Shift of Perspective As Thinking—oriented Guideline inIntercultural Translation

【Abstract】Translation is a kind of cross-cultural communication and bridge of thought and cultural exchange. The task of the translator is to transform linguistics sign with certain meaning in SL culture into relevant ones in TL culture. Due to the great differences between English and Chinese， description of the same thing may make from different perspectives. Therefore， in order to get a more natural and accurate version which is readable for the TL audience and achieve success in intercultural communication， the translator should be capable of flexible converting of language and culture image and getting rid of the bondage of the SL. This paper will take shift of perspective as a thinking-oriented guideline in intercultural translation and further explore the application of shift of perspective in intercultural translation.

【Key words】Cultural Globalization； Intercultural Translation； Shift of Perspective

I. The reasons for shift of perspective in intercultural translation

Shift of perspective is to narrate things from another perspective which is different from the original way of description. It enables the readers of the target language to get the same information and feeling as the readers of the source language do.

1.1 Semantic Differences

The semantic differences between English and Chinese can be divided into three groups.

The first one is zero of equivalent word. Zero of equivalent word means a term in one language that does not have a counterpart in another language （Bao， 2001：13）. For example， expressions such as “陰陽（two opposing principles existing in substances ）”， “三伏（the hottest days in the year）”， “炕（a head table brick bed）” exist only in Chinese. In English， there are also such words as hippie， coffee， Karaoke and so on. It is hard to find the equivalent form for terms in this category in both English and Chinese.

The second one is word or term in both languages that appear to refer to the same subject or concept on the surface but are actually quite different in meaning （Deng&Liu， 1989：8）. For example， “busboy” does not equal “公共汽車上的售票員”. It refers to a young man whose job is to take away dirty dishes in a restaurant.

The third one is the terms which have the same primary meaning with secondary or additional meaning differing considerably from each other （Deng&Liu， 1989：8）. “Carry” in English means moving something from one place to another place， but “carry” can be translated into different words as“挑”， “運”， “背”and“扛”in Chinese.

1.2 Different Expression of Image

Due to different living environment， religions and customs， the same image may have distinctive meaning in two languages. Take the image of bull as an example. To most Chinese， the image of bull is a symbol of strength， so there is such Chinese expression as “力大如牛”. It would be hard for Chinese people to associate bull with irrationality. Therefore， they would not have the image that would appear in the minds of English people： an angry， snorting bull charging into a shop filled with exquisite fragile porcelain.

1.3 Different Usage of Color

“紅白喜事” is a typical example. In China， wedding and funerals are regarded as happy things in peoples life. “紅” represents joy and luck in Chinese and is the major color in Chinese wedding. For the funerals， Chinese people are influenced by Buddhism and think that people who passed away are released from purgatory. The death of the old people is regarded as“白喜事” and relatives of the people who passed away should wear white clothes. While in western wedding， the bride wears white wedding dress which symbolizes purity and elegance. In western funeral， people wear black clothes to show their condolences to the people who passed away. Then “紅白喜事” should be translated as “wedding and funeral”. There are also some other color words which have the same denotative meaning， but different connotative meaning. Green in English is often used to indicate lacking in experience or knowledge and or to show envy in such phrases as green hand （新手），green-horn（沒有經驗的人），green-eyed（眼紅的）. In Chinese， “綠” does not have such extending meanings.

1.4 Different Thinking Process

Translation is not just an interlingual activity，but more thinking involved. Differences in patterns of thinking lead to different ways of expressing the same thing in different cultures.

Take English proverb “Wisdom prepares for the worst， but folly leaves the worst for the day it comes” for example. “Wisdom” and “folly” are two very abstract words but they are used as the subject of the sentences. Chinese people got accustomed to use concrete things as the subject of the sentences. So “Wisdom” and “folly” should be shifted to concrete images and the translated version can be“聰明人防患于未然， 愚蠢者臨渴掘井”.

1.5 Different Living Environment

Britain is located in the western hemisphere with marine climate. The west wind which blows from the Atlantic Ocean is warm and gentle. So the western wind is the symbol of spring. No the contrary， the western side of China is high mountains， while the eastern side is surrounded by water. In view of the wind， eastern wind represents spring and warmth in Chinese， but the counterpart of it in English is western wind. “west wind” in English and “東風”in Chinese express the same meaning ， but different images are employed.

1.6 Different Histories and Legend Stories

When it comes to the translation of words， idioms， proverbs and slang related history， classic literature works and folks， the translator should have a thorough understanding and inadequate knowledge of the history. The following examples “castle in the air（空中樓閣）”，“hang by a thread （千鈞一發）”， “Achilles heel（致命弱點）”，“meet ones waterloo （一敗涂地）”， “Penelopes web（永遠完不成的工作）” can simply show us the importance of history and folk knowledge in translation.

II. The Merits of Shift of Perspective in Translation

2.1 Improving Accuracy of Meaning

In translation， the use of shift of perspective between English and Chinese can achieve a better translated version and convey more accurate meaning in the target language. It is important not only to know the denotative meaning but also the connotative meaning.

2.2 Understanding of Denotative Meaning

此人是書就讀。VS 他是我父親。

In the two sentences given， the denotation meaning of Chinese word “是” varies in different context. “是” usually helps to make an affirmative statement and means “is”， but in the first sentence， the word makes a sense of emphasis instead of making an affirmative statement. So by shift of perspective， the first should be translated as “This man reads every book he can read” instead of “This man reads every book which is a book” whereas the second one “He is my father”. The correct denotative meaning is expressed.

2.3 Finding out Connotative Meaning

Mr. Brown is a white man. He was looking rather green the other day. He has been feeling blue lately. When I saw him he was in a brown study， I hope he will be in pink again.

The color words used in the sentences all have their connotative meaning apart from indicating specific colors. The word “white” in English means honest， faithful and trustful. The word “green” means unhealthy， pale in the face. The word “blue” means sad and very depressed. The word “pink” means in perfect condition， very well. So the translated version can be “布朗先生是個忠實可靠之人，那天他臉上頗有病容，近來他悶悶不樂，我看到他經常在沉思之中，希望他早日恢復健康”。With the help of shift of perspective， the connotative meaning of the color words is expressed and the sentence can be acceptable to the target language readers.

References：

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[3]包惠南.文化語境與語言翻譯[M].北京：中國對外翻譯出版公司，2001.

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作者簡介：黃保丹（1985-），女，布依族，貴州羅甸人，碩士，助教，研究方向：跨文化交際，英語教學。