow” is desirable in that it keeps mu
32、ch of the original flavor without causing obscurity, or losing the vivid imagery. But in “Not even the first stroke of the character for eight is in sight” the literal translation does not reveal the pragmatic meaning, to say nothing of the vividness, and so should be replaced by a liberal version.
33、2.3 Two basic ways of translation Literal translation and free translation are two basic skills of translation. Literal translation is a translation that follows closely the form of the source language, including construction of the original sentences, meaning of the original words, and metaphor of
34、the original and so on. This kind of translation would be fluent and easy for target language readers to comprehend. Free translation refers to a translation that reproduces the general meaning of the original text. It may or may not closely follow the form or organization of the original, including
35、 construction of the original sentences, meaning of the original words, metaphors of the original and so on. Translation (or the translator) is often compared to a bridge, which is not just between the source text and the target text but also between the author of the text (dispatcher of the origina
36、l information) and the reader of the target text (final and indirect receiver or receptor of the information). So as an intermediate information receiver and the same time the secondary dispatcher, the translator has to analyze the intention of the author in writing the source text and try to convey
37、 it to the reader of the translation, who should understand the intention of the author through the target text. When translating, translators should not use literal translation completely or use free translation completely. According to the passage that you are translating, you should use literal t
38、ranslation frequently and use free translation when necessary. This principle can be fully applied and incarnated in idiom translation. 3. The translation of idioms 3.1 From Chinese to English Chinese idiom is a kind of unique language form. This kind of language form is the language crystallization
39、 that the people of our country refined out in the course of long-time practicing and learning. It is neat and compact, pleasing to both eye and ear with very strong expressive power. Whats more, judging from the structure formation, we cannot generally find the corresponding expressions in the Engl
40、ish language. With regard to the meanings it expresses, it is planted deeply in national culture, with extremely strong national characteristics. Therefore, it is a pretty great challenge for us Chinese students to translate Chinese idioms into English correctly. Now we are trying our best to seek f
41、or some practical ways in translating Chinese idioms, especially 歇后语a kind of allegorical saying that usually consists of two parts, of which the first part is often a descriptive statement and the second carries the real message though often unstated: 3.1.1 Complete Translation and Partial Translat
42、ion (全译和部分译) 3.1.1.1 Complete Translation (全译) (1).那宝玉是个“丈八灯台 -照见别人，照不见自己”的，只知嫌人家腌臜，这是他的房子，由着你们糟蹋。（曹雪芹：红楼梦） And as for Baoyu：hes a six-foot lampstand that lights up others but stays dark itself; for hes always on about how dirty other people are, but look at the mess he allows you to make of his own
43、 room!（Chen Dingan, 2004：145） (2).他哑巴吃黄连 , 有苦说不出。 He is like the dumb man eating a bitter herb: he had to suffer the bitterness of it in silence. (3).去设埋伏我们都没有信心，他肯定昨天晚上就溜了，今天去也是瞎子点灯白费蜡。 We had no confidence in today ambush because we were sure he had escaped last night. It seems as useless as a bli
44、nd man lighting a candle. (4).泥菩萨过江，自身难保。 A clay idol cannot save itself while swimming across a river. (5).拿锄头刨黄连挖苦。 To dig Coptis chinensis (Chinese goldthread) with a hoedig. (6).咱们这些兵是什么兵呀，都是拿锄把子的手，猛不乍的拿起枪就会打仗啊？这可是“瘸子担水”得一步步来么！（袁静等新儿女英雄传第三回） Until a few days ago, the only thing these fellows eve
45、r held in their hands was a hoe. You cant suddenly switch to a gun and expect them to know how to fight. Theyre like cripples carrying wateryouve got to lead them slowlystep by step. (7).我看你这个人的话，真是大牯牛的口水，太长！（郭沫若屈原第二幕） Your words are like the slobber of a buffalotoo long! (Yang译) 3.1.1.2 Partial tra
46、nslation (部分译) A. Only translating the part of metaphor (1).他知道黄鼠狼给鸡拜年，没安好心眼。 He realized that it was a case of the weasel coming to pay his respects to the hen.（Chen Dingan, 2004：145） (2).他们的努力只能是竹篮打水一场空。 Their efforts will be like ladling water with a wicker basket.（Chen Dingan, 2004：145） (3).把田村家
47、得罪下了，咱也没上利。阉猪割耳朵两头受罪！（马烽村仇第九节） We wronged the people of Tien Village all for nothing except to be robbed by the landlords! Losers in more ways than one as we certainly are, were just gelded pigs which have their ears cut off as well! (4).说得不好听的，就给他一个“实棒槌灌米汤”，来个寸水不进，我算是满没有听提，这才能过日子。（曹禺日出第三幕） When he
48、says something nasty, let it run off you like water off a ducks back, just pretend he hasnt said a thing. Thats the only way to keep sane. B. Only translating the part of explanation (1).小王看见我们开会都不叫他，哑巴吃饺子，心里有数。 Xiao Wang saw us hold meetings without sending for him. He can put two and two together.
49、 (2).他必定会问我，我给他来个徐庶入军营一语不发。 Hes sure to ask me but Ill hold my tongue to begin with. (3).你们别笑，老鼠拉木锨 -大事还在后头呢！（李准耕云记） Dont laugh; the best is yet to come! (4).怪不得人说你们“诗云子曰”的人难讲话！这样看来，你好像“老鼠尾巴上害疖子，出脓也不多！”（儒林外史第十四回） No wonder they say you bookworms are hard to deal with: one might just as well try to squeeze water out of a stone. (Yang译) 3