汉语“半”字的文化透视及其英译——英译《红楼梦》译例分析

Reflections on Chinese “ban”Culture and the Translation of “ban” Expressions ——An Analysis of English Translations of“ban” in A Dream of Red Mansions

本文考察了“半”字的语法和语义特征,以名著《红楼梦》的两个英译本为语料,讨论了如何在正确理解“半”字语义及用法的基础上,恰当地将“半”字词语译成英文的方法。

This paper deals with the Chinese character ban. Although it is a special word in terms of word class and meaning, it has not yet received enough attention from the modern Chinese academic circles. Based on the studies of a few Chinese scholars, the paper first examines the grammatical and semantic features of 揵an?and then explores the traditional Chinese culture reflected by its proper use. Finally, by using two English versions of a famous Chinese novel A Dream of Red Mansions as data, the paper discusses the appropriate ways of translating ban-contained phrases and expressions in accordance with a precise and comprehensive understanding of the character.