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1、浅析英文谚语翻译On English Translation of ProverbsAbstractBecause of the differences of religious beliefs, habits and customs, fables and myth, and culture and art, English proverbs and Chinese proverbs carry on the different national cultural characteristics and information. Proverbs are closely linked wit

2、h cultural tradition and they are inseparable. The cultural elements of proverbs cause the difficulty of translation of proverb. This thesis is trying to make some exploration about the proverb, and its translation.Key words: category；translation method ; culture contrast摘 要由于不同的宗教信仰、风俗习惯、寓言神话以及文学艺术

3、诸多方面的差异，英、汉谚语承载着不同的民族文化特色和不同的文化信息。他们与文化传统紧密相连，不可分割。言语中的文化因素构成了翻译中的困难。直译，意译，或者直译与意译相结合，则要根据具体的语言环境来定。本文通过对英文谚语的分类和对中西文化的对比，就英语谚语及其翻译做一些探索。关键词：谚语分类；翻译方法；文化对比ContentsABSTRACTI摘 要IIINTRODUCTION11 WHAT IS PROVERB?11.1 The Definition of Proverb11.2 The Categories of Proverb21.2.1 From Production Experienc

4、es21.2.2 From Life Experiences21.2.3 From Masterpieces and Mottos31.2.4 From the Bible31.2.5 To Convey the Truth31.2.6 Loan Proverb42 THE COMPARISON OF CHINESE AND ENGLISH PROVERB52.1 Subaudition of Proverb52.2 Religion62.3 Values62.4 History and Culture73 METHODS OF PROVERBS TRANSLATION73.1 Literal

5、 Translation83.2 Free Translation93.2.1 Free Translation in different English and Chinese proverbs93.2.2 Free translation in similar proverbs in English and Chinese103.3 Combination of Literal and Free Translation104 CONCLUSION11BIBLIOGRAPHY12ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS13Introduction Proverb is a short pithy s

6、aying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a basic truth or practical precept. Proverb is a treasure of literature which comes from peoples daily life. It sparkles with the wisdom of humans thoughts and experiences from the ancient times to the modern times. Whats more, it has enriched the

7、languages of lots of countries. In a word, proverb is as lively as poem, as steady as essay and as terse as idiom.Since the differences on history, religion and custom, the proverb connects with its own culture steadily and carries the unique information and feature in each language. When translatin

8、g English proverbs, the attention should be paid to deliver the exact meaning, meanwhile the language character has also to be concerned. Though English and Chinese are totally two different languages, but they have much in common on proverb, for instant, proverbs in two languages are both simple an

9、d alive; most of them rhyme with tidy structures and vivid metaphor. On the other hand, Proverb is kinds of reflection of culture that convey the features of a country as well as the translation of English proverb. As we know, the both two languages have centuries-old history, religion and literatur

10、e. So proverbs learning can be a good way to understand English-speaking countries.Mr. Zhu Guangqian says: “The most difficult to understand and translate about foreign literature is the associated meaning”, “It has the specific emotional atmosphere, quite deep and delicate; you may not find it in t

11、he dictionary, but it is very important to literature. If we dont know the habits and customs as well as the cultural historic background, well be at sea, especially when we translate the associated meaning.” By analyzing the sort of proverb, one can understand the features, subaudiences and also th

12、e author categorizes proverb into several sections, from geography, custom, and culture to compare the differences between Chinese and English proverbs. Through the study of proverb, good understanding may be well applied to the translation of proverbs. As for the methods of translation, such as lit

13、eral translation, free translation, or the combination of two ways of translation which depend on the features of language and cultural background of the proverbs.1 What is Proverb?1.1 The Definition of Proverb “A proverb is a brief familiar maxim of folk wisdom, usually compressed inform, often inv

14、olving a bold image and frequently a jingle that catches the memory.”(NY: Longman, 1976: 889) “A proverb is a short sayingin common use that strikingly expresses some obvious truth or familiar experience.”(NY: Macmillan General reference, 1988: 1083) So proverb is considered as a popular short sayin

15、g with words of advice or warning which is created among people as a great intellectual achievement from their understanding of the nature and society. Proverb is common on style, neat on structure, vivid on language and profound on meaning. “Proverb is the daughter of daily experience.” “A proverb

16、is much matter decocted into few words.”(JinHuikang, 2004: 421) As a legacy of ancestors, proverb contains the experiences that the ancestors have concluded or the wisdoms of truth. From the definitions above we may find out that proverb is a general truth and gives advice and warning which involves

17、 a bold image, musical rhyme or compressed form and brings reality and vividness to the readers and so they are easy to memorize.1.2 The Categories of Proverb Proverb can be seen as a brilliant treasure to a culture, it reflects every aspect of one society. However, such many proverbs can be divided

18、 into categories. 1.2.1 From Production Experiences Language develops along with the society as well as the proverb. Lots of English proverbs are created by farmers from the prediction of the agricultural production and the weather since they ties up with the crops and weather. These proverbs are th

19、e experiences of their years of farming which is closely related to there harvest and happiness, so they knows them very well.For example:When April blows its horn, its good both for hay and corn. (四月打雷，谷草成堆)It never rains but it pours. (不雨则已，一雨倾盆)Make hay while the sun shines. (晒草要趁晴天)A year of sno

20、w, a year of plenty. (瑞雪兆丰年)He that by the plough would thrive, himself must either hold or drive. (想要种地发家，就得扶犁赶马)1.2.2 From Life Experiences There are a kind of proverbs that embodies the happiness, joy, tears and pain. Some are even bloody: How sharper than a serpents tooth it is to have a thankle

21、ss child (逆子无情甚于蛇蝎). This is a proverb that a heartbroken father describes his vicious son. We can imagine the evil face of the son and the poor parents who are left unattended without care, waiting for death. War is deaths feast (战争是死亡的宴席). In all ages, war is all about deaths, broken families. Isn

22、t the war is exactly a feast of death? He that taught them all their tricks kept one for himself (教人百艺留一艺). This one may be concluded from the real story of the ungrateful student who betrayed his own teacher.1.2.3 From Masterpieces and Mottos Britain is an old European country affected by ancient R

23、ome and Greece and famous of her achievement on literature. The mottos are widely read by people from all over the world; Shakespeare is one of the most famous writers. People have summarized many proverbs from his masterpieces.Brevity is the soul of wit. (简洁是智慧的灵魂) - HamletOne swallow does not make

24、 a summer. (只燕不成夏)Lend your money and lose your friend. (钱财借出，友谊丧失) - HamletSome books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. (一些书可以品味，另外一些可以吞食，少数一些书可以咀嚼和消化)1.2.4 From the Bible Britain is a Christian country reined by thearchy as well as the King for a lon

25、g period in the history. For this reason there are plenty of English proverbs derived from the Bible. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. (以牙还牙, 以眼还眼). This proverb is a quotation from Exodus 21:23-27 in which a person who has taken the eye of another in a fight is instructed to give his own eye

26、 in compensation. Freely you have received, freely give. (白白的得来，也要白白的舍去). This one is a quotation from Matthew 10:8. It means that one should let the free things go since he never pays for them. There are more examples: Whoever digs a pit may fall into it. (挖陷坑的，自己必掉在其中) Whoever quarries stones may

27、be injured by them; whoever splits logs may be endangered by them. (凿开石头的，必受损伤；擘开木头的，必遭危险)More strength is needed but skill will bring success. 挖陷坑的，自己必掉在其中。 (得智慧指教，便有益处)1.2.5 To Convey the Truth By the forming of the civilization and the society people struggle against the nature as well as the peo

28、ple themselves. Gradually some principles are accepted by the masses and those principles spread far and wide so that more and more people acknowledge them as the truth. Where there is a will, there is a way. (有志者事竟成) It is one of the most famous English proverbs which encourages people not to loose

29、 faith since the strong will leads one to success. If you have the inclination and determination for something, you will always be able to find a way toward the goal. There is nothing hopeless or impossible if you are resolute enough. The proverb has become an accepted wisdom for its spread.(Martin

30、H Manser, 2002: 277)There are more examples:A mothers love never changes. (母爱永不变)Honesty pays. (诚实必有好报)Time is money. (时间就是金钱)History repeats itself. (历史往往重演)Cheats never prosper. (骗人发不了财)1.2.6 Loan Proverb Britain is a country with developed navigation technology from of old and it frequently conne

31、cts with other continent and countries. Latin used to be popular in England and French was once the official language of England. Therefore, there are a few proverbs from Latin and other languages which reserve their thoughts and wisdoms.Nothing comes from nothing. (无风不起浪) Latin proverbPut the cart

32、before the horse. (本末倒置) French proverbArt is long, life is short. (艺术永存，生命短暂) Latin proverbBurnt bairns dread the fire. (一朝被蛇咬三年怕井绳) Russian proverbAppetite comes with eating. (胃口越吃越大) French proverb2 The comparison of Chinese and English proverb2.1 Subaudition of Proverb Some proverbs have a subau

33、dition, connotative and profound. If we translate them literally and ignore the original meanings, the version would fail to convey the precise meaning of the original and meanwhile the liquid and fluent words become dead and dull. Therefore, the Chinese proverb which has approximate meaning would m

34、ake the version vivid and accurate. For example, the man who is born in a stable is not a horse means a person does not necessarily have the stereotypical characteristics of the place where he or she was born, if one translate it like this “在马厩里出生的人不是马” then people may be confused but if the version

35、 goes like this “鸡窝里可以飞出金凤凰” then the reader understands at once. Translating in fair weather prepare for the foul to “未雨绸缪” or “居安思危” is much better than “晴天要防阴天”. Translating a mans word is as good as his bond to “人的话是契约” is too dull and “一言既出，驷马难追” would be more precise. Some English proverbs use

36、 contrast as a rhetorical device in order to emphasize the mood and convince people. E.g.: you may take a horse to the water, but you cant make it drink. If one translate it like this “你可以把马牵到河边去，但不能叫它饮水”, the sharp contrast would be neglected. In this kind of situation, the version should be neat a

37、nd contrastive. “牵马河边易，逼它饮水难” or “老牛不喝水，不能强按头” Different proverbs refer to different ethics and philosophy, practice makes perfect and all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy this two proverbs convey totally different view on study and work, the former emphasizes on hard working while the latter

38、prefers a balance between work and leisure. You are never too old to learn and you cant teach an old dog new tricks also make people confused. The former insists that old people should keep learn new things-a philosophy of to learn until death; the latter means that old people might fail to learn ne

39、w knowledge and skill, the effect is affected by age. Some have obvious differences on language character and culture background and at the same time the object of the metaphor is quite different. However they are identical on subaudiences. When we translate this kind of proverbs, to maintain the su

40、baudience and change the form is a good idea. The version conveys the original meaning and holds the structure. Two can play the game(孤掌难鸣); speak of the devil, and he appears (说曹操，曹操就到); the grass is greener on the other side of the hill (这山望着那山高).2.2 ReligionBoth English and Chinese proverbs are d

41、eeply affected by religions thought, but there are also distinctions. English proverb is affected by Christianity which reflects the ethics and rules.E.g.:No respecter of persons. (一视同仁)Man proposes, God disposes. (谋事在人成事在天)And the Chinese proverb is related to Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, for

42、 example: “养儿防老, 积谷防饥” is the thoughts of Confucianism, “不看僧面看佛面” is from Buddhism and “饶人不是痴，过后讨便宜” refers to Taoism.Religion is an aspect of peoples spiritual life; it may deeply affect a nation. There are also many proverbs about religions of Chinese and English proverbs. In Chinese we have “借花献佛

43、”, “无事不登三宝殿”, “乐极生悲” and etc. The thoughts of Confucianism occupy an important place as well. The ancestors had left great treasures: “严于律己，宽以待人”, “恭敬不如从命”, “身在福中不知福” and “天下兴亡匹夫有责”. In western countries people believe in God, God is the only spirit with supremacy. So there are also plenty of prover

44、bs related to Christianity: Nature does nothing in vain. (造物主无所不能); God helps those who help themselves. (上帝帮助自助的人); In the right church, but in the wrong pew. (进对了教堂，但坐错了椅子)2.3 Values The theme of western value is individualism, relative to the society, they emphasize on the self-reliance and liber

45、ty. Dont put your finger in the pie. It tells people to care about their own business but not to interfere the others. Trying to be efficient and optimistic is their attitude on time. The proverb time is money is similar to “一寸光阴一寸金” literally, but the former states an impression to create wealth as

46、 much as one could within a limit time. Punctuality is the soul of business reflects an attitude of time. Affected by individualism, the westerners pay close attention to the privacy as the age, income, religion is all seen as secret. Just like the proverb of An Englishmans home is his castle. Tradi

47、tionally Chinese people do not have that many “secrets”. Compare with the individualism, Chinese people advocate collectivism for the thousands of years of domination by the feudal dynasties. “一个好汉三个帮” and “众人拾柴火焰高” embodies a typical power of collectivity. 2.4 History and Culture In the English and

48、 Chinese proverbs, lots of words are related to specific history and culture background. So a good understanding of the background is necessary. The following two proverbs have the similar meaning but the former is related to Christianity and the latter is about history. Speak of angels and you will hear their wings. 说曹操，曹操就到. The proverb Love is Blind which is derived from western mythology Eros compares with 情人眼里出西施 the Chinese version has an obvious historical trace. The bread never falls but on its buttered side and “人倒霉，吃豆腐也塞牙” shows different