【中英翻译】动物词在汉英文化中的喻义及其翻译

1、动物词在汉英文化中的喻义及其翻译Abstract As we know, animals are good friends of human beings. In the long progress of human society, animals contribute much to mans living. Therefore, animal words come to human language and play a very important role in human communication. Language is a cultural carrier. There are a lot of animal words in both English and Chinese but the two countries have great differences in cultural backgrounds and thinking modes. These differences between the two cultures lead to differen

2、t figurative meanings of animal words. This essay will try to compare the figurative meanings of animal words both in English and Chinese from the following aspects：same animal association vehicles with the similar and different figurative meanings, the different animal association vehicles with the similar figurative meanings and the semantic gaps. With comparison, we can clearly see that these figurative meanings of animal words greatly influence the intercultural communication. As an importan

3、t means of crosscultural communication, translation is also closely connected with culture. For the purpose of our effective communication, we should use different kinds of methods to do the equivalent translation between the two languages and build a bridge for the linguistic cultural exchange. Key Words animal words; figurative meaning; association vehicle; English and Chinese cultures; intercultural communication; translation 【摘 要】众所周知，动物是人类的朋友。在人类社会漫长的发展过程中，动物为人类的生存提供物质基础。而语言作为文化的载体，记录着人类社会文

4、明发展的进程；人类的语言中必然存在着大量的反映动物名称的词汇。但由于汉英两个民族各自的社会文化背景和思维方式不同，在动物词的喻义的表现上也不尽相同。本文拟从英汉两种文化中动物词的联想喻体与喻义之间的对应关系着手，主要表现为：同一联想喻体，喻义却有同有异；不同联想喻体，喻义却相同以及一方语义空缺等来进行比较分析，从中得知汉英两个民族在以动物为比喻的应用上存在着差异，而这种差异给跨文化交际带来障碍。因此在跨文化交际中，我们必须正确理解这些动物联想喻体所负载的文化信息，采取不同的方法进行英汉两种语言的等值翻译，以便减少交际障碍，为两种语言文化的交流搭建一座沟通的桥梁。【关键词】动物词；喻义；联想喻体；汉英文化；跨文化交际；翻译 Introduction Close relationship between animals and human beingsHuman beings and animals are both the products of natural evolution, and factually man had evolved from animals. But sinc

5、e human beings created language, there have existed some great differences between man and animals. Language, the result of human labor and social activities, is human specific, which is the major factor that distinguishes human beings from animals. In the long progress of human society, animals, which provide food and labor force for human, have been closely bound up with human existence and development. Their furs were also good dress materials for ancient human to keep out wind and cold. In a

6、 certain stage of primitive society, man once considered animals as Gods to worship. So far animals are still close friends of human beings. Now that animals play an important role in human lives, the animal words in human languages will bear the deep sociocultural imprints in the course of being used long by the human beings. Influence of animal words in both Chinese and English culture Language is the carrier and container of cultural information. Human beings have been interacting with the wo

7、rld and accumulated their experience and knowledge about the world, which are represented in language. As a result, we can find in language all human knowledge and experience which are interpreted as cultural information. So in human language there exist a plenty of animal words that are often used as kinds of association vehicles. Human beings often associate their feelings and emotions with various animals according to animals features such as their appearances, habits and characteristics so t

8、hat the names or images of animals possess specific cultural connotations. Culture is the soil of language. Sir Edward Tylor, a British anthropologist, was one of those who first defined culture，in Primitive Culture （）. His definition was that “Culture is complex whole, which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” Tylors definition has continually been the basis of most anthropological conception of cul

9、ture. Culture is also a historical phenomenon. Each generation inherits the culture established by its forefathers and makes its own contributions to the development of culture; so different nations have different cultures. Universality between Chinese and English cultures and similarity in the thinking modes make people associate the same animal words with the same or similar figurative meanings. But differences between these two cultures always lead to different association, i.e. Chinese and English people have different figurative meanings to same animal words or use different animal association vehicles to express same or similar figurative meanings. English and Chinese are rich in animal words as association vehicles, so in this paper the author mainly compares figurative meanings of animal words in English and Chinese culture and indicates translation techniques. Animal words as association vehicles It is well k

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