Study on Culture and Translation of English and Chinese idioms from the Perspective of从合作原则角度看英汉习语文化与翻译

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1、Study on Culture and Translation of English and Chinese idioms from the Perspective of Cooperative Principle从合作原则角度看英汉习语文化与翻译 ABSTRACTWith the growing of economic globalization, the world is more connected with cultural exchanges increased all over the world. People are eager to learn new things fro

2、m foreign countries. However, People can communicate with others in an effective way by spoken or written the same language. As idioms are important as component parts of languages, it become more important in language study. Therefore, there are many differences between China and English-speaking c

3、ountries in cultural background, customs, geography , style of language, religions belief and so on. Research of Cultural and Translation between English and Chinese is particularly important. This paper is devoted to make a study of English and Chinese cultural differences and idioms translation th

4、rough the cooperative principles, in order to understand English and Chinese culture better, and this study may be benefit to translation of English and Chinese idioms.。摘 要随着经济全球化的发展，各国间的联系日益加深，文化间的交流也日益紧密。人们开始迫切地想要了解国外的一切新奇的事物，作为人们彼此了解交往最直接最有效的手段当然非语言莫属，而习语作为语言中的一个重要组成部分，自然成为语言研究的一个要点。由于各国间文化背景、生活习

5、俗、地理环境、语言风格、宗教信仰等不尽相同，英汉习语文化对比与翻译的相关研究就显得尤为重要了。本文试图借助语用学合作原则的相关理论，对英汉习语的文化差异与翻译作一些探索，以期能更好地理解英汉习语文化，更贴切地进行英汉习语的翻译。Key words: Idiom, translation, cooperative principles关键词: 英汉习语, 翻译， 合作原则 CONTENTSIntroduction.11.Concept of Language and Culture.21.1 The Definition of Grices Cooperative Principle.21.2

6、The Definition of Language.31.3 The Definition of Culture.31.4 Interactive Relationship of Language and Culture.41.5 Divergences of Language and Culture 42.Culture of English and Chinese idioms.62.1. Idioms and Culture. .62.2 The Fundamental Features of English and Chinese Idioms.62.2.1 National Cha

7、racteristics.62.2.2 Different Geographical Conditions62.2.3 Different Historical Backgrounds.72.2.4 Different Cultural Heritages.72.2.5 Different Religious Beliefs.82.2.6 Different Social Customs83.Translation of English and Chinese idioms with the Cooperative Principle.103.1 Translation of English

8、and Chinese idioms with the Quality Maxim.103.2 Translation of English and Chinese idioms with the Quantity Maxim.103.3 Translation of English and Chinese idioms with the Relation Maxim.113.4 Translation of English and Chinese idioms with the Manner Maxim.11Conclusion.13References .14IntroductionAs

9、the world is more connected with cultural exchanges increased all over the world. people are eager to learn new things from foreign countries. However, to communicate with others the first thing we should learn is language. Idioms is one important part of language, and learn the idioms may be benefi

10、t to the study of language. Therefore, there are many differences between China and English-speaking countries in cultural background, customs, geography , style of language, religions belief and so on. research of Cultural and Translation between English and Chinese is particularly important. This

11、paper attempts to cooperate with English and cultural differences and translation for some exploration through the principles of cooperative pragmatic theories, in order to better understand English and Chinese culture, and benefine for translation of English and Chinese idioms. This thesis falls in

12、to five parts. The first part is introduction, which gives a brief introduction to the whole paper, including the the purpose of the thesis and the framework of it .The second part is devoted to introduce some concept about cultural and translation. The third part is devoted to introduce the culture

13、 of English and Chinese idioms. The fourth part is devoted to introduce the translation of English and Chinese idioms. The last part is conclusion which gives summary to the main idea and the conclusion of the whole paper.1.Concept of Language and Culture1.1. The Definition of Grices Cooperative Pri

14、ncipleIn order to examine the Cooperative Principle,we will first outline briefly the basic concepts behind the CP and Maxims.Previous work by Austin(1962)and Searle(1969)had largely been concerned with the relationship between direct and indirect speech acts,and the concept that you coulddothings w

15、ith words:language is as much of an action as opening a door or closing a window.These proponents of the Use theory had moved away from the truth values approach,and the reliance on sense and reference as the source of meaning(e.g. Frege&Russell).There was also a growing interest in the meaning of u

16、tterances rather than just sentences.It had been noted that at the discourse level there is no one-to-one mapping between linguistic form and utterance meaning.A particular intended meaning (which could be produced via a direct speech act)can in fact be conveyed by any number of indirect speech acts

17、.Grice is concerned with this distinction between saying and meaning.How do speakers know how to generate these implicit meanings,and how can they assume that their addressees will reliably understand their intended meaning?His aim is to discover the mechanism behind this process.(1)A:Is there anoth

18、er pint of milk?B:Im going to the supermarket in five minutes.In the above example,a competent speaker of English would have little trouble inferring the meaning that there is no more milk at the moment,but that some will be bought from the supermarket shortly.Grice posits the CP and its attendant f

19、our maxims as a way of explaining this implication process:The Cooperative Principle“Make your contribution such as required,at the stage at which it occurs,by the accepted purpose or direction of the talk exchange in which you are engaged”.Grice(1975:45)The MaximsQuantity Make your contribution as

20、informative as is required Do not make your contribution more informative than is requiredQuality Do not say what you believe to be false Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidenceRelation Be relevantManner Avoid obscurity of expressionAvoid ambiguityBe brief(avoid unnecessary prolixity)Be

21、 orderlyGrice(1975:45-46)He suggests that there is an accepted way of speaking which we all accept asstandard behaviour.When we produce,or hear,an utterance,we assume that it willgenerally be true,have the right amount of information,be relevant,and will be couchedin understandable terms.If an utter

22、ance does not appear to conform to this model(e.g.Bs utterance in above),then we do not assume that the utterance is nonsense;rather,we assume that an appropriate meaning is there to be inferred.In Grices terms,a maximhas been flouted,and an implicature generated.Without such an assumption,it would

23、notbe worth a co-interactant investing the effort needed to interpret an indirect speech act.1.2The Definition of LanguageIt is generally accepted that the possession of language distinguishes man from other animals. Definitions of language are not difficult to f nd, but usually scholars make a poin

24、t of one or two aspects of the language. So far no completely satisfactory definition seems to have been given. Below are some often quoted ones.Wardhaugh (1977:3) thought that the commonly accepted definition of language was: Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used for human communicat

25、ion. According to Sapir (1921: 8, language is a purely human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of voluntarily produced symbols. Homers&Blanc (1989:116, quoted from Xu Lin 1999:9) stated, Language is a component of culture along with other entities like,

26、 for example, values, beliefs and norms. On the basis of the above-mentioned points, we may fnd that human language is not an isolated phenomenon but a social activity closely related to social culture, and the existence of language is mainly for the purpose of human communication. It is actually a

27、specific social action and a carrier of information. Words and phrases in daily communication not only refer to the form of some concept but also are a condensed prototype of huge psychological capacity and emotional coloring, a concentrated deposit of history and culture. There is no doubt that lan

28、guage is inseparable from human society and its culture, It comprises peoples approach to life and their way of living and thinking. La other words, language is often culture-loaded and acts as a transmitter of history and culture. It grows and develops with the growth and development of a society.1

29、.3The Definition of Culture The concept of culture is faced with similar, if not more complicated problems. Different scholars define culture from different angles, so it is difficult to give a widely accepted definition. What has been termed the classic definition of culture was provided by the l9t

30、h century English anthropologist Edward Barnet Tylor, who declared that: Culture.is that complex whole which included knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. That is to say, culture is a kind of life style that the member

31、s of a community maintain and pass as relics from generation to generation. With the increasing maturity of anthropological science, further reflections upon the nature oltheir subject matter and concepts led to a multiplication and diversification of definition of culture. The definitions of cultur

32、e ranges from learned behavior toideas in the mind, a logical construct,a statistical fiction, a psychic defense mechanism,and so on (A.L,Krveher&Clyde Kluckhohn, 1978).In the broad sense, culture refers to all material and spiritual treasure human beings have created in their practice. In the narro

33、w sense, culture refers to social ideology and values, experiences and knowledge, language and education, association and government, morals and hierarchy, and so on. (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica,1993). Definition of culture has varied a great deal ever since the emergence of anthropology in th

34、e 19th Century, and no unanimous conelu5ion has been drawn so far.1.4 Interactive Relationship of Language and Culture Language does not develop in a vacuum (Lado, 1964:23). It is both a component of culture and a central network through which other components are expressed. On one hand, language is

35、 crucial in interpreting and classifying humans experience and perception of the world known as culture. Language, as a system of symbols and a vehicle of conveying and exchanging message, bears the task of recording, transmitting and shaping culture. With language, human experience, religion, patte

36、rns of values etc, can be handed dawn from one generation to the next. On the other hand, language is influenced and shaped by culture and meanwhile reflects culture. As the fiuit of culture, language grows, extends and flourishes with the enrichment of culture. Any language, especially the words an

37、d the expressions, is influenced and controlled by various cultural elements like social states, religious beliefs, politics, geographical setting, customs and kinship relationship. (Xing, 1990:24). Juri Lotman made an excellent remark about the intimate relationship between language and culture: No

38、 language can exist unless it is steeped in the context of culture, and no culture can exist which does not have at its center, the structure of natural language. (Quoted from Ke wenli, 1993:41). Language and culture interact with each other, so the understanding of a culture requires the understand

39、ing of the corresponding language (the bearer of the very culture) and vice versa.1.5 Divergences of Language and Culture Philologists and linguists have been interested in the diversity of human language and their cultures since the 18th century (The New Encyclopaedia, 1993). The scholars put forwa

40、rd the idea that different people speak differently because they think differently, and that they think. differently because their language offers them different ways of expressing the world they are in. Common attitudes, beliefs and values are reflected in the way members of the group use language

41、(Kramasch, 2000. Language is not a culture-free code, distinct from the way people think and behave, but rather, it plays a major role in the perpetuation of culture, particularly in its printed form. Different people have different cultural patterns.The people sharing the same cultural pattern are

42、attracted to live together. E.H.Hall said in his book The Silence Language that culture differed from each other. Their ways of self-presentation and feeling expressing are not the same. Culture is the unique Life style of a particular group of people.(Harris and. Ivloran, 1987). This means culture

43、and cultural patterns vary and change. Every ethnic group has its shared culture and this shared culture passes from generation to generation. But divergences exist in accordance with different geographic areas, different social status, personal characteristics and time. Culture is the context withi

44、n which we exist, think, feel, and relate to others. It is the glue that binds a group of people together.(Brawn, 1987). It indicated that culture functions as a label indicating an individuals ethnic identity and social status as well as a blueprint that guides the behavior of people in group, help

45、ed people to know how far they could go as individuals and wlxat their responsibilities were to the group (Claire Kramsch, 2000). The Chinese culture and English-related culture mentioned in this thesis is thus different cultures. Just as cultures are diverse, languages are inevitably diverse. Becau

46、se of the differences in both cultures and languages, there often arise difficulties in communication between cultures and across cultures. There always exist obstacles in mutual understanding between the participants who belong to different cultures and speak different languages. Thus, communicatio

47、n, especially cultural communication or cultural exchange, is by no means easy. From the analysis of interactive relationship and divergences between language and culture, we can come to conclusion that language and culture are interdependent and inseparable. On one hand, the using and understanding

48、 of a language are based on its cultural background. On the other hand, each culture necessarily has some reflection in its language. The difference in culture will be inevitably embodied in different levels of language system. One cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either la

49、nguage or culture.2. Culture of English and Chinese idiomsBoth English and Chinese are rich in idiomatic expressions,which are peculiar to the language in question and loaded with the native cultures and ideas. Therefore, idioms are colorful, forcible and thought-provoking. However, divergence of la

50、nguage and culture exists between English and Chinese idioms, which often results in obstacles in mutual understanding between the English and the Chinese people. This chapter will make a comparison on cultural aspects of English and Chinese idioms.2.1. Idioms and CultureJust as language and culture

51、 are inseparable from each other, so are idioms from a language and culture from which they stern. As the fruit of wisdom, idioms are an effective device for expression. They are often described as a form of speech peculiar to a nation. They are attributed to peoples observation of the world and the

52、ir participation in gregarious activities; theyre culture-bound, essentially national in character, and taste of the soil from which they grew(Smith,1943:278). Accordingly, idioms, born in the soil of a certain culture, are mirrors of that culture. They are indicators of national character, the way

53、people observe, evaluate, and approach nature. So to learn idioms is a must to learn its culture. The acknowledgement of the culture background that gave birth to idioms will help to solve the problem of misunderstanding of idioms in different language systems such as Chinese and English. As compara

54、tive studies on cultural aspects make their differences clear, we can learn languages better from culture, and learn culture better from languages.2.2 The Fundamental Features of English and Chinese Idioms2.2.1 National CharacteristicsEnglish and Chinese idioms are essentially national in character.

55、 Their formation sketches the picture of the cultural environment where they were born: historical development, geographical features, religious beliefs, life experiences, science, arts, customs, folkways, etc. The components of English and Chinese idioms are mostly native elements yr account of the

56、ir respective cultural environment. idioms are just like a mirror which can reflect the characteristics of a nation or a culture. (Jiang Lei, 2000: 75). The following is a comparison of national characteristics of English and Chinese idioms.2.2.2Different Geographical ConditionsGeographical conditio

57、ns have much to do with the national characteristics of idioms. Every nation is living in a certain natural environment. Therefore, same idioms were born according with the geographical conditions and ecological environments. For example,Britain is an island country, which has a long history of navi

58、gation and therefore a large number of idioms are derived from the sea such as all at sea, all hands to the pumps, hang in the wind, a big fish in a little pond and so on. China has long been a large agricultural country, and an overwhelming majority of the people lives in the rural area, so that a

59、large number of proverbial sayings grow from agricultural activities. For example,“瓜熟蒂落，things will be easily settled when conditions are ripe).“种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆”(as a man sows, so shall be reap),“四体不勤，五谷不分”scan neither do physical work nor distinguish rice from wheat. Many figurative images of English and

60、 Chinese idioms are distinctive because of the different geographical conditions and ecological environments. When people express the waste of money, the idiom spend money like water is used in English, while“挥金如土”(“土”Ban s soil) is used in Chinese.English idiom spring up like rrrushroom expresses t

61、he same meaning as Chinese idiom“雨后春笋”(“笋”means bamboo shoots).2.2.3 Different Historical BackgroundsThe different historical backgrounds of the English and Chinese people with their different legends and anecdotes about historical figures have provided rich and varied materials for their idioms, an

62、d have consequently given a national color to idioms in the two languages. For example, Rome and Denmark once occupied England for a fang time, the conquest influenced the English to a certain extent:Do in Rome as the Romans do comes from Rome and Six of one acrd half a daaen of the other comes from

63、 Denmark( Ping Hong&Zhang Guoyang, 1999:28-33). In China,“三顾茅庐”has the meaningrequest somebody in all sincerity to take up responsible post. This idiom comes from an allusion: During the last years of East-Han Dynasty, Han Prince Liu Bei three times called an Zhuge Liang to solicit his help.“三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮”expresses the wisdom of the masses exceeds that of the wisest individual.“诸葛亮”is the same person mentioned above. He is regarded as the master mind. If one knows the historical event, it will be easy to know the meaning“破釜沉舟”，which is related to Chinese histor