论文总字数：38657字

摘 要

语言是文化的载体习语。汉语习语中的歇后语更是汉民族文化独有的表达方式。其浓厚的民族色彩和独特的结构形式,是其他语言中所没有的。英语中没有与之完全对应的表达法。因此歇后语的翻译构成了汉英翻译的难点之一，汉语歇后语的文化内涵也很难传递。本文以两个最受欢迎的《红楼梦》小说的英译版为基础，比较两个版本中对歇后语翻译的差异，探讨形成这种差异的原因，以期激发对汉英翻译中歇后语翻译的更多思考。

关键词：汉语歇后语; 《红楼梦》；翻译策略；文化差异

Contents

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………1
2. Literature Review…………………………………………………………1

2.1 Translation Theory…………………………………………………...…....2

2.2 Chinese Folk Wisecracks …………………………………………......5

2.3 Researches on Folk Wisecracks in A Dream in Red Mansions…………..….6

1. Analysis of Chinese Folk Wisecracks Translation in A Dream in Red Mansions………………………………………………………………………8

3.1 Literal Translation…………………………………………………………..9

3.2 Liberal Translation…………………………………………………………10

3.3 Combination of Literal and Liberal Translation…………………………...11

1. Reasons for Different Folk Wisecracks Translation from Cross-cultural Perspective………………………………………………………………..13

4.1 Cultural Confliction…………………………………………...…………13

4.2 Cultural Vacancy…………………………………………………………...14

5. Conclusion………………………………………………………………..15

Works Cited…………………………………………………………………...16

1. Introduction

Translation is not only the language of translation, but also the cultural translation. And its essence is a cross-cultural communicative activity. Translation is not very easy because different languages reflect different cultures and its own rich cultural connotations. Besides, it is related to its cultural constraints. So translation needs to surmount double barriers to languages and culture. As far as language is concerned, the largest barrier is special forms of source language. And it is more difficult to translate if the special form of language shows the national character with a highly ideological content. Chinese folk wisecracks belong to this type. Chinese folk wisecracks of Chinese play an important role in Chinese language and they also become important part of the idioms. They have vivid image of the witty humor and also are widespread in the public. Chinese folk wisecracks not only have a unique structure, but also fully demonstrate the Chinese national language styles. English does not fully correspond with the expression of rules. Therefore, in the practice of translating Chinese folk wisecracks into English, it is no doubt that the translation is a complex and difficult issue. Chinese folk wisecracks have a unique style of rhetorical effect, so it is widely used in literature. The use of Chinese folk wisecracks in classical literature A Dream in Red Mansions is exemplary. Cao Xueqin made full use of Chinese folk wisecracks to make language concise, and has strong philosophical features. It played an active guiding role in reflecting the depth of social life. (Liu Yafeng 2008:101) Exploring the translation of the strategy of Chinese folk wisecracks will not only help the world know China and Chinese well but also promote the cross-cultural communication smoothly. This paper is based on the two famous English versions of A Dream in Red Mansions, compare the different translations of Chinese folk wisecracks, analyze the reasons so that to draw readers attention to differences of translating the Chinese folk wisecracks between English and Chinese.

2. Literature Review

Culture has a distinctive national characteristic. It is created by the different nationalities in a particular history, geography, religion, and customs and so on. Culture is the soil of survival and development of language and language can not be separated from culture. The fundamental task of language translation is to spread and communicate culture.

The English word culture comes from Latin cultura. It means “farming”, “culture”. The definition of culture is as many as 160 species. The most famous authoritative is the cultural anthropologist Taylor who defined culture as: Cultural is a complex body, which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs, and the acquisition of the remaining capacity of the community and habits. American translation theorist Eugene Nida defined the cultural factors in language into five categories: (1)Ecology;(2) Material Culture ;(3)Social Culture;(4)Religious Culture; (5)Linguistic Culture.(Shao Zhihong 2005:273)

English has a long history. It also has a large number of idioms. They are implicit humor, or serious, or elegant, and vivid. As the differences from the geography, history, religion, life, customs in English and Chinese idioms, their cultural traditions are closely linked, carrying their respective national cultural characteristics and cultural information. As the English and Chinese cultural differences, the same face value and the image of the meaning of the language or the article may have different connotations. Connotations is the implied meaning which the speaker or author wants to express. So during the study the translation of Chinese folk wisecracks, the cultural factors in these two different languages are often difficult in translation.

2.1 Translation theory

“Literal translation” and “liberal translation”, the two kinds of translation methods express their special characteristics, relations and differences in real practice, the language circumstance we used and the mistake area appears frequently. Moreover, this text refers how to use the two different translation methods to convey the two author’s original ideas of Chinese folk wisecracks accurately. Because of the different languages have their own special characteristics and form; there are the homogeneity and differences in the vocabulary, the phrase, the method of habit and expression, etc. So we should act it according to actual circumstances, handle it nimbly at the time of translation. Generally speaking, in the concrete translation activity, translate literally, if possible, or, appeal to liberal translation. In the particular context, translators can choose the better one between through a comparison; even adopt the method that is to combine “literal translation” with “liberal translation”.

Literal translation is the direct transfer of a source language text (SLT) into a grammatically and idiomatically appropriate target language text (TLT) (Shuttleworth amp; Cowie, 2004:95). According to Barkhudarov (1969:10), a literal translation can be defined in linguistic terms as a translationmade on a level lower than is sufficient to convey the content unchanged while observing TL norms”. Catford put literal translation between word-for-word translation and free translation. In China, translators and scholars also have various interpretations of this translation approach. As an advocator of literal translation, Lu Xun defined it as: Literal translation means faithfulness and expressiveness. It must contain two aspects: 1) being easy to understand 2) retaining the manner of the SLT (Zhang Jin amp; Zhang Ning, 2005:232). Xu Chongxin explained literal translation from the perspective of sentence structure. He regarded sentences as the basic units. Professor Liu Zhongde defines literal translation in a relatively complete way: “In the process of translation, literal translation treats sentences as basic units and meanwhile takes the whole passage into consideration; a translator who attaches great importance to literal translation does his or her best to reproduce the ideas and writing style of the original work, retaining in the version as many rhetorical devices and sentence structures of the original as possible” (Tan Weiguo, 2005:15).

Liberal translation is defined as a type of translation in which more attention is paid to producing a natural target language than to preserving the source language wording intact (Shuttleworthamp;Cowie, 2004:62). Comparing it with literal translation, Barkhudarov (1969:11) describes it as a translation “made on a level higher than is necessary to convey the content unchanged while observing target language norms”. According to Catford, it is a prerequisite of free translations that they should be unbounded as regards the level on which they are performed (1965:25).

Why we say “translate literally, if possible”？What is the benefit of literality？It is to point out that literality has the advantage itself on the condition of expressing the ideas of original exactly and observing the language norm of translation. On one hand, literality is conducive to do the duty of translation, retain the culture characteristic of the original; on the other hand, it is conducive to bring in fresh and vivid words from the abroad. Literality not only advances the variety of language, but also be good for the communication of culture.

The form of expression in some sentences of original is far different from what in the translation. The form of expression in original is not fit for the language habit of the translation. The result is not perfect if we adopt literality at this time: or the translation is not accepted by readers, or we don’t know what is said. So we have to adopt “liberal translation”. In addition, because of the meaning of original is deeply, we can not necessarily to understand the translation of literality. To adopt liberality also can make the finishing point.

“Literal translation” and “liberal translation” are very important theory issue in the translation. It is also a starting point to research several translations. In my opinion, “literal translation” and “liberal translation” have their own good points, and we should use these points. But it is worthy of paying attention to: the different sentences, the different article and the different work have the different efforts on the level of the two translation methods naturally. Generally speaking, the literature of law, the literature of politics, the literature of academic, the new reports and so on, they need the accurate “literal translation”; but the poetry, the lyrical essay, the movies script, the novel or the biography, they just only need the “liberal translation”.

In a word, we should act it according to actual circumstances, handle it nimbly at the time of translation. Translate literally, if possible, and we must avoid getting into the mistake area; or, appeal to liberal translation. Under the special condition, translators can combine “literal translation” with “liberal translation”. It have to follow the method, we can get the ideal effect. To hold the “literal translation” and “liberal translation” appropriately in the translation shows that the degree of a translator. If you want to raise your degree of translation, you must require theoretical learning and ceaseless practice.

2.2 Chinese folk wisecracks metaphor

The former part of Chinese folk wisecracks front-metaphor is the metaphor which designs an image of a picture or a vision. The latter part is the original meaning. Both in terms of logic of internal relations are very clear. -Chinese folk wisecracks are explained in a slightly different way that has direct as well as the critical meaning of the comments (Jiang Lei2001: 67). For example: (Feng Qinghua2008: 141-44)

1. 老鼠过街——人人喊打

A rat runs across the street—everyone joins the hue and cry.

2. 聋子的耳朵——摆设

A deaf man’s ears are just for show.

3. 去设埋伏我们都没有信心, 想他一定在昨天晚上就早溜了, 今天去也是瞎子点灯——白费蜡。

We had no confidence in today’s ambush because we were sure he had escaped last night. It seemed as useless as a blind man lighting a candle.

4. 咱们俩的事,一条绳上拴着两只蚂蚱——谁也跑不了! (老舍《骆驼祥子》)

We’re like two grasshoppers tied to one cord, neither can get away!

The latter part of Chinese folk wisecracks has a double meaning of the metaphor. It not only tells the external meaning but also other extended meaning. That is, the literal meaning is to be the explanation of the first part., while its actual meaning is to express an entire different meaning of the whole context. Chinese folk wisecracks pun are generally divided into two parts- homophonic pun and meaning-pun (Jiang Lei 2001:67). For example (Guo Zhangzhu 2003:146-47) (Feng Qinghua 2008:141-44):

1. 一根筷子吃藕——挑眼。

Eating lily root with only one chop stick—picking it up by the holes.

In the original sentence “fastidious” in a literal sense refers to the use chopsticks to pick the eyes of lotus root, while its real significance is to “pick flaws (finding fault).”

2. 三九的萝卜——冻了心(动了心)。

A mid - winter turnip ( in the third period of nine days after the winter solstice ) —the heart is frozen( affected in heart).

The original text of “a cold heart” is the literal meaning. And “cold heart” and “moving heart” is a homonym, which has played a homophonic pun.

3. 打破沙锅问( 纹) 到底

Breaking an earthenware pot (lit) cracked to the bottom; (pun) interrogate thoroughly; get to the bottom of a matter.

4. 擀面杖吹火——一窍不通

Using a rolling pin to blow a fire totally impenetrable / a complete ignoramus.

5. 我们校队近年来可是“孔夫子搬家净是输(书) ”

Our school team has kept losing in the recent years.

6. 这个地区的空气污染仍然是“外甥打灯笼照旧(舅) ”

The air pollution in this region is still unchanged.

2.3 Researches on folk wisecracks in A Dream in Red Mansions

Researching for the Chinese folk wisecracks in translation can not only enhance translation capabilities, but also deepen my understanding of Chinese traditional culture. Firstly, name itself an English name. But in fact its name in English has not been more consistent in translation and affected the foreigners to understand the language treasure in Chinese. Some translated “Chinese folk wisecracks” into Chinese enigmatic folk similes. The translation is inadequacy because it ignored that not all Chinese folk wisecracks is metaphor; there are harmonics or pun-type twisters. Some translated it into the quiz - cracks, while the Chinese folk wisecracks is not entirely metaphors or riddles. So some suggested that directly translated it into xiehouyu in Chinese. Because Chinese folk wisecracks is a unique culture of the Chinese nation, as the erhu (erhu), Chinese Kung Fu (Chniese gongfu) and so on. However, Chinese folk wisecracks was first a word game between scholars, called “liner” and therefore, bold man translated it as Chinese folk wisecracks, while others translated into allegorical saying. In my opinion, Chinese folk wisecracks are the most appropriate.

According to the culture on A Dream of Red Mansions, the famous Zhou Ruchang talked in preamble of the Dream Dictionary pointed that A Dream in Red Mansions is a precious literature work by a scholar. (Li Xin 2007: 20 ) As a ‘scholar’, Cao Xueqin has both common characteristics of Chinese intellectuals and more characteristic of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty Manchu scholar. With special characteristics, it makes the A Dream in Red Mansions with on a very profound traditional Chinese culture, wonderful color and temperament, style and technique. If one ignores cultural traditional Chinese characters and the high skills and cultivation of Chinese scholars, one can never really understand and appreciate of their work. He Zhongying pointed out in the article A Dream in Red Mansions of twisters that Chinese folk wisecracks can only be used under certain circumstances, and should be related to the action, to the various characters throughout the story. Meanwhile, He Zhongying further pointed out that the Chinese folk wisecracks in A Dream in Red Mansions are various, which can be divided into five forms: (1) only example with no explanation; (2), example first, followed the explanation; (3), explanation first, followed the example; (4), the latter half analogy on the half example; (5), several Chinese folk wisecracks used together or mixed with other idioms used. Professor Shao Zhihong pointed out that from the contact between two parts, Chinese folk wisecracks can be divided into two major categories: metaphor and pun. The number of the former is greater, and the latter is less. It is difficult in translation. In my opinion, He Zhongying divided the Chinese folk wisecracks in A Dream in Red Mansions into five forms, of which the first four are described by Professor Shao Zhihong above metaphorical Chinese folk wisecracks in the “Dream of Red Mansions” in the refinement. (Bao Ang 2004:101)

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