论文总字数：26882字

摘 要

自人类诞生以来，就与动物保持着密切的联系.由于与动物频繁的接触，这使得动物的形象深深根植于人类的文化与交流之中。人们运用各种不同的动物词汇寄托自己的情感和表达自己的想法，并且因此形成了特定的动物文化。动物词汇所表达的深层次含义不断出现在中英两国的语言文学作品和日常交际之中。同时不难发现语言和文化是不可分割的整体。文化的互通和差异造就了语言表达上的不相似和不同。动物词汇因此具有鲜明的文化属性。一方面人类的文化都有共通之处。使得某些动物词汇在汉英两种语言拥有相同的意义。有相同的动物词汇在两种语言中都表达了相同的含义。另一方面同基于中英文化差异又有许多动物词汇在两种语言中表达了不同的的意义。

本文正文部分可以分成三个部分。第一部分有三个方面。多角度的分析了中英动物产生文化内涵的原因。第二个部分展示了有关中英动物词汇相同和不同的文化内涵的五个事例。最后一部分综合以上内容从文化的视角下烦动物词汇的翻译提供了若干方法。

关键词：：动物词汇;文化差异;跨文化翻译

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Literature Review 1

2.1 Culture and Translation 1

2.2 Cultural Connotations of Animal Words 2

2.3. Research Value and Research Approach 2

3. Factors to Produce Cultural Connotations of Animal Words 3

3.1 Geographical Environment 3

3.2 Customs 4

3.3 History 4

4. The Similarities and Differences of Chinese and English Animal Words 5

4.1Similarities 5

4.2 Differences 8

5. The Cross-Cultural Translation of Animal Words 9

5.1 Translation of Animal Words with Overlap in Connotation 9

5.2 Translation of Animal Words with Different Cultural Connotations 10

6. Conclusion 12

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction

Language and culture are both two important patterns in cross-cultural translation, which are related to each other. It is said that language is, which is formed and influenced by culture, reflection of culture. They coexist .For one thing, language is main medium of culture. Without language, no one could find the best way to convey the information between two nations. For another thing, culture is a broader system that includes language as subsystem.

Animals have been our friend since ancient time. The images of animals have been rooted in various nations. Many Languages contain numerous animal words. These animal words form unique animal culture of each country. China and Britain are not exception, too. Moreover Animal words in the course of our development play an significant role and have rich cultural connotations in Chinese and English.

Concerning the fact that cultural gap between two nations and the inseparable relationship between language and culture. Culture is now attracting ever-increasing attention in the field of translation studies.

This thesis is aim to explore the translation of animals from the cross-culture perspective. Several cross-cultural translation strategies are introduced in thesis. One of them should be adopted. One is to maintain the animal images that readily convey connotations. Another is to replace animal images of the original text with other animal images to convey connotations. The last strategy is added or reduced animal words to convey clear meaning of the source language.

2. Literature Review

It is essential to review some theories to understand this thesis .And the following are several concepts about cross-cultural translation. This thesis pays much attention to the translation of animal words, cultural connotation and value of this thesis will be discussed.

2.1 Culture and Translation

Gentzler says “Translation is not static, but the communications between two cultures. I always re-explain symbols according to different codes, and it always never stops.”(Brown, Gentzler 2009), According to Li Qian, “In the modern society, Chinese culture integrates with foreign cultural.”(Li Qian,2007:24). Translation is not only the transportation between different languages, while it should be ‘cultural fax’ that is transporting the information of culture in source language to that in target languages.

The concept of culture as “a totality of knowledge, proficiency and perception” is essential in our approach to translation. According to their theories, translators not only need proficiency in two languages but also should be at home in two cultures.

2.2 Cultural Connotations of Animal Words

In our daily life, words are always are related to our feelings, actions and ideas. There are lots of animal words in both Chinese and English, which carry cultural connotations. They play a significant role in both languages.

Various linguists and scholars spend their entire lives studying animal words and relating their meaning to cultural backgrounds. According to Zhu Guangqian, a famous Chinese scholar, “besides, its dictionary meaning, a word may have associative meaning and contextual meaning”（ Bao Hongming，2002，56）. He also relates the associative meaning more or less to culture. So the meanings of animal words are more than creatures that they refer to. In 1974, according to Leech’s theory, the meaning of words is divided into seven types: conceptual meaning, connotative meaning, stylistic meaning, affective meaning, reflective meaning, collocative meaning and thematic meaning”（Crystal, David，2008）. He studies the meaning under the cultural background and recognizes the associative meaning is related to culture.

2.3. Research Value and Research Approach

Learning a language is inseparable from learning its culture. It can be seen from many English books that the associations of most animal expressions differ from those of Chinese. The word bat, in Western culture, often carries a negative meaning, such as “as blind as a bat”. In China, however, bat is a symbol luckiness, happiness, and well-being with the same pronunciation as the word “福”, refers to richness and prosperity. This is a reflection of cultures.

At present time, there are many English teachers and scholars in colleges and institutions having discussed the differences of cultural connotations of animal expressions between English and Chinese. The cultural meaning of animal words coming from the cognitive mechanism of human beings is paid attention by Tan Wenhui. In the meanwhile, there are some other scholars focusing on the differences on cultural connotations of animal words. Bao Hongming pays much attention to translations of animal words and their cultural connotations. This idea is also indicated by Wang Ying and Fan qing Junwen and Li Qian. This thesis will focus on the relationship between cultural connotations of animal words and intercultural communication.

3. Factors to Produce Cultural Connotations of Animal Words

As far as we all know, A language, therefore, is both a part of culture and a medium through which the other parts of culture are expressed .So from this perspective translation which ,as a form of cross- cultural communication covey one meaning of one language to another is aloes influenced by culture. So do animal words

It is easy to find that cultural connotations are reflected in animal words. Cultural connotations are completely reflected in animal word .Besides connotative meaning is vague and open-ended, because connotations are relatively changeable. They vary owing to surroundings, experience of the individual and historical period.

3.1 Geographical Environment

Geographical culture is related to the culture formed by the region, natural condition and geographical environment. There is big difference between China and Britain in geographical cultures. China is a continental country which lies between latitudes 18° and 54° N, and longitudes 73° and 135° E while Britain is an island country which is separated from the mainland by the North Sea and by the English Channel .In addition, China"s climate is mainly dominated by dry seasons and wet monsoons, which lead to pronounced temperature differences between winter and summer whereas Britain has a maritime climate-winters.

All those factors lead to that both Chinese and English has totally different cultures. On one hand Chinese people live in an agrarian society where agricultural production at the top of the national agenda. Hence there is tremendous farming idioms with animal images accumulated in their productive. For example, Drain the pond to get all the fish (竭泽而渔) .

On the other hand taking a comprehensive understanding and analyzing British culture and history and English words, it is apparent that "island culture" is a mainstream in Britain. England is an island country and surrounded by the sea, where life is closely related to sailing and fishing. Moreover, it is an island country and has a long history of navigation. The life and labor of Britain are closely related to oceans. People are more likely to get chances to understand sea animals and naturally have profound association with them, such as fish: "Go to the sea, if you would fish well.（不入虎穴焉得虎子）.

3.2 Customs

Linguists hold that language is accepted through common practice. Chinese and British use different customs in daily life through communicative activities. Even the same words that Chinese and British use refer to opposite cultural connotations. For example, in Chinese, the animal word fish (yu 鱼) is pronounced the same as the Chinese character for “abundance” or “surplus” (yu 余).  The fish symbol is, therefore, frequently associated with other symbols and Chinese characters to symbolize the wish for "more" in the sense of “more” good luck, good fortune, long life and children.

However the word fish have Derogatory Meaning in English .It also describes bad people or unlucky things ,such as a poor fish(可怜虫)，a loose fish(生活放荡的女人)and fish in air(白费力).

3.3 History

There are a number of cultural connotations from history which is the gems of human cultural heritage .Learning history culture is worthwhile .Grasping the historical background of English and Chinese may help understand what the cultural connotations mean.

As we know, the Pope and the King are actual owners of England for a long time. So in English, there are so many idioms to express their outrage, disdain and hobbies such as “People have known that kings and bears often worry their keepers even since the ancient times”.

China is a nation that has a long history for over 5000 years. In ancient China, the King is regarded as Son of Heaven which only represented by dragon .Queen is considered as a phoenix, so there are many idioms such as “望子成龙”, “龙飞凤舞”, “龙凤呈祥”.

4. The Similarities and Differences of Chinese and English Animal Words

4.1Similarities

It is common sense that because different cultural backgrounds, naturally, English people and Chinese people would have different associations of the same animal words. However, owing to culture universals , some animal words in both Chinese and English not only have same conceptual meaning but also have similar connotations .According to habits of animals, some animals are associated with certain qualities by Chinese and English people，These qualities often make people produce the same reactions and feelings which give these animal words similar connotations .

4.1.1Pig and 猪

Pig also called The domestic pig. it is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species. If conditions permit, domesticated pigs feed continuously for many hours and then sleep for many hours, in contrast to ruminants which tend to feed for a short time and then sleep for a short time.

Pig has taken on many meanings and been used for many purposes in popular culture and literature.According to, it has became synonymous with negative attributes, especially greed, gluttony, in and uncleanliness, in both chinese and english and it ascribed attributes have often led to critical comparisons between pigs and humans. For example., Eat like a pig .(吃得像猪一样，又多又难看) and make a pig"s ear of something (把某事弄糟).

In Chinese culture ,pig is always related to pigsy（Eight Prohibitions）,a character in Journey to the west,who is greedy and lustful.

4.1.2 Snake and 蛇

The snake, serpent ,is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. And there is no fear of exaggeration to say that “snake” is a very negative symbol which bears derogatory cultural connotation of being evil and cunning.The chinese saying 蛇蝎心肠(have a heart as malicious as snakes and scorpions）shows us the viciousness of the snake. We have the following examples, all of which contain the image of snake.

毒如蛇蝎to be as venomous as snakes and scorpions

地头蛇 snake in its old haunt

人心不足蛇吞象to be greedy like a snake that tries to swallow an elephant

画蛇添足draw a snake and add feet to it

强龙难压地头蛇 Even a mighty dragon finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt

牛鬼蛇神ox-headed ghosts and snake-bodied demons

He that hath been bitten by a serpent is a afraid of rope 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳.

In the west, snake also contains Derogatory Meaning which describes “a person who pretend to be your friend but who cannot be trusted or who is cunning , evil and treacherous.

According to Hebrew Bible,the serpent in the Garden of Eden lured Eve with the promise of forbidden knowledge, convincing her that despite God"s warning, death would not be the result. The Serpent is regarded as a deceptive creature or trickster, promoting as good what God had directly forbidden, and particularly cunning in its deception. Besides owing to influence of Aesop’s fable, snake also portray the person who is treacherous. We have the following examples which give us the connotations of snake:

Never cherish a serpent in your bosom. 永远不要施惠于忘恩负义之徒

A snake in the grass潜伏的敌人

Warm a snake in one’s bosom 姑息坏人。..

4.1.3 Wolf and 狼

Wolf is a canid native to the wilderness. It is the largest member of its family which is more specialised and progressive form than its smaller cousins (the coyote and jackal). Moreover, it is one of the world"s most well known and well researched animals, with probably more books written about it than any other wildlife species. Besides, it has a long history of association with humans, having been despised and hunted in most agricultural communities due to its attacks on livestock. Almost all memories form our forefathers about wolf are that much damage has done by wolf to the crops ,domestic fowls farm houses and even the farmers’ safety. Wolf is carnivorous animal which needs to eat to survive. So the obvious attribute of the wolf is its nature of a predator, and correspondingly it is strongly associated with danger, destruction making it the symbol of the devil in Chinese and English. The modern trope of the Big Bad Wolf(大坏蛋) is a development of this. It means someone or something that is bad and causes all the problems in a situation. A growing youth has a wolf in his bell(年轻人,在成长时,吃起来想饿狼) actually means young people who are growing fast are hungry all the time; keep the wolf from the door（把饥饿赶走）means maintain oneself at a minimal level to keep form starving, freezeing,；The wolf is at the door(家庭面临的财政问题) describe the threat of poverty is upon us.

In both Chinese and English culture ,wolf is also represents cruelty ,greediness and fierceness. The English idiom “a wolf in sheep’s clothing” (披着羊皮的狼) which is wildly used and understood by people in the world means someone or something that seems to be good but is actually bad. In proverb” wake not a sleeping wolf”(勿自找麻烦)，wolf refer to those who are fierce and barbaric as wolves. Cry wolf(狼来了) which is from a story of Aesop’s fables is accepted by people too. The story tells that a shepherd boy who cried wolf several time and fool the farmers who came rush to save him was ate by the wolf when it did came.Therefore ,cry wolf means cry or complain about something when nothing is really wrong. In Chinese ,we use “to sound a false alarm” instead.

Besides in Bible, wolf usually regarded as metaphor for greed and destructiveness. The wolf is repeatedly mentioned in the scriptures as an enemy of flocks: a metaphor for evil men with a lust for power and dishonest gain, as well as a metaphor for Satan preying on innocent God-fearing Christians, contrasted with the shepherd Jesus who keeps his flock safe.

There are many Chinese slangs or four-character set phase contain those meanings. Images of wolf can be easily to know by following examples.

豺狼成性 豺狼当道

声名狼藉 引狼入室

豺狼虎豹 豺狼野心

杯盘狼藉 如狼似虎

虎狼之势,鬼哭狼嚎

狼看羊羔 - 越看越少

狼行千里吃肉 - 本性难移

兵马不离阵，虎狼不离山

In addition, wolf also describes womanizer in English and Chinese languages. In instance, a wolf whistle(色鬼调戏妇女时的怪叫)means some men do when they see a woman who is sexually attractive.

4.2 Differences

As we all know, there are many dissimilarities in human’s cultures. And language is reflection of culture. So Chinese and English have different associations with same animal words, because each side has different cultures. One animal refers to Commendatory Meaning while in other language may Derogatory meaning.

4.2.1Bear

To Chinese people and English people, “bear” has quite different cultural connotations. In English, people use “bear” to refer to those persons having special ability, for example, “he is a bear at mathematics(他是个数学天才)”.However, to Chinese people, bear means “cowardly and timid”.

4.2.2 Owl

In English, owl implies wisdom and calmness, “as wise as an owl(像猫头鹰一样聪明)” indicates that English speaking people associate wisdom with this bird. In children’s books and cartoons, the owl is usually solemn and wise. In dispute among birds and beats, it is the owl that they go for advice. Sometimes, the bird is considered as impractical and foolish. But in general, the owl stands for wisdom. However, there is a superstitious belief that this bird is a sign of bad luck and the symbol of sinister things among Chinese people. So comes the common Chinese saying, “猫头鹰进宅，好事不来（an owl misfortune in that house)”. The mere sight of an owl or the sound of the creature’s hooting might cause people to draw back in fear.

5. The Cross-Cultural Translation of Animal Words

5.1 Translation of Animal Words with Overlap in Connotation

5.1.1 Literal Translation

Literal translation is kind of way that keeps close relation to the source text. It is a better way that readers can understand more things that words refer to from other culture. In some sense, the national characters, cultural elements of source and images are not changed. In general, it is a better and more accurate method to understand connotations that words mean. While people in different nations, we still have similar experience and feelings to same animals. That means the same animals words are used in Chinese and English to convey the same meanings. When we translate the identical animal words with similar cultural connotations, we undoubtedly accept the literal translation. It is obvious that literal translation is not only a good method to be faithful to original text but also to convey the cultural connotations. For example,

Barking dogs seldom bite. 善吠的狗很少咬人.

Kill two birds with one stone. 一箭双雕；一举两得.

A cat has nine lives猫有九条命.

The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean. 井底之蛙，不知大海.

A speck of mouse dung will spoil a whole pot of porridge. 一粒老鼠屎，坏了一锅粥.

A son never thinks his mother ugly, and a dog never shuns its owner’s home however shabby it is.儿不嫌母丑，狗不嫌家贫.

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