Location of Postcolonial Translation Studies in China.doc

Undergraduate Thesis Location of Postcolonial Translation Studies in China 本科生毕业论文 后殖民主义翻译研究在中国的定位 AcknowledgementsI am grateful to my supervisor Professor xxx for his / her encouragement, guidance and advice to me throughout the writing of this thesis. I also wish to express my thanks to Professors yyy and zzz who, at various times, not only gave me valuable advice, but provided me with additional sources of reference materials. My gratitude extends to Mr. aaa for his insightful advice on my choice of topic, as well as to Professor bbb of ccc University, who lent me reference books which were invaluable to me in the course of my writing. I am also indebted to my other instructors and to my classmates for their constant encouragement to me in the course of my studies. -i-AbstractIdioms are a mirror of a nation. They comprise the historical and cultural background as well as the attitude to life and the ways of people. The formation of English idioms is influenced by such cultural factors as geographical conditions, historical developments, customs, religious beliefs, literature and arts of the British nation. The origin of English idioms goes back to ancient times. It has a strong expressiveness and vivid national character. A right use of them in speech and writing will add much to variety, strength and vividness of the language. With the increasing cross-cultural communication, approaches to the comprehension and translation of English idioms are urgently needed. An appropriate translation of English idioms plays a significant role in the more frequent cross-cultural communication. Through expounding the origins, characteristics, translation principles and methods of English idioms, the thesis aims to help English learners have a better understanding of Western cultures and develop their abilities of English idiom translation by listing many lively examples.The thesis is divided into five parts. The first three parts deal with the definition, origins and characteristics of the English idioms respectively. The fourth part expounds mainly that functional equivalent is a significant principle of idiom translation and based on it, a thorough investigation is made for methods of idiom translation. Through the demonstrations and examples in the above four parts, the last part concludes that the translator must have a deep understanding of the two languages and cultures concerned so as to realize pragmatic functional equivalence in idiom translation by proper employment of the translation methods.Key Words: English idiom, origin, characteristic, translation principle, method-ii-摘 要习语是民族的一面镜子，它包含了一个民族的历史文化背景，他们对生活的态度及其生活、思维的方式等众多的信息。英语习语的形成受到英语民族的地理环境、历史发展、风俗习惯、宗教信仰、文学艺术等诸多文化因素的影响。英语习语源远流长，有很强的表现力和鲜明的民族色彩。恰当地使用习语能够丰富语言，增添其形象性和表达力。随着跨文化交际的增多，迫切需要对英语习语理解和翻译的方法进行探索。恰如其分的习语翻译对日益频繁的跨文化交际起着重要作用。本文通过对英语习语来源、特征及翻译的原则和方法的详述，结合大量生动的例子，旨在帮助英语学习者更好地了解西方文化，提高他们翻译英语习语的能力。 论文分为五个部分，前三部分分别就英语习语的定义、来源及其特征进行了论述。第四部分详述了习语翻译中的功能对等原则的重要性，并在此基础上对英语习语翻译方法进行了详细研究。通过上述四部分的阐述和例证，第五部分得出结论强调译者应深入了解双方的语言和文化，采取相应的翻译策略，以实现习语翻译的功能对等。关键词：英语习语；来源；特征；翻译原则；方法-iii-Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.iABSTRACTS.iiTABLER OF CONTENTSivI. Introduction.1II. Invisibility of Translators Subjectivity in TraditionalTranslation Theories.4III. Passivity in Translators Subjectivity.93.1 Cultural Constraint on Translators.93.1.1 Itamar Even-Zohar: Perspective of Literary Polysystem.103.1.2 Gideo Toury and Theo Hermans: Perspective of Norms.103.1.3 Ander Lefevere: Perspective of Ideology, Poetics and Patronage.123.2 Translators Dependence on Culture.14IV. Towards Initiative of Translators Subjectivity.184.1 Doubts on Exclusive Emphasis on Translators Passivity.184.2 Components of Translators Initiative.214.2.1 Fore-structure.214.2.2 Self-consciousness.234.2.3 Selectivity.244.2.4 Productivity .254.3 Displaying Translators Subjectivity.27V. Role of Translators in Pursuit of Cultural Transformation.295.1 Nonethnocentric Translation in Favor of Cultural Transformation.295.1.1 Text Decision.305.1.2 Strategy Decision.325.1.3 Specific Device Decision.335.2 Initiative over Passivity.365.2.1 Troubles from Domestic Traditional Culture.36 5.2.2 Perseverance in Nonethnocentric Translation .41VI. Conclusion.47Bibliography.49-iv-I. IntroductionMainly referring to the fundamental characteristics of the culture instead of concrete and superficial elements, a cultural pattern in which a nation or a community has been living for long is rather stable. However, it may be encountered with certain crises resulting from drastic outside changes in a particular period. When these changes grow drastic enough, the original cultural pattern cannot efficiently control its residents any more and needs to be reconstructed. This kind of reconstruction is named cultural transformation. (依俊卿, 2001: 167) During a cultural transformation, the original cultural pattern is gradually giving place to a new cultural pattern, with the much disconcerted original society adjusted to meet with the tremendous exterior changes. As a result, a new cultural pattern comes into being, and the society sees a fast development.Now, China is encountered with a cultural transformation. As a matter of fact, China began present cultural transformation as early as Yangwu Movement. However, this cultural transformation has not been finished because it was mainly concerned with scientific and economic elements, with fundamental cultural structure neglected before Sino-Japanese War. After Sino-Japanese War, although fundamental cultural structure was highlighted, it was not carried through till ultimate success. The present China has established relatively effective market economy system and reached great achievement in industry, science, civil lives and national defense system, but her cultural pattern is still mainly of agricultural-civilization because traditional naturalism and empiricism is still in control of social activities and personal lives. (ibid.: 206-7) The development of contemporary world foregrounds the problem once again, and in a more urgent manner. At home, general development in realms of science and market economy demands a new cultural pattern characterized with ration, legality and contract. However, this demand has not entirely been met so far, which conversely seems to hinder the scientific and economic development. Such phenomenon, named “cultural lag” in academic research, is common in present developing countries including China. Cultural lag must be eliminated; otherwise it is certain to impede the whole modernization. Internationally, economic globalization is flooding in all social domains in more and more countries, causing globalization in finance, science, art and academic research, etc. In this sense, economic globalization is to bring in cultural globalization. All the nations throughout the world are gathered Generally speaking, we advocate that a translator should stick to nonethnocentric translation, display initiative over passivity and prefer altruism to egoism. This requires that a translator should be somewhat sacrificial. As for the ideal image of a translator in the period of cultural transformation, maybe the following excerpt from Lu Xun is the most impressive: Revolutionists are always likened to Prometheus in Greece myths, who is not regretful though tortured by Zeus, for their common generosity and firmness. But I steal fire from other countries just in order to stew the flesh of my own, and I believe my sacrifice of body worthwhile if eaters, may the flesh be tasteful, can benefit much from it However, I wish myself somewhat beneficial to the society so that readers still have the opportunity to enjoy the stolen fire and light. (qtd in 陈福康，1992）Notes：1 E.A. Nida.2001.Language and CultureM. Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.28.2 林承璋，1997，英语词汇学引论M，武汉：武汉大学出版社，48页3 Chitra Fernando.2002. Idioms and idiomaticityM.Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.1-22.4 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.2002.Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.7065 Mona, Baker.2000. In Other Words: A Course Book on Translation M. Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press.78.6 E.A. Nida.2001. Language and CultureM.Shanghai：Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press.82.Works CitedBaker, M. 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