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The Translation of English Idioms and Proverbs

2013-07-28 01:28

The Translation of English Idioms and Proverbs
A. The theories of translation
Translation is a kind of recreating for art. It is very difficult to translate a simple foreign literature correctly. Furthermore, Idiom is also a scientific and philosophical poetry with deep meaning, harmonic tone, and imaginative analogy. Those will make idioms’ translation more difficultly. Therefore, how to translate the idioms correctly and appropriately, which matches the regulation of Chinese and the characteristics of nations, is the matter not only about the rules of translation, but also the methods.
The idiom plays a very important role in Chinese-English translation or English-Chinese translation, the translator's task lies in the content form of the original work, as an entity, reproduce out completely in another kind of language. So, the result of translating and using the expression skillfully is that idioms can improve the translators accurately, and contrast the English-Chinese idioms of both sides, compare and analyze some about these idioms, can find some laws. Study these laws, can help us to understand correctly and deal with them appropriately. We can take the following four methods when concrete the translation of English proverb Chinese.
1. Literal translation
The so-called literal translation, means on the basis of the standardization of the translation, on the premise of not causing wrong association or misunderstanding, keep the metaphor of English proverb, the methods of the image and national in color. Some of the idioms and proverbs are the same to the form of expression and meaning. When translate those kind of sentence, we can use the similar Chinese to translate. Not only can make the reader easy to accept it, but also easy to understand. For recommending these unique expression methods, exotic flowers and rare herbs of foreign countries to China, it only takes the literal translation method to finish the task. But someone maintain the translation of English to Chinese of the idioms "often must free translation", "abandon by foreign language idiom images already existing and last image knowing very well clan or take advantage of explain", and say for example: "Among the blind the one-eyed man is king." this proverb is in conformity with translation, "The monkey dominates a king. There are no tigers in the mountain" however, if take free translation as the core, certainly will lose "exotic atmosphere" and "graceful bearing" of a lot of original proverbs. The angle is come to read from now on, literal translation should take precedence over free translation. Like following English proverbs that come over with literal translation, and play the function of abundance of Chinese.

Blood is thicker than water. (血浓于水。)
Knowledge is power. (知识就是力量。)
He who laughs best laughs last. (谁笑到最后，谁笑得最好。)
All roads lead to Rome. (条条道路通罗马。)
The so-called literal translation, certainly means not to translate word for word according to the wording significances, or "hardly translates" or "dies translates" irrevocably. Because there are differences between the two languages and the proverb characteristics, when we use the literal translation, some idioms must transform the types of the sentence, the transformation of the order of words or the lexical category; some idioms must add or reduce words, as well as rhyme and so on. Such as: Find earth where grows no weed, and you may find a heart where mo error grows. (地无不长野草，人无不犯错误。) Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise. (睡得早，起得早，聪明、富裕、身体好。)
The translations, which are used literal translation, basically retained the image and the analogy of the original texts, retained the unique expression techniques of the original texts, for feeling clear and unique, it has achieved the goal of rich translation language well through the translation. Therefore, when we translate English proverbs, we usually use the literal translation law.
2. Free translation
Literal translation is a main method of interpreter's English proverb, but not the only one. If it is very difficult to be understand the meaning of some English metaphor proverbs spend or expression way with literal translation by Chinese readers, the result is very bad, or because some anecdotes or legend that the proverb involves unknown by Chinese, then must last footnote or note to explain literal translation, so the situation should not use literal translation, but the method of free translation.3The advantage of free translation lies in being succinct and distinct, benefit the style of writing, prevent from some cases caused by literal translation and messily, take totally ineffective measures, even hurt purpose in word, cause the disadvantage of misunderstanding etc. （科教作文网http://zw.NSEaC.com编辑发布）
For example, Don’t put your finger in the pie(不要多管闲事) If we translate this sentence into Chinese as “不要把你手指放进馅饼”, Chinese readers won’t understand it at all.. Don’t put your finger in the pie，it reflects the individualism walk philosophy which was pursued by English and American society, it warms people don't meddle in matters that don't concern you, and care about one's own matters is best policy. And it different from Chinese walks philosophy and Chinese pursue collectivism.