TheComparisonandTranslationofAnimalWordsinChinesea

1TheComparisonandTranslationofAnimalWordsinChineseandWesternCultureName:ZhuoXiaoxueNo.:20115061111EnglishMajorSchoolofForeignLanguagesSupervisor:LiXiaojingTitle:InstructorAbstract:Duetotheparticularityofhumanculturalevolution,thereisabigdifferenceofanimalwordsinChineseandWesternculture.Therefore,itisnecessaryforustograspthedifferenceandtranslatethesewordsaccurately.BesidesthereasonsfordifferenceofanimalwordsbetweenEnglishandChinese,thepapermainlyinterpretsdifferentconnotationsandrepresentationsofanimalwordsinthesetwolanguages.Thenthepaperexploreshowtotranslatesomeanimalwordswithsymbolicmeanings.Byillustrationandcomparison,wecanfeelthedifferenceofanimalwordsinChineseandWesternculturemoreclearlyandmakeiteasiertocommunicatewitheachother.KeyWords:animalwords;culturalconnotations;differentrepresentations;translationstrategies1.IntroductionAsaformoflivingentitiesontheplanet,animalsaddmuchvigorandvitalitytoourworld,especiallyforourhumans.Animalscontinuouslykeepclosecontactwithus,andhaveprofoundinfluenceonthedevelopmentofthehumanity.Asweallknow,languageisthecarrierofculture,animalwordsthusaccountforagreatfigureinthefamilyofhumanlanguage.Inourdailycommunication,weuseanimalwordsbothverballyandwrittenforms.However,becauseofdifferenthistoryandculture,theconnotationsofanimalwordsinonelanguagedonotparallelwiththoseinanother.WiththedeepeningofinterculturalcommunicationbetweenChinaandtheWesternworld,itisnecessaryforustograspthedifferenceandtranslatethesewordsaccurately.Thispaperfocusesonthedifferentculturalconnotationsofanimalwordsanddifferentrepresentationsofanimal’ssex,quantity,ageandsoundbetweenEnglishandChinese.Thepaperisdividedintofourparts.ThefirstpartexplainsthereasonsfordifferentconnotationsandrepresentationsofanimalwordsinChineseandEnglish.The2secondpartmakesadetailedcomparisonofculturalconnotationsofanimalwordsinthesetwolanguages.Thefollowingpartcomparesdifferentrepresentationsofanimal’ssex,quantity,ageandsoundinChineseandWesternculture.Finallythepaperprovidesuswithsometranslationstrategiesforanimalwords.2.TheReasonsforDifferentConnotationsandRepresentationsofAnimalWordsinChineseandEnglishLanguageisamirrorofculture,whichreflectsitsspecificculturalfeature.Everynationhasitsspecialbackgroundwhichhascloserelationshipwiththewordswhicharerelatedtotheviewpoint,religion,universaloutlookandgeographicalenvironment.2.1TheInfluenceofAestheticAppreciationAestheticcannotbringpeopleanymaterialbenefit.However,throughaesthetic,wecanachievethereturnofhumannature.ThedifferenceofanimalwordsbetweenChineseandEnglishreflectsdifferentaestheticsbetweenEasternandWesternworld,specifically,itreflectsdifferentviewpoints,religionsanduniversaloutlooks.2.1.1TheInfluenceofUniversalOutlookOntheoverallunderstandingoftheworld,easternattitudediffersgreatlyfromthatofwestern.TheWesternmodeloftheuniversesetexistenceasthefundamental,whichisfromexistencetoentity.Theuniversaloutlookofentitymakeswesternersexpresstheirthoughtswithpreciseconcepts.Theythinkuniverseisbeingandwateristheoriginoftheuniverse.Totransformtheworld,wemustunderstandtheworld,developourownandpursuethetruth.WhileinChineseculture,thevastuniversalspaceasnothingnessisfilledwithgases.TheuniversaloutlookofnothingnessmakestheChinesefeeltheirsurroundingswithblurredvisionanddescribetheworldwithvaguetone.Facingthecrueltyandrageofthenature,theyramblearoundtheuniverseofgasesthroughsurrealvirtualandseektoconquertheworldwithdivinepower.Asweallknow,“dragon”isaveryfamiliar,favorableandrespectablewordinChinese.Itisoneofthecreaturesfromthelegend,anditisso-calledthe“fourspirits”togetherwithphoenix,unicornandtortoise.Besidesitsdenotativemeaning,itisconsideredthesymbolofChinesepeople,formingaChineseculturaltotem.NowChinese3peoplearecalledthedecedentsofdragon,andthenationsoftheeasternAsiaiscalledthe“四小龙”.Fromwhich,itsinfluenceonChineseculturecanbeseenobviously.Anotherexampleisfrom“九五，飞龙在天，利见大人”whichmeansduringthedayswhenthenumberninemeetswiththenumberfive,therewillbedragonflyinginthesky,duringwhichtherewillbeagreatleadercoming.Thefollowingemperorslikedtoberespectablycalled“九五之尊”,andconsideredthemselvesas“真命天子”.Allthearchitectures,allthefacilitiesandequipmentusedbytheemperorshouldshowrespecttothenumberfiveandthenumbernine,showingthatdragonisthesaysoftheworld.WhileinWesternculture,peoplewillprobablyfeelsickofdragon.DragonisappliedinEnglishtorefertosomeferociousman.BecauseinthehistoryoftheWesternculture,dragonwasandisalwaysbeingannoyinganddisgusting,anditisalwaysassociatedwithevilever.Itseemsthatdragonisthesymbolofevilanditcanspillfireanytime.Andinchildren’sbook,wheneverthereisaprincesswhoislockedinacastle,theremustbeaferociousdragontostoppeopleinthewaytosavethelovelyprincess,andtoscareawayheroesofallkinds.2.1.2TheInfluenceofReligionEverynationhastheirreligion.Ontheonehand,religionrepresentsfeelings,thoughtsandbeliefswithinaperiodoftime.Ontheotherhand,itreflectspoliticalandculturalideasduringperiodofthattime.However,wehavethedifferentunderstandforreligionbetweenWesterncountriesandChina.Chinesereligionpropagatest