從功能對等看習(xí)語翻譯中的形象處理.pdf

1、It is universally acknowledged that idioms are heavily culture-loadedlanguage. English and Chinese are both rich in idioms, which are peculiarin their structural stability and semantic unity We also note that imagesare t

2、he main carrier of cultural message in idioms. The translation ofidioms involves not only the transferring of meaning, but also therendering of images. To do the latter, we should first be clear about thesimilarities and

3、 differences between images in English and Chineseidioms, and the relationship between image and its associative meaning.In fact, differences between cultures cause many more severecomplications for the translato

4、r than do differences in language structure. The introduction of Nida's "Functional Equivalence" provides thisthesis with a new perspective into the translation of idioms. "FunctionalEquivalence" advocates to reprodu

5、ce the closest natural equivalent to thesource text, first in meaning, secondly in style. It does not focus onmatching the source text with the target text, but is more concerned with acomparison of the two relationships

6、, namely, the way in which theoriginal receptors understood and appreciated the text and the way inwhich receptors of the translated text understand and appreciate thetranslated text. This thesis makes an initial study o

7、f Nida's theory and itsapplication to the translation of idioms. First efforts are made to explainseveral crucial concepts about his theory with a view to deepening ourunderstanding of it. Then a further endeavor is made

8、 to explore how this theory is applied to idiom translation. Based on the theoretical study, further research is made by analyzingthe commonly used translation methods and suggesting threeimage-rendering appro

9、aches: image-preserving, image-substituting, andimage-abandoning. It is argued that the translator should strive topreserve the original image or at least replace it with another appropriateone to produce similar effect

10、on target readers. But it is also admitted thatthe translation method or approach for the same idiom is not fixed, butvaries with a number of factors like the context or the purpose oftranslation. However, an image in a

11、certain context can be transferred indifferent ways by different translators, conscientious translators shouldalways bear in mind the following two principles: First, translation should not stop with a simple act of

12、transferring themeaning of a text from one language into another; it is also thetranslator's job to render images in an appropriate way to help convey thecultural message. Second, there may be more than one thing for

13、 a translator to considerwhen de or she translates idioms. Here what are needed most are notelaborate formulas or theories, but translators with unusual sensitivity tothe features of language, the importance of culture,

14、and the art oftranslating. That is, translators should be bilingual and bicultural persons. In a word, translating idioms is a tough and fascinating job. Theauthor hopes this thesis may suggest some of the challenges