中国文化特色词英译中的对等与不对等

Chinese Culture-specific Characters for Translation:Equivalence and Inequivalence

语言既是文化的一部分,又是文化的一种表现形式。中国文化和英美文化在诸多方面都存在着各种各样的差异,有重叠,也有迥异。因此,如何实现文化词翻译中的对等是译者面临的一个难题。文章从文化、文化词汇的定义和中外学者对文化词汇的分类及所持的观点入手,对政治、经济、法律、历史、宗教、饮食、谚语和典故等方面的中国文化特色词的英译作一探讨,并尝试着提出几种中国文化特色词英译的方法。

Language is both a part of culture and a demonstrative form of culture. There exist various differences between Chinese culture and Western culture in various aspects, with overlappings and even more disparities. Thus, how to achieve equivalence in culture-specific words is a hard task presented to translators. This essay, starting from the definitions of culture, culture-specific words and classification of culture-specific words, probes into the English translation of Chinese culture-specific characters in political, economic, legal, religious, historic, cookery spheres and in idioms, sayings and allusions, and attempts to put forward several strategies concerning translating Chinese culture-specific characters into English.