汉英数字文化比较及其翻译 [6]
论文作者:林梅霞论文属性:短文 essay登出时间:2009-04-09编辑:黄丽樱点击率:12533
论文字数:6163论文编号:org200904091626191387语种:中文 Chinese地区:中国价格:免费论文
关键词:numbersChineseEnglishcomparisontranslation数字汉语英语对比翻译
gue meanings of their numbers inevitably. Therefore, understanding what the numbers refer to becomes an important factor in translating numbers, especially in literary works.
4. Methods of translation for Chinese and English numbers
The same numbers in different countries with diverse cultural backgrounds will spark dissenting associations or connotations. In some cases, the target language shares the same association or connotation and linguistic feature with the source language. But in most cases, the source-language numbers or numeral expressions may produce specific culture, which is unknown to the target-language readers. Thereby, the translation of numbers is simple on the surface but complicated in essence. Translation is here conceived primarily as a process of intercultural communication, whose end product is a smooth and acceptable text in specific situation and culture. So decision-making in the methods of translation depends on the specific context and respective culture background.
4.1 Literal translation
Literal translation, also called word-for-word translation by Cicero, Horace and virtually everyone thereafter[19],is a notion which has been at the heart of most translation controversies for many centuries. As a translation
strategy, literal translation clearly has its uses. Here, the precise words and word order are followed and translated into the target language wherever possible. And this strategy involves the same meaning for a source language expression and brings about the same impact on the target reader and it can also provide language learners with useful insights into the structure of the target language. Surely, literal translation can be employed in the pretext of not causing misunderstanding.
E.g.: (1)好容易熬了一天,这会儿瞧见你们,竟如死而复生的一样。真真古人说一日三秋,这话再不错的。
(曹雪芹《红楼梦》)
But I survived it somehow, and now that we’re together again I feel as if I’d just risen from the dead! “One day apart seems three autumns. ”—How true that old saying is. [20]
(2)-- 咱那面红旗呢?
-- 叫吴淑兰掂了啦
-- 哪个吴淑兰?敢情是有三头六臂?
(王汶石《新结识的伙伴》)
-- What happened to our red flag?
-- Wu shulan has captured it …
-- What Wu shulan? Don’t tell me she has three heads and six arms! [21]
As stated above,“一日三秋” or“一日不见,如隔三秋” expresses that a day’s separation seems as long as three years. It is literally translated into “one day apart seems three autumns”, which not only retains the original meaning but is understandable and readable to the target reader. The same is in the case of“ 三头六臂”,originating from the Chinese ancient myth about the superhuman, Nezha. Thus, in the example (2), translating it literally into “three heads and six arms” will give people an expression of vividness and powerfulness. Generally speaking, some idioms and proverbs can be translated practically according to the translatability of the source language, to such an extent that the people of target language can assimilate them to fertilize their culture. And, hence it also can retain some of its diversity through literalism and engender a view of translation in which the target language in specific cultural context is paramount.
(3) I love Ophelia, forty thousand brothers
could not (with all their quantity of love)
make up my sum…
我爱奥菲利亚,四万个兄弟的爱
加起来也休想抵得上我的分量…[22]
(4) Putting two and two together, as the saying is, it was not difficult for me to guess who the expected Marquis was.
(W.Thackeray, The Newcomes)
正如二加二等于四那么简单,我不难推断出还没来的侯爵是谁了。[23]
The English people
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