汉语计时文化特色词汇英译

English Translation of the Chinese Culture-specific Timing Terms

中国传统计时法是中国传统文化的重要组成部分之一,如何使汉语计时词汇的英语翻译既保留其文化特色又能使英语读者明白易懂,是每个汉英译者必须解决的实际问题与重要职责。针对干支纪年法、年龄与月份别称、动物生肖、节气、八字等中国传统计时文化进行分析,并试图探索其文化特色词的英译技巧。

As an important part of Chinese traditional culture, Chinese traditional timing is filled with various culture- specific terms which brings about great difficulties in their English translation. It is the responsibility of translators to retain the original Chinese traditional cultural factors implied in them and make their English versions understandable to the general English readership in the meantime. Based on the analysis of the heavenly stems and earthly branches, another names of human ages and months, animal symbolic years, solar terms and ＂eight characters＂ designating the human birth times, the article attempts to explore their effective Chinese English translation approaches.