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［摘 要］This article discusses the importance of understanding the cultural differences in idiom translation，and explains through examples several reasons resulting in the differences of idiom translation as well as provides some practical methods in dealing with the idiom translation.

［關鍵詞］cultural difference idiom translation

［中圖分類號］H159 ［文獻標識碼］A ［文章編號］1009－5489(2008)01－102－03

As in many other types of translation，culture plays an important part in idiom translation.In the course of teaching，my students are quiet interested in idiom.There are some cases we meet in my teaching.Language is the carrier of culture，while idiom is always regarded as the elite of language.From this aspect，idiom is the most typical element of language in the cultural characteristic.

Every nation has its own culture due to its respective ecological and natural environment.This is called cultural difference，which lead to a couple of divergence in idiom translation.So in idiom translation，it is required to handle these two elements：language and culture.To deal with this difficulty successfully is the key point in the excellent work of idiom translation.

Ⅰ.Culture differences reflect in idiom

I will illustrate it from the culture of religion，geography，custom to show the differences in idiom translation.Although sometimes the two nations share the similar experiences，this can be reflected in idioms.While the differences in idiom translation overpass the similarities.

1.The difference of religious belief and idiom translation

Religious culture is of vital significance in human culture.Confucianism，Taoism and Buddhism are three most influential religions in China，of which Buddhism has exerted a very profound and far——reaching effect on Chinese people，while western people believe in Christianity.Bible has an inestimable role in the formation and development of western culture.

An expression Chinese people familiar with is“謀事在人，成事在天”which is translated into\"Man proposes，God disposes\".I have no quarrel with the English rendering，but I wonder how much meaning of the word\"God\"has got across to the Chinese reader.\"Heaven\"is more suitable in such an occasion.

2.The difference of custom and idiom translation

In idiom translation，one of most obvious differences is people's attitude towards some animals.The same animal may arouse totally opposite emotions in different people of different nations.

Chinese people and western people all raise dogs，but their attitude to dog is somewhat in the opposite way.In China，generally，people detest dogs，and they also connect dogs with disgusted people.This can be proved in the phrase，such as“狼心狗肺”“狐群狗黨”.Western people take dog as faithful and reliable friend of human being.For example：\"Lead a dog's life\"(過著牛馬不如的生活)，\"Love me，love my dog\"(愛屋及烏)，\"lucky dog\"(幸運兒).

Another typical word is\"horse\".Horse is the symbol of diligence and endurance in western culture.Different from China，we often give people who work devotedly and diligently the honor of the\"cattle\"，not\"horse\".We use\"力大如牛\"to describe a strong people，while in English，the idiom\"as strong as a horse\"is accepted by people.

From the above examples，we draw a conclusion that every nation has formed their specific custom，so in idiom translation，we have to take these elements into consideration.

3.The difference of region and idiom translation

It is clear that any culture must originate and develop in a certain region and place，and so the culture is inevitably characterized by the natural features of the region.

China has been a vast agricultural country for thousands of years because of its specific regional feature.On the contrast，Britain is an island nation.So these regional features decide that the idioms of each nation more or less concerning agriculture and navigation respectively.

There are some Chinese places that western people is not familiar with and vice versa.Chinese idioms“得隴望蜀”(covet Sichuan after capturing Gansu-have insatiable desires or ambitions)，“不到黃河不死心”(refuse to give up until all hope is gone)，have Chinese places concerning abbreviation，and our own river.In English idioms：talk like a Dutch uncle (諄諄教導)，shoot Niagara (孤注一擲)，carry coals to Newcastle (多此一舉)also have their own implications.So to get to know about the real meaning and have the clear idea of these objects and their backgrounds is the pre-subject of translating properly these kinds of idioms of regional differences.

4.Chinese culture advocates collectivism，western culture upholds individualism.In Chinese，“個人主義”differs in meaning from its English equivalent.In the west，it is a very common phenomenon to stress\"individualism\".So some idioms also turn up.

e.g.A man's home is his castle.一個人的家即他的城堡，是神圣不可侵犯的

God helps those that help themselves (自助者天助)can also apply to this theory.

Ⅱ.On some ways of idiom translation

Now let's get down to some practical issues.Language and culture relate closely to each other.Though idiom is a difficult and special part of language，it is translatable.

Since translation studies are first of all concerned about culture.We should recognize the relativity of culture.Culture exists in relation to another culture.Therefore，the research on translation is actually a problem of culture.This theory is more obvious in idiom translation.

1.Culture is acceptable，because human beings all live on the same planet，the earth，and they share more or less similar aspects of culture.Under this situation，they can be translated from one language into another language directly.

One typical example is\"burn one's boat\"，it is translated into its Chinese equivalence“破釜沉舟”.The idiom in both Chinese and English indicates making up one's mind，and put it through no matter how hard it is.

The following examples are all classic translations which have been accepted by common people.Although in Chinese，we have not such kind of expressions，they are very commonly used in our daily life.

e.g.An eye for an eye，a tooth for a tooth 以眼還眼，以牙還牙

Armed to the teeth 武裝到牙齒

To shed crocodile tears 掉鱷魚眼淚

All roads lead to Roam 條條大路通羅馬

A stick-and - carrot policy 大棒加胡蘿卜政策

Strike while the iron's hot 趁熱打鐵

2.After all，the idioms exist in different cultural background and belong to different language.The idiom corresponding in two kinds of culture is minority.Most of them can not find their equivalence in the target language.

2.1 Literal translation with note：

e.g.1 He is sheep in wolf's clothing.他是披著狼皮的羊，外強而中干。

e.g.2 paint the lily 給百合花上色，費力不討好。

2.2 Literary translation with free translation

Sometimes using literary translation and free translation in one idiom can be better and more exactly understood.

e.g.1 各人自掃門前雪，不管他人瓦上霜

Sweep the snow from your own front door；leave the frost on the other man's roof to thaw.

The first half part is literary translation，while in the last part\"to thaw\"applies free translation.

e.g.2 唇亡齒寒的故事他在中學里就知道了。

Even as a middle-school student，he had learned the classical story of how\"when the lips are gone，the teeth will be exposed to danger.\"

3.Adding words is considered as a useful way in the real work.It is worth mentioning in some idioms，such as：

班門弄斧：to show off one's proficiency with the axe before Lu Ban，the master carpenter.

三個臭皮匠，頂個諸葛亮：Three cobblers with their wits combine equal Chukeh Liang，the master mind.

4.When the above stated methods do not work，free translation is an efficient way.Thus we have to sacrifice the style to the context.

4.1 Enigmatic fold similes are a kind of idiom with special construction which doesn't exist in English.It can be translated freely according to the context.

e.g1正如我外交部發言人所說的，解鈴還須系鈴人。

As the spoke man of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out：\"It is better for the doer to undo what he has done.\"

4.2.Many idioms have vivid images.Because of being widely used，their images are neglected in the long history.Free translation is more suitable.

e.g.呆若木雞 to be petrified with astonishment

木已成舟 What's done is done.

4.3 Some idioms are unexplainable and do not correspond with logic.

e.g.一五一十 in detail

七上八下 in six and seven

一清二楚 as clear as crystal

4.4 The same image is the entirely different token.A very good example is\"dragon\".It is a word with deep cultural meaning.In China，it stands for\"noble\"and\"dignified\"，on the counter part，it is a\"monster\"in English.

“望子成龍”is translated into\"to hope that one's son will become somebody\"rather than\"to hope that one's son will become a dragon.\"

Ⅲ.Some special cases of idiom translation related to cultural differences

Apart from the practical ways that we should comply with，we have to pay attention to some special cases that do add some trouble in our work of translation.

1.Some idioms seem so similar to its wording in the target language in form and meaning.As a translator，he is always tempted to fall into the pitfall of translation.

e.g.\"eat one's word\"

At the first sight，the first translation coming into your mind is the Chinese word“食言”，because they are so close to each other in appearance.Actually，\"eat one's word\"means\"take back what one has said and admits that he has said something wrong\"，in Chinese，“食言”indicates\"a person who does not comply with his promise\".Thus these two phrases run counter to each other.

2.The contradiction of cultural vacancy is inevitable in idiom translation.Cultural vacancy refers that the cultural information in the source language is vacant in the target language，that is to say，the equivalence does not exist.

A well-known Chinese allusion about\"three monks\"leaves us a idiom：一個和尚挑水吃，兩個和尚抬水吃，三個和尚沒水吃.Discussion about its translation arises，for\"monk\"is a vacancy in the west.There are two suitable translations：\"Too many cooks spoil the broth\"and\"One boy's a boy；two boys are half boy，three boys are no boy\".I prefer the latter one considering the form as well as the replacement.

Ⅳ.Ending

Translation is a cross-cultural communication event；it concerns not only the transfer between languages，but also the transfer between cultures.So we need to call all attention to improve our cross-cultural sensibility，skills and basic theory about translation，and deal with cultural comparison.

From the above discussion about idiom translation，we can draw a conclusion that different nations and cultures can not but learn to live peacefully on the planet and when development in science and information technology are rendering us more and more opportunities to know each other better.

［參考文獻］

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