Culture and Translation Introduction 1Quotations from NidanBilingual competence has almost been regarded as an essential requirement for translators.nFor truly successful translating, biculturalism is even more important than bilingualism, since words only have meanings in terms of the cultures in which they function. Dictionaries and encyclopedias are an important source of strategic cultural information, but they can never take the place of personal involvement in a foreign society.n(Nida, Language, Culture and Translating p.307-8)2ZENG Wen-huaContents1. Whats culture?2. What cultural factors make translating difficult?3. How are language, culture and translating related?4. What will be covered in this semester?3ZENG Wen-hua1. What is culture? -1nWhat is your understanding of culture? nOne of the oldest and most quoted definitions of culture was formulated by the English anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor in 1871. n“Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”4ZENG Wen-huan文化的经典定义，是1871年由英国人类学家泰勒 (Edward Tylor)在原始文化一书中提出的， 文化是包括知识、信仰、艺术、道德、法律、习 俗以及包括作为社会成员的个人获得的其他任何 能力、习惯在内的一种综合体。n现代文化人类学认为文化具有如下的四个本质特 征: (1)文化是经由社会习得的，而非遗传获得的 ，(2)文化是一个社团所共有的，而非某一个人 所独有的，(3)文化具有象征性，语言是文化中 最重要的象征系统，(4）文化是一个统一的整体 。n文化中的每一方面都和其他方面相互关联。 5ZENG Wen-hua1. What is culture? -2nDefinition in Britannica Concise Encyclopedia (不列颠简明百科全书， 2008:430)n“Culture : Integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behaviour that is both a result of and integral to the human capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. Culture thus consists of language, ideas, beliefs, customs, taboos, codes, institutions, tools, techniques, works of art, rituals, ceremonies, and symbols. ”6ZENG Wen-hua Every human society has its own culture, or sociocultural system. Variation among cultures is attributable to such factors as differing physical habitats and resources; the range of possibilities inherent in areas such as language, ritual, and social organization; and historical phenomena such as the development of links with other cultures. An individuals attitudes, values, ideals, and beliefs are greatly influenced by the culture (or cultures) in which he or she lives. Culture change takes place as a result of ecological, socioeconomic, political, religious, or other fundamental factors affecting a society. e.g. bound feet; three-inch golden lily 7ZENG Wen-hua2.3 Synonymy 同义词nTranslating is a complex and fascinating task. In fact, I. A. Richards (1953) has claimed that it is probably the most complex type of event in the history of the cosmos. (Nida, Language, Culture and Translating p.304)2. What cultural factors make translating difficult?8ZENG Wen-huaA trial translation n1. 从清晨起，春雨就轻柔地落下来；燕子 在雨中穿梭。n2. 不一会，北风小了，路上的浮尘早已刮 净，剩下一条洁白的大道来，车夫也跑得 更快。 鲁迅一件小事n3. 她到过号称人间天堂的苏杭，也去过山 水甲天下的桂林。n4. 子渊受教于孔子，深得孔子器重，他的 哲学观和伦理观也完全继承了孔子的衣钵 。9ZENG Wen-huan翻译之所以不像许多人想象的那么容易，乃是 因为语言反映文化，并受着文化的制约。在不 同的文化里，相同的词语可以有不同的文化涵 义，而不同的词语也可以有相同的含义。n文化差异、词语空缺是非常棘手的问题。n中国对亲属的概念非常明确，对不同的直系亲 属和旁系亲属的人员都有确切的指称，而法国 ，特别是当代法国则不同，亲属概念模糊，指 称手段欠缺，给翻译造成的障碍是显而易见的 。如我们在翻译普鲁斯特的追忆似水年华 中，曾为理解书中人物的亲属关系，寻找确切 的指称大伤脑筋。 - 南京大学博导 许钧10ZENG Wen-huan白先勇等谈台北人的英译n台北人（中英对照版）白先勇著，白先勇 、叶佩霞译，高克毅主编，香港中文大学出版 社2000年版。 n白先勇认为，翻译的障碍是多方面的，他说：“ 翻译，特别是中译英，名字的翻译就是个问题 。名字一经拼音，意思全无，更不谈文中之美 ，如我的名字，白先勇，先父白崇禧给我起这 个名字，是有用意的，希望我有勇，以勇为先 ；还有今天在座的林文月教授，文月，多美的 名字，一经拼音，美感就没有了。怎么办？可 以效仿红楼梦的英译，音义结合。11ZENG Wen-huan白先勇等谈台北人的英译n台北人中的游园惊梦有个人物，叫月 月红，月月红是花名，蔷薇科的一种，用作人 名，月月叠字加上红，很有味，用音译，翻不 出意思，只有翻词典，找了几百个蔷薇科的花 名，没有一个叠字的，于是请教高先生。他说 就译成red red Rose吧，真是拍案叫绝，是神来 之笔。n金大班的最后一夜中金大班的艺名叫金兆 丽，很有味，可译起来很难。高先生通法文， 建议译成Jolie Chin，很美，音也相近，也像 个艺名，译得又活了。又如夜巴黎，是个舞厅 名，高先生建议干脆用法文，叫Nuit de Paris 一下增加了舞厅的巴黎味，给这篇小说增了色 ，生了辉。12ZENG Wen-huan向白先勇先生提了这样一个问题：“作为 作者的白先勇是否满意作为译者的白先勇 。”n白先勇先生回答说：“作为作者，我觉得 译文有点意犹未尽。作为译者，我觉得讲 忠实，不能拘泥于一字一词的得失。”n高克毅先生积其半个多世纪的翻译经验， 意味深长地说：“翻译是一种妥协。翻译 涉及很多的因素，作者、译者、读者，还 有出版者之间，都需要相互理解，就译者 而言，还是有一点自由的空间为好。”13ZENG Wen-hua中英爱情誓言: 海枯石烂，永不变心nChinese：n“海枯石烂两鸳鸯， 只合双飞便双死。 ” 元好问西楼曲 nEnglish:Till athe seas gang dry, my Dear,And the rocks melt withe sun: I will love thee still, my Dear,While the sands olife shall run.Robert Burns “A Red, Red Rose”14ZENG Wen-huan “难道这也是个痴丫头，又象颦儿来葬花不成?” 因又自笑道:“若真也葬花，可谓东施效颦了;不 但不为新奇，而是更是可厌。”(曹雪芹:红楼 梦第34回)n “Can this be another absurd maid come to bury flowers like Taiyu？”, he wondered in some amusement. “If so, shes Tung Shih imitating Hsi Shih*, which isnt original but rather tiresome. ” (Translated by the Yangs.)n脚注：Hsi Shih was a famous beauty in the ancient Kingdom of Yue. Tung Shih was an ugly girl who tried to imitate her ways.15ZENG Wen-huan “Can this be some silly maid come here to bury flowers like Frowner!” He wondered. He was reminded of Zhuangzis story of the beautiful Xi-shis ugly neighbour, whose endeavours to imitate the little frown th