文化语境与语言翻译

3. Cultural Convergence and Translation 英国译学理论家Susan Bassnett ： “如同在做心脏手术时人们不能忽略 心脏以外的身体其他部分一样，我们 在做翻译时也不能冒险将翻译的言语 内容和文化分开来处理。”
A Popular Trend: Cultural Convergence （文化趋同）






罗密欧和朱莉叶在Romeo and Juliet（Act II, sc. I）中的爱情对话共有200 多行。归纳 起来，对话的核心就是 Romeo:Juliet is the sun！--- O！It is my love. Juliet: My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite. 其他话语都是围绕主题“I love you very much”展开的。Romeo和Juliet 对话中共用 了27 个“love”。

画饼充饥，指鹿为马，指桑骂槐
2.2 Linear v.s. Circular/Spiral e.g.: 例如，“楼台会”中梁祝之间 互相表白爱情的一段对话： 梁：贤妹妹我想你，神思昏昏寝食废。 祝：梁哥哥我想你，三餐茶饭无滋味。 梁：贤妹妹我想你，衣冠不整无心理。 祝：梁哥哥我想你，懒对菱化不梳理。 梁：贤妹妹我想你，提起笔来字忘记。 祝：梁哥哥我想你，东边插针寻往西。 梁：贤妹妹我想你，那日不想到夜里。 祝：梁哥哥我想你，那夜不想到鸡啼。



After 1978
supermarket, white pollution, green food, on-line shopping, fast food, McDonald, computer, internet, net site, e-mail, e-commerce, P.K “粉丝” “加入WTO” “今年的GNP/ GDP增长有望高于7.1%”.

2.5 Static v.s. Dynamic
e.g.: The whole armada, equipped at once for sailing or propulsion by the oars, was a striking and formidable spectacle.

整个舰队装备齐全，既可扬帆航行， 也可划桨前进，其规模蔚为壮观，令 人生畏。

1.2 Definition of Culture



The Origin: Latin word “cultura”, which means “plant/cultivate” .

Edward Burnett Tylor “Culture……is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of a society.” ——Primitive Culture (1871)

首先，翻译是一门科学，它需要知识 ，需要核对事实的能力，需要懂得描 述这些事实的语言。翻译中，错误的 内容，错误的事实，应该加以鉴别。
2.4 Hypotaxis (形合) & Parataxis （意合） e.g.: He, amply provided with liberal accomplishments, and bound, if he kept the straight road, to attain all distinctions, was goaded by a spirit of haste, which impelled him to outpace first his equals, then his superiors, and finally his own ambitions: an infirmity fatal to many, even of the good, who, disdaining the sure and slow, force a premature success, though destruction may accompany the prize. 他是个有才华的人，如果走正道的话，一定能够获 得成功。但是他心浮气躁，急于从同层次的人中脱 颖而出，继而超过比他地位高的人，结果野心迅速 膨胀。这是包括一切优秀人士在内的很多人身上都 有的致命弱点，这些人不屑于稳步升迁，一味追求 早日成就功名，哪怕身败名裂也在所不惜。





E. A. Nida “Culture could be the totality of the beliefs and practices of a society.” ——Language and Culture (2001) Peter Newmark “I define culture as the way of life and its manifestations that are peculiar to a community that uses a particular language as a means of expression.” ——A Textbook of Translation (1988)


鳄鱼的眼泪 crocodile tears ， 橄榄枝 olive branch
德先生— 民主 democracy， 赛先生— 科学 science, 社会主义 socialism, 资本主义 capitalism, 哲学 philosophy, 逻辑 logic 电话 phone, 电灯 electric lamp， 电影film ，雷达 radar ，收音机 radio ， 照相机 camera ，维他命 vitamin
美国的翻译理论家对翻译语境的讨论有明显的文 化人类学特征，主要从文化语境的角度讨论问题 ，因而跨文化意识较强。



——Daniel Shaw: “翻译语境是翻译过程 中聚合起来的文化互动的总和。” 把“Context of Culture”图示为 Source→Translator→Receptor ——Eugene Nida: Contexts in Translating 他们的翻译语境观侧重于文化语境，缺 乏对情景语境及语言等语境层面的关注 。




文化语境就是在某一特定的具体的文化 中，人们的认知环境，该认知环境同样 包括语言环境、具体语境和认知语境。 这每一环都与语言密切相关。 具体包括： thinking modes, proper noun, address, color, idiom, euphemism, number, name of animal or plant, allusion, etc.
e.g.: “小康社会”: 十四大译为： a well-off society, 十七大改为: a moderately prosperous society “反腐倡廉”: 十四大译为： fight corruption and build a clean government 十七大改为: fight corruption and uphold integrity
2.3 Complex or Compound v.s. Simple e.g.: Translation is first a science, which entails the knowledge and verification of the facts and the language that describes them—here, what is wrong, mistakes of truth, can be identified.

英国翻译理论家受功能主义语境观影响



wk.baidu.com
——B. Malinowski: context of situation & context of culture （提出情景语境和文化语境的概念 ） ——Halliday: 情景语境三大要素： Field(语场): Refers to what is happening, to the nature of the social action that is taking place. (语场指在交际 过程中实际发生的社会活动) Tenor(语旨): Refers to who is taking part, to the nature of the participants, their statuses and roles. (语旨指参 与者之间的社会关系) Mode(语式)：Refers to what part the language is playing, what is that the participants are expecting the language to do for them in that situation.(语式指交际 的渠道和媒介) 他们主要讨论语境和翻译的关系问题，对文化语境关 注不够
3.1 The Process of Cultural Convergence in China: From Qing Dynasty to 1978 From the Foreign Literature： 鳄鱼的眼泪, 橄榄枝 Reflecting the Western Science ： 德先生— 民主 ，赛先生— 科学, 社会 主义, 资本主义, 哲学, 逻辑 Reflecting the Western Technology: 电话, 电灯，电影，雷达， 收音机， 照相机， 维他命
Cultural Context and Translation
1. Definition of Context and Culture
1.1
Context refers to the conditions in which something exists or occurs. Linguistically, this is the part of a discourse surrounding a word or passage that helps make its meaning clear.





20世纪90年代，对于翻译语境context in translation / translation context的讨论日渐 盛行，并且在英美两国呈现初两种不同的理 论取向。 翻译语境论内涵：译者、原作语境、译语语 境、互动 翻译语境论本质属性： 主观性（指受制于译者，受译者自身兴趣、 需要、知识、经验、文艺修养、欣赏习惯、 个人信仰的影响） 动态性（翻译语境随时空的变化而变化） 对话性（由于翻译语境的主观性和动态性， 翻译语境的构建不是一次就能完成的，是永 无休止的对话过程）


2. Different Thinking Modes in China and Western Countries Translating Steps: comprehension→expression → revision (理解→表达→校核 ) 2.1 Abstract v.s. Visual e.g.: Science is a method that ignores religion, race, nationality, economics, morality, and ethics.