“吃”不厌精,“译”不厌细——互文性理论观照下的汉语“吃”字俗语的英译

“EAT” Idioms and “Eatable” Translations——Translation of the Chinese “EAT” Idioms in Light of the Intertextuality Theory

中国饮食文化源远流长,中国人爱吃会吃,也把吃的哲学融进了生活和处世的方方面面。语言是文化的载体,汉语中存在着大量带有"吃"字的俗语。这类俗语使用频繁,活泼生动,内涵深厚,反映中国人的思想意识和价值观念,是翻译的难点。认识这类俗语的翻译价值,解读其文化特征,是做好翻译的前提和基础。在互文性相关理论的观照下,研究"吃"字俗语的翻译策略,探索"传情"、"达意"的有效途径,不仅有利于俗语的翻译研究,而且对中国文化的对外传播具有积极的意义。

Chinese cuisine culture has a long history.Chinese people have been fond of and good at cookery and their eating habit and philosophy are manifested in every aspect of their lives. Language serves as the carrier of the culture.In Chinese, quite a lot of idioms or set phrases contain the word“eat” .These idioms and phrases are frequently used in daily lives and literary works.They have profound cultural connotations and reflect Chinese people’ s spirit and values. Therefore, translation of such idioms and phrases is of importance.Based on the understanding of the translation values and the analysis of the features of these idioms, in light of the intertextuality theory, this article studies the translation strategies of these idioms and phrases and explores the effective principles of reproducing the image and cultural connotation in the translation.This study is not only helpful to the translation studies of idioms but also significant in promoting Chinese culture.