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1、 English and Chinese Cultural Differences And Translation Because of the differences in geography, history, religion and beliefs, customs etc, English and Chinese translation are closely connected with cultures and traditions, and they reflect different national characteristics and are loaded with r
2、ich cultural information. 一.Cultural differencesTranslation maintains close ties with peoples life and the culture where they are created and used. 1):As China has a long history of agriculture, a large number of idioms related to agriculture have been in use. e.g.（1）骨瘦如柴be lean as a rake （2）对牛弹琴cas
3、t pearls before swine (3）众人拾柴火焰高Many hands make light work 2):Living on an island, the English are keen on sailing and traveling, the English language abounds in idioms connected with navigation. e.g. (1) all at sea茫然不知所措 (2) in the same boat处境相同 (3) sink or swim靠自己在人世间沉浮，不管成败如何 (4) take the wind ou
4、t of somebodys sail先发制人地占某人上风 (5) to keep ones head above water奋力图存 (6) to tide over顺利度过 二.Differences of customsIDifferences of customs are multi-sided, of which the most typical one is the attitude towards such animals as the dog, the cat, etc. Take the dog for example. 1):In China, the dog is of
5、a humble status. Most of the Chinese idioms concerning with dogs are used in a derogatory sense, usually describing wicked persons, though the numbers of pet dogs have increased. e.g. （1）狗腿子lackey （2）狗杂种bastard （3）狗崽子son of a bitch （4）狗胆包天monstrous audacity （5）狗急跳墙A concerned beast will do something
6、 desperate. 2):In the eyes of the English, the dog is a lovely pet, a faithful fellow and is regarded as mans best friend. Although some other languages exert passive influences on certain English idioms concerned with dogs, such as a surly dog(性情乖戾的人) ,in the dog house(名声扫地，they always show sympath
7、y and tender affection to dogs rather than disgust and even hatred. e.g. (1) a lucky dog 幸运儿 (2) a top dog左右全局的人，重要的人 (3) die like a dog 悲惨地死去 (4) as faithful as a dog像狗一样忠诚 (5) Every dog has his day. 凡人皆有得意日。 (6) Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌三三.Differences in thoughtsLanguage expresses thoughts, which
8、 in turn reflect subjective imagination. Under the influence of distinct cultural customs, each people refers to the same concept in different ways, leading to varied imagination. e.g. （1）天生有福born with a silver spoon in ones mouth （2）一箭双雕，一举两得to kill two birds in one stone （3）山中无老虎，猴子称霸王In the land
9、of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. （4）胆小如鼠as timid as a rabbit （5）如鱼得水like a duck to water （6）水中捞月to fish in the air (7）蠢得像猪as stupid as a goose （8）挥金如土to spend money like water （9)掌上明珠the apple of somebodys eye （10）健壮如牛as strong as a horse 四四.Differences in religious beliefsReligious beliefs p
10、roduce an impact on peoples life and mind, and on the English and Chinese languages as well.1) Buddhism, one of the three great religions in the world, has been practiced in China for nearly 2,000 years. It is a Chinese conviction that Buddha has control of everything in the world. It is believed th
11、at life is a bed of bitterness and everything is empty. It is not necessary to feel nostalgic for the good old days. One cannot be free of worries and anxieties unless he is a truthful Buddhist and be void of all desires. So there are many idioms in this regard. e.g. 借花献佛 不看僧面,看佛面 放下屠刀,立地成佛 闲时不烧香,临时
12、抱佛脚 做一天和尚撞一天钟2):While in the Western countries, especially in England and America, the majority of people are Christians, believing that God is the creator of everything and the master of the world. Jesus, the only son of God, befalls the world to save the sinful men, who, can only go to Heaven by f
13、ollowing the teachings of Jesus, sincerely praying and repenting their sins. Otherwise, they will go to Hell. Idioms concerned with God are countless in the English language. e.g.(1) God helps those who helps themselves.自助者天助也。 (2) God sends fortune to fools. 傻人有傻福。 (3) God is on the side of the big
14、 battalions. 天助强者。 (4) Man proposes, God disposes. 谋事在人，成事在天。 五五.Differences in historical eventsThere is no lack of idioms alluding to historical events. Such idioms are simply-structured but highly significant. And they cannot be just understood and translated from the literal meaning. e.g.东施效颦 守株
15、待兔 掩耳盗铃 亡羊补牢 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮班门弄斧 龟兔赛跑 名落孙山 叶公好龙 解铃还须系铃人 Most of English idioms of historical allusions come from the Bible and Greek and Roman mythologies. e.g (1) a Pandoras box潘多拉之盒，灾难和祸害的根源 (2) the lost sheep迷路的羔羊，比喻失足少年 (3) Judas kiss犹大的吻，比喻叛徒口蜜腹剑的可耻伎俩 IV. Conclusions To sum up, every people possess
16、es her own unique culture, which makes their way of expression unique. So idioms of one people differ from those of another, due to cultural differences. Having discussed the cultural differences reflected in English and Chinese translation, a principle is presented, under which some methods follow to handle cultural differences in translation. And a good job in translation is supposed to have a thorough understanding of cultural differences and to comprehensively utilize the methods with flexibility.
