Culture Differences (English vs Chinese) Translation Strategies,中西文化差异与翻译策略,culture differences,1. How many winter days have I seen him, standing bluenosed in the snow and east wind!” (Charles Dickens David Copperfield) 2. “But winds changing round”, said the man, “look at the smoke of that tug easterly well have blue sky and red noses tomorrow.”,translate,Shelley Ode to the West Wind “古道西风瘦马，夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。 ” ( 马致远天净沙 秋思 ) “醉乡中，东风唤醒梨花梦” 马致远 “咸阳古道音尘绝，音尘绝，西风残照，汉家陵阙。 ” ( 李白忆秦娥 ),culture differences,Culture difference caused by Geographical environments More examples:,挥金如土 牛饮 班门弄斧 小地方中的大人物或矮个子中的高个子 ,Chinese,spend money like water drink like fish to teach a fish to swim a big fish in a small pond all at sea hang in the windthree sheets in the wind all hands to the pumpsin the same boat,English,culture differences,Translate the phrases：,力大如牛 吹牛 老黄牛 趾高气昂 并驾齐驱,Chinese,as strong as a horse talk horse a willing horse get on ones high horse horse and horse,English,culture differences,Culture difference caused by Folk customs More examples:,胆小如鼠 鼠目寸光 鸡皮疙瘩 蛛丝马迹 像猴子一样聪明 拦路虎 拍马屁 棋逢对手,Chinese,as timid as a rabbit as blind as a bat goose flesh something fishy as wise as an owl a lion in the way lick ones boots Diamond cuts diamond,English,culture differences,Culture difference caused by Folk customs More examples:,风烛残年 雨后春笋 易如反掌 小菜一碟 幸运儿 一箭双雕 山中无老虎，猴子称大王。,Chinese,have one foot in the grave to grow like mushrooms as easy as A B C a piece of cake a lucky dog To kill two birds with one stone In the land of the blind,the one-eyed man is the king,English,culture differences,1. Nobody could be too foolish this day. 2. It is impossible to overestimate the value of the invention.,Translate these:,1.今天, 无论你怎样出洋相, 都不算过分. 2.这项发明的价值无论怎样估计也不会太高.,Translation：,culture differences,Westerners Preferring abstractness（抽象思维） Thinking in linear way（直线思维） Frequently using complicated sentences Differentiating subject and object strictly Hypotaxis (形合）,summary,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,Chinese Preferring imagination （形象思维） Thinking in circular way （曲线思维） Perferring simple sentences Implicit subject and object Parataxis (意合),culture differences,imagination vs abstractness 胸有成竹 开门见山 桃李满天下 锅碗瓢盆 Translation： to have a well-thought-out plan to have a ready plan in mind; to come straight to the point; Ones pupils or disciples are all overthe world; cooking utensils,examples,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,culture differences,linear way vs circular way e.g. Three passions,simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind. Translation： 渴望爱、寻求知识和对人类苦难的深切同情，这是支配我的生活的三种简单而无比强烈的情感。,examples,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,culture differences,complicated sentences vs simple sentences e.g. Translation is an art, which distinguishes good from undistinguished writing and is the creative, the intuitive, sometimes the inspired, level of the translation. Translation： 翻译是一门艺术，它识优辨劣，是一种创造性的、凭直觉的，有时是闪烁灵感的翻译。,examples,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,culture differences,dealing with the relationship between subject and object (处理主客体的关系) e.g. 1. It has long been maintained that it was only during his Harvard graduate years that Eliot developed his interest in primitive cultures. 2. 近年来热情的读者纷纷致函各地方报纸，对北京的城市建设提出了种种建议。,examples,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,人们长期以来坚持认为，艾略特对原始文化的兴趣是他在哈佛读研究生的岁月里培养起来的。,2. In recent years local newspapers have been sprinkled with passionate letters advising various suggestions on the urban construction of Beijing.,culture differences,hypotaxis （形合） vs parataxis （意合） e.g. 1. I cant trust him, because he is not honest. 2. The monks may run away, but the temple cannot run away. 3. If you are dead, I will be a monk. Translation： 1.他不老实，我不能信任他。 2.跑了和尚，跑不了庙。 3.你死了， 我就做和尚。（红楼梦）,examples,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,culture differences,hypotaxis （形合） vs parataxis （意合） e.g. 4. It had been a fine, golden autumn, a lovely farewell to those who would lose their youth, and some of them their lives, before the leaves turned again in a peace time fall. Translation：,examples,Culture differences caused by Thinking ways,那是个天气晴朗、金黄可爱的秋天，对于那些在和平时期的秋天树叶再度转黄之前将要失去青春、有的要失去生命的人们是一个动人的送别。,那是个天气晴朗、金黄可爱的秋天，动人的秋色为那些青年们送别。待到站后和平时期，黄叶纷飞的秋天再度来临时，当日的青年已经失去了青春，有的失去了生命。,culture differences,translate the follows:,谋事在人，成事在天。 犹大之吻(口蜜腹剑) 唯一致命的弱点 (希腊神话) 比喻被人当作工具来使用，或受人愚弄的人，不能翻译成猫的爪子(伊索寓言) 进退维谷(荷马史诗) 潘多拉的盒子，指无穷的灾难,Chinese,Man proposes,God disposes. a Judas kiss Achilles heel cats paw between Scylla and Charybdis Pandoras box,English,culture differences,1. The re is more of Sampson than of Solomon in him 2. Cast Pearls before Swine 3. You are just a doubting Thomas. You won t believe what I tell you. 4. Being a teacher is being present at the creation, when the clay beings begin to breathe. Translation: 1.他四肢发达,头脑简单。 2.对牛弹琴 3.你这个人真多疑, 我说什么你都不信。 4.老师