浅谈英语比喻性词语的文化内涵

浅谈英语比喻性词语的文化内涵
在翻译中的体现
摘要：通常来说，比喻是最重要、人们研究最为广泛的一种修辞格,它本身就是极富寓意的一种语言表达形式。

比喻性词语则是达成比喻这一目的时所使用的词、词组或句子。

比喻这一修辞手法可以使说话或文字生动活泼、形象鲜明、增强表现力和感染力。

翻译学界对于比喻性词语的修辞意义、构成法、翻译策略等都做过深入细致的研究。

这些研究在一定程度上，发掘出了世界文化的共同点，帮助人们清晰地认识比喻性词语的突出作用.它们虽然在文化内涵上也有过研究，但是针对比喻性词语翻译与文化内涵之间的关系的研究还不够全面。

本文将讨论文化内涵在英语比喻性词语中的体现，包括比喻性词语的特征和表达形式,比喻性词语的本体和喻体的对应关系，比喻性词语在几个不同方面所表现出的文化内涵以及比喻性词语的翻译和文化的关系。

关键词：比喻性词语；文化内涵；翻译策略
A Brief Analysis of the Cultural Connotations of Metaphorical Phrases in
English Translation
Abstract
Generally speaking, the analogy is the most important and most widely people to study a kind of figures of speech, it is highly moral of a kind of language expression. Figurative words aims to get a parable goal by use of the word, phrase or sentence. paring the figures of speech can make speaking or writing vividly and lively. Translation scholars have done intensive research for figurative words on rhetoric meaning, structure method, and translation strategies. These studies, in a certain extent, discovered the mons in the world culture, and helped people clearly know the prominent role of figurative words. Although they have done research on cultural connotation, the studies of the relationships between the translation of figurative words and cultural connotation are still not prehensive enough. In this paper, it mainly discusses cultural connotation of metaphorical phrases in English translation. The key to this paper is about several resources of figurative words and the relationships between figurative words translation and culture. It presents the importance on bination between translation and culture.
Key words: figurative words; cultural connotation; translated strategies
Acknowledgments
First of all, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Miss Li, both her intellectual guidance and for her warm and constant encouragement during the process of writing this thesis. With patience and prudence, she labored through drafts of this thesis and pointed out defects in my theorizing. Therefore, I owe all the merits in this thesis, if any, to her, though I am fully aware that thesis might still contain some mistakes, for which I bear the whole responsibility.
I would also like to thank all English teachers of our college, your rigorous truth-seeking attitude of doing scholarly research, a high degree of professional dedication; conscientious, assiduous work style; bold innovation and enterprising spirit have given me deep enlightenment.
I also sincerely thank all members in my group, you kindly points out the mistakes of my paper in my usual essay writing and discuss the solutions to the problems, so that I can find the problem in time and go on smoothly. I give you my deeply grateful feelings.
Finally, I want to gratitude for the love and care from my parents. I wish your health and happiness forever.
There are many respectable teachers, students, friends that give me warm help, my sincere thanks for you!
Contents
中文摘要1
Abstract (2)
Acknowledgments (3)
Introduction (6)
I. The English Figurative Words (7)
A. Definition and Characteristics (7)
B. Forms of Expression (8)
II. Relationships Between the Ontology and Metaphors. (7)
A. Dominant Contact and Recessive Contact (7)
B. pletely Correspond, Partly Correspond, and Little Correspond (9)
III. Several sources of cultural connotation of English figurative words. (12)
A. Geographical and Historical Culture (12)
B. Religious Beliefs and Local Customs (12)
C. Sports and Productive Labor (13)
IV. The Relationship Between the Translation of Figurative Words and Cultural Connotation of English (15)
A. The Significance of the Re-expression of Cultural Connotation
ofFigurative Words to Translation (15)
B. The Embodiment of the Cultural Connotation of Translation Strategies (16)
1. Literal Translation (26)
2. Free Translation (27)
3. Substituted and Applied Translation (28)
Conclusion (20)
Notes (21)
Bibliography (22)
A Brief Analysis of the Cultural Connotations of Metaphorical Phrases in
English Translation
Introduction
We more and more clearly realized the constraints of our academic research in culture in the global cultural constantly integration. As the tool to express and municate thoughts and feelings, language is no exception. The relationship between language and culture is inseparable, language is not only a kind of cultural miniature, also is the carrier of culture, reflecting the present situation and the development of the culture, and embodying its own mode of thinking, psychology of language, living habits, and values. English national culture also shows its unique connotation. The key to the understanding of English national culturelies in understanding the meaning of words that reflected.
In English culture, the using of figurative words embodies the Englishnational unique cultural connotation, which is one of the representatives of the most unique national cultural colors. Due to the traditional culture concept, historical and cultural background, the material productive labor, geographical environment, religious belief, political system, music, sports and other cultural factors,the key is how to choose figurative words, which also gives translation high request.
It is so important for translators to discuss the cultural value of language which is a very important task. Understanding figurative words is the most active and most active part, so translators should first pay attention to analysis the cultural connotation of figurative words in the translation process. With the continuous progress of society, language appeared more and more parable express, it also requires us to stand at a
higher altitude to examine English national culture, and understand the most authentic cultural connotation on the basis of the background of English culture.
I.The English Figurative Words
A. Definition and Characteristics
Metaphor is a rhetoric method that describes the things which want to say with distinct features.The new things and old things in one area have things in mon.It is actually a contrast between the true meaning and carrier.That is what we usually call analogy.1 Forming an analogy which through similar imagination between ontology and metaphors.Figurative words are words, phrases or sentences which are used to form metaphor.Metaphor is a mon rhetorical format which blends language forms and connotation of beauty.
The figurative words have many particular characteristics. Similar imagination makes the language more image and vivid so as to achieve some kind of effect that bined form with meaning. For example, “Her youthful carving for knowledge, her aspiring spirit made her read eagerly whether she understood or not.The word“eagerly”demonstrated young people’s enthusiasm and love vividly for knowledge.”
Metaphor can also make abstract concepts specific, mechanical language visualization
and esoteric philosophy superficial.It can make the article more lively, and rich; it also can make the language more concise .At the same time it can also deepen the reader’s understanding and impression.For example, Just as dark clouds can’t hide the sun so no lies can cover up the fact.
B.Forms of Expression
“There are various expressive forms of figurative words, such as idioms, none phrases, syntactic, discourses, and so on.”2
1. Idioms
English idioms is a visual language used metaphor properly, containing profound allusions and philosophy, belongs to the type of metaphor, now talk about some experiences on English metaphor type.
Because of English idioms are developed and established under the background of English culture, so all metaphors have characteristics which directly reflect that the ethnic features. Though metaphorsare very image, however it is difficult to make the person be clear at a glance because of the literal meaning and context meaning, a pletely different. Fortunately, this kind of idioms often prompt people to look up dictionary because they are literally obvious contrast to Chinese words ,which make people have little mistakes in translations. Such as the two following sentences,
“He doesn’t stand a Chinaman’s chance of winning this election.”In this sentence, what does mean that“a Chinaman’s chance”?It makes people confused in this context. Originally this idiom originates from the gold rush in the western United States in the middle of the 19th century. The rest of the scum that Whites left can be dug by the local Chinese, so only a slim chance of fortune is for Chinese, even no one.
“After seven straight victories the team met its Waterloo.”This idiom is a historical event that British troops in southern Belgium’s Waterloo defeated napoleon’s army on June 8, 1815. Later, people used “meet one’sWaterloo”to metaphor “plete failure”.
Idioms have the feature of structural stability is to say the structure of an idioms always stays unchangeable. For instance, “to kick the bucket” can not be changed to “to kick bucket” or “to kick the big bucket”, it also cannot be replaced by “to kick the pail”. Moreover, the word in one idiom cannot be replaced at random; even the replacement of its synonyms will make this idiom lose its original meaning. For example, “a black sheep” can not be turn into “a dark sheep”, meanwhile, “a dark horse” cannot be said into “a black horse”.
The structures of some idioms depart the normal grammatical rules, but it is forbidden to shift them into right grammatical forms because it has a set structure. For instance, “Diamond cut diamond”, we should never change “cut” into “cuts” as which is correct in English grammar.
2. Syntactic
Such structure has a total of 10 fixed patterns of sentence which use figurative expression, and mostly belongs to simile.
(1) like(prep)/as(conj)+名词（喻体）
e.g. My heart is like a singing bird.
Why is he dressed as a woman?
(2) As+ adj. + as+名词（喻体）
e.g.He is as good as his word.
(3) A+ be+ to+ B+ as+ C+ be+ to+ D. This sentence before as is the main body, followed by metaphors, as a conjunction means “like”. To is a preposition. The whole sentence means “A to B as C to D”.
e.g.Air is to man as water is to fish.
(4) Justas+句子（喻体），so+句子（主体）
e.g. Just as I loved her, so she loved me.
(5) No more…than+从句(喻体), not…any more than+从句(喻体). The two clauses means negative, but the clause after“than” can't use a negative word in form. This sentence means “not... as...”.
e.g. Knowledge can no more be acquired without hard work than swimming can
be learned without constant practice.
He is not a poet any more than I am a scholar.
(6) No less…than+名词从句(喻体). The form of this sentence pattern is negative, but mean yes, refers to the meaning of “as the same as...”
(7) Nothing like+ as+ adj.+ as+ 名词(喻体), nowhere near+ so/as + adj. +as+名词
(喻体). This type of sentence means “be different from...”.
e.g. Your work is nothing like so good as Mary’s
Today’s game was nowhere near as exciting as yesterday’s game.
(8) As if+从句/分词不定式/形容词(喻体). The sentence means “seem”.
e.g. You look as if you have been running.
She looks almost as if she were drunk.
(9) May/might+ as well+动词原形+喻体+as+动词原形+主体. It means “as can’t..., nor, rather than...”
e.g. You may as well call a cat a little tiger as call a tiger a big cat.
She might as well love a dream as fall in love with me.
(10) As it were/so to speak+喻体
e.g. He is, as it were, a walking dictionary.
He is, so to speak, the brains of the organization.
The two phrases above have same usage and meaning, syntactically as independent ponents which are available in any tense sentence. They mean “it is like,”so to speak.
3.None Phrases and Discourse
Using building name to explain the purpose or using the streets name to metaphor the name of the institution. For instance,
“A man like Mr. Broster who might find himself in Carey Street at any Moment.”
Carey Street is a Street in London, the court of bankruptcy cases in this place, therefore, refers to bankruptcy;
“They called in Scotland Yard.”Scotland Yard against is a street in London, for London’s metropolitan police had set up in this; it refers to the name of London’s metropolitan police.
A special area of the proper nouns used in other fields, expanding the use of their situations, thus can produce the effect of the metaphor. For example, “The delegation is posed of people from a spectrum of professions means各种各样.”
To characterize characters in the novel or the film and television works as a way of metaphor. Such as “Prime Minister Wilson is the Artful Dodger of British Politics. Artful Dodger is a hiding thief who exists in one of dickens’novel “Oliver Twist”, implied meaning is hiding”. “Most of the applicant were weeded out early，including one year-old James Bond. Ian Flemings, a British novelist, who created a figure called James Bond, a omnipotent spy, codenamed 007, refers to miraculous now”.
The names of writers, painters, poets and musicians can be used for proper nouns and mon nouns to metaphor its work. For instance, “I’d give my baby a set of crayons and an original Rembrandt. Rembrandt is a mon noun here, refers to Rembrandt’s painting written by Dutch painter in the 17th century.”
This method of analogy is also the real thinking of the speaker in the dialogue, using the overall relationship between context and performance in this kind of metaphor in a metaphorical way, the original meaning in words disappeared, the implication of metaphor present through the overall structure of the discourse. As the following
sentence,
A：Do you think your boss will give you a pay rise?
B：Does the sun e up in the west?
More than two groups of the mon characteristic of dialogue, it is the answer of B did not answer A’s question directly from the literal point of view, and B actually gives the answer in a metaphor way of discourse. The first example metaphor the boss will never give him salary by rhetorical question.
II. Relationships Between the Ontology and Metaphors Ontological metaphors can be divided into two categories from the perspective of
themselves,which are contact dominant and recessive link. From the perspective of translation corresponding extent, can be divided into pletely corresponding，part corresponding, not pletely corresponding.
A. Dominant Contact and Recessive Contact
Dominant Contact refers to the ontology and metaphors and metaphor words appear at the same time.
According to the similar characteristics between the ontology and metaphors, we pared the similar type is divided into shape type, affection type and action type.
Analogy are mostly located at the end of the sentence, stating the ontology, and rhetoric words are usually prefix type; sometimes, metaphors is in the sentence, explaining ontology; sometimes, metaphors appear before ontology, modifying ontology, monly suffix type . Here are three examples to illustrate,
“Her face show some celadon in the light, probably wiped the powder, liking black frost hung on the withered leaves.”Here to metaphor “black frost hung on the withered leaves.” clearly stated “light wipe the powder” their dark face.
“There is not much water in the river, but with a lot of algae bloom, like a long greasy green belt, narrow, long, deep green, slightly red tide flavor.”Here to metaphor “a long greasy green belt”to explain its ontology “the green algae in the river.”
“He went to find“Hu Niu”whose skin likes a black tower on white ground.”Here metaphors “dark tower”as the skin of“Hu Niu.”
Metaphor from the aspects of situation awareness, we will be divided into two categories: cognitive emotion; perception feeling like. Using familiar things or situations to tell the things or situations that be familiar with are called cognitive emotion type, using familiar things or scenarios to describe some kind of inner feeling called perception feeling type. Like this, “The soldiers fighting methods like trapped bees in the house, disorderly bump.”
To metaphor from the actions status, the relationship between ontology and analogy has two kinds.One kind is modifying relation, analogy first, ontology follows, figurative word use suffix type or pound. The other one kind is explaining relationship,ontology first and analogy follows then figurative words with pound. For example, “Hear old driver said hungry; he ran out fiercely, ran back quickly, holding ten stuffing lambed dumplings with a piece of Chinese cabbage.” Here, the analogy is “to fly”, ontology is “to run back”,the former modify the latter.Xiangzi, step east, step west, both hands move around - like a slender fish, along with the wave and exultant, crowded into the city.
Based on the relationship between the ontology and metaphors, this type also includes strong type and weak type.
Rhetoric words use prepositional verbs “than” or “better than”,ontology usually is stressed. For example, “The most honest man is more cunning than monkeys.”Figurative words use “yes”, “a”, “equal to” in this type of metaphorical sentences. The ontology and analogy is almost overlapping together, the relation between them is equal. As follows, “The woman at home is not a wife, but a demon eating human blood!”
Recessive contact refers to metaphor words do not appear which divided into two categories, co-occurrence and mono-occurrence.
When the ontology and analogy occur at the same time, this contact can be divided into two broad categories: type ab; type ba.
Type ab points that the former is ontology, analogy follows,and they constitute parallel relationships, for example, Both of us, two grasshoppers tied a rope, which also don’t run!
Type ba means that the analogy is in front, ontology follows, and they constitute a modified relation. As follows, He went out of the XuanWu gate: the road is so straight as his upright heart.
Only have analogy, no ontology. This kind of metaphor need understand in specific context. For instance, “He must know a thunder is waiting for him at home now, but he is very calm.”Collecting a natural phenomenoncalled “thunder” with “wait” that only human beings can do.
B. pletelyCorrespond, Partly Correspond, and Little Correspond
Human language is a reflection of human life, sometimes people from different countries and regions to the same things and things will have the same view. Therefore, for some things, they are the same meaning in the connotation of Chinese and western culture. “Fox”and the “fox”, for example, we know the fox is smart, cunning, often used to express meaning “suspicious”.“Be sycophantic” is used to represent a decent
woman, this woman although beautiful, but it is very dangerous, usually confuse men for their own purposes; the “fox” was more explicit it is really means what. “Fox turned not civet cats”, meaning “a crafty man is never bee an honest man”. In English, “slave”is cunning, dishonest meanings. Like, “he is as sly as a fox，you got to watch him”，“do not trust that man，he is a sly old fox”. In Chinese and English, the same things also can have the same meanings. For example, the Chinese idiom “like a poisonous snake”, to present a person isvery bad. There is a similar expression in English,like, “his serpent eye”and “a snake in the grass”.Some none phrases,verbal phrases and adjective phrases are follows:
Paper tiger纸老虎
Chain reaction连锁反映
Shadow cabinet影子内阁
One—man show独角戏
A thunder of applauses雷鸣般的掌声
To strike while the iron is hot趁热打铁
Make a monkey out of somebody拿某人当猴耍
To head a wolf into the house引狼入室
To add fuel to the flames火上浇油
To give somebody green light开绿灯
As happy as a lark像百灵鸟一样快乐
Bitter smile苦笑
As fat as a pig肥得像猪
The white terror白色恐怖
As light as a feather轻如鸿毛
From the above example, we can found that it is actually a cultural overlap phenomenon, that is to say, in two different languages; there are some things that can be accepted by both sides together. For example, fox in the two languages all means cunning. However, we must know this pletely in translation corresponds to the situation, after all, these cases occur occasionally.
Partly corresponding relation refers to a set of pletely corresponding to the phrases in a particular case, but in other cases does not correspond, neither pletely corresponding feature nor part. This situation actually reflect one question, under different cultural background, people in certain circumstances have a mon understanding on something, but because of social background, religious beliefs, customs and habits, etc reasons, tounderstand both sides of the same things again not pletely consistent, thus appeared the corresponding relations between the parts.“Rose”, for example, the corresponding Chinese meaning is “rose”, in Chinese and western culture represents love. But in some of the colloquial English, rose also represents other meaning, as in “under the rose”,“rose”refers to the meaning of “secret and confidential”. In addition, in western countries, if the roses on the table are to tell all participants should keep secrets for the meeting content. While China rose obviously didn't mean it. In China, we often use “thorn rose” to describe those beautiful girls but not accessible.3
In addition,figurative expressions also exists another kind of phenomena between
English and Chinese , both connotative meaning is the same, but the carrier is different.4 We know that language is a manifestation of the culture, the choice of the carrier often reflect the cultural characteristics. For example, English people often say, “The burnt child dreads the fire”, but it translates to Chinese, we don't translate it as “a burnt child dreads the fire.” But turn to “a burnt child dreads the fire. Once bitten, twice shy”, that is more in line with our Chinese speech habits, also can better accepted by Chinese people.
Little correspond is one of the worst processing in translation, due to cultural differences, each figurative phrases in his native language has its unique significance, but no corresponding phrases in the target language.
This brings a lot of problems to our translation work. For example, can we translate “show off” to “never offer to call a fish to swim”? In Chinese, teach fish to swim means don’t show off yourself in front of professional ability, sometimes there is the meaning of modesty in. But in English,“never offer to called a fish to swim”is only a meaning that someone is trying to want to tell the other one to do something, but the other one seems to understand better than he. By contrast, we know that “teach fish to swim”and“never offer to call a fish to swim” is not equivalent. The following sentences, therefore, we can only handle like this,
“The Name long since reached my ears like thunder, I am ashamed toshow off my inpetence in the presented of all experts like you.”先生大名，如雷贯耳，小弟献丑，真是班门弄斧. In another case, “The stork visited the Greens yesterday”. Here, we know the stork is a bird, we called “stork”in Chinese, it has no other meaning, but in
English, the child is believed to be caused by “stork”, a bit like “Songziguanyin”in Chinese. So,“a visit by the stork” means a child will be born, and the whole sentence should be “the greens yesterday added to a child.”
III. Several sources of cultural connotation of English figurative words A.Geographical and Historical Culture
The history of a nation is truthfully recorded the development of the society, which has a rich cultural heritage, particularly reflected in language. Figurative words in the English countries also contain its historical and cultural background. There are so many figurative words in English-speaking countries, like,
“meet one’s Waterloo”一败涂地;
“Watergate scandal”水门事件;
“lame duck”跛鸭;
“stick to one’s guns”坚持立场etc..
There are a lot of figurative words in the history of British literature. Such as Shy in Shakespeare’s the merchant of Venice-the lock. In the mention of his people, he will think of the miser.
Same things in different languages and cultures, its connotation meaning will be a very big difference; a cause of the difference is geography. Such as “west wind” and “西风颂”，exactly the same literal meaning, refers to the wind blowing from the west. But, British and Chinese understanding of westerly winds will be pletely different. Blowing westerly winds, Britain is the spring, everything is abundant. In China, scraping the westerly winds tend to late autumn, when the leaves wither, fallen leaves everywhere, it is very depressed. Western poet Shelly, therefore, to the west wind, whereas Chinese poet wrote, “the ancient road west wind thin horses, the setting sun, heartbroken people in the world.” So do desolate poem.
B. Religious Beliefs and Local Customs
Figurative words are another source of religious beliefs. Western people are Christian, in the west, the bible is equal to the book of songs with China’s literary status, western every aspect of life is influenced by the bible, and thus there are a lot of words from the bible. We are very familiar with a Judas, Judas is one of the 12 disciples, and he betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. It implied that the person is a traitor.
BabelTower es from the Old Testament genesis, Utopian plan. Like the word scapegoat, from the old testament-Levi’s, the high priest held in the “Jewish yom kip pur”, killing two male sheep, then put his hands on a sheep’s head, and declare themselves and the people of sin, and said that all sins should be borne by the sheep, After this, the sheep will be abandoned in the wilderness so that sin has gone follow the sheep. so the scapegoat refers to stand the sins that people had, because westerners believe in god, so there are some phrases like, “for heaven’s sake,”“for the love of god” and “heaven knows”, and so on
Many English figurative words originated from the local conditions and customs,
and habits. But if people does not understand the local conditions and customs wholly, it is hard to avoid making mistakes, for example, I can’t make it out why should you get in out on the kids at the drop of a hat. The ments from the people in the United Statesin the western large-scale development period, whenever a duel is, the referee who threw the hat down, both sides began to fight. Later, people used the metaphor “immediately”or “easily...”
Similarly, in Chinese eyes, “dragon”is a kind of luck, on behalf of a deified animal worshiped by Chinese people; however, in the west “d and n”is a violent and rage monster, the symbol of evil, refers to bad people, Satan, the devil king, harsh and alertness of women. The “terrible monsters” and the “dragon”in the Chinese eyes are two very different concepts; its cultural connotation is pletely different. Also a dog in the western is regarded as a pet, a dog often pared to people, “Top dog”最重要的人物; “lucky dog”幸运儿; “Every dog has his day”凡人皆有得意日. The dog is a good way in these metaphors positions words, and “dog” is a derogatory term in Chinese.
C. Sports and Productive Labor
Physical activities and productivities are important parts of national cultural development, human’s productive labor and sports entertainment activities is keeping pace with human civilization, both of them are the symbol of national culture. Sports and productivities of the figurative words clearly reflect a nation’s cultural characteristics, bearing the cultural information. Sports often reflect various national cultural aspects of people’s social life, and productivities present the improvement of
national culture. Sports and productivities are masses of working people’s culture.
In England, people put the cricket as a national sport in Britain. According to expert textual research, the cricket derives from baseball. Cricket is popular in Britain in the 14th century with the British men opening up the continent .In the 18th and 19th century this kind of ball game has been quite popular in the United States. Americans DouBudye organized the first modern baseball field in 1839 which is very similar to a baseball game. Baseball and cricket are English favorite sports, there are many figurative words e from sports. For example,
“duck’s egg”没有得分;
“throw in one’s hand”扔下手中的牌;
“set up to the plate”开始做某事;
“to not get to first base”没有跑到第一垒means no preliminary achievements;
“to have tow strikes against one”三击两不中
“to hit below the belt”打对方下身means to crack down others;
“ to play in one ‘s trump cards”打出王牌means take a key step.
Labor created the world, also created the language. Figurative words closely related to people’s material production, nearly all industries of life have their own figurative words. Such as those related to Marine fisheries,
“as close as an oyster”守口如瓶; “All is fish that es to one’s net”来者不拒; “Trim the sails to the wind”见风使舵; “Clean the deck”冲破阻碍; “In the English language as he is strong as a horse”力大如牛etc..。