Cultural Traps of Translation

题 目：Cultural Traps of Translation
摘要...................................................................................................................................................ii
Introduction 1
1.Categories of Cultural Traps 1
1.1 Expressions in Daily Life 1
1.2 Some of the American Slangs 1
1.3 Traditional Idioms of Different Countries 1
2. Reseasons for Such Phenomena.....................................................................................................1
2.1 Old Idioms and Traditional Customs...................................................................................2
2.2 Geographical Environment..................................................................................................3
2.3 Religional Tradition.............................................................................................................4
2.4 Values and Aesthetic Standards............................................................................................4
3. The Effects about Cultural Traps of Translation ...........................................................................5
3.1 Obtaining Misleading Information 6
3.2 Communitive Obstacles 6
4. How to Solute the Problem 6
4.1 To be Responsible 6
4.2 To Strength our Cultural Literacy 6
4.3 To Think Highly of the Usual Communication 6
Conclusion 7
Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................8







Abstract
Translation is an information carrier of cultural exchange. Cultural differences are likely to lead into the traps of translation .This paper discusses the relation between culture and language as well as culture and translation .It also shows you three categories of cultural traps of translation .Besides, the essay emphasizes four key factors that affect this phenomenon and put forward some solutions for translators to avoid the traps.









Key words:Translation Culture Trap Cause Effect Solution






摘要
翻译是文化的传达的载体，与文化有密切的关系。文化的差异很容易让我们掉进翻译的文化陷阱。本文探讨了文化与语言以及文化与翻译的关系，归纳了翻译文化陷阱的种类。此外，文章着重阐述了造成这种现象的四个关键因素并针对此而为译者提供了相应的解决方案。









关键词：翻译 文化 陷阱 原因 结果 解决方法






Introduction:
With the booming of modern society, cultural conflict is sharper and sharper. Then it gives rise to cultural traps of translation. As is known to all, translation is a social activity of cross-culture and cross-language .The procession of translation is not only language transforming, but also

cultural conversion, which reflects the social characters of relevant countries. Generally speaking, culture diversity is apt to make us misunderstand source language into target language, which is called “cultural traps of translation. Thus may bring some troublesome destruction to both countries. Therefore, in the practice of translating, we must take culture seriously an avoid falling into the cultural traps. In another word, our translation should be based on mutual culture. In this case, a win-win situation will wait for us.

1.Categories of Cultural Traps
1.1 Expressions in Daily Life
Daily expression is used in all aspects of daily life, containing study, visiting, asking direction, business and so on.
Nowadays, with the rapid development of economy, the trend of science and cultural educational career changes dramatically, so dose daily life .While this causes some misleading expressions in daily life. And here are some examples:
(1) Look out! 当心！（not“向外看”）
(2) What a shame! 多可惜！（not“多可耻”）
(3) You don’t say! 是吗？（not“你别说）
(4) You can say that again! 说的好！（not“你可以再说一遍”）
(5) I haven’t slept better! 我睡的好极了。（not“我从未睡过好觉”）
(6) You can’t be too careful in you work. 你工作越仔细越好。（not“你工作不能太仔细”）
(7) It has been 4 years since I smoked. 我戒烟四年了。（not“我吸烟四年了”）
(8) All his friends did not turn up.他的朋友没全到。（not“他的朋友全没到”）
(9) People will be long forgetting her.人们在很长时间内会记住她的。（not“人们会永远记住她”）
(10) It can’t be less interesting. 它无聊极了。 （not“它不可能没有趣的”）

1.2 Some of the American Slangs
Slangs are informal and oral sentences among the folk people. They are popular and easy to understand. Summarized by common people, they get the local features. If we do not comprehend local culture, we will be apt to make mistakes. Now please look at and contemplate the following two slangs.
(1) It is a Greek gift to you.1
Wrong translation:这是为你的希腊礼物。
Right translation:这是给你的害人礼物。
(2) For mine own part, it was all Greek to me.2
Wrong translation:这对我来说简直是希腊文
Right translation:我对这一窍不通。

The first sentence is from Greek mythology. It’s said that Trojan prince Paris kidnapped Spartag’s King Menelaus’s wife Helen. And that brought about a war lasting for almost 10 years, which was neck and neck all the time. Then the Greece thought out the famous “Trojan horse “, which held 20 warriors. Trojan city then they got out and fought. Finally, beat Trojan city then they got back Helen. So “Greek” in “It is a Greek gift to you “means “bait”. While the second sentence is form the greatest dramatist, Shakespeare’s work “J

ulius Cearar”. Because Greek is extremely difficult to learn, “Greek” hear in “For mine own part, it was all Greek to me”, lost its original meaning and stands for “know nothing about”.

1.3 Traditional Idioms of Different Countries
Idioms play a very essential role in language. It is a way to maintain, transmit and reflect culture. In terms of culture, it shows national features of different countries, containing language and affecting language. In consequence, distinction in culture lead to distinctions in translations of idioms. And here are some examples :
Eg: (1) 他早已胸有成竹了
If we translate it directly as “He has long had a full-grown bamboo in his chest .” English-speaking people never know the feeling of “a full-grown bamboo in his chest”. So we must consider about the cultural difference, then we may translate it as “He has long had a well-thought plan in mind. “In that case , the English-speaking persons can get its meaning and feeling exactly. That is to say, they many know the Chinese idiom “胸有成竹”means “to get ready to do something “or “be confident in doing something ”.
(2) blow hot and cold
If we translate it without thinking, it may be like this “吹热吹冷”。It does not make sense at all. “blow hot and cold” is form Aesop’s fable. Long time ago a person lose his way in forest, then he met a satyr. The satyr led him to his house. On the way, the man blow the breath to his hands continuously, then, the Satyr asked him: “What do you do ?” He answered , “I keep warm with my breath.” When they arrived home, the Satyr brought him a hot porridge. The man held it to his mouth and blown the breath again. The satyr was very confused and asked him again: “What do you do ?” “The porridge is too hot ,I want to blow it cold with breath.” He answered ,So, the satyr told him: “You blown hot and cold with the same breath, I will not receive that person, like you, you can go “Then the idiom” blow hot and cold” came out, and it means “unsteady” or “capricious” .



2. Reasons for Such Phenomena
2.1 Old Idioms and traditional customs
History is the descendant of national culture, which pocesses of the distinct and profound historical information, showing the distinct historical traits. With the cultural communication between West and East, more and more Bibles, literature in the west as well as Chinese myths, allusion and poets are accepted and appreciated by each other in which translation plays an important role. As we all know that translation is not only the translating of single words but the allusions and historical culture. For instance “Can’t you see it is an apple?” 3. Many of us may translate it into “难道你看不出来这是个苹果吗? According to Bible, we know that Eva got the got the attempt of the evil an ate the apple from tree of good and evil which irritated the God. Hence the “apple” her

means “trap” not the real apple. Finally, the right translation might be “难道你看不出这是一个陷阱吗？”
Besides the historical allusion, traditional custom is also the same. In Chinese culture, people uphold “民以食为天”, so we always greet each other and begin with “吃了么？”which shows our care and also is a formal beginning of convention. But if we interprete it into “Have you had your meal?” This will totally lost its value and function in the West. From what has mentioned above based on mutual traditional customs,we need some necessary explanation in translating.

2.2 Geographical Environment
Distinct geographical position, natural condition and ecological environment make different geographical cultures,which not only influence the expressional way of each nation, but also affect different understanding of imagination and emotion of the same object. For example, in LiBai’s 《江上咏》“功名富贵若长在，汉水亦应西北流。”And how to translate 西北流? The geography traits of our country is high in the west and lower in the east 西北流 means fame and wealth, which can’t compare with the flowing rivers. Because geography conditions are not alike in every part. If we translate it directly, most westerners will be confused. After doing some adjustments, we should correct it like “But sooner could flow backward to is fountains; This stream of wealth and honor can remain. Thus could balance both West and East.

2.3 Religion Tradition
Chinese believe in Buddism, trusting what Buddha masters everything, while westerners believe in Christianity thinking that God creats the world. In Chinese, there are “借花献佛”，“缘木求直”and the like, while in the West there are “God bless you.” “God be with you “and so on.
We should pay more attention to this religion. If not, we may get into trouble. For instance, in English, “end of the world.” For many Chinese, we may translate it as “世界末日”. But in Christian item, “end of the world “ means “judgment day “ a day that God tries human being. On that day, good human may go to the heaven while bad guys may go to the hell. In concequence, if we want to transmit others ‘ information exactly, we ought to be aware of the limitation of religional culture.
2.4 Values and Aesthetic Standards
Each national cultural creats their own concepts of value. So both of used should respect each vacation so that we can be understand mutually. To take animal as an example. British main tool for agriculture is horse “in their value means diligence and patience. Then in English there is “as strong as a horse “. But in Chinese, that’s totally different. We regard bull as “honesty “and industry. So we translate “as strong as a horse “into “力大如牛”. Meanwhile, in this concept it means the traditional joy. Therefore, China regard marriage as “red”. Whi

le funeral as "white". But this perplexes the westerners a lot. For them .”white “ means pureness ,plaint, frankness and happiness, so that they regard marriage as “white “and funeral as “black”. So it’s better for us just to use “marriage “an funeral to replace “red” and “white “.

2.5 Way of Thinking
Westerners get used to be obstruct, that is to form "one" to "many ". The cores of sentence are subjects and verbs, summarizing many phraises and clauses. Their sentences get loose style but integrated meaning while easterners are accustomed to concreness that is from “many” to “one”. The cores of Chinese sentences are verbs. We also put time in order and pay much attention to the harmony of a whole.
Like “It had been a fine, golden autumn, a lovely farewell to those who would lose their youth and some of them their lives, before the leaves turned again in a peacetime fall “. If translate directly , it may be like this “那是一个美好的金秋，在告别了那些可能丢失他们的青春甚至生命的人之后，树叶才慢慢的落下。”That will lose its original meanings as well as essence and be at a mess . So according to both culture ,the correct translation will be like this “那是个天气晴朗，金黄可爱的秋天，美好的秋色为那些青年送别。待到战后和平时期，黄叶纷飞的秋天再度来临时，当日的青年们已经失去了青春，有的丧失了生命。”which is suitable for all Chinese way of thinking.
In 2008 Olympic Games, we designed our own slogan “北京欢迎您”, which shows our hospitality. The common translation is “Welcome to Beijing”, not” Beijing is welcome you “. That may be beyond plaintness and highlight our character.
From what has mentioned above, we can know that old idioms and traditional customers, geographical environment religional cadiction, values and aesthetic standards and thinking way will affect translation and all of them may lead us to cultural traps of translation. In concequence, when translating we should pay more attention to all the factors above. In this case, we can avoid the traps.



3.Effects Caused by Cultural Traps of Translation
Cultural differences are the obstacles in cultural exchanges.The breakdown in communication has caused a over-lapping in people’s area of work, causing unnecessary inefficiency.

3.1 Obtaining Misleading Information
Language is the critical carrier of culture. In daily communication, the expression of language owns its cultural character. Of the same nation the same object in distinct countries get different cultural connotation. Here is an example :
“It way a time when the company was a really big story. all hell was breaking loose-respossions , unemployment ,everyday we had write features new stories and do our columns “.
Original Translation :当时，经济确实是大新闻，都乱了套了，重新占有、

失业、每天我们都得写新闻特写和专栏。
Retranslation :当时，经济确实是重头新闻，到处乱哄哄的，恢复产权、失业，每天我们都得写新闻特写和专栏。
1 all hell breaks (or is broken ,or is set )loose means "at a mess"
2 "repossessions" means "reply property"

3.2 Communication Obstacles
English speakers and Chinese speakers are different in thinking and deducing the same object. If both sides do not pay attention to such differences, it may bring about some communitive obstacles ,causing the zigzag if information translation. For instance in English , man ‘s best friend is dog. So there are “You are a lucky dog “（“你是个幸运儿”）”a gay dog “（“快了之人”）”a tip dog “（“德高权重之人”）”every dog has its day “（“人人皆有得意日”）”love me love my dog “（“爱屋及乌”）。
But in Chinese, “dog “may remind people of some disgusting thing like “狗东西”、“狗娘养的”、“狗改不了吃屎”、“狗屁不通”、“狗吃两顿即肥”、“狗啃骨头不认识朋友”、“狗眼看人低”。
Another example “Your chicken he cried. Looking at Tom with contempt. The real meaning of it is“你这胆小鬼，他轻蔑地看着汤姆嚷道“ If Chinese don’t know "chicken" means "coward" they will perplex for there is no such metaphor or simile .
Different nations produce different think mode of culture and translation. For example, a Chinese younger went swimming in neighbour , but he returned soon. His foreign friend asked him why. He said there were too many people then he used a metaphor 简直像芝麻酱煮饺子 Chinese may know that was a vivid and lively metaphor so all his Chinese friends laughed except the foreign one. For foreigners they hadn’t seen and used sesame sauce and they also hadn’t met “cook clumplings” so they got its funny points. For westerners, they will use “It was packed with sardines塞得像沙丁鱼罐头一样，拥挤不堪 to explain “crowded”。
All those cases show that , cultural diversity is likely to interfere with cross culture communication. So it’s extremely necessary for both sides to get a well knowledge of each other .

4. How to Solute the Problem
4.1 To be Responsible
First of all,one should be responsible in translating. It requires us think over an over the source language as well as target language ,hardly and properly. Do not take everything for granted.
Before we write down the translation we should make some preparations:looking up the reference books reading and consulting some expects.Please remember that thorough understanding always goes before expression.
4.2 To Strength our Cultural Literacy
We should make certain similarities and differences between western culture and eastern culture. As is known to all . translation is a bridge of cross-culture. In order to build the bridge

well beside the traning of language as well as professional knowledge, we still should improve our cultural literacy. As Wang Zaoliang said :"To be an intellectual in its true sense " Such intellectuals can make out the culture of the source language and target language nation, including their policy ,economy ,history ,geography ,translations and all walks of life. Then to make a comparison repeatedly until we figure out the equivalent interpretation .
4.3 To Think Highly of the Usual Communication
When reading the foreign publications, we should pay attention to them, especially to those phases and sentences which express new things, like the catchwords and song fashionable slangs.







Conclusion
Overall ,our investigation has already made usual know that translating is an information carrier of culture differences usually apt to lead usual to the cultural traps of translation. So we obtain that cultural diversity is the obstacle in culture exchange. The breakdown in communication has caused over-lapping in peoples daily life, causing unnecessary inefficiency.
From the passage above, we have learned 3 kinds of cultural traps of translation by reading some funny cases above. In addition we are also aware of the factors which affect cultural traps as followed: old idioms and traditional customs, geographical. In allusion to the factors mentioned, it offers some useful solutions to solve the problem.
In a word, when facing a translation, we should consider the factors and then find out the proper ways to solve them until we get the relatively exact translation. Only in this way, can both sides reach a win-win solution .



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