The reasons of the translation

The reasons of the translation’s difficulty

罗国艳

06级英语5班

40604116

2009-6-13

The reasons of the translation’s difficulty

罗国艳

中文摘要

翻译在人类历史上是一项很伟大的工程，它包括很多因素，覆盖了语言和文化的很多方面，这些错综复杂的因素交织在一起，使得翻译变得很难。本文从文化方面论述翻译很困难的原因。通过分析中国和因与国家文化方面的差异来说明翻译很难。译者不仅要把基本意思传达出来，而且还要把里面的文化差异译出来，这是十分不容易的，加之每个人都想尽自己的全力做到十全十美，这就更加大了翻译的难度。本文将更进一步从东西方文化观念的差异、历史差异地理环境差异、动植物的差异、宗教差异来论述由于文化的差异这六个方面来论述引起翻译困难的原因。

关键词：翻译、困难、文化。

Abstract

Everyone knows translation is very difficult, but why it is so difficult? And what reasons is

here? In my opinion, the difference between English culture and Chinese culture brings about the

situation. I‟ll discuss it from the following six aspects. The difference in culture value，History，Set phrases originated from mythology, legendary, fables and allusions，Influence of environment

and weather upon language，Animals and plants，Man and God.

Key words: culture, value, history, legend, environment, animals, plants, religion.

1 Introduction Translation is a great project in human history. It includes many ingredients, such as culture,

habit, concept and so on. Translators not only express the basic meaning accurately, but also the

author‟s intention and many other factors, and everyone wants to do it so perfectly, so translation

becomes so difficult. I only discuss the question from culture here.

Culture is a very important factor in translation, Chinese culture is very different from English

culture. So translators translate English to Chinese or Chinese to English.

2 The reasons of translation’s difficult

2.1 The difference in culture value

We have many different concepts from English concepts, such as political aspects、value

theory、family concepts and so on. There are a lot of English words difficult to translate Chinese.

For example “individualism” is often translated “”个人主义”, “materialism” is often translated

“实用主义”。Some Chinese words are also difficult to translate English. Such as “资产阶级自由化倾向”、“又红又专”、“走资派”、“大锅饭”and so on.(金惠康，2003：p.74).

A great many words can also reflect a nation‟s value to family and marriage. Such as “bread

is the staff of life(面包为生命支柱)”、“love is touchstone of virtue(爱情是美德的试金石)”、“early wed early dead(早婚早死)”，which reflect Anglo-Saxcon‟s value. “人是铁，饭是钢”、“良药苦口”、“天伦之乐”、“不孝有三，无后为大”reflect Chinese value. (金惠康，2003：p.75).

Some greetings and farewells also reflect the different values between Chinese and English.

For example: we often call a person over forty years “老王”“王老”to express our honor. However,

“老” often means old、useless and something like these. So western people always avoid to use

“老”, they like hearing “you are young and beautiful”or “you are learned” and so on.. (金惠康，2002：p.106)

2.2 History

There are a great of English words reflecting anger to the King and the Pope, because

England was long ruled by the King and the Pope. Such as “the King and Pope ,the lion and wolf

(国王教皇，狮子豺狼)”、“Pope‟s nose(煮熟的鸡屁股)”、“the pleasure of the mighty are tears of

the poor(富豪纵欲，穷人流泪)”。But Chinese was long ruled by emperors, so there are so many

proverbs such as “苛政猛于虎”、“富贵一席酒、穷人半年粮”、“朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨”、“种田的吃米糠，卖盐的喝淡汤”、“只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯”and so on.( 金惠康, 2003：p.72)

2.3 Set phrases originated from mythology, legendary, fables and allusions

Aesop's Fables and Greek epic poet have an great effect on English word, which brings a

majority of idioms. Such as “a Herculean task(艰巨的任务)”、“Pandora‟s box(潘多拉的盒子)”、“the Trojan horse(木马计)”、“Golden Apple(红颜祸水)”and so on.. But it is very different in

Chinese. “牛郎织女”、“楚河汉界”、“请君入瓮”、“黄粱美梦”、“郑人买鞋”、“夸父追月”、“柳毅传书”、“天狗吃月”、“叶公好龙”and so on.. (金惠康，2003：p.70)

2.4 Influence of environment and weather upon language

The four reasons in Europe begin with vernal equinox、midsummer、autumnal equinox、midwinter，but in China with spring begins、summer begins、autumn begins and winter begins。

So in England summer is warm, so there is Shakespeare‟s A midsummer night and Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? In China, rivers often slow to southeast, so there are some verses about

rivers, such as “一江春水向东流”、“请君试问东流水，抽刀斩水水更流”、“大江东去，浪淘尽千古风流人物”and so on..“功名富贵若常在，汉水也应西北流”is translated to But sooner

could flow backward to is fountains/This stream ,than wealth and honor can remain.

2.5 Animals and plants

“在中国有玫瑰、月季和蔷薇之分；但在英国，通通叫做rose”。“他们的plum，既是我们说的李又是梅，英语中还把青李叫做greengage。他们树上开的能结果的花是blossom，观赏植物开的花是bloom。英文中rice既是我们的稻子又是大米和米饭。”（金惠康，2003：p.68.）

Apple is one of the most popular fruit in English, and it is very important to English words.

As American as apple pie(地道的美国风味)、An apple a day keeps the doctor away{一天一苹果，用不着看医生}、Apple sauce(假话)、Apple knocker(庄稼人)、Apple of one‟s eye(掌上明珠) and so on..