不可译性在中西文化差异中的体现及转化策略

On the Untranslatability due to Differences between Chinese and Western Cultures and Transformation Strategies

By

Wu Suying

In partial fulfillment of the requirement

For the B. A. degree

Department of English

School of Languages and Cultures

Nanjing University of Information Science amp; Technology

May 13, 2016

Acknowledgements

Classmates and teachers help me a lot to overcome numerous difficulties and obstacles in the process of writing this paper. My deepest gratitude goes first and foremost to my supervisor Ms. Zhang Lan, who has given me selfless guidance and help. Without her patient modifications and improvements, I will never finish my paper as scheduled.

Further, teachers in library have provided me with many aspects of support and help when I searched materials in library. I will also show my gratitude to the teachers who have given me warm help and guidance.

I would also like to express my gratitude to classmates and friends who have given me a lot of advice in the process of writing.

Finally, my gratitude also extends to my family, with support from whom, I can brave forward.

On the Untranslatability due to Differences between Chinese and Western Cultures and Transformation Strategies

Wu Suying

Department of English

School of Languages and Cultures

Nanjing University of Information Science amp; Technology

Abstract: Language is the carrier of culture, and there are differences between cultures. In the process of communication between Chinese and western cultures, translation plays an important role, which is a cross-language and cross-culture communicative activity, requiring other language to convey the original texts’ meaning as perfect as possible, while many differences which include religious customs, history, eco-culture and social culture lead to difficulties in English to Chinese or Chinese to English translations. This paper is to analyze all the above differences and to expound the untranslatability during translation. Meanwhile, several transformation strategies are put forward.

Key words: differences between Chinese and western cultures; untranslatability; translation; transformation strategy

摘要：语言是文化的载体，文化存在着差异性。在中西文化交流的过程中，作为跨语言、跨文化的交流活动，翻译起着至关重要的作用，翻译需要尽可能完美地传递原文意旨，然而由于宗教习俗，历史，以及生态文化和社会文化等原因导致的差异性使英汉和汉英的翻译过程中出现困难。本文就以上多种差异性的分析，论述在翻译过程中的不可译现象。同时，提出几种转化策略。

关键词：中西文化差异；不可译性；翻译；转化策略

Contents

1. Introduction 6

2. Untranslatability and Its Categories 6

2.1 Introductions to Untranslatability 6

2.2 Categories of Untranslatability 7

2.3 Cultural Untranslatability 7

3. On the Untranslatability due to Differences between Chinese and Western Cultures 9

3.1 Differences in Religious Customs Result in Untranslatability 9

3.1.1 Western Religion 9

3.1.2 Chinese Religions 10

3.1.3 Examples of Untranslatability 11

3.2 Differences in History Result in Untranslatability 12

3.2.1 Historical Context 12

3.2.2 Historical System 13

3.2.3 Historical Events 13

3.3 Differences in Eco-culture Result in Untranslatability 14

3.4 Differences in Social Culture Result in Untranslatability 14

4. The Relativity of Untranslatability and Transformation Strategies 15

4.1 Relative Untranslatability and Its Transformation to Translatability 16

4.2 Transformation Strategies of Untranslatability 17

4.2.1 Foreignization 18

4.2.2 Domestication 18

4.2.3 Combination of Domestication and Foreignization. 18

5. Conclusion 19

References 20

1. Introduction

Translation is a cross-language and cross-culture communicative activity, which requires other language to convey the original texts’ meaning as perfect as possible. Eugene A. Nida pointed out that “translating consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message, first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.” (Nida, 1993: 116) In his translation theory, he emphasizes linguistic generality, while the representation of the source language is difficult. (Tan, 1984: 55) Differences between source language and target language is self-evident, therefore it leads to a common phenomenon that it will lose some cultural information during translating. This phenomenon declares the relativity of translatability and the absoluteness of untranslatability. Therefore, Newmark gave his opinion that “if the content of the source language involved in the peculiarly natural environment, social system, cultural practices, the meaning of the translation would be misunderstood and this was the best interpretation to the characteristics of untranslatability.” (Newmark, 1981: 174) This paper is to analyze the differences between Chinese and Western cultures to expound the untranslatability during translation. In some cases, cultural untranslatability can be converted into translatability. With the increasingly deepened globalization of culture as well as intercultural communication, the untranslatability will not become an obstruction. Before proving this conclusion, we’ll make a citation and description on untranslatability.

2. Untranslatability and Its Categories

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