汉语熟语的转喻迁移及其英译策略——以《生死疲劳》的葛浩文英译为例

Metonymic Transfer in Chinese Idioms and Their Translation: A Case Study of Goldblatt's English Translation of Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out

本文将熟语的字面义到引申义的规约化过程看作一种转喻迁移过程,在此基础上借助概念转喻理论,分析了葛浩文对《生死疲劳》中采用的熟语进行翻译处理的方法,挖掘了熟语英译背后英汉两种语言和文化之间存在何种不同的转喻思维。研究表明:1)译者只有充分考虑到熟语内部语义的转喻迁移,才能实现对等的语言转换;2)葛浩文在《生死疲劳》英译过程中对熟语的处理带有一定的译者主体性色彩,其转喻思维方式影响不同翻译策略的使用。

Holding that the conventionalization of idioms from their literal meanings to extended meanings is a metonymic transfer, and based on the theory of conceptual metonymy, this paper attempts to explore how Howard Goldblatt deals with the translation of idioms in the English version of Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, delving into the different metonymic thoughts underlying two different languages and cultures. The study shows that 1 ） only by taking into account the metonymic transfer in the semantic development of idioms can the translator achieve an equivalent version; 2） Goldblatt exhibits certain subjectivity in his translation of idioms in Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out, and the metonymic thought patterns determine utilization of different strategies.