Cultural differences in language and translation strategies
Abstract: Because of the different customs and geographical environment, there is a huge cultural difference in English and Chinese. This kind of difference brings to the language communication between the obstacles. Language schools make it possible to different language communication, through domestication and alienation translation strategies, which can realize communication between two languages
Key words: differences; Strategy; Domestication; Alienation; translation
一． Introduction
Translation is not only a kind of cross-language communicative activity, but also a cross-cultural communication activity. Language and culture are inseparable and they can influence each other. Language is the product of culture, no matter from the language symbols or the society, it has an obvious cultural characteristics. Language culture focuses on cultural attribute, the cultural value and cultural function of language, etc. As language connotation of culture, giving is all aspects of the language. The following three aspects are typical expression
(1) Impact and strict language systems (including pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, etc.)
(2) Decided the content and form of language
(3) Affect human’s language thinking and expression form
Thus, as a cultural carrier of language is only meaningful in a particular culture. As the American translation theorist Nida said: "translation is the communication between the two cultures. For truly successful translating, familiar with two cultures is even more important than to master two languages.” there is a huge difference in Chinese-English nationality values, beliefs, customs, historical background, geographical conditions, social system, life experience, etc. This difference not only imprint their respective language but also bring many difficulties for the mutual translation between the two languages. This article start from the cultural differences of Chinese-English, try to seek the cultural equivalence translation by domestication and alienation.
二． cultural differences between Chinese-English
Because language is a product of culture and the social, we should understand it from the perspective of cultural and social. Chinese culture emphasize the "value theory" while English advocating "personal value supremacy". Besides values differences, Chinese-English cultural differences there are geographical environment and social environment, climate conditions and customs, etc.
(一) cultural differences caused by geographical environment
There is a regional culture. Special geographical environment and climate characteristics of the skin often give the region culture. Britain is the island, located in the western hemisphere, north temperate zone, oceanic climate, so its language reflect the geographical characteristics. For example: spend money like water; make water; all at sea. While China is located in mainland Asia, Chinese say “spend money like earth” As for the different climate lead to the different culture is also numerous. For example “Dongfeng” in China is the symbol of harvest, while “West Wind” replaces it in west countries.
(二) cultural differences caused by Customs
Chinese-English cultural differences caused by customs is obvious on animal vocabulary. British culture is the typical "Ma Wenhua", such as talk horse, get on one’s high horse, horse and horse etc. However, Chinese a "NiuWenHua".
三． Translation and Strategies
Domestication and alienation into China, many researchers raised their opinions on the two translation strategies. In 1987, an academic paper entitled “Domestication: The Wrong Track in Translation” by Liu Yingkai aroused the first round of dispute on domestication and alienation. In 1995, Weihui Reading Weekly and Foreign Languages School of Nanjing University organized a survey of readers, responses to different versions of the French novel Scarlet and Black, which gave rise to a debate on many translation issues, including domestication and alienation . Domestication and alienation serve as two major translation strategies. The two terms originated from German theologician and philosopher, Friedrich Schleiermacher’s lecture. Later on, Venuti (1995) explained the two terms. According to Venuti, domestication is the dominating translation strategy in Anglo-American culture. Employment of domestication brings the original text and author to the target text readers, erasing the linguistic and cultural differences and making the original text conform to the current dominant linguistic characteristics and values in the target-language culture. Alienation was coined by Venuti to resist domestication. Application of alienation brings the target language readers to the original author and the original text, keeping the original linguistic and cultural differences and even attempting to find differences. We may realize alienation by using non-standard
discourse or choosing to translate a text that challenges the contemporary canon.
Reference：
[1]Nida, Eugene A. Language, Culture and Translating. Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press. 1993:105-115.
[2] 赵爱国. 语言文化学论纲[M]. 黑龙江人民出版社,2006:28-41.
屈小楠，李春晓，冉小桃，徐相舒
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