论文总字数：27690字

摘 要

本文认为奈达的功能对等论适用于指导汉语歇后语的英译。在对功能对等理论进行分析的基础上，本文认为没有一个固定和唯一的翻译歇后语方法，在对等论的指导下提出几种有用的翻译技巧。根据不同类型和特点的歇后语，要灵活地运用不同的翻译策略，以求得两种语言进行转换时译文与原文读者感受效果之间的对等。

关键词：歇后语；功能对等；翻译策略

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. An Overview of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings 3

2.1 Origin of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings 3

2.2 Definition of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings 4

2.3 Classification of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings 5

3. Nida’s Functional Equivalence 7

3.1 Nida’s Formal Equivalence and Dynamic Equivalence 7

3.2 Functional Equivalence—the Development of Dynamic Equivalence 8

4. Translation Methods of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings 8

4.1 Retaining Original Images 9

4.2 Changing Original Images 10

4.3 Abandoning Original Images 11

5. Conclusion 12

Works Cited 13

1. Introduction

Chinese two-part allegorical sayings are very important in Chinese, and it has been ignored in the field of translation. Researchers did not pay attention to them until the foundation of the Ballad Seminar in Peking University in 1920. In the 1930s, different aspects of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings were discussed, which are helpful for further studies in this field during the 20^th century. However, Chinese two-part allegorical sayings still gain much less attention than other forms of idioms.

Because Chinese two-part allegorical sayings did not belong to a separate category in early times, researchers, in quite a long time, have seldom studied specifically on the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. They just mentioned the translation of two-part allegorical sayings when discussing the translation of idioms. A typical example is Professor Zhang Peiji’s study on the translation of Chinese idioms (1979: 34). In his book, Zhang Peiji mentioned the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings while researching on Chinese idioms. He put forward twelve approaches to translate Chinese idioms. Among those approaches, seven ones can be used to translate Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. The results of Zhang’s study provide helpful advice and guidance for the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. However his fails to take literary factors into consideration in literary translation. In his mind, Chinese two-part allegorical sayings belong to a kind of vulgarism. He held that rude languages should not be used in translation.

Druing the 1990s, Chinese scholars started to specifically study the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, and many papers about the field have come out. Most of them are prone to propose many methods of translating Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, and then compare several translated versions of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. But they have a common problem in that there are no criteria to decide which method is applicable to specific Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. Some of the scholars tend to classify Chinese two-part allegorical sayings into two categories and then point out that some methods for translating are applicable to certain categories. The methods they use are still more or less linked to what Zhang Peiji’s, which fail to take culture into account. Therefore, most of them investigate the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings from the perspective of linguistic view and ignore various cultural factors Chinese two-part allegorical sayings contain.

Since the cultural turn in the 1990s, more and more scholars have paid attention to cultural factors in literary works. A few of them began to pay attention to cultural elements reflected in Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, and they try to adopt some translation strategies to retain the source culture in target texts.

The new century witnesses the rise of cultural studies in the translation. Scholars during this period began to study Chinese two-part allegorical saying translation in the view of cultures, by comparing English and Chinese. More scholars noticed the peculiarity of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings and made special discussion on its translation. Bao Huinan is one of the major representatives. In Bao’s view, idiom translation should go over the barriers of language and culture at the same time and ensure informative and effective translation (2004: 148). In Chinese two-part allegorical saying translation, the key is to transfer the figurative meaning appropriately. In his study, Bao cited examples from literary works to support his point, but he obviously did not pay so much attention to the influence of literary context on translation.

Those researches are not systematic and complete. At the same time, the scholars did not provide an appropriate theory for the study of Chinese two-part allegorical saying translation. Moreover, there are few scholars employing western translation theories to study the topic at home and consequently it is still difficult for target readers to understand the Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, which can hardly find equivalent expressions in English.

Nida’s equivalence theory is often used to translate Chinese two-part allegorical sayings and it has been accepted by more and more people. According to functional equivalence, the target text and the source-language text should be the closest natural equivalent, and the response of readers to the translation should be the same as the original readers’. This theory has made great contributions to the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings.

2. An Overview of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

As a heavily culture-loaded language form, Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, with a history of more than one thousand years, are widely used by Chinese people in their daily lives. For further research on this topic, some details of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings will be discussed in this chapter from its origin, definition and category.

2.1 Origin of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

Although some Chinese two-part allegorical sayings are used less and less due to the outdated content or forms, today thousands of them are still used by Chinese people and some new ones will be created. Yet there has been no consistent agreement on the origin of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. However, it does not mean that the origin cannot be traced. Generally, it is believed that Chinese two-part allegorical sayings are derived from Xiehoushi (歇后诗) in the Tang Dynasty. The term Chinese two-part allegorical saying was first directly used in Tang Dynasty by Zheng Qing, and it appeared in his famous chronicle history book Jiu Tang (《旧唐书》). Chinese two-part allegorical sayings have been very popular in spoken language, and they play an important role in communication. Another idea was first put forward in the Qing Dynasty by Zhai Hao. He claimed that both homophonic and non-homophonic Chinese two-part allegorical sayings were the development of feng-ren-shi-ti (风人诗体). The most obvious nature of feng-ren-shi-ti is that the latter clause explains the former clause, which is also the significant feature of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. The former part of feng-ren-shi-ti is like the “introduction” (引) of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, while the latter part is like the “explanation” (注). One opinion is that a Chinese two-part allegorical saying is a kind of Chinese Proverbs. Huang Huajie believes that Chinese two-part allegorical sayings are a special language form, just different from those normal ones in some ways. Before they gained their own independent position, Chinese two-part allegorical sayings have been considered one type of proverbs. Only in this view can they be classified into “a specially developed form of Chinese Proverbs” (Wen Duanzheng, 2002: 132). Other scholars think that Chinese two-part allegorical sayings derive from the so-called ‘‘original” or ‘‘standard’’ Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, and Mao Dun is a typical representative. Chen Wangdao supported Mao Dun, but he reclassified and redenominated the classification put forward by Mao Dun. The “original” or “standard” Chinese two-part allegorical sayings are replaced by “Xiehou Cang Ciyu” (歇后藏词语), which are now out of date.

Although there are still disagreements, researchers hold that Chinese two-part allegorical sayings originate from the folk and is created by ordinary people during their life experience. It is a reflection of Chinese belief, religion and customs. And it conveys complicated ideas in effective and humorous ways. Actually, it is a reflection of the Chinese people’s wisdom.

2.2 Definition of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, a unique kind of Chinese idiom, also called two-part allegorical sayings, are “a sentence composed of two parts, with the first part as a riddle and the second as the answer to it, usually with the first part stated and the second unstated, the connotation lies in the second part” (Chinese-English Dictionary 1984: 1273). A definition given in The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (2002:1700) is a “two-part allegorical saying, of which the first part, always stated, describes a riddle, while the second part, sometimes unstated, carries a message as the answer to the riddle” (2002:1500). And the definition given in Chinese-English Dictionary (Revised Edition) is “a two-part allegorical saying, of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, sometimes unstated, carries the message, e.g 泥菩萨过河-自身难保 “like a clay idol fording a river-hardly able to save oneself(1et alone anyone else)” (1997:1270).

A Chinese two-part allegorical saying is a kind of common sayings, except for special structures. A two-part allegorical saying, in its nature, contains two parts, and the second part interprets the first part. That means the first part often appears as a vivid simile and concrete analogy, while the second part is the explanation of the first part. Formerly, only the first part of a two-part allegorical saying is stated and the second remained unstated so as to offer thinking. If only the first part is used, there will be much difficulty for those who know little about that, thus making readers rack their brains to get the meaning. (Yu Fumin, 1999: 21). That is the two-part allegorical saying in its real sense. But now it is quite common to state the both parts. As it contains an analogy, the two-part allegorical saying is vivid and full of imagery.

e．g．

千里送鹅毛——礼轻情义重

姜太公钓鱼——愿者上钩

擀面杖吹火——一窍不通

黄鼠狼给鸡拜年——没安好心

2.3 Classification of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

Generally, there ale two forms of expression in Chinese two-part allegorical sayings in terms of rhetorical devices: one is to use allegories and the other is to use puns. That is to say, usually there are two kinds of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings: figurative Chinese two-part allegorical saying and pun-featured Chinese two-part allegorical saying (Chen Wenbo 2005: 258). But there is still another kind that is neglected by people. It is allusion-featured Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, that is, Chinese two-part allegorical sayings with classical allusion.

2.3.1 Figurative Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

Most of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings usually have two parts: the allegorical part, and the first part, and they often appear as a vivid simile and concrete analogy, while the second part is the explanation of the first part, carrying the figurative meaning, which can be inferred from the allegory. On many occasions, the original images play an significant role in the whole idiom or even in the whole sentence and paragraph, so the omission of them could make readers confused..

e.g.

刘备摔孩子——收买人心

徐庶进曹营——言不发

瞎子点灯——白费蜡

兔子尾巴——长不了

2.3.2 Pun-featured Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

Chinese two-part allegorical sayings of this kind use puns in the second part and they have literal meaning and metaphorical meaning at the same time. Often the second part is a homophonic pun, which has the same or similar pronunciation but different words. “外甥打灯笼——照舅(旧)” is an example, which means that “things will remain what they were before”. Here, “舅” and “旧” have the same pronunciation but their characters and meanings are different totally .

e.g.

和尚打伞——无发(法)无天

猪八戒的脊梁骨——悟(无)能之背(辈)

猪鼻子插大葱——装象(相)

鞋里长草——荒(慌)了脚

2.3.3 Allusion-featured Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

Apart from the two kinds of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings mentioned above, there is still a third type, i.e. allusion-featured Chinese two-part allegorical saying. Allusion-featured Chinese two-part allegorical sayings refer to those originating from historical events, fables, mythologies, legend, etc. Their characteristics are of a distinct origin and a long history of development, full of relatively strong national color, widely used among the people and established by the people through long social practice.

e.g.

八仙聚会——又说又笑

秦叔宝卖马——穷途末路

王羲之写的字——横竖都好

宋襄公失败的教训——对敌人不能讲仁慈

3. Nida’s Functional Equivalence

This thesis is developed on the basis of Nida’s functional equivalence theory, which has developed after the Second World War and is traditionally an important component of the linguistically oriented translation theories. This section will have an all-round coverage of the theory.

3.1 Nida’s Formal Equivalence and Dynamic Equivalence

Because there is no impossibility that two languages are identical, there can be no fully exact translations. The translation may be extremely close to the original, but there can not the same completely. One must not imagine that the process of translation can avoid a certain degree of interpretation by the translator and one must try to find the closest possible equivalent in translating.

Nida mentioned two kinds of equivalence in his book Toward a Science of Translating, “There are fundamentally two different types of equivalence: one which may be called formal and another which is primarily dynamic.” (1964: 12) Formal equivalence pays more attention to message itself, in both form and content. In formal equivalence, one is concerned that the message in the receptor language should match the corresponding elements in the source language as closely as possible. This means that information in the receptor culture is constantly compared with the information in the source culture to determine levels of accuracy and correctness. This type of translation typifying this structural equivalence might be referred to as a “gloss translation”, in which the translator attempts to reproduce as literally and meaningfully as possible the form and content of the original. A gloss translation of this type permits the reader to identify himself as the native people to understand the source culture. On the contrary, a translation which attempts to produce a dynamic rather than a formal equivalence is based upon “the principle of equivalence effect”. In such a translation, one does not pay so much attention to the match of between the receptor-language message and the source-language message, but to the dynamic relationship between receptor and message. A translation of dynamic equivalence is intended for complete naturalness of expression. And it does not require that one person should understand the cultural patterns of the source-language context in order to comprehend the message.

3.2 Functional Equivalence—the Development of Dynamic Equivalence

In Nida’s book, he clearly gives the definition of dynamic equivalence. “Dynamic equivalence is defined in terms of degree to which the receptors of the message in the receptor language respond to it in substantially the same manner as the receptors in the source language” （Nida, 2004: 24). However, the expression is easier to arouse people’s misunderstanding. Thus, Nida replace dynamic equivalence with functional equivalence in the 1970s. Functional Equivalence not only pays attention to the conveyance of the content of texts, but also pursuits the equivalence on form.

4. Translation Methods of Chinese Two-part Allegorical Sayings

While dealing with the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, one needs to pay attention not only to the unique structure of the Chinese language and the striking cultural backgrounds of the Chinese nation, but also to the degree to which the receptors of the message in the TL respond. It is known to all that the criterion and the method of translation are often determined by the purpose of translation and the readers of the translated text from the perspective of principle of equivalent theory, the translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings can be done as follows:

4.1 Retaining Original Images

For most figurative Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, the comparison or analogy in the first part is vivid, and the allegorical meaning or explanation in the second part is a reasonable result of logical inference. Zhang Peiji believes “Idioms should be translated literally” (1979: 146). The translation of Chinese two-part allegorical sayings is no exception. Therefore, the usual way to deal with the translation of these figurative Chinese two-part allegorical sayings is literal translation (or word-for-word translation) to retain the original image, in which the translator is able not only to convey the message of the SL but also to retain the image of the original, so as to be faithful to the original and achieve its equivalent effect in translation, thus making it acceptable to the TL readers. For example,

项庄舞剑，意在沛公。

Xiang Zhuang performed the sword dance as a cover for his attempt on Liu Bang’s life—act with a hidden motive. (Chinese-English Dictionary 1997: 1361)

From the above-mentioned example, a conclusion can be drawn that Chinese two-part allegorical sayings can be translated literally, by which the effect of equivalent translation is achieved. Just as Fang Mengzhi says, “Literal translation is frequently employed in translating those Chinese two-part allegorical sayings with vivid analogy acceptable in the TL culture so as to retain the content and form of the original” (2004: 186).

The advantage of literal translation can be easily seen in the Chinese-English translation of the Chinese two-part allegorical sayings in the above mentioned example. Literal translation can not only convey the meaning and the image of the analogy of the original, but also the form and the content of the original.

Take another translation of “聋子放炮仗, 散了” (to whiz off like that deaf man’s fire—cracker) for example, the translator has translated the analogy “聋子放炮仗” faithfully and appropriately by using literal translation so that English readers can easily understand the image of the analogy, making the translation as close to the original as possible and retaining the original image.

In some Chinese two-part allegorical sayings, the allegorical meaning is so obvious that the TL readers can easily infer it directly from the image of the context in the Chinese two-part allegorical sayings. While translating, the translator needs to translate the comparison or analogy in the first part only. For example:

咳!这一来，竹篮打水一场空。 (梁斌：《红旗谱》)

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