文学语境与成语翻译

On Translation of Idioms in Literary Context

成语的魅力主要不在其表层义和指称义,而在其隐含义、引申义和联想义。成语的词典翻译不同于文学语境下的语用翻译:前者往往是孤立静止的,后者则是灵活多变的。文学翻译不是简单的"文学"+"翻译",它是以再现作品的文学性与美学价值为指归的,成语翻译也同样如此。

The charm of idioms does not lie in their literal or denotational meanings, but in their extensional and imaginary meanings. The dictionary translation of idioms, which is generally made literally and in no context at all, is quite different from the pragmatically-oriented translation of idioms in literary context, which is always done flexibly and beautifully. Literary translation by no means refers to something like ＂literature＂ plus ＂translation＂. Literary translation should be done aesthetically and in literary way, and so should idiom translation.