浅谈英汉谚语的文化差异
英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究

英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究1. 引言1.1 研究背景随着经济全球化和文化交流的深化,英汉语谚语的翻译问题备受关注。
如何准确、恰当地翻译英汉语谚语,不仅涉及语言能力和翻译技巧,更需要深刻理解和把握两种文化之间的差异,这对提高翻译质量、促进跨文化交流具有重要意义。
对英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究具有重要的理论和实践价值。
1.2 研究意义研究谚语文化差异对于促进英汉语之间的跨文化交流具有重要意义。
谚语是某种文化的精髓和智慧的集合体,通过研究不同语言中的谚语,可以更深入地了解各自文化的价值观和生活方式。
谚语翻译是语言翻译中的一个重要领域,对于提高翻译质量和效率具有积极的推动作用。
通过比较英汉语谚语的异同,可以挖掘出两种语言背后隐藏的文化内涵,有助于提高翻译的准确性和地道性。
研究谚语文化差异还可以帮助人们更好地理解和尊重跨文化交流中的差异,促进不同文化间的和谐共处。
探讨英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究具有重要的学术和实践意义。
2. 正文2.1 英汉语谚语的概念与特点英汉语谚语是一种常见的语言表达方式,在英语和汉语中都有着丰富的谚语资源。
谚语是人们在长期生活实践中总结出来的具有智慧和哲理的短小句子,具有较高的文化内涵和智慧。
英汉语谚语在表达形式、文化内涵和使用场景等方面存在一些共同点和区别。
英汉语谚语都是用简练的语言形式表达深刻的哲理和经验。
它们在几个词汇中蕴含着丰富的含义,能够直观地传达人们的思想和观念。
英语谚语"Actions speak louder than words"传达了实际行动比空谈更有力量的道理;而汉语谚语"知己知彼,百战百胜"则强调了了解对手和自己才能取得胜利。
英汉语谚语在文化内涵方面存在一定的差异。
英语谚语多以自然、动物、日常生活等为载体,强调实用性和生活智慧;而汉语谚语则更注重历史、文化、宗教等方面,反映了中国传统文化的思想和价值观。
英语谚语"A rolling stone gathers no moss"比喻不安定的生活方式不利于积累财富和成就;而汉语谚语"塞翁失马,焉知非福"则讲述了一个塞翁因失马而获福的故事,强调了看问题要有全面的思考。
浅析英汉谚语文化

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英汉谚语对比分析及其翻译策略

英汉谚语对比分析及其翻译策略谚语是人类文化的重要组成部分,是民间文学的一部分,是一种短小精悍的文学形式。
谚语在口头传播和书面表达中分布得很广,因此它们在传播民族文化,影响审美观念等方面发挥着重要的作用。
谚语起源于古代,中西方文化交往和传播进程中,有许多英汉谚语被翻译出来,它们在原文和译文之间的变化上有许多不同,这种变化在探究文化差异,分析译文策略等方面有重要价值。
英汉谚语的差异很大。
首先,英汉谚语的词汇有很大的差别,英语中的词汇有较多的专业性,而汉语中的词汇口语化,较多的是拟声词汇,有助于给读者带来良好的阅读体验。
其次,英汉谚语在表达方式上也有很大的不同。
例如,英文中“A rolling stone gathers no moss”表达的是一个人不闲着就不会有麻烦,而汉语中的“滚石不生苔”则表达的是一个人长期漂泊就不会有成就。
另外,英汉谚语在语气上也有很大的差异,例如,英语中的“Waste not,want not.”表达了“节约绝不会贫穷”,而汉语中“节约用度家可致富”则表现出更强烈的劝诫意味。
此外,英汉谚语在语句长短上也有所不同,例如,英文中“Don put off till tomorrow what you can do today”,而汉语中“今日事,今日毕”。
有时,由于谚语较短,在英汉翻译时,译文往往不能完全表达英文的表达意思,因此翻译时需要注意保留信息的完整性。
其次,以下是汉英谚语翻译的几种策略:首先,直译是最常用的一种策略,即尽量保留原文的形式和结构,使译文尽可能接近原文,更容易理解。
例如,“A friend in need is a friend indeed.”可直译成“患难之友才是真正的朋友”。
其次,意译是另一种常用的翻译策略,即以译者的理解为主,灵活运用词汇,翻译出原文的深层含义。
例如,“Familiarity breeds contempt.”可以灵活意译为“太熟悉会导致轻蔑”。
英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究

英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究汉语谚语是中国文化的重要组成部分,是中国语言和思维方式的体现。
与之相比,英语中的谚语也具有独特的文化内涵和表达方式。
本文将比较中英两种语言中的谚语,探讨其中的文化差异。
中文谚语注重道德规范和修身养性。
中文谚语中经常出现寓言故事和隐喻,通过对人性的揭示和批判,教育人们要遵守道德规范,修身养性。
“吃得苦中苦,方为人上人”强调通过吃苦耐劳获得成功,培养坚韧不拔的品质。
“知彼知己,百战不殆”则教育人们要了解自己和对手,才能在竞争中取胜。
这些谚语中蕴含的道德观念是中国人重视的人际关系和个人修养的体现。
而英文谚语则更多地关注实用和现实生活。
英文谚语通常以简洁短小的形式出现,直接表达出某种现象或经验的普遍真理。
“actions speak louder than words”通过行动胜过言辞的表达方式,强调实际行动的重要性。
“don't judge a book by its cover”则告诫人们不要仅仅根据外貌来评判一个人。
这些谚语是英国人重视实际行动和实际效果的反映。
中英两种语言的文化背景也对谚语的表达方式产生了影响。
中国是一个崇尚孔子和文化传统的国家,中文谚语中包含着对古人敬重和传统价值的继承。
而英国是一个重视个人自由和民主原则的国家,英文谚语中更多地体现了对独立思考和自由选择的推崇。
总结而言,中英两种语言中的谚语反映了不同文化背景下的价值观和思维方式。
中文谚语关注道德规范和修身养性,强调人际关系和个人修养。
而英文谚语则更注重实用和现实生活,强调实际行动和自由选择。
通过比较中英两种语言中的谚语,可以更好地了解和体验不同文化的魅力。
从英汉谚语的比较看中英文化差异

《长江丛刊》2019.0847从英汉谚语的比较看中英文化差异■邓秋峰/西北政法大学外国语学院摘 要:语言是人类文化的重要组成部分,谚语则是人类文化的精华,英汉语言来自于两个民族,具有着不同的文化特征。
基于此,本文针对英汉谚语进行研究,以此判断中英文化之间的差异,在简单了解了英汉谚语之间的差异后,分析造成中西方文化差异的具体原因,并且提出了几点交际策略,以供参考。
关键词:英汉谚语 中英文化 文化差异 交际策略一、英汉谚语体现的中英文化差异(一)生存环境最早的谚语是人们在劳动生产过程中总结出来的,因此最早的英汉谚语会受到地理位置的影响。
最明显的谚语就是挥金如土,英语的表达为“spend money like waetr,”,这是因为中国位于州大陆,相比较海洋面积,土地面积较大,土地是中国人民的主要生活依靠,而英国属于岛国,航海业更为发达,因此再形容浪费、花费较高时,经常会出现船、水等词汇,但汉语谚语中则没有相似的习语。
如:不知所措的英语表达为“all at sea ”、“to keep one ’s head above water ”的中文表达为“奋力图存”。
不仅如此,在汉语文化体系中,夏天意味着酷暑、东风意味着春风、这是因为中国位于北半球、气候多样,相反英国处于南半球,以海洋性气候为主,因此在英语文化体系中,西风意味着春天,而夏季代表的是温和美好。
(二)历史文化不仅是地理位置,在英汉谚语中,有很多词汇都和历史文化有关,而不同的历史文化也让英汉谚语之间存在巨大的差异。
比如:在汉语谚语中的“说曹操曹操到”的英文表达为“Talk of the devil and he come ”,从这一谚语中就可以看出前者源自于历史,后者源自于信仰文化,又比如:英语谚语中“Lvoe is blind ”的汉语表达为“情人眼里出西施”,这也是非常典型的历史文化谚语。
由此可知,虽然英语和汉语中有相似的言语,但两者的来源背景之间都有着较大的差别,在实际应用中,不能够直接对号入座。
英汉谚语中的文化差异研究

英汉谚语中的文化差异研究摘要习语是人类智慧的精华。
它是在群众间流传的,用简单通俗的话语反映出深刻的道理的固定语句。
总的来说,世界上各个民族的习语都蕴含了诲人的哲理并且节奏感特别的强烈。
毫不夸张的说,对一个民族的习语进行研究就可以更加深入的了解该民族的风俗以及人们的精神生活。
英语习语的汉译和汉语习语的英译不仅涉及了不用语言间的翻译,而且也是文化内容的体现。
习语作为英汉语言的精华,具有浓厚的历史和民族文化内涵,其产生和使用在各自的文化中呈现出不同的特色,因而,习语翻译历来是翻译的难点。
本文旨在从地理、历史、宗教和社会风俗等方面来分析中西方文化的差异在习语中的体现。
习语是人类经验的总结,因此它们在文化交流和文化转换的过程中扮演的重要的角色。
这篇论文展示出了几种比较实用的适合习语翻译的方法,如直译、借用、意译、直译加意译和注释等方法。
同时附有相对应的习语翻译。
以期使读者更好地了解中西文化差异,并灵活进行习语翻译。
关键词:文化差异习语翻译翻译策略及方法。
AbstractProverbs are the most popular language and the embodiment a general truth and the wisdom of a nation. Their meanings are in deep and rhythm. It is not an exaggeration to say that to explore the proverbs of a certain language is one of the feasible approaches to get into the inside of that nation’s people and spiritual life. The English-Chinese and Chinese-English proverb translation involves not only the transfer of language but also the transmission of culture.As the essence of English and Chinese language, proverbs or set phrases have strong historical and cultural contents, whose emergence and use demonstrate different characteristics in its own culture. Therefore, proverb translation has always been the difficulty for translation. The present thesis attempts to study cultural differences between western and eastern proverbs from perspectives like geographic, historical, religious and social customs. Since proverbs are the summary of the common people’s experiences,they play a decisive role in promoting different cultural exchange and cultural transmission.More importantly, this thesis is going to propose several methods for proverbs translation such as metaphrase, borrowing, free translation, metaphrase plus free translation and the use of notes. Practical proverb translation examples and methods are proposed accordingly. It’s hoped that this will benefit learners and readers in their better understanding of cultural differences and skillful translation of proverbs.Key words:cultural differences; proverb translation; translation strategies and methodsTable of Contents摘要 (I)Abstract (II)1 Introduction (1)2 Definition (2)2.1 The definition of proverb (2)2.2 The Definition of cultural dDifferences (2)3. The Analysis of East-West Cultural Differences (3)3.1 Geographic differences (4)3.2 Historical differences (5)3.3 Religious differences (5)3.4 Social customs differences (6)4. Translation Strategies and Methods (7)4.1 Metaphrase (7)4.2 Borrowing (7)4.3 Free Translation (8)4.4 Metaphrase plus free translation (8)4.5 The use of notes (9)5. Conclusion (10)References (11)1 IntroductionLanguage is the carrier of culture, which reflects the culture it represents. Set phrase or proverb is an indispensable essence part of culture, which contains very rich historical, social, religious and cultural contents. Actually, proverbs are seen as the most important too for people’s communication which can be treated as an indispensable part of culture and is influenced by culture in return. Without culture, language would be insignificant. Moreover, proverbs are considered to be the most popular saying in the society and the wisdoms of a nation which reveals the people’s mind and wisdom in pieces of words. Without proverbs, language would lack spirit and color. A concentrated reflection of various rhetorical means and a mirror of the historical and cultural conceptions of a society are revealed in proverbs.Proverbs between eastern and western countries vary differently due to their different ways of living, ways of thinking, different historical development and different cultures. Therefore, proverb translation has always been the difficulty for translation. Nevertheless, the successful translation of proverbs is of vital importance in inter-lingual and inter-cultural communication between China and western countries, and east-west cultural differences are among the largest barriers of proverb translation. It is thus very important and necessary for us to probe into the west-east cultural differences and come up with practical proverb translation strategies and methods in order to help learners and readers better understand the cultural differences and better translate proverbs.The present thesis attempts to study cultural differences between western and eastern proverbs from perspectives like geographic, historical, religious and social customs. Since proverbs are the summary of the common people’s experiences,they play a decisive role in promoting different cultural exchange and cultural transmission.More importantly, this thesis is going to propose several methods for proverbs translation such as metaphrase, borrowing, free translation, metaphrase plus free translation and the use of notes.2. Definition2.1 The definition of proverbProverb or set phrase is the crystal of language accumulated and extracted during people’s long-time practice and use. Proverbs often come from ancient classics, famous masterpieces, historical stories and folktales, which contain rich cultural information and have strong national characteristics. Proverb has the characteristics of vividness, profoundness, conciseness, humor and meaningfulness. Even within a single language community, proverb, and the extent to which it is used, tends to vary widely across social, ethnic, economic, and geographic strata. Proverb may fall into disuse over time; sometimes, however, it grows more and more common until it becomes the dominant way of saying something, at which time it usually comes to be regarded as mainstream, acceptable language, although in the case of taboo words there may not be an expression which is considered mainstream or acceptable. Numerous proverb terms pass into informal mainstream speech, and sometimes into formal speech, though this may involve a change in meaning or usage.Proverb often involves the creation of new meanings for existing words. It is common for such novel meanings to diverge significantly from the standard meaning.A proverb is a simple and concrete saying, popularly known and repeated, that expresses a truth based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim.Proverbs are often borrowed from similar languages and cultures, and sometimes come down to the present through more than one language. Both the Bible and Medieval Latin have played a considerable role in distributing proverbs across Europe, although almost every culture has examples of its own.2.2 The definition of cultural differencesThere are different meanings to the word “culture”. Sometimes, people who know about music, art, literature are thought to be cultured. However, to an anthropologist, the word “culture” means all the ways that a group of people think, feel, eat and dress. TheLongman Dictionary of Contemporary English gives such an explanation of culture: the customs, beliefs, art, music, and all the other products of human thought made by a particular group of people at a particular time. The linguistic difference that informs any cultural performance is dramatized in the common semiotic account of the disjuncture between the subject of a proposition and the subject of enunciation, which is not represented in the statement but which is the acknowledgment of its discursive and address, its cultural, its reference to a present time and a specific space. The pact of interpretation is never simply an act of communication between the I and the you designated in the statement. The production of meaning requires that these two places be mobilized in the passage through a Third Space, which represents both the general conditions of language and the specific implication of the utterance in a performative and institutional strategy of which it cannot “in itself” be conscious. What this unconscious relation introduces is ambivalence in the act of interpretation According to the famous translator Eugene Nida, culture is “the totality of beliefs and practices of a society”. He also holds that “Nothing is of greater strategic importance than the language through which its beliefs are expressed and transmitted and by which most interaction of its members take place.”Therefore it is obvious that cultural differences mean the differences in histories, religions, cultures, social beliefs and customs, etc. For instance, when people die, different cultures deal with their bodies differently. Sometimes bodies are burned; sometimes bodies are buried under the ground. In many cultures in the past, people were buried with food, weapons, and other things that might be useful in the next life. For example, the ancient Egyptians buried people with little human figures which were from clay. These clay figures were intended to work the death person in the other world.From above, we can see that cultures vary differently from one culture to another. There are many factors underlying in cultural differences, the author of this paper will conduct further analysis later in the following.3. The Analysis of East-West Cultural DifferencesThere are a number of cultural differences between China and other westerncountries, but the differences can be overcome in inter-cultural communications. Having a good command of the factors about the differences would help people better understand the language and the culture, so to perform successful communications. This paper has mainly chosen four east-west cultural differences: geographic differences, historical differences, religious differences and social customs differences. In the following, this paper will further discuss the main four differences respectively.3.1 Geographic differencesPeople in different countries live in different geographic environments, thus different cultures and different proverbs were formed in the process of laboring and struggling with nature. A certain culture exists in a certain terrain; inevitably, it reflects the natural and geographic features of the area. For this reason, when people use natural sights or objects to express themselves, there would be obvious differences. What’s more, people in different cultures hold different attitudes towards different natural phenomenon relevant to their living conditions, so the expressions of proverbs are also quite different.For example, China has long been an agricultural country with a vast land, so it has many expressions or proverbs with land or agriculture, such as “七十二行,庄稼人头一行”, “百叶农为本,民以食为天”, “地不翻,苗不欢”, “种田不用问,用好水和粪” and so on. However, Britain is an island country surrounded by vast sea, so it has many expressions or proverbs related to boats or seas, such as “The best fish swim near the bottom” (好鱼沉水底), “to go with the stream” (随波逐流), “The good seaman is known in bad weather”(要识还海员,须凭坏天气), “There’s as good fish in the sea as ever come out of it” (有了大海,害怕没鱼), “A man may lead a horse to the water, but he can’t make him drink” (牛不喝水,按不低头) and so on. These kinds of examples are numerous. Also, there are many proverbs peculiar to specific geographic areas, for instance, in English “bring coal to Newcastle”(多此一举), since Newcastle is a place abundant in coal. Meanwhile, there are similar proverbs in Chinese, such as “边收边耕,叶草不生”, “好树结好桃,好种出好苗”, “春风不刮,春芽不发” and so on.The totally different geographical differences of the east and west are responsible for the different cultural values embodied in the proverbs of the two languages.3.2 Historical differencesApart from geographic differences, historical differences are also of great importance. A certain culture is formed through a nation’s history, so when discussing cultural differences, historical differences cannot be neglected. Different countries have different historical developments, stories, legends, allusions and so on. For example, throughout the history, Chinese people define themselves as the descendents of “Yandi and Huangdi Emperors” the “Dragon” and the “Cathay”; so an proverb was “炎黄子孙”. There are also proverbs relevant to wars, persons, etc. such as “唱空城计”, “败走麦城”, “东施效颦”, “名落孙山” and so on. In English, there are also proverbs or expressions related to wars, persons peculiar in its own culture, such as “to meet one’s Waterloo” to mean failure, “a Trojan horse” to mean potential dangers, “Achilles’ heel” to mean one’s fatal weakness, the week or vulnerable point of a person, an organization, a country and “Pandora’s box” to mean the root of evils. There are boundless examples like this. The historic value of a certain culture is unique; people should pay special attention to it when engaged in inter-cultural communication and proverb translation.In brief, both East and West have its own historic field and literary works to reflect their proverbs. Only if the translator translates proverbs well, can the exact meaning will be transmitted.3.3 Religious differencesReligious belief is one aspect of human thought, which has great influence on culture. In many western countries, particularly in English-speaking countries, people believe in Christianity. They believe that God is all mighty. So there are many proverbs related to their belief. For example, “A tree is known by its fruit” (观果实可知树,观其行可知人), “God help those who help themselves”(自助者天助). In addition, the Bible has greatly affected the western culture, and some proverbs are derived from Bible, such as “the forbidden fruit” (禁果), “as poor as Job” (一贫如洗), “eye for eye and teeth for teeth” (以眼还眼,以牙还牙), and so on. While Chinese culture, on the other hand, was mainly influenced by Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Proverbs like “平时不烧香,临时抱佛脚”“泥菩萨过河,自身难保” reflect Buddhism; “乐极生悲”“脱胎换骨”“回光返照” are derived from Taoism; while “平安是福” is from Confucianism. Religion is a complex factor in inter-cultural activities, thus it cannot be ignored for its profound influence on cultures.From the analysis proverbs above, we can infer that God is powerful in Christianity and Buddha is mighty in Buddhism. The Chinese people adore the Buddha and the westerners show respect to the God.3.4 Social customs differencesSocial customs also play an important role in east-west cultural differences, as it embodies a nation’s history and value. Countries with different social customs have different beliefs, values and different national emotions. Just take China and English-speaking countries as an example, in China, horse is regarded as loyal and patient, so Chinese people treat horses as friends. There are many favorable proverbs related to horses, such as “马到成功”, “马首是瞻”. While Westerners regarded horses as their companion in their life as they can reveal from the proverbs like “a horse stumbles that has four legs”(everyone will make mistakes in one day), “it is too late to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted”(one needs to make preparation in advance, otherwise, he will suffer incurable loss).Dog is a low-down animal in Chinese culture, so proverbs related to dogs are derogatory, such as “狗嘴里吐不出象牙”, “狗咬耗子,多管闲事”,“狗咬吕洞宾,不识好人心”etc. On the contrary, English people regard dogs as faithful friends, so English proverbs relevant to dogs are positive. For instance, when they say someone is lucky, they would say “a lucky dog”; however, proverbs related to horses are not always good, such as “pay for a dead horse” means waste money.For another example, Chinese and English people hold different attitudes towards “dragon”. Chinese people think dragon as auspicious and precious, thus proverbs related to dragon are always predatory, such as “望子成龙”, “龙凤呈祥”and “乘龙快婿”. While western people often regard dragon as evil and ferocious, thus proverbs related to dragon are always negative, such as “chase the dragon” means taking drugs.Social customs have much to do with the national characteristic of proverbs. From the analysis above, we may find that people’s different attitudes towards the sameanimals are quite different, as the horse and the dog.4. Translation Strategies and MethodsFrom above analysis, we have already known the four main cultural differences between proverbs of China and western countries. In this chapter, the author will come up with some strategies and methods for proverbs translation. We summarized five main translation strategies and methods, namely: metaphrase, borrowing, free translation, the method of metaphrase combined with free translation and use of notes, in the hope to help learners and readers better translate proverbs, thus to ensure excellent translation texts and successful communications.4.1 MetaphraseMetaphrase is a method to translate Chinese proverbs directly into English. It is able to keep the meaning, form, and grammatical structure of the source language when adopting this method. Nevertheless, the method of metaphrase doesn’t mean translate the source proverbs word by word. For example, the Chinese proverb “三人行,必有我师”can be divided into two parts: “三人行” and “必有我师”. Their counterparts in English are “three men” and “teach”, so when translating “三人行,必有我师”, translators can adopt the method of metaphrase to translate it like “When there are three men walking together, one of them is bound to be able to teach me something”. For another examples, “路遥知马力,日久见人心” (A long road test a horse ‘s strength and a long talks proves a man’s heart), “井干方知水可贵”(We never know the worth of water till the well is dry), “吠犬不咬人” (Barking dogs do not bite) and so on.When using metaphrase method, the translator should follow several rules. The first is that the translation should transfer the message from the source text completely. The second is that the translation should accord with the characteristics of the target language. The last but not the least, the translation shouldn’t evoke incorrect imagination to readers.4.2 BorrowingBoth Chinese and English have lots of similar proverbs. Some Chinese and English proverbs have similar meanings and forms. Therefore, translators can use the method of borrowing when translating proverbs. For example, some Chinese proverbs and Englishproverbs have similar or underlying meaning, and they also have similar image or metaphor, such as the Chinese proverb “吃一堑,长一智” and the English proverb “A fall into the pit, a gain into your wit” have the same underlying meaning. The proverb “隔墙有耳,窗外岂能无人”and its translation “Wall have ears, and outside the window is there not a man?”Not only have the same metaphor meaning, but also have similar image. Some Chinese proverbs and English proverbs do not have the same image, but they do have the same metaphor meaning. For example, “山穷水尽” in Chinese means a hopeless situation. The English proverb “at the end of one’s rope” also means somebody has done all they could but still couldn’t find a way to solve the problem. Thus “at the end of one’s rope”is a preferred translation for “山穷水尽”. Using the method of borrowing, the target readers would have a sense of familiarity, which makes it easier for them to understand the translation and the culture.4.3 Free translationFree translation is the method mostly adopted when translators cannot translate the proverbs literally. For example, if translators use the method of metaphrase when translating the Chinese proverb “开门见山”, the translation would be “to open the door and see the mountain”, which is very awkward. In order to translate the original message more precisely, free translation should be adopted, since it focuses more on meaning. Then the proverb “开门见山” can be translated into “to come straight to the point”. The Chinese proverb “完璧归赵”has a metaphor meaning, which means give something back without a tiny damage. If we directly translate the proverb like “return the jade intact to the state of Zhao.”, then the metaphor meaning is lost. It’d better be translated as “return something to its owner in perfect”. There are also numerous other examples, such as “refuse to be convinced until faced with grim reality” (不见棺材不落泪), “stay out of things that don’t concern you” (井水不犯河水), “more hands, less work done” (一个和尚挑水吃,两个和尚抬水吃,三个和尚没水吃), “吹毛求疵” ( to pick a hole in one’s coat), “生灵涂炭” (to plunge the people into misery and suffering), and so on.4.4 Metaphrase plus free translationThere exist cases that either metaphrase or free translation can express the meaningof the source proverbs properly. At this moment, the translator could combine the method of metaphrase with free translation. For instance, the Chinese proverb “垂涎三尺”, “垂涎” can be directly translated like “mouth waters”, but “三尺” cannot be translated just as “three feet”. Or else, readers would be confused with the numbers. For this reason, translators can metaphrase the first part and freely translate the second part. The translation for “垂涎三尺” is “The mouth waters copiously”. For another example, “怨声载道” in Chinese, “怨声”can be directly transferred as “complaints”or “discontents”, but “载道”cannot be metaphrased as “fill the road”. Actually, “载道”can be freely translated as “everywhere”. Thus this proverb can be translated like “Complaints are heard everywhere”. Also, the proverb “走马观花” can be translated into “look at flowers while riding on the back of a galloping horse—give a cursory glance.”By combining these two methods, we can on the one hand maintain certain form or image of the source text, and on the other hand maintain the meaning.4.5 The use of notesThe last method of proverb translation in this paper is the use of notes. Strictly speaking, the use of notes can’t be deemed as a method of translation; however, how well translators deal with it determines the quality of the translation. Most Chinese and English proverbs that need to use notes in translating are derived from myths, allusions or historical stories, which have strong historical and cultural background. For example, “叶公好龙” can be translated as “Lord Sheh’s love of dragons” (Note: Lord Sheh was so fond of dragons that he adorned his whole palace with drawings and carvings of them. But when a real dragon heard of his infatuation and paid him a visit, he was frightened out of his wits). For another instance, “东施效颦”, “东施” was an ugly girl, and “颦” refers to Xishi—one of the four most beautiful girls in ancient China. This proverb contains a historical story. Dongshi wanted to be a beautiful girl just like Xishi, so she imitated Xishi. When translating this proverb, translators should use notes for explanations of readers. However, in most cases, notes are long. So it is recommended to use notes only when necessary.In this part, the paper has mainly discussed five common and different strategies andmethods of proverbs translation. Each strategy should be employed in suitable situation in an appropriate manner.5. ConclusionThis paper makes an attempt to analyze the cultural differences between Chinese and English proverbs, as well as translation strategies and methods; which aims to figure out the influences cultural differences have on proverbs translation, and comes up with some practical translation strategies and methods of proverbs. It is hoped that this paper will provide some enlightenments and suggestions for learners and readers. Owing to the cultural differences, it is difficult for translators to find the best method in proverb translation. All the four methods in the thesis are not the ideal or correct solutions and there may exist some better methods to be found. After all, they may treat as a reference for translators. Furthermore, the study of Chinese proverbs and the appropriate translation methods are helpful to promote the cultural exchange between English and Chinese.In order to promote interaction among different cultures and to ensure successful communications, special attention should be paid to proverb translation since it is an indispensable part of a language which contains rich cultural information. When translating proverbs, translators should know well of the foreign histories and customs, master a lot of similar foreign proverbs or expressions, have a good command of the source language and be flexible and skillful in the use of proverb translation strategies and methods. Only in this way can translators render better translation whether in form or meaning or both.Finally, it should be acknowledged that what has been done in this thesis may not be a final solution to the problem. Rather, it is hoped to be helpful for the translation of Chinese and English proverbs and provide some information for further relevant researches.正文字数要4000字左右,你的严重不足。
从英汉谚语看中西文化差异

交际策略
掌握有效的跨文化交际策略,如礼貌原则、 合作原则等,以促进有效沟通。
经典案例分析与讨论
案例选择
挑选具有代表性的英汉谚语翻译案例进行分析和 讨论。
文化内涵挖掘
深入挖掘每个谚语背后的文化内涵和价值观念, 以揭示中西文化之间的差异和联系。
ABCD
翻译技巧探讨
针对每个案例,探讨其采用的翻译技巧和方法, 并分析其优缺点。
尊老爱幼传统美德传承
中国谚语强调尊老爱幼的传统美德,如“老吾老以及人之老,幼吾幼以及人之幼”(尊 敬自己的长辈推广到尊敬别人的长辈,爱护自己的孩子推广到爱护别人的孩子)。
西方谚语中也有类似表达,如“Respect your elders”(尊敬长辈),但相对而言, 西方社会更强调个人的独立和平等。
善恶报应信仰体现
西方谚语中,善恶报应观念并不明显,更多强调个人责任和自由选择,如“You make your own luck”(命运掌握在自己手中)。
中国谚语则强调善恶有报,如“善有善报,恶有恶报”(做好事有好报,做坏事有坏报),反映了中国 文化的因果报应观念。
西方谚语中也有类似“What goes around comes around”(一报还一报)的表达,但与中国文化中 的报应观念有所不同,更多强调个人行为的后果自负。
自然灾害应对策略反映
英语谚语中在面对自然灾害时,强调人的主观能动性和抗争精神,如“Where there is a will, there is a way”(有志者事竟 成)等。这些谚语鼓励人们积极应对挑战,战胜困难。
汉语谚语则更注重顺应自然、防范未然的思想。在面对自然灾害时,汉语谚语倡导提前做好准备,如“未雨绸缪”、“防患 于未然”等。同时,也强调在灾难面前保持冷静和理智,以最小的代价应对挑战。
英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究

英汉语谚语文化差异的比较研究1. 引言1.1 背景介绍英汉语谚语是两种语言中非常重要的文化元素,是人们在日常生活中引用和传承的智慧。
随着全球化进程的加深,英汉语谚语之间的文化差异也逐渐受到重视。
中英两种语言的谚语在表达形式、内涵和文化背景上存在明显的差异,在跨文化交流中可能会导致理解上的障碍。
研究英汉语谚语的文化差异,有助于增进人们对不同文化间的理解和尊重。
本文将从文化背景、性质和表达形式、日常生活中的应用及文化价值观等方面比较英汉语谚语的差异,探讨这些差异背后的文化原因。
通过深入分析英汉语谚语之间的异同,可以更好地理解两种语言的文化价值观和世界观,为跨文化交流提供启示和帮助。
结合现实生活的案例和实践经验,探讨英汉语谚语的实际应用和意义,为促进不同文化间的沟通和交流做出贡献。
1.2 研究目的本研究旨在比较英汉语谚语文化差异,探究其背后的文化意涵和价值观差异。
通过对英语和汉语谚语的深入分析,揭示不同文化背景下谚语的差异性,探讨谚语的性质和表达形式在英汉文化中的不同体现。
进一步研究英汉语谚语在日常生活中的应用,探讨谚语对于文化传承和交流的重要性。
通过对比研究英汉语谚语的文化价值观,揭示不同文化间的认知差异和交流困难,旨在为跨文化交流提供一定的启示和挑战。
通过本研究,有望深入了解英汉语谚语在不同文化背景下的重要性及其在语言和文化传承中的作用,为促进不同文化间的相互理解和交流提供理论支持和借鉴。
2. 正文2.1 文化背景下的英汉语谚语差异英汉语谚语是反映不同国家文化背景的重要表现形式,其差异主要源于英汉两国的历史、宗教、风俗习惯等方面的不同。
在英国,许多谚语都与农业、乡村生活有关,如“一次不成,再来一次”和“不要把鸡蛋放在一个篮子里”。
这些谚语反映了英国人注重实用主义和务实精神的特点。
而在中国,谚语往往与历史、哲学有关,如“塞翁失马,焉知非福”和“知足常乐”。
这些谚语体现了中国人注重缘分和顺势而为的价值观。
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浅谈英汉谚语的文化差异文章摘要谚语其实就是民间所流传的一些至理名言,这类至理名言往往具有措辞简练、便于记忆的特点。
谚语不仅内容精辟、语言生动、短小精悍、通俗易懂,而且还有着比较广泛的感染力。
英国哲学家培根就曾说过:“谚语是一个名族‘天才、机智与精神’的体现。
语言和文化之间的联系是非常密切的,谚语作为语言的一个组成部分也与文化不可分开。
因此本文就从英汉谚语所表现出的文化的特殊性来比较中英文化的差异。
让我国可以更好的通过谚语去了解一个民族的文化特征,并透过文化背景去更好的理解谚语中所包含的丰富且深刻的内涵。
关键词:英汉谚语民族文化文化差异一、谚语是文化的反映人类文化最古老且最有价值的表现形式之一就是谚语。
并且谚语的形成并不是一日之功,而是依靠普通的人民大众通过千百年的劳动与生活实践的总结得出的净化,所以谚语是千锤百炼才产生的生动精炼的语言,是人类智慧的结晶,同时也是一个民族的精神财富与文化遗产。
所以,充分的了解并熟悉谚语不仅对语言表达的丰富多彩性很有帮助,而且也是学好一门语言不可或缺的知识。
另外,通过学习了解谚语,我们也可以更加的了解不同民族文化之间的差异和特殊性。
因为任何一个民族的谚语都是依存与本民族的社会生活环境的,所以也是对本民族的历史传统、宗教信仰、风土人情、文化习俗、物产风貌以及自然环境等的一个反映,语言的内容就必然会带有比较鲜明的民族特色。
然而,有时候在内容上虞用法上相似甚至是带有一定必然性的“偶合”的不同语言里的谚语,其所表达的文化内涵也常常大不相同,在具体的表述上如材料的选择与手法的运用等,每个民族也都不相同。
比如:汉语里有条谚语叫“说曹操曹操到”,意思是提到某人的时候,某人就正巧出现了,英语里也有一条相应的谚语,“Speak of the wolf, and you will see his tail.”虽然表达的意思相近,但是设喻是完全不相同的。
在英语中表达这一相同内涵的还有“Talk of the devil, and he’s sure to appear.”和“Speak of angles, and you will hear the flutter of their wings.”这两句虽然和第一句的意思相近,但是却带有比较浓厚的宗教色彩。
所以从这里就可以看出不同的名族文化也是有着特殊性的。
谚语不仅是该民族文化的精髓,同时也反映出了该民族文化的共性以及其个性,这主要是受到该民族的地理、历史、社会制度以及社会意识形态等的影响。
比如,居住在沿海地带的依靠大海而生活的民族,他们的谚语就会涉及到海上航行、静守风雨以及捕鱼捉虾等。
而游牧民族的的谚语就会多涉及沙漠、牛羊、骆驼等。
英语和汉语的使用产生民族不同,并且社会文化也不同,但是人们的经历以及对世界的认识在许多方面都还是有相同之处的,而且相互之间也是存在着基本可以对应的谚语,比如:眼不见,心不烦Out of sight ,out of mind.三思而后行。
Look before you leap. 还有像失败是成功之母。
Failure is the mother of success.虽然存在着相似之处,但是英汉谚语还是由于文化对语言特征的影响存在着比较明显的差别。
这主要是由于这两种文化都受到其社会、地域、风俗习惯以及宗教信仰等多方面的影响。
汉语谚语的特征有以下几点:第一,谚语是数量较多,且涵盖的范围较广,无论是人和自然之间的关系,还是人和人之间的关系都有相应的谚语;第二,很多谚语都有比较明显的中国特征,例如:“小卒过河,意在吃帅”,这句谚语就是来自中国象棋;第三,很多的谚语都表现出了社会中的不平等现象以及被博学者和被压迫者的情感,比如“只许州官放火不许百姓点灯”;第四,我国的有些谚语也表现出了佛教对我国的习俗、思想等的影响,比如“临时抱佛脚”,但是英语的谚语一般是受到基督教的影响;第五,汉语当中,表现互助、友爱以及与人为善的精神的谚语数量也比较多,比如“一个篱笆三个桩,一个好汉三个帮”。
从这就可以看出不同的民族文化也是存在着特殊性的,所以可以从语言来分析一个民族的文化特征,也可以从文化的角度去解释语言的现象。
所以,如果我国想要真正的掌握并正确的使用一种语言,那么不仅需要熟悉那种语言的文化特殊性,而且还要洞悉本民族文化和其他民族文化之间存在的差异。
因为本文就收集了一些英语谚语并进行了归类,并和相似的汉语进行了比较。
二、英汉谚语的差异(一)宗教信仰纵观世界各个民族的文化,宗教对其的影响都不可忽视,而且对每个民族的历史发展都有着十分重要的影响,所以必然会有一些带有浓厚的宗教色彩的谚语。
目前使用英语的国家大多是欧美国家,这些国家多信仰基督教,所以很多谚语都是和《圣经》、基督教有关。
像含有上帝、魔鬼、天堂等词语的谚语更是多,比如:Better go to heaven in rages than to hell in embroidering.意思是与其锦衣裹身下地狱,不如衣衫褴褛上天堂;Man proposes,God disposes.谋事在人成事在天;还有The devil lurks behind the cross.魔鬼常常躲在十字架后面。
在汉语中,也存在着一些和基督教相关的谚语,但是数量非常的少,而且都是直接从英语谚语中直接翻译得来的,比如an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.以眼还眼以牙还牙,这句谚语是出自《旧约全书·出埃及记》。
佛教是在西汉末年传入我国的,而汉族文化当中,佛教与道教都是其中比较重要的部分,所以像佛、仙、菩萨等词语在汉语谚语中也出现的比较多。
比如:八仙过海,各显神通。
在这句谚语当中,“八仙”是指我国古代神话传说里的八位神仙,而八仙的故事在唐、宋、元、明的文人的记载中都有提到,在明朝的吴元泰的《八仙出处东游记传》里就提到八仙欲过东海,各自以法术争相竞渡,所以称作“八仙过海各显神通”。
再比如:道高一尺,魔高一丈。
这句谚语出自《西游记》,道是指道行,佛家修行的功夫,魔则是指邪气,是破坏修行的恶魔,佛教用这句话也告诫修行者,警惕外界的诱惑。
这类的谚语还有像泥菩萨过江,自身难保等。
从这些英汉的谚语的比较就可以发现,英语里的谚语多少关于基督教的,汉语的谚语则多是于佛教、道教有关,这就表现出了两个民族不同的文化与宗教信仰,也表现出了宗教信仰对文化的影响与渗透。
(二)民族文化传统古希腊的文化也曾盛极一时,对英美文化的发展也有着比较深远的影响。
所以英语里也有一些谚语是出自希腊神话、伊索寓言以及荷马史诗等文学经典的,比如:When Greeks meets Greeks,then comes the tug of war.意思是两雄相遇,其斗必烈。
这句谚语出自17世纪英国剧作家纳撒尼·李的作品。
子啊公元前八世纪到公元前五世纪之间,古希腊被分化成了一些奴隶制的城邦,这些城邦为了争霸希腊彼此之间互相角逐,知道公元前338年,受到北方马其顿王国的侵略,这些城邦才团结起来对抗强敌。
现在这个谚语多用来形容两个都很自负的人或者是实力相当的党派团体之间的争斗。
再比如We see not what is in wallet behind.人们总是看不见自己的缺点。
这句谚语出自一则伊索寓言,世界上所有的人都是背着两个行囊的,这两个行囊一个在胸前,一个在背后,胸前那个行囊装着自己的优点,背后的那个装着自己的缺点。
《圣经》是英美等国家的一部基督教经典,影响力十分大,也是一部内容比较丰富的文学作品,里面有很多的名句受到了众多信徒的喜爱,时间久了就成了英语谚语。
比如Do as you would be done by.己所不欲,勿施于人。
还有莎士比亚也是英国家喻户晓的作者,他的著作也广泛的被人们认可,作品里的诸多名言都被广泛的使用,这也是英语谚语的来源之一,比如All that lives must die.有生必有死,出自《哈姆雷特》。
汉语谚语也有很多来自古典名著、神话传说以及寓言故事的,名族特点比较鲜明,比如,姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩,这句话出自《武王伐纣平话》,还有塞翁失马,焉知非福。
出自《淮南子·人间训》。
文学名著如四大名著中除《西游记》以外的三部都是历史故事,可谓是家喻户晓,时间久了就成为了汉语谚语中的一部分,也是汉族历史文化的产物。
比如《三国演义》中的:三个臭皮匠,顶个诸葛亮。
从英汉语言的不同的来源就可以看出,每个民族都有着自己的历史以及独特的文化传统,虽然在表达上存在比较大的差异,但是也是历史给谚语留下的烙印,有着比较独特的民族色彩。
(三)喻体取向虽然英汉谚语在用法上有相似之处,但是却又着不同的民族文化背景与文化心理,而且人们的思维方式与美学的观念也存在着一定的差异,所以经常采用不同的喻体与不同的表现形式去表现同一个事物或者是思想。
比如Kill two birds with one stone.一石打死二鸟和汉语谚语中“一箭双雕”对应,还有A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe.脚正不怕鞋子歪与“身正不怕影子歪”对应。
从英汉谚语的喻体的特殊性就可以看出,即使是同一个形象,不同的民族也会有不同的表达方式,所以我们不能只注意怎么把一种语言的内容翻译成另一种语言,还有在表达两种文化时注意思维方式与表达情感的方式。
有的谚语的产生和其民族生活的环境、生活的经验等的联系比较密切,比如英国就是一个岛国,所以比较重视航海事业,所以就有很多和航海相关的谚语:Any port in a storm.风暴到来不择港。
我国也是东临大海,虽然古代的航海业不发达,但是与海相关的谚语也有不少,如海阔天空任鸟飞。
从这些就可以看出不同的地理环境、物产与生活经验的两个民族在谚语的表现也不相同。
结束语谚语是一个名族语言的精华所在,也是所有语言当中,最有名族文化特色的部分。
英汉谚语由于各自文化的影响,所有必然会存在着各种各样的差异,不仅仅是表达的形式不相同,含义也是千差万别。
所有,在学习英语的过程中,我们应该更多的去了解英语文化的特点和其语言深层次的内涵,这样才可以在跨文化交际中准确的理解别人所表达的意思,而且也可以更好的运用语言。
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