Culture of Numbers and Translation 数字文化与翻译
1Culture of Numbers and Translation数字文化与翻译摘要：数字除了表示事物的数量或次序外，还广泛用于成语或词组中，作为夸张和比喻的修辞手段.在科学的数字世界里,它的功能是计算,毫厘分明,精确严谨,是实数;而在人类心灵的语言世界里,它的功能是表义,许多数字经过“泛化”,抒情达意,增强语势,是虚数.由于受民族心理,宗教信仰,语言崇拜等文化差异的影响,英汉语的数字泛化的内涵和外延,虽有共同的规律,但也存在着较大的差异.关键词: 数字; 文化; 翻译Abstract: The numbers not only indicate the quantity or order of things, but also widely used in the phrases or idioms, as hyperbole and analogy. In the scientific world, numbers function is to calculate precisely and clearly, they are real numbers; whereas in the language of human souls world, numbers function is to convey a certain meaning, many numbers “generalized“ to convey ideas and feelings or enhance language potential, they are imaginary numbers. Due to the influence of national psychology, religion, language and other cultural differences worship, the connotation and extension of “generalization” in English and Chinese numbers, although there are common rules, but also great differences.Key words: Number; Culture; Translation I. IntroductionNumbers are used by the whole humanity so that culture of numbers has come into being. Culture of numbers dealts with many fields: politics, economy, history, geography, astronomy, marriage, religion, etc. We know “three representatives” (三个代表); “love triangle”（三角恋）, “the nine heavens” (九重天; the Western culture:the seven heavens), etc. In daily life according to Chinese culture, people like “6” , “8” and “9” better, which are known to everyone. And in English culture, there exists culture of numbers everywhere, which deals with many fields, showing that numbers should be paid attention to, too. “seven” is a holy and mysterious number which is made up of “4” and “3” which are regarded as lucky numbers. There are many idiomatic usages with “seven” in English culture: the Seventh Heavens(七重天), the Seventh Senses(七种官能), the Seven Deadly or Capital Sins(七大罪), etc. (cf. LYL. 22003:115) II. Culture of Numbers2.1 Chinese Culture of NumbersIn Chinese culture, certain numbers are believed by some to be lucky or unlucky based on the Chinese word that the number name sounds similar to. However some Chinese people regard these beliefs to be superstitions. Since the pronunciation and the vocabulary may vary greatly in different Chinese dialects, the rules are not generally applicable for all cases.2.1.1 Favourable NumbersLucky numbers are based on Chinese words that sound similar to other Chinese words. The numbers 2、6、7、8,and 9 are believed to have auspicious meanings because their names sound similar to words that have positive meanings.The number 2 , pronounced “èr” is a good number in Chinese culture. There is a Chinese saying “good things come in pairs“. It is common to use double symbols in product brandnames, e.g. double happiness, double coin, double elephants, etc. Cantonese speaking people like the number two because it sounds the same as the word “easy“ (易) in Cantonese.The number 6, pronounced “liu“, sounds like the word for “flowing“, “smooth“ or “slippery“ which can mean “everything goes smoothly“.The number 666 is considered one of the luckiest numbers. It can be seen prominently in many shop windows across the country, and people there often pay extra to get a mobile phone number including this string of digits. Coincidentally, that number is considered to be unlucky or demonic in Western culture.License plate number AW6666 was bought for 272,000 yuan (US$34,000) in an auction by an anonymous bidder on behalf of a motorcycle dealership in Zengcheng, Guangzhou. 3The number 8, in Chinese (Pinyin: b) sounds similar to the word which means “fortune“, “prosper“ or “wealth“ (发, Pinyin: f). In regional dialects the words for “eight“ and “fortune“ are also similar, eg Cantonese “baat“ and “faat“.There is also a resemblance between two digits, “88“, and the shuang xi ('double joy'), a popular decorative design composed of two stylized characters 喜 (xi, 'joy', 'happiness'). Telephone number 8888-8888 was sold for USD$270,723 in Chengdu, China.The Summer Olympics in Beijing are scheduled to open on 8/8/08 at 8:08:08 p.m. A man in Hangzhou offered to sell his license plate reading A88888 for 1.12 million yuan. The number 9 (jiu), sounds like the word for “longlasting“ (久 pinyin ji) means to last a very long time such as in a relationship between friends or lovers.2.1.2 Unfavourable NumbersNumber 4 (Pinyin: sì) is considered an unlucky number in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese cultures because it sounds like the word “death“ (死 pinyin s). Due to that, many numbered product lines skip the “4“: e.g. Nokia cell phones (there is no series beginning with a 4), Palm PDAs, the Leisure Suit Larry games, Canon PowerShot G's series (after G3 goes G5), etc. In East Asian, some buildings do not have a 4th floor. (Compare with the American practice of some buildings not having a 13th floor because 13 is considered unlucky.) In Hong Kong, some high-rise residential buildings miss ALL floor numbers with “4“, e.g. 4, 14, 24, 34 and
