英语习语中的隐喻分析及其翻译
英语成语中隐喻成语的理解与翻译
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英语成语 中隐喻成语 的理解 与翻译
任 青 果
( 中国矿业大 学 外文 学院, 江苏 徐 州 2 1 0 ) 2 0 8
摘 要: 英语隐喻 成语 是英语词 汇中重要 的一部分 , 口语和 书面语 中广泛应用 , 在 因此正确理解这些成语的含 义非常重要 。 每一 个成 语都有其 渊源, 所以 了解这些成语 的来源是我们正确 的理解和翻译这些成语的前提 。对 隐喻成语 的来源进行 简介 , 并从 隐喻的 角度对 中 英隐喻成语进行对 比, 据此提 出了一些翻 译方法。 关键词 : 隐喻 成语 ; 隐喻 ; 来源 ; 翻译方法
做。 nto e tegas rwu dr n ’f 啾 时机 。 o t lth s o ne e e r g o Se 的 洁精辟的定型词组和短语。’ 简 为语言中的 精华部分 ^ 堤 们用 nto e s eigdg 耋 o t ltl p osi 事生非。 e n l 精辟凝练、内涵丰富的语言词汇对在频繁的社会活动和实践中获得各种 t pa n ’bs crs o ly e et ad: o s 拿出绝招。 知识和经验的表述 - 史的长河中沉淀下来, 历 成了今天的成语。成语是一 t siew i ei niht o tk h e h o o趁热打铁。 r lt r s 个语言宝库, 彰显的不 l是语言知识厦有对社会生活经验的精妙总结包 E 这些隐喻成语来 自英语各行各业的劳动人民的生活反映了英国的社
2 隐喻墨客 『 J 造的, 对语言起修饰作 t g ete eii u公平对待 而论。 o i v s e v h d ltd 用的—种修辞方法。例如亚里士多德认为隐喻就是把某事物的名称用来 h os £ tedg f a战争造成的破坏。 ow b r n ’ba uno e ot s s 沉舟。 指称另一事物萁 主要功能是装饰作用, 只可用于诗歌中 添力在语言上 是 1 1 su a e o r rp g 指 把得不到的东西说威 好的聊 以自 慰。 的—种修辞手法。 在 中国, 比喻也提 或缺的修饰手法。 【 日: 孑子 “ 言 3 . 3源于人体的某些特征 之无文行而不远” 2 世纪 8 年代以 L kf Jh sn 。0 O ao 和 ono 为代表的语言学 人们对 自己的身体很熟悉所 以人体的各个部位以及人们生活中的行 家们开始把隐喻看作一种认知方式来研究, kf和 Jh sn L o a o no 指出, “ 隐喻 为动作都可以用来指代—些抽象的概念' 构成—些习惯的表达方式。例如, 是从有—个具体 的概念域向—个抽象的概念域的系统映射; 隐喻是思维方 l ed gte 同商量。 a hast e 珙 y o h su o e yst 装作不知。 h t n ’ee 0 s : 式和认知手段。’ ] 指出, “ 隐喻是—种认知模式北 的、 已知的、 具体 k okpol’ha soe e 不理睬直至争吵。 nc epe ed gt r: S t h 的范畴慨念投射映现于抽象的范围概念 而形成的隐喻陛表征的 人 类认知 sen r e a eedo oe o萌 e of t r nt n f n ’ns uh t h h S 远, 目光短浅 。 和思维的基础 。’^ 类在总结 自己的经验时, 往以比较熟悉的概念描述 住 / m k o bd 。his n ned使 人毛骨『 。 aesmeoy a ado n S rt 目 然 和理解比铡 生的事物从 而认识 人 自身及其周围的世界。在成语的形 类 t po e ad 某人被捆住 了双手。 wt noe ad i u n ’h n  ̄ e s i a pnhn 慷慨大 h : 成过程中, 隐喻成语成功地说明了隐喻这种认知方式, 人们用 自己熟知的 方地 。 人和物、体验到的事情去 比喻难于理解 的抽象的事情和概念。例如 a s w r i el ad okwt t fhn : hh e t 工作马虎 擘 。 车 po s h h rhmos: or ecuc ue at 一贫 ̄ , hi e i nh f t 冰 中捞月, luht s t pog e o h ma ywt te e ad: l i fhn 和身份低的人结婚。 t h hl t sn: ad白费力气' v e n’b n e h eabei oe 0n a n S 曰E 等o 3 - 4源于—些动物的特征 3隐喻成语的来源 动物和 ^ 类得生活密切相关, 在人们的生活中人们对动物很 了解, 通 隐喻或语都有其出处和来源,了解这些成语的来源对与我们正确理 常用所熟悉的动物特征来比喻生活中的事隋。如: 解这些成语的喻义和准确的翻译具有很重要的作用。下面列举了一些隐 s e a觉得事晴不对劲或感到其中有诈。c cdl t u 一 的 m lar l t r oi a  ̄ o ee r _
英语中的明喻、隐喻和暗喻
英语中的明喻、隐喻和暗喻比喻(the figures of speech)是语言艺术的升华,是最富有诗意的语言形式之一,是语言的信息功能和美学功能的有机结合。
在文学作品翻译和影视译配中,比喻句的翻译司空见惯。
今天博语北京翻译公司就依照比喻的三个种类,明喻、隐喻和转喻,来介绍一下比喻句翻译的技巧。
一、明喻(the simile)明喻通常是把被比喻的“本体”和用以比喻的“喻体”同时说出,说明本体事物像喻体事物,用介词like ,连词as,as if,as…so,动词seem等以及句型A …to B as C…to D等等表示“好像”意思的比喻说法就叫明喻。
例如:Bacteria are so small that a single round one of common type is about 1/25,000 of an inch across when these bacteria are magnified 1,000 times, they look only as large as a pencil point.英语中除上述的用介词、连词或句型等的明喻表达方式外,还有许许多多常用的明喻习语。
例如:as long as it′s broad 这类利用双声增强美感的明喻习语简洁明快,短小精悍,语言形象,比喻恰切,令人回味无穷,运用得当,可以达到表达生动、形象的效果。
二、隐喻(the metaphor)隐喻根据两个事物间的某些共同的特征,用一种事物去暗示另一事物的比喻方式。
本体和喻体之间不用比喻词,只是在暗中打比方。
例如,Argument is war. 实际上argument 和 war是两种不同的事物,但argument和war都可能十分激烈,因此该句用战争(war)来暗指辨论(argument)激烈的程度。
再如:He has a heart of stone.To me, the pageant of seasons is a thrilling and unending drama.英语中有许多数词习语和俚语,主要用作隐喻。
metaphor and translation 隐喻与翻译
隐喻作为一种语言现象和认知现象在日 常生活中无处不在, 不仅存在于语言中, 还 存在于思维中, 存在于人们的概念体系中。 英语和汉语中都存在丰富的隐喻现象, 由于 人类认知结构的相似性, 英语和汉语中的喻 义有很多相同或相似性; 同时, 由于中西两 种文化和思维方式的不同, 喻义又有不同之 处; 甚至可能同一喻体在一语言中有喻义, 而在另一语言中却喻义空缺。
1.喻体相同, 喻义相似
趁热打铁 strike while the iron is hot 脚踏实地 have one’s feet on the ground 颠倒黑白 call black white 火上浇油 pour oil on the fire
2. 喻体相同, 喻义不同
龙在中国文化中是权力与成功的象征, 因 此, 在汉语中称一个人为“人中龙凤”则是 对一个人的认同和褒奖, 而且所有的中国父 母都“望子成龙”; 然而在英语中, dragon 是一种长得像蜥蜴、有着翅膀会喷火的怪 兽, 象征凶狠残暴的人, 如“My wife is a dragon.”
2. 隐喻替代策略
由于人类具有生理共性且拥有相似的自 然条件和生态环境,这就使得人类语言中的 基本语义概念具有一定的“共质性”,因此 在英汉习语隐喻互译中,对于文化重合的现 象,我们就可以直接用译入语文化中相同意 象来替代。
“油嘴滑舌”: “to oil one’s tongue”, “咬牙切齿”, “grind one’s teeth”,基于“人在 愤怒时常常会磨牙” 这一经验知识。 to be in the same boat同舟共济, to burn one s boat破釜沉舟 Constant dropping wears the stone滴水穿石 A rat crossing the street is chased by all老鼠 过街,人人喊打。
外语隐喻成语的特征及译法
外语隐喻成语的特征及译法近年来,尽管对英语隐喻成语的研究越来越受到关注,许多研究者都探讨了隐喻成语概念的界定,但绝大多数研究者对隐喻成语的翻译却有所忽略[1-4]。
一些研究者探讨了成语的翻译方法,隐喻成语是包含在其中,并没有对其翻译方法进行特别讨论[5-6];只有少数研究者讨论了隐喻成语的翻译方法,但也只是很粗略地谈谈,没有对其进行全面深入的探讨[7-8]。
成语是英语语言中的精华,而隐喻成语(metaphorical idi om)是其主体和核心。
学习英语必定涉及到英语隐喻成语的学习,而且其历来是英语学习的重点,无论是在书写、会谈,还是在翻译、写作中都起着不可忽视的作用,而它往往又成为学习和使用英语的障碍。
因而了解它的特点,确切掌握它的语义并对其翻译方法进行探讨就显得格外重要,而对隐喻成语翻译研究的现状显然与隐喻成语在英语语言和英语学习中的重要地位不相符。
因此,本文分析了隐喻成语的概念与特点,从英汉认知和文化异同的角度,全面深入地探讨了翻译这类成语的方法。
这一探讨无疑会对隐喻成语的学习和翻译教学起一定的指导和启发作用。
1 英语隐喻成语的特点英语成语又叫习语(idiom),从狭义上讲,指的是英语中长期以来习用的,表达完整意义的,结构定型的固定词组或短句,从使用的角度可分为明喻成语、隐喻成语、短语动词、成对词和谚语[7]。
这其中有一类成语借助某一具体形象来表达意义,以形象来比喻某个意义,如to help a lame dog over the stiles字面意义是“帮助一条跛足的狗越过篱笆”,用来表示“帮助人渡过难关”是多么传神,这样的成语借助于隐喻,因此被称为隐喻成语。
隐喻成语是英语成语的主体与核心,是所谓“正宗”的成语[7]。
隐喻成语的最大特点是通过生动具体的形象来表达意思,使语言表达显得形象、传神、幽默,如:a dog in the manger(占着马槽的狗——一个不让别人享受他自己不能享受的东西的人);隐喻成语另一个重要特点是语义的统一性,即成语的整体意义不是组成成语的各个词汇意义的总和,而是具有了新的意义,如:a dark horse(黑马——竞赛中出人意料的获胜者)。
英语隐喻的理解与翻译
英语隐喻的理解与翻译英语隐喻的理解与翻译:一、英语隐喻的定义及构成英语隐喻(metaphor)为英语辞格(figure of speech)用法之一。
与明喻(simile)不同的是,隐喻不用诸如like或as之类的功能词,是一种广为使用、普遍存在的将一物比作另一物的一种表达方法。
西方研究者对隐喻做了深入探讨,将其大致界定如下:隐喻:希腊语的“转换”(meta意为“跨越”,phor意为“运送”),将某物转运过去。
故隐喻将某物视为另一物。
1隐喻:一种蕴含的类比(an implied analogy),它以想象方式,将某物等同于另一物,并将前者的特性施加于后者或将后者的相关情感与想象因素赋予前者。
2英语隐喻的构成要素是:本体tenor、喻体vehicle和喻底ground。
所谓本体the tenor,亦即被表述的概念或者被比较的主体,the idea being expressed or the subject of the comparison;所谓喻体,亦即此概念传递的意象或者此主体传达的意象,the image of which this idea is conveyed or the subject communicated。
3而本体和喻体之间的类似及/或类比之处则是喻底ground,亦即the similarities and/or analogies involved are the Grounds。
41. 本体和喻体同时出现:Mr. Wangle has an angel of a wife. 王先生有位天使般的妻子。
隐喻的本体是wife,喻体是angel,同时出现。
2. 本体未现,喻体出现:He pitied the plumage and forgot the dying bird. 他哀怜鸟儿的翅膀,却忘记了濒死的鸟儿。
隐喻的本体和喻体,各有两个。
第一个本体是法国贵族,喻体是plumage;第二个本体是受苦受难的大众,喻体是the dying bird。
英语习语中的隐喻分析及其翻译
[ A b s t r a c t ] I d i o m i s p h r a s e o r s e n t e n c e w h o s e m e a n i n g i s n o t c l e a r f r o m t h e m e a n i n g o f i t s i n d i v i d u a l w o r d s a n d w h i c h m u s t b e l e a r n t a s a w h o l e
隐喻是一种普遍现象 . 人们每时每刻都在使用大量的隐喻 英 国 修 辞学家理查兹曾经说过 . “ 我们1 3 常会话 中几乎每三句话 中就可能 出现一个 隐喻 ” 。有些语言学家 、 哲学家和心理学家甚至认为 , 可能所 有的词都源于隐喻 习语是语 言体 系重要组成部分 大多数 以英语 为 母语 者一生 中要说两千万个 习语 . 平均每星期说七千个习语 。习语使 用普遍频繁 . 是外语学 习者不能 回避的现象 大多数习语与其 民族 的 历史背景 、 风俗 习惯等有关 , 造成习语很难理解和掌握 。 习语通常包括 成语 、 谚语 、 歇后语 、 俗语等 。 而隐喻是谚语 中最 常用的修辞形式 , 莱考 夫和特纳将谚语也看作是一种 特殊的隐喻 . 他们指 出. 典 型的谚语唤 起常见动物 、 物体 和情景知识 . 这些知识结构可以被称为“ 类属层次 图 式结 构” , 他 们不但包括“ 种属 ” 层 级的信息 , 如因果关系 、 事 件的概况 等. 同时还包括特别的细节和具体 的影像 . 而 隐喻的理解 与相关 的文 化背景 知识密切联 系 苹果 . 都各 自私许帕里斯 以某 种好处 . 他最 终把金苹果判 给爱与美之 神 阿芙罗狄蒂为 了履行诺言 . 帮助帕里斯拐走 了斯巴达 国的王后海 伦. 从而 引起 了历时 1 0 年的特洛伊战争。 不 和女神 厄里斯 丢下 的那个 苹果 . 不仅成 了天上 3 位女 神之间不和 的根源 . 而且也成 为了人 间两 个 民族之 间战争 的起 因。因此 , 在英语 中产生 了 a n a p p l e o f d i s c o d 这 r 个 成 语 .常用 来 比喻 a n v s u b j e c t o f d i s a g r e e me n t a n d c 0 n t e n t i o n ; t h e r o o t o f t h e t r o u b l e ; d i s p u t e 等意义 在 国际舞台上 . 国与国之间 的冲突 根源 向来 只为利益二字 . 句 中使 用 a p p l e o f d i s c o r d的故事影射美苏之 间的冲突也是源 于“ 厄里斯丢下的那颗苹果” 在翻译 中. 如果直译为 “ 纷争 的苹果 ” , 读者读来未免疑惑 , 因此译者将之译为“ 争端的原 因” , 方 面将译文与该 习语的寓意一致起来 . 一方面读者在阅读过程 中比 较顺 畅 , 不会 产生阻滞 . 同时 . 暗合圣经故事 中将苹果 比作是 “ 罪恶根 源” 的隐喻。 汉语 中 , “ 化干戈为玉 帛” 语 出《 淮南子 . 原道训》 , 常用 以比喻争战 者 能 舍 弃纷 争 、追 求 和 平 。英 语 中 ,俗 语 “ b e a t y o u r 8 w o ds r i n t 0
论英语习语中的隐喻
一、引言隐喻传统上属于文学和诗学研究的范畴,近年来随着普通语言学和应用语言学研究的不断深入,成为学术界的一个热门话题,隐喻研究被赋予了新的生命和活力。
作为英语语言精华的习语,其数量可观,内容丰富,应用广泛,是英语词汇中的一个重要组成部分。
由于受思维方式和文化因素的影响,英语习语在人们脑海中形成的意义往往是十分委婉而隐蔽的。
因此,人们在学习习语时不能仅仅记住并模仿运用,还应该了解习语的深层结构,特别是英语习语中的隐喻意义,从而培养和提高创造性地使用英语习语的能力。
二、理论知识简介(一)关于隐喻的基本知识隐喻是一种普遍现象,它的发展经历了漫长的历史时期,出现了三种主要理论。
“西方最初的隐喻研究发源于古典修辞学……柏拉图与亚里士多德还分别开启了西方隐喻研究的浪漫主义与古典主义传统。
”[1]亚里士多德在《诗学》和《修辞学》两部著作中提出了隐喻的定义,并论述了隐喻的种类、性质及其作用。
中世纪至文艺复兴时期的隐喻研究处于相对低潮,当时的隐喻被认为是一种表达风格,失去了其哲学意义。
16至19世纪的隐喻研究在前一阶段积累的基础上得到了进一步发展。
研究者们以诗学领域的研究为突破口,为20世纪隐喻研究奠定了基础。
20世纪上半叶隐喻研究的焦点集中在语言学上,20世纪下半叶的隐喻研究呈现多元化趋势,在语言学、诗学、认知哲学等各个领域都成绩斐然。
其中布莱克发表的《隐喻》一文成为隐喻研究史上的一个里程碑。
“正是从布莱克开始,隐喻才引起了人们越来越广泛的关注。
”[2]西方隐喻研究史上先后出现了三种不同的理论:比较论(comparativetheory)、替代论(substitutiontheory)和互动论(interactiontheory)。
比较论的代表人物是亚里士多德。
基本模式为A是B,认为“隐喻可以看成缩短了的明喻”,[3]表达的意思为“A在某些方面像B”。
替代论的基本模式也是A是B,但在这一模式中,一个陌生的词代替了自有的词,即表达的意思为A是C。
英语习语中的隐喻现象(可编辑)
英语习语中的隐喻现象摘要本论文围绕英语习语中的隐喻现象展开先介绍了隐喻的概念和习语的概念比如隐喻的含义从古至今就有不同的人不同的学派对此做过研究至于隐喻和习语之间存在着怎么样的关系许多学者也对此进行了研究本文例举了几位比较有名的学者的研究比如Lakoff和Gibbs这两位学者本文的重点是介绍习语的隐喻特征这部分是通过3个方面来论证的本位隐喻方位隐喻和结构隐喻这三方面有其不同的特点主要是以例子来说明通过举例的方式可以让读者能更直接地了解英语习语中的隐喻现象关键词习语隐喻派别ABSTRACTThis paper focuses on the metaphorical phenomenon in English idioms firstly introducing the concepts of metaphor and idiom Take the definition of metaphor for example since the old times many scholars of different schools have different ideas In terms of relationship between metaphor and idiom many scholars carried out their own studies This paper cites the viewpoints of several famous scholars like Laoff and Gibbs This paper emphasizes the metaphorical features of idioms from the ontological metaphors orientational metaphors and structural metaphors These three kinds of metaphors have different characteristics which are explained through examples The way of citing examples enables the readers to get access to the metaphorical phenomenon in English idioms more directly Keywordsidioms metaphor schoolsContents1 Introduction 12 The concept of idioms and metaphors 321The concept of metaphors 3com definition of metaphors 3com classification of metaphors 422The concept of idioms 4com definition of idioms 4com features of idioms 53Research on the relationship between metaphors and idioms 631Lakoffs study 632The Gibbss study 733 Other scholars study 84Metaphorical features of idioms 841Ontological metaphors and idioms 8comsonification 9com The container metaphor 9comA case study of ontological metaphor 1142Orientational metaphors and idioms 11com The analysis of metaphoric meaning about UP-DOWN 12com The analysis of metaphoric meaning about FRONT-BACK 13com A case study idioms denoting the concept of love 1443 Structural metaphor and idioms 15com The internal systematicity 15com The external systematicity among the different structuralmetaphors 16com A case study 185 Conclusion 196Acknowledgements 207References 21IntroductionIn our study of English we always come across metaphor which is widely used in English sentences and can indicate vivid meanings However we dont have a clear understanding of this rhetoric Traditionally metaphor is a figure in which one thing is compared to another by saying that one is the other But according to cognitive linguistics metaphor is defined as understanding one conceptual domain or cognitive domain in terms of another conceptual domain The study of metaphor has attracted the attention of many scholars In the West there have been many different approaches to the study of metaphor In 1457 Aristotle studied metaphor as a transference of name which was known as Aristotelian Approach The traditional linguistic approach studies metaphor as a deviant phenomenon in language which produces either a false statement or an ungrammatical sentence The pragmatic approach takes metaphor as a special speech act and metaphorical understanding as the interplay between knowledge of the language system knowledge of context and background schematic knowledge about the world and the society and the interaction approach understands metaphor as an interaction between two subject systems Nietzsche Shelly Werner Cassirer and Reddy all reflects on metaphor as cognitive phenomenon from the perspectives of philosophy literary criticism psychologyanthropology and linguistics respectively The Knowledge and Language was written by Ankersmit in 1993which briefly introduced the theories of metaphor the research ways to metaphor Kirsten Malmkjaer compared the constructive theory and replacement theory in The Linguistics Encyclopedia In The Encyclopedia of Philosophy 1967 Beardsley introduced many kinds of metaphoric theories in particular In China the dominant approach over the centuries has been the rhetorical approach that studies metaphor as a figure of speech Lan Chun once said This approach pays a special attention to distinguishing metaphor from other figures of speech and to dividing metaphor into incessantly increasing sub-groups [8]49Idioms are frequently used in our language both in English and Chinese Idioms are special kinds of phrases whose meaning can not be grasped from the superficial perspectives According to the statistics an adult uses more than 20 million idioms all over his life which means 7000 idioms per week It sounds unbelievable but it is true In this way we may have a better understanding of the important status of idioms in the language In 1994 the scholar Nunberg divided the idioms into three kinds decomposable idioms abnormal decomposable idioms and nondecomposable idioms In The Comprehensive of Idioms Cacciari and Tabossi divided the idioms into transparent idioms opaque idioms according to the degree of transparency However in the eyes of Fernando idioms are composed of pure idioms semi-idioms and literal idioms In the understanding of mechanism of idioms two explanations have been brought up compositional view and noncompositional view On the basis of noncompositional view in 1973 Bobrowand Bell put forward Idiom List Hypothesis which means the literal meaning of idioms exists prior to the rhetoric meaning However Swinney and Cutler were against it so Lexical Representation Hypothesis came upOn the other hand on the basis of compositional view Gibbs and Nayak put forward Idiom Decomposition Hypothesis in cognitive psychology In China Zhang Peiji studied the construction and meaning of idioms In 1998Chen Daoming issued an article in Foreign Language talking about the development of understanding idioms Also there are many other scholars who contribute to the research of idiom in China like Hua Xianfa Lin Weiyan etc This study based on the previous studies is expected to make clear the definition of idiom and metaphor from different perspectives what is more the relationship between them is also the focus of the study The use of idioms can achieve better communicative effects and are conceived to be a sign of language proficiency This study has theoretical significance and it may confirm the learnability of idioms through conceptual metaphor approach In the process of learning idioms people can not only remember and imitate but also get access to its deep constructions especially the metaphorical significance of the English idioms2 The concept of idioms and metaphors21 The concept of metaphorscom definition of metaphorsWhen we refer to the study of metaphor there have been many different approaches in the western countries Aristotelian approach studies metaphor as a transference of names the traditional linguistic approach studies metaphor as a deviant phenomenon in language whichproduces either a false statement or an ungrammatical sentence the pragmatic approach takes metaphor as a special speech act and metaphorical understanding as the interplay between knowledge of the language system knowledge of the context and background schematic knowledge about the world and the society In the traditional way we always regard metaphor as a figure of speech in which one thing is compared to another by saying that one is another For example He is a tigerHein the sentence is the target which is the described element whiletigeris called source which is the describing element According to Lan Chun this approach pays special attention to distinguishing metaphor from other figures of speech and to dividing metaphor into incessantly increasing sub-groups [8]111 The interactionist approach begins to recognize the cognitive value of metaphor thus paving the way for the emergence of the cognitive theory The cognitive view of metaphor can provide new insights into how certain linguistic phenomena work It can also shed new light on how metaphorical meaning emerges The work which marks the establishment of the cognitive approach to metaphor is Lakoff &Johnsons Metaphor We Live By metaphor means metaphorical concept The definition then is explained in the way Metaphor refers to understanding one conceptual domain in terms of another conceptual domain It claims that metaphor is pervasive in everyday life not just in language but in thought and action and our ordinary conceptual system in terms of the fact that what we both think and act is fundamentally metaphorical in nature We often talk about life in terms of journey about time in terms of money about love also in terms of journey and many others The concept of JOURNEY the source domain is usually used to talk aboutthe concept of LOVE the target domain The reason why concept A can be understood in terms of concept B is that there is a set of systematic correspondences between the source and target domain in the sense that constituent conceptual elements of B correspond to those of A com classification of metaphorsAccording to the view of Lakeoff&Johnson metaphor can be divided into three1 Structural metaphor is known as one concept metaphorically structured in terms of another In structural metaphors the source domain provides a relatively rich knowledge structure for the target concept The cognitive function of these metaphors is to enable speakers to understand target A by means of the structure of source B For example ARGUMENT IS WAR in this metaphor the target domain ARGUMENT is structured in terms of a more familiar domain WAR2 Orientational metaphor does not structure one concept in terms of another but instead organize a whole system of concepts with respect to one another as they are related to spatial orientation It concerns about up-down in-out on-off deep-shallow and so on For example HAPPY IS UPSAD IS DOWN3 Ontological metaphor is described as a way of viewing events activities emotions ideas as entities and substances That is to say our experience of physical objects and substances provide a basis for an extraordinary wide variety of ontological metaphors For example THE MIND IS AN ENTITY the ENTITY refers to something concrete22 The concept of idiomscom definition of idiomsNo one can give a noncontroversial answer to the question of what idiom is That is to say there is no clear-cut definition for the term idiom The traditional view holds that idioms are semantically arbitrary What is common in the traditional view is that idioms are essentially noncompositional and their meanings are unanalyzable and arbitrary While the cognitive linguistics provides us a new perspective on idioms It argues that the parts of an idiom have their individual meanings and the relationship between the meanings of the parts and the meaning of the idiom is compositional that is idioms are regarded to be analyzable semanticallyDifferent dictionaries give the different definitions about it and many linguists hold different opinionsA group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words New Oxford Dictionary of EnglishA special kind of phrase It is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one it would have if the meaning of each word were taken individually Collins Cobuild Dictionary of IdiomsA phrase whose meaning is different from the meaning of each word considered separately These phrases have a fixed form―they usually cannot be changed―and they are often informal but they can also be slang rude slang or even slightly formal Many idioms are used in spoken English but they also appear in newspapers and magazines in books and even in academic writing Cambridge Dictionary of American idioms An idiom is an expression which functions as a single unit andwhose meaning can not be worked out from its separate parts Longman Dictionary of Applied LinguisticThere are broad sense and narrow sense in defining idioms In its broad sense idioms in English refer to set phrases colloquialism proverbs and slang expressions In its narrow sense idioms in English refer to some special fixed phrases But not all fixed phrases are idioms For example close your eyes is a common fixed phrase but it is not an idiom because each word in it is used in its standard meaning Keep your shirt on however is an idiom because the phrase does not mean not taking off your shirt but means staying calmIn my thesis I will focus mainly on the narrow sense of idiomcom features of idiomsNow we have discussed the definition of idioms we have known there exist different views as different schools or linguists define idioms from different perspectives Some may describe it from the semantic perspective claiming the meaning of idioms are analyzable however some point out the semantic properties are the most important to idioms So here it is necessary for us to discuss the semantic characteristics of idioms According to the view of Luo Shiping there are five semantic characteristics of English idioms [19]901 The meaning of an idiom is a single unit That is to say an idiom must be learned as a whole Its overall meaning is not a simple combination of each components meaning For examplelet the cat out of the bagmeans to tell somebody secret information which seems to have nothing to dowithcatanddog2 Most idioms have both literal meaning and figurative meaning and they are different For examplebread and butterrefers to two kinds of food literally while figuratively the idiom means something that people need in order to live such as money and jobs3 The literal meaning of some idioms are apparently against thinking logic or life logic such aseat ones head off4 New idiomatic meanings can not be obtained by analogy or inference Takeunder the weatherfor example it is incorrect to coin a phraseabove the weatherto mean to feel well for the phrase means to feel uncomfortable5 Figurativeness is an obvious feature of the idiomatic meaning as well as a significant figure of speech employed in idioms In this sense they include simile idioms such asas blind as a batfeel like a fish out of waterand metaphorical idioms such asan old flamecarry a torch3 Research on the relationship between metaphors and idiomsIn the previous sections this thesis has discussed the definition of metaphor and idiom from various perspectives However they are not independent of each other The next part is to clarify the relationship between metaphor and idiom which enables the readers to understand firstly what is the relationship between metaphor and idiom secondly to what extent the research on the relationship between metaphor and idiom has reached The thesis elucidates this part by citing the researches made by two important linguists31 Lakoffs studyIn Lakoffs book Metaphor We Live By a large amount of idioms werefrequently taken as examples of conventional metaphors implying the facilitating role of conceptual metaphor in the comprehension of idioms According to the view of Lakoff the link between conceptual metaphors and idioms was established with the proposition of the conceptual metaphor theory language is metaphorically structured idioms as a constitutive part of language are supposed to be metaphorically structured Lakoff criticized the traditional view that the meaning of idioms are arbitrarily formed and statedwhen idioms have been associated with conventional images it is common for an independently-motivated conceptual metaphor to map that knowledge from the source to the target domain [16] Lakoffs analysis also shows conceptual metaphor is helpful in distinguishing idioms similar in meaning For examplecrack upandbreak downboth are used to describe peoples psychological state but it is still confusing to distinguish Crack upis governed by the metaphor THE MIND IS A MACHINE as if the mind has an on-off state That is to say when a machine breaks down it simply ceases to function If someone is unable to function for psychological reasons we would like to saycrack upwhilebreak downis governed by the metaphor THE MIND IS A BRITTLE OBJECT that is to say when a brittle object shatters it flies into pieces that may cause dangerous consequences such as hurting people around When someone goes crazy wild and violent he or she may hurt somebody else then we would like to saybreak down32 Gibbs studyGibbs research contributes greatly to the psychological studies on idiom comprehension and offers us valuable inspiration for the studyof idioms Gibbs view is similar to Lakoffs His research proves that idioms are not dead metaphors and they have more complex meanings that are motivated by conceptual metaphors linking the idiomatic phrases to their figurative interpretations the meanings of idioms are not arbitrary but motivatedly peoples tacit knowledge of conceptual metaphors as suggested by Lakoff Gibbs has carried out a series of experiments the feature of which is the use of mental imagery The subjects were asked to form and describe their mental images for different idiomatic expressions and then they were asked a series of detailed questions about their images regarding the causes and effects of different events within their images The result showed that the participants demonstrated great consistency in their responses to the questions for the idioms with similar figurative meanings despite the differences in their surface forms33 Other scholars studyLakoff and Gibbs have made great contribution to the studies on the relationship between metaphors and idioms Also based on Lakoffs study Kovecses and Szabo summed up the conceptual metaphors on FIRE which contributes to the construction and comprehension of the idioms related to fire These conceptual metaphor serve as a bridge linking two independent domains a domain of fire and a domain of an abstract concept ANGER IS FIREHe was spitting fireLOVE IS FIREThe fire between them finally went outIMAGINATION IS FIREThe painting set fire to the composers imaginationCONFLICT IS FIREThe killing sparked off riotsENERGY IS FUEL OF FIREHe was burning the candle at both ends4 Metaphorical features of idioms41 Ontological metaphors and idiomsOntological metaphor is one of the three types of metaphors and is usually described as ways of viewing events activities ideas emotions etc as entities and substances [16] As long as we are able to identify our experiences as identities or substances then we can refer to them categorize them group them and quantify them and by this means reason about them The most important characteristics of ontological metaphor is to view abstract things as concrete things For example 1 we need to combat inflation 2 That was a beautiful catch In 1 the abstract noun inflation is regarded as concrete person In 2 the act of catch is regarded as a concrete thing The following are the most obvious types of ontological metaphorscom PersonificationThe most obvious ontological metaphors are those where the physical object is further specified as being a person Personification is considered to belong to ontological metaphorsFirst lets look at the two examplesA Life has cheated meB Anger has pinned us to the wallIf we look closer to the above two sentences we are able to find out that both of the two sentences enable us to see nonhuman as human It allows us to understand a wide variety of experiences with nonhuman entities in terms of human motivation characteristics and activities The most obvious ontological metaphor are those where the physical object is further specified as being a person In the second sentence anger is personified It gives us a vivid picture about how anger acts In this sentence anger seems to hurt us attack us and kill us So we can understand that personification is a general category that covers a wide range of metaphors which allows us to make sense of phenomena in the world in human terms This kind of sentences are Disease finally caught up with him His religion tells him that he cannot eat pork Inflation has given birth to a money-minded generationcom The container metaphorThe container metaphors are the other representation of ontological metaphors As we know rooms and houses can be considered to be containers as they have boundaries moving from room to room or house to house is moving from one container to another that is which is also true to our physical beings Each of us is a container with a bounded surface and in-out orientation A clearing in the woods is seen as having a boundary surface and we can view ourselves as being in the clearing or out of the clearing in the woods or out of woods There are different kinds of boundaries concrete or abstract definite or indefinite surface line or point1 The boundary of the tenor is a surfacea The boundary is clear and concreteThis kind of tenor which can be understood as the target in a sentence is concrete such as the human body which we can actually see with our eyes Lets look at the following examples1 I was filled with anger2 He poured out his hatred on us3 She is a warm and caring person insideThe human body can be regarded as a container so can every part of human body1 Her eyes filled with tears2 My stomach is empty3 Your head is full of good ideasb The boundary is obscure or abstractIn this way the boundary of the tenor is generally unseen or untouchable such as water light and air a type of society or culture the ideas or feeling of a human There are some phrases in English such as "in the air" "jump into water" and "read in the sun"1 He was lost in thoughts2 He fell into depression3 I didnt take this responsibility into account2 The boundary of tenor is a lineSome objects with plane structure can also be mapped onto containers for they also have boundaries which are made of lines1 There is a lot of land in Kansas2 What can you see in this picture3 The boundary of tenor is two pointsThe concept of container is pervasive It can be mapped into a three-dimensional space two-dimensional plane and even one-dimensional line The concept of one-dimensional is mostly seen in the concept of time for the time is durable and going to the future constantly The time can be viewed as container because time has the boundary that is the beginning and ending The beginning and ending are definite in special times1 He is trapped in his past2 He did it in three minutescom A case study of ontological metaphorBoth Lakoff and Johnson paid attention to the role of the body in Linguistic expressions and maintained that these expressions reflect and influence our thought in many ways A group of English idioms containing "finger" contribute to different meanings and the finger in English is frequently conceptualized as the actual "doer of thing" If one is doing something or participates in something ones fingers must be "IN" the matter or ones fingers should function and make contact with the matter1 get one s finger into something participate in something2 have a finger in something take part in something3 get ones finger burnt suffer after a foolish act or mistake4 work one s finger to the bone work very hard5 cross ones finger wish for good luck or success6 twist somebody around ones finger persuade somebody without difficulty dominant somebody completely7 get ones fingers out begin work in earnest hurry upOntological metaphor deals with the physical experience in theobjective world We have mentioned above that ontological metaphors allow us to view events activities emotions etc as entities and substances In 1 we can view get ones finger into something as an activity what can be figured out is more than that Just as the idiom conveys if one is doing something or participates in something ones fingers must be "IN" the matter or ones fingers should function and make contact with the matter42 Orientational metaphors and idiomsAccording to Lakoff and Johnson orientational metaphors give the concept of a spatial orientation by "mapping a spatial structure onto a non-spatial concept" Most of them have to do with spatial orientationup-downin-outfront-backon-offdeep-shallowcentral-peripheri calThese spatial directions arise from the fact that we have bodies of the sort we have and that they function as they do in our physical environment Metaphorical orientation is not arbitrary They have a basis in our physical and cultural experiences This section will focus on the directions of up-down and front-backcom The analysis of metaphoric meanings about UP-DOWNIn English we usually use up above over and the verb rise climb to denote the concept of UP The adjectives are upper high superior etc On the other hand the prepositions denoting the concept DOWN are down under or below the verbs are drop sink fall etc1 More is up Less is downIf you add more of a substance or of physical objects to a container or pile the level goes up―Lakoff [16]1 If you are too hot turn the heat down2 Now he has realized that hes already up to his ears in debt2 Good is up Bad is downHappiness health life and control―the things that principally characterize what is good for a person―are all up―Lakoff[16]1 We hit a peak last year but its been downhill ever since2 Things are looking up3 High status is upLow status is downStatus correlated with social power and physical power is up ―Lakoff[16]1 Hes climbing the ladder2 He has a lofty position3 They work under a kind leader4 Having control or force is up Being subject to control or force downPhysical size typically correlates with physical strength and the victor in a fight is typically on top ―Lakoff [16]1 I am on top of the situation2 He is low man on the totem pole3 The director presides over the meeting5 The metaphors about time in English are expressed by up and downNormally our eyes look in the direction in which we typically move ahead forward As an object approaches a person or the person approaches the object the object appears larger Since the ground is perceived as being fixed the top of the object appears to be moving upward in the persons field of vision―Lakoff [16]1 Whats up2 Im afraid of whats up ahead of usBut there are exceptions in English TOWARD A LATER or TIME IS DOWN is also seen in English For example this story was handed down to him by his fathercom The analysis of metaphoric meaning about FRONT-BACKThe words and expressions denoting the concept of "FRONT-BACK" are front and back before and after in front of and behind forward and backward etc1 THE OPEN IS FRONT and THE HIDDEN IS BACKAccording to the normal condition the front persons in a line are easier to be seen and the back persons are blocked and not easier to be seen-----Lakoff1 He is behind the plan2 The case is now before the judge2 THE IMPORTANT IS FRONT and THE LESS IMPORTANT IS BACKThe important person is always in the front of a line and the important thing is firstly dealt with----Lakoff1 I think quality must come before quality2 The prince is before his brother in the line of succession3 THE DEVELOPED IS FRONT and THE LESS DEVELOPED IS BACKThe fast runners will be in the front and the slow runners will be in the back----Lakoff1 The child was backward in learning to walk2 You company is ahead in developing the new technology4 The concept of FRONT-BACK is complex in denoting time When the observer is standing at the road of time the conceptual metaphor isa THE FUTURE IS BACK and THE PAST IS FRONTwhile the observer is marching facing the future the conceptual metaphor isb THE FUTURE IS FRONT and THE PAST IS BACKAs for a lets look at the examples1 The plane was behind schedule2 Lets move the appointment forward from Friday to ThursdayThe above metaphor views time as a road with different points and judges from the perspective of the road thus the past is in front and the future is at the backAs for b Lets look at the examples1 I am looking forward to seeing you again2 He looked backwards forty yearscom A case study idioms denoting the concept of love1 LOVE IS A JOURNEYThe expressions such as we can turn back now and we are spinning our wheels were considered to reflect entirely different and mostly dead metaphors before Yet these expressions do reflect different aspects of our ordinary metaphorical concept of love as a kind of physical journey Each expression listed above reflects a particular entailment of the mapping of journeys onto love a metaphorical mapping in which our knowledge of a concrete domain of experience journey help us better structure our understanding of a more abstract concept love。
英语习语翻译中的隐喻应用论文
英语习语翻译中的隐喻应用论文•相关推荐英语习语翻译中的隐喻应用论文【内容摘要】英语习语是英汉翻译中经常遇到的一只拦路虎,因为英语习语在翻译时往往涉及到的并不是它们的字面意思,如果直译,就是按字面意思逐字翻译,那么容易让母语是英语的人感到不知所云。
而倘若按外国人的同义说法,中国人又感到难以理解。
这其中就常常涉及到隐喻的运用。
本文主要以语言学中的隐喻认知功能为理论框架,以典型的英语习语为实例,重点分析英语习语翻译过程中隐喻应用的机制及其效果。
【关键词】英语习语翻译隐喻应用一、理论综述习语是英语中一块重要而又特殊的组成部分。
说其重要,是因为其历史悠久,有的习语可以追溯到莎士比亚时代,还有的甚至可以追溯到古希腊或古罗马的时代。
再者,它的内容包罗万象,英语中随处可见,使用范围极其广泛。
因此,无论从历时的角度看,还是从共时的角度看,习语都是英语不可或缺的部分。
而之所以说它特殊是因为对于英语为非母语的人很难理解或容易犯错,往往字面意思和它们的实际意义大相径庭,似是而非。
而要突破理解和运用的瓶颈,有个环节引起人们的重视,这就是隐喻。
正如束定芳所说,隐喻无处不在,我们日常的口头交际中平均每三句话就会出现一个隐喻(束定芳,2000:1)。
译者(认知主体)首先要面对源语符号,而这个符号是以隐喻方式生成的,具有特定的媒介域或对象域,认知主体必须对此进行确认。
确认过程也是理解过程,因为两者都是自主结构,认知主体必须寻求语符的常规所指和隐喻所指。
对一个对象域的描写,既可以用常规概念网络投射到对象域,也可以用非常规方式。
但是由于常规关系是凭借隐喻关系建立的,在一个民族看来是常规的,在另一个民族看来却是非常规的或新颖的隐喻,如“milky way”和“银河”。
(谢之君,2001:3-4)隐喻使用如此之广泛,如此之频繁,而出现习语理解困难的原因是中国人和母语为英语的人在观察或描述事物时的角度不同,正如小学课本中提到的一个普通鸡蛋,达芬奇却画出了美轮美奂,形态各异的素描,原因就在于视角即角度不同。
英汉隐喻之关系及翻译方法
英汉隐喻之关系及翻译方法隐喻是修辞手法中非常常见的一种形式,它在英汉两种语言中都占有重要地位。
隐喻是通过比喻或象征的方式来表示一个概念或主题,从而使读者或听众能够更好地理解和接受这个概念或主题。
英汉两种语言在隐喻的表达上有着一些共同之处,同时也存在一些区别。
本文将通过分析英汉两种语言中隐喻的关系以及翻译方法,以帮助人们更好地理解和应用隐喻在语言交流和翻译中的作用。
首先,英汉两种语言中的隐喻关系可以分为直接隐喻和间接隐喻。
直接隐喻是指一个词或短语直接用于比喻或象征另外一个概念或主题,而间接隐喻则是通过词语的隐含含义或间接的表达来达到比喻或象征的效果。
例如,英语中的句子"he is a shining star"中的"shining star"是一个直接隐喻,表示他是一个出类拔萃的人;而汉语中的句子"他是一颗明亮的星"中的"明亮的星"是一个间接隐喻,也表示他是一个光彩夺目的人。
其次,在翻译隐喻时,需要根据隐喻的类型和含义来选择合适的翻译方法。
有些隐喻在英汉两种语言中具有相似的表达方式,可以直接进行翻译。
例如,英语中的句子"the world is your oyster"可以直接翻译为"世界是你的牡蛎",表示世界尽在你的掌握之中;而汉语中的句子"心如止水"可以直接翻译为"the heart is as still as water",表示心境平静。
然而,也有一些隐喻在英汉两种语言中表达方式存在差异,需要使用翻译策略来转化隐喻的含义。
一种常见的策略是使用近义词、类比或相关词汇来翻译。
例如,英语中的句子"he has a heart of gold"中的"heart of gold"可以翻译为"他心肠很好",表示他非常慷慨;而汉语中的句子"那个字我按不上"中的"按不上"可以翻译为"the character cannot be typed",表示按键无法输入该字符。
英语文学作品中隐喻的修辞及解析
英语文学作品中隐喻的修辞及解析隐喻是一种夸张的修辞手法,它将不可能的事物比作可能的事物来描绘对象的特征和内容,以激发读者的想象和表达情感。
一般而言,隐喻一般以形象的语言比喻物体的抽象特征和复杂的事物,如果有以象征的意义,则使其美感强烈,深刻地传达出思想。
例1:
来自英国文学名著《哈克贝利·费恩历险记》中经典语句:“海水无声地是德黑兰博士衣袖子里的一条流动的河。
”这一句话乃至于全书中,英国文学大师斯蒂芬·金用隐喻的修辞手法将博士的神经衰弱症来比做流动的河,以此来表达他有多么可怜。
例2:
英国作家弗兰西斯·培根的作品《新教育法》中有这样一句名言:“智慧就像一枚钥匙,能破开所有的大门。
”这里培根将智慧比作一把钥匙,通过这句隐喻,把智慧的作用广泛展示出来并且提高誓读智慧之路的热情。
英语习语中的隐喻分析及其翻译
Science & Technology Vision
科技视界
英语习语中的隐喻分析及其翻译
王琳 渊南京工程学院外国语学院袁江苏 南京 211100冤
揖摘 要铱习语是语言使用者长期以来习用的尧形式简洁而意思精辟的定型词组或短句遥英语是世界上词汇最丰富的语言之一袁英语习语更 显得纷繁浩瀚遥 而隐喻作为习语中最常使用的修辞形式使得译者在翻译习语的过程中困难重重袁因此对于习语的翻译要求译者有深厚的文化 功底及扎实的语言基础遥
would like them to beat their swords into plowshares and abandon all plans for war. 该国首相希望双方能够化干戈为玉帛袁放弃所有的战争 计划遥 在这句话的翻译过程中袁因为这个习语正好在汉语中有相对应 的成语可用袁所以译者拿来使用袁显得浑然天成遥
This problem seems to be an apple of discord between the Soviet Union and the USA.这个问题似乎成了美苏争端的原因遥 在这个
大学英语隐喻现象分类及相关翻译练习
英语隐喻现象分类及相关翻译练习隐喻为何物:What is metaphor?隐喻就是用简单熟悉具体好懂的概念来比喻复杂陌生抽象难懂的概念。
将一种事物比作另一种事物。
Bolt is a Cheetah. 博尔特是猎豹。
(将博尔特比作猎豹)将一种行为动作比作另一种行为动作。
1 Our economy has take n off.我们的经济已经增长了。
(将经济发展比作飞机起飞)2 How could you stomach all the violence in the film?那部影片里的那些暴力场面, 你怎麽竟看得下去呢?(将看暴力场面比作吃下食物)3 Give a dog a bad name and hang him. 欲加之罪何患无辞。
(将给人捏造罪名使其受罚比作随便给狗按个坏名声然后将其绞死。
)将A与B的关系比作C与D的关系。
1 The dictator is American government’s puppet(木偶).那个独裁者是美政府的傀儡。
(将美政府控制那个独裁者比作艺人控制木偶。
)2 The special forces storm ed the terrorists. 特种部队突袭了恐怖分子。
(将特种兵猛烈打击恐怖分子比作暴风雨蹂躏草木。
)隐喻无处不在:作为一种认知手段和思维方式,隐喻大量地存在于我们的语言之中,存在我们潜意识中。
概念隐喻用旅行这一熟悉具体的概念来比喻抽象的婚姻恋爱概念。
We are at a crossroads.我们的关系处在一个十字路口。
The relationship isn’t going anywhere.这段恋情止步不前。
这段恋情不能继续向前发展。
用打仗战争这一熟悉具体的概念来比喻抽象的辩论这一概念。
He attack ed my argument fiercely.他猛烈攻击我的论点。
Joe was defeated in the argument.在这场辩论中,乔被打输了。
外语隐喻成语的特征及译法
外语隐喻成语的特征及译法近年来,尽管对英语隐喻成语的研究越来越受到关注,许多研究者都探讨了隐喻成语概念的界定,但绝大多数研究者对隐喻成语的翻译却有所忽略[1-4]。
一些研究者探讨了成语的翻译方法,隐喻成语是包含在其中,并没有对其翻译方法进行特别讨论[5-6];只有少数研究者讨论了隐喻成语的翻译方法,但也只是很粗略地谈谈,没有对其进行全面深入的探讨[7-8]。
成语是英语语言中的精华,而隐喻成语(metaphorical idi om)是其主体和核心。
学习英语必定涉及到英语隐喻成语的学习,而且其历来是英语学习的重点,无论是在书写、会谈,还是在翻译、写作中都起着不可忽视的作用,而它往往又成为学习和使用英语的障碍。
因而了解它的特点,确切掌握它的语义并对其翻译方法进行探讨就显得格外重要,而对隐喻成语翻译研究的现状显然与隐喻成语在英语语言和英语学习中的重要地位不相符。
因此,本文分析了隐喻成语的概念与特点,从英汉认知和文化异同的角度,全面深入地探讨了翻译这类成语的方法。
这一探讨无疑会对隐喻成语的学习和翻译教学起一定的指导和启发作用。
1 英语隐喻成语的特点英语成语又叫习语(idiom),从狭义上讲,指的是英语中长期以来习用的,表达完整意义的,结构定型的固定词组或短句,从使用的角度可分为明喻成语、隐喻成语、短语动词、成对词和谚语[7]。
这其中有一类成语借助某一具体形象来表达意义,以形象来比喻某个意义,如to help a lame dog over the stiles字面意义是“帮助一条跛足的狗越过篱笆”,用来表示“帮助人渡过难关”是多么传神,这样的成语借助于隐喻,因此被称为隐喻成语。
隐喻成语是英语成语的主体与核心,是所谓“正宗”的成语[7]。
隐喻成语的最大特点是通过生动具体的形象来表达意思,使语言表达显得形象、传神、幽默,如:a dog in the manger (占着马槽的狗——一个不让别人享受他自己不能享受的东西的人);隐喻成语另一个重要特点是语义的统一性,即成语的整体意义不是组成成语的各个词汇意义的总和,而是具有了新的意义,如:a dark horse (黑马——竞赛中出人意料的获胜者)。
汉英翻译技巧之隐喻的翻译
作为一种修辞法,隐喻指的是在语言中用一种事物来比喻另一种事物、行为或特点。
隐喻通常包含主体(比喻对象)、喻体(比喻用语)和喻义(主体和喻体间的相似之处)。
隐喻的使用常常会使语言表达更为生动形象,而如何精准翻译隐喻的内涵则是英汉互译中的难点。
比如汉语中的“驴”和英语中的“ass”都可以用来比喻笨蠢的人,“鹦鹉”和“parrot”都可以比喻重复别人说话的人,“沧海一粟”可以是“a drop in the ocean”,“纸老虎”可以译为“paper tiger”等等;但汉语中“望子成龙”的“龙”却不能译为“dragon”,因为在西方文化里,“dragon”通常是邪恶的象征;英语中的“He is a lucky dog”也不能译为“他是一条幸运狗”,因为在汉语文化中,“狗”也有很多贬义的表达如“狗仗人势”“狗嘴里吐不出象牙”等等。
因此,考虑到汉英两种语言在文化背景、观念民俗、历史传承、表达习惯等各方面的不同,翻译隐喻时还应考虑其所包含的深层次文化内涵,采取多种灵活方法,以使其符合受众的语言表达习惯和文化语境。
关于隐喻的翻译,英国著名翻译理论学家彼得·纽马克(Peter Newmark)总结了七种方法供参考,其按优先次序排列如下:(1)直译保留原文意象;(2)明喻+释义;(3)同一隐喻加释义;(4)用标准的目标语意象替代原文意象;(5)用明喻翻译隐喻;(6)将隐喻转为释义;(7)删除隐喻不译。
当然,在具体的翻译过程中,还要根据具体情况对隐喻进行灵活处理,选择最为合适的翻译方法,从而最大限度保留源语文化特色,并准确传递原文主旨信息。
01直译例1又要顾事业,又要顾家庭,现代女性蜡烛两头烧。
Modern women try to burn the candle at both ends, taking care oftheir careers as well as families, at the same time.例2 他们两夫妻一起走过了婚姻中的低潮时期。
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析商务英语中的隐喻是指通过比喻和暗示的方式,将一个概念或事物与另一个概念或事物联系起来,以便更生动、形象地表达出某种意思。
隐喻可以增强语言的表现力和说服力,但也需要适当地解读和翻译。
1. Time is money.时间就是金钱。
此处将时间比喻为金钱,强调时间宝贵且不可浪费,翻译时可以用类似的比喻或者直接翻译成“时间宝贵”。
2. The ball is in your court.球在你这边了。
此处将“球”比喻为责任或决定权,表示某个决策权已交到对方手中,翻译时可以保留比喻或者直接翻译成“决定权在你手里”。
3. We need to cut through the red tape.我们需要破除条条框框。
此处将“红色的带子”比喻为无谓的规定和程序,表示需要消除官僚作风和繁琐程序的限制。
翻译时可以用类似的比喻或者直接翻译成“消除繁琐程序”。
4. Let’s touch base later.以后再联系。
此处将“规则棒球比赛中回到最初的安全点”比喻为回归或重要的联系,表示需要再次联系或者回归主题。
翻译时可以用类似的比喻或者直接翻译成“以后再联系”。
5. He is the apple of my eye.他是我心目中的宝贝。
此处将“眼中的苹果”比喻为最珍爱的人或事物,强调某个人或事物在自己心中的重要性。
翻译时可以用类似的比喻或者直接翻译成“我心中最珍爱的人”。
6. This project is a cash cow.这个项目是摇钱树。
此处将“奶牛”比喻为盈利的手段,表示这个项目可以带来丰厚的收益。
翻译时可以用类似的比喻或者直接翻译成“盈利的项目”。
总的来说,商务英语中的隐喻需要根据具体语境进行解读和翻译,保留比喻或直接翻译取决于具体情况。
掌握隐喻的使用和翻译,对于有效沟通和商务谈判非常重要。
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析引言隐喻是一种修辞手法,常常在日常生活和商务英语中使用。
在商务沟通中,隐喻的运用可以让信息更加生动、形象,增强语言的表达力和影响力。
由于文化背景、习惯、习语等因素的影响,隐喻的翻译常常存在一定的困难。
本文将通过具体案例分析商务英语中的隐喻,并探讨其翻译方法和技巧。
一、隐喻在商务英语中的具体应用1. Time is money.时间就是金钱。
这是一个经典的隐喻句型,在商务英语中经常使用。
它表达了时间的珍贵和宝贵,告诉人们应该善于利用时间,把握机会。
在商务交流中,这个隐喻经常被用来强调时间的紧迫性和重要性,以便更好地促成交易和合作。
2. He is a rising star in the company.他是公司里的一颗冉冉升起的明星。
这个隐喻用来形容某人在公司中的地位和发展前景。
在商务沟通中,这个隐喻经常被用来推荐或介绍新人或新员工,以突出其潜力和价值。
3. Our sales are soaring.我们的销售额飙升。
这个隐喻通过比喻的方式表达了销售额的迅猛增长。
在商务英语中,这个隐喻经常被用来强调公司业绩的改善和增长,以展示公司的实力和竞争力。
1. 直译法对于一些常见的隐喻,可以采用直译法进行翻译,保持隐喻的形象和力度。
比如“时间就是金钱”这个隐喻,可以直译成“Time is money”,保持了原文的表达方式和意义不变。
2. 意译法对于一些隐喻在目标语言中不太常见或不易理解的情况,可以采用意译法进行翻译,使隐喻更加贴近目标语言和文化。
比如“他是公司里的一颗冉冉升起的明星”这个隐喻,可以意译成“他在公司里是崭露头角的新星”,使隐喻更加易懂和自然。
3. 解释法对于一些隐喻的含义比较复杂或涉及特定文化背景的情况,可以采用解释法进行翻译,通过加入解释来呈现隐喻的意义。
比如“我们的销售额飙升”这个隐喻,可以通过解释来呈现其含义,比如“我们的销售额迅猛增长,业绩蒸蒸日上”。
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析1. 引言1.1 商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析商务英语中的隐喻是一种常用的修辞手法,通过比喻、象征等方式表达意义,使文本更加生动有趣,增加阅读的趣味性和吸引力。
隐喻在商务英语中的应用广泛,能够让信息更加简洁明了,提高沟通效率。
隐喻的翻译策略在商务翻译中起着至关重要的作用,翻译者需要灵活运用对等翻译、解释翻译等方法,准确传达原文的意思。
在商务沟通中,隐喻可以增加信息的表现力和吸引力,帮助双方更好地理解和沟通。
隐喻的翻译也是一个挑战,翻译者需要综合考虑语言、文化等多方面因素,选择适当的翻译策略,确保译文通顺地传达原文的内涵。
隐喻的具体翻译分析涉及到各种具体情境和实践,通过分析案例可以更好地理解隐喻在商务英语中的运用方式和翻译方法。
通过对隐喻的翻译分析,可以帮助提升商务英语沟通的效果,增加文本的质感和说服力。
2. 正文2.1 隐喻在商务英语中的应用隐喻在商务英语中的应用广泛而深远,它能够帮助人们更准确地传达信息、表达观点和建立共鸣。
在商务交流中,隐喻常常被用来解释复杂的概念或情况,使之更易理解。
将市场比喻成战场,产品比喻成武器,竞争对手比喻成敌人,客户比喻成盟友,在商务谈判中充满了各种隐喻的运用。
隐喻还可以用来激励员工、建立团队合作氛围。
把企业比喻成一艘航船,每个员工是船上的一名船员,只有全体船员团结一致,才能使船航行更远。
这样的比喻可以增强员工的凝聚力和归属感,激发他们更积极地投入工作。
隐喻在商务英语中的应用不仅能够丰富语言表达,更重要的是能够加深理解、凝聚共识、促进沟通。
在商务交流中,灵活运用隐喻是非常重要的技巧,可以帮助人们更好地传递信息,取得更好的交流效果。
2.2 隐喻的翻译策略翻译隐喻需要对原文中的隐喻概念有深刻理解。
理解隐喻的语言意义和象征含义是成功翻译的基础。
熟悉不同语言文化的特点也是至关重要的,因为隐喻往往具有文化特定的意义。
翻译隐喻时要注意保持隐喻的形象和比喻性质。
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析
商务英语中的隐喻及其具体翻译分析【摘要】商务英语中的隐喻在商务交流中扮演着重要角色,通过比喻和隐喻进行沟通可以使信息更加生动形象且有效传达。
本文首先介绍了隐喻的概念以及在商务英语中的作用,然后详细探讨了商务英语中常见的隐喻,隐喻的翻译技巧和策略,并举例说明了隐喻在商务沟通和写作中的应用。
强调了隐喻在商务英语中的重要性,提出了提高隐喻运用水平的建议,并探讨了隐喻翻译对商务沟通的影响。
通过本文的研究和分析,可以更好地理解商务英语中的隐喻,并提高在商务交流中的应用水平,从而有效促进商务信息的传递和交流。
【关键词】商务英语、隐喻、翻译分析、作用、翻译技巧、翻译策略、商务沟通、写作运用、重要性、提高水平、沟通影响1. 引言1.1 什么是隐喻隐喻是一种修辞手法,是指借用某种事物来暗示另一种事物的比喻方式。
在商务英语中,隐喻被广泛运用,可以使得文本更具表现力和生动性,有助于提高沟通效果。
隐喻可以让读者更好地理解信息,也可以让文本更加富有启发性和想象力。
通过隐喻,作者可以用一个简明扼要的描述来传达复杂的信息,引起读者的共鸣和思考。
在商务英语中,隐喻经常用于描述市场情况、企业管理和团队合作等方面,帮助读者更好地把握商务信息和情况。
熟练掌握隐喻的运用技巧对于提高商务英语写作水平和沟通效果至关重要。
商务英语中的隐喻不仅仅是简单的文学修辞,更是一种可以帮助传达信息、引导思考的重要工具。
通过学习和运用隐喻,可以让商务交流更加生动有趣,更加富有感染力和说服力。
1.2 商务英语中的隐喻作用在商务英语中,隐喻扮演着非常重要的角色。
隐喻能够帮助我们更直观地理解和表达各种商务概念,使得信息传达更加生动和有趣。
通过隐喻,我们可以用熟悉的语言和形象来解释和描述抽象的商务概念,让复杂的概念变得更容易被接受和理解。
隐喻在商务英语中还可以帮助我们建立更紧密的沟通关系。
一些通俗易懂的隐喻不仅可以让我们更容易与他人共鸣,还可以在商务谈判或交流中化解尴尬和疏远感。
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英语习语中的隐喻分析及其翻译作者:王琳来源:《科技视界》2014年第27期【摘要】习语是语言使用者长期以来习用的、形式简洁而意思精辟的定型词组或短句。
英语是世界上词汇最丰富的语言之一,英语习语更显得纷繁浩瀚。
而隐喻作为习语中最常使用的修辞形式使得译者在翻译习语的过程中困难重重,因此对于习语的翻译要求译者有深厚的文化功底及扎实的语言基础。
【关键词】习语;隐喻;翻译The Analysis and Translation of Metaphor in English IdiomWANG Lin(School of Foreign Languages, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing Jiangsu 211100,China)【Abstract】Idiom is phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit. It was accumulated by the procedure of history and the inheritance of previous social legacy. At the same time, metaphor, as one of the most frequently used rhetoric form, makes English idiom difficult translated. Therefore, the translation of English idiom requires translators have profound knowledge of cultural background and solid language foundation.【Key words】Idiom; Metaphor; Translation隐喻是一种普遍现象,人们每时每刻都在使用大量的隐喻。
英国修辞学家理查兹曾经说过,“我们日常会话中几乎每三句话中就可能出现一个隐喻”。
有些语言学家、哲学家和心理学家甚至认为,可能所有的词都源于隐喻。
习语是语言体系重要组成部分。
大多数以英语为母语者一生中要说两千万个习语,平均每星期说七千个习语。
习语使用普遍频繁,是外语学习者不能回避的现象。
大多数习语与其民族的历史背景、风俗习惯等有关,造成习语很难理解和掌握。
习语通常包括成语、谚语、歇后语、俗语等。
而隐喻是谚语中最常用的修辞形式,莱考夫和特纳将谚语也看作是一种特殊的隐喻,他们指出,典型的谚语唤起常见动物、物体和情景知识,这些知识结构可以被称为“类属层次图式结构”,他们不但包括“种属”层级的信息,如因果关系、事件的概况等,同时还包括特别的细节和具体的影像,而隐喻的理解与相关的文化背景知识密切联系。
1 英语习语中的隐喻分析2008年北京奥运会,刘翔宣布因伤退出比赛,相关媒体对此进行了报道:According to China’s Track and Field Association, Liu Xiang suffered from a recurrence of chronic inflammation in his right Achilles tendon. Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping addressed the media during a press conference and stated that the hurdler has been hampered by a tendon injury for six or seven years.中国田联称,刘翔右脚腱慢性伤病复发。
在这段新闻中Achilles tendon实指刘翔受伤的部位,同时也是一语双关,借用Achilles 表达他运动生涯中的致命缺陷。
这里就要提到Achilles’ heel这样一个习语了,它出自荷马史诗《伊利亚特》。
Achilles是希腊神话中希腊联军的英雄,被称为希腊第一勇士。
由于小的时候其父母将他在冥河的水中浸泡过,全身上下刀枪不入,只有他的脚跟被他的母亲抓着,没有浸到河水,成为他身体上唯一的弱点。
后来太阳神阿波罗就是利用他的这个弱点,用暗箭射在他的脚踝上,杀死了他。
后来Achilles 引申为致命弱点,缺陷。
刘翔作为世界一流的110米跨栏运动员,如果不是因为伤病的原因,恐怕难有敌手,这与阿喀琉斯这位刀枪不入的英雄极其相似,于是在翻译的过程中,译者并没有把Achilles’ heel这个习语直译,而是将之转译成了“右脚腱慢性伤病复发”这一读者更加熟悉的说法,这样读者在阅读过程中不会疑惑。
This problem seems to be an apple of discord between the SovietUnion and the USA.这个问题似乎成了美苏争端的原因。
在这个句子中习语apple of discord 出自荷马史诗Iliad中的希腊神话故事。
传说一次喜宴中惟独掌管争执的女神厄里斯没有被邀请,于是决定在这次喜筵上制造不和。
她悄悄在筵席上放了一个金苹果,上面镌刻着“属于最美者”几个字。
天后赫拉,智慧女神雅典娜、爱与美之神阿芙罗狄蒂争执不下,去找特洛伊的王子帕里斯评判。
三位女神为了获得金苹果,都各自私许帕里斯以某种好处,他最终把金苹果判给爱与美之神。
阿芙罗狄蒂为了履行诺言,帮助帕里斯拐走了斯巴达国的王后海伦,从而引起了历时10年的特洛伊战争。
不和女神厄里斯丢下的那个苹果,不仅成了天上3位女神之间不和的根源,而且也成为了人间两个民族之间战争的起因。
因此,在英语中产生了an apple of discord这个成语,常用来比喻any subject of disagreement and contention; the root of the trouble; dispute等意义。
在国际舞台上,国与国之间的冲突根源向来只为利益二字,句中使用apple of discord的故事影射美苏之间的冲突也是源于“厄里斯丢下的那颗苹果”。
在翻译中,如果直译为“纷争的苹果”,读者读来未免疑惑,因此译者将之译为“争端的原因”,一方面将译文与该习语的寓意一致起来,一方面读者在阅读过程中比较顺畅,不会产生阻滞,同时,暗合圣经故事中将苹果比作是“罪恶根源”的隐喻。
汉语中,“化干戈为玉帛”语出《淮南子·原道训》,常用以比喻争战者能舍弃纷争、追求和平。
英语中,俗语“beat your swords into plowshares”可表达相同的意思。
“Beat your swords into plowshares”源于《圣经·旧约·以赛亚书》第2章第4节:“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift sword against nation,neither shall they learn war any more.”意思是,大家要将刀剑打成犁头,把长矛制成镰刀,各国从此和平相处,不再打仗。
可见,beat your swords into plowshares与汉语“化干戈为玉帛”有着异曲同工之妙,都是人们对战事休止,庆幸和平降临的生动描述。
beat your swords intoplowshares是动词词组,由字面意思“把刀剑打磨成犁头”,我们可看出俗语中的“sword”(剑)代指“战争”,而“plowshares”(犁头)则喻指“和平”。
看下面的例句:The prime minister would like them to beat their swords into plowshares and abandon all plans for war. 该国首相希望双方能够化干戈为玉帛,放弃所有的战争计划。
在这句话的翻译过程中,因为这个习语正好在汉语中有相对应的成语可用,所以译者拿来使用,显得浑然天成。
我们再来看这个句子,She read them Shakespeare, but it was casting pearls before swine.她为他们诵读莎士比亚的作品,但无异于对牛弹琴。
在这个句子里,cast pearls before swine这个习语源自《新约·马太福音》第7章:“Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,neither cast ye your pearls before swine,lest they trample them under their feet,and turn again and rend you”。
其意为"别把神圣的器物送给狗,也莫将珍珠置于猪前。
它们践踏了宝物还会伤害于你"。
从字面上看,cast pearls before swine是“把珍珠撒在猪的面前”,猪当然不会欣赏这么美的东西,所以这个习语实际的意思是“做无谓的努力”,与汉语成语“明珠按投”相似,但是寓意不同,基本上不对应;按其比喻意义,它相当于“对牛弹琴”,“狗咬吕洞宾,不识好人心”等。
毫无疑问,在句中听那个女孩读莎士比亚的人并不能理解听到的内容,被比喻成了听不懂琴声的牛。
在翻译过程中,译者也巧妙地拿对牛弹琴这样一个成语来翻译该习语,读者读来流畅,理解起来也没有障碍。
2 英语习语的翻译英语中的习语多数有其根源,对于英语的习语翻译成为了难点之一,因为对于译者来说,单从习语字面来说有时是难以了解其真实意义的,必须对其根源有较为深刻的了解与掌握,才能较好地把握其意义。
例如,习语eat one’s words,单从其字面很容易想到中文的“食言”,因为这两个词组在结构和字面意思上都非常对应,可是这个习语真正的意义却是“收回说过的话,说错了”,而且还带有一定的感情色彩,是羞惭地、不光彩地认错,因此,在习语的翻译过程中切忌望文生义。
那么,英语翻译中,习语到底该如何翻译呢?2.1 直译法虽然有些英语习语在一定的文章中具有强烈的政治意义,或有明显的西方民族、地方、历史等色彩,这类习语也宜用直译法。
“纸老虎”利用直译法后,英语翻译成“paper tiger”,在外国人看来明义而又传神,直至逐渐被英美接受留用。