Strategies for English translation of Chinese idioms

【Abstract】There are several strategies for English translation of Chinese idioms.Domestication and Foreignization are the important points of these strategies.Foreignization and Domestication are the two terms created by American translation theorist Lawrence Venuti in 1995，in order to describe the translation strategies.

【Key words】Strategies； English translation； Chinese idioms

1.Domestication

1.1Introduction

The domestication，are the ways and habits to make the translation in accordance with the target language readers，as we all know，English is easier to understand and accept.But to a great extent，easily lead to the loss of cultural connotation of many idioms in English，so that the reader does not have the opportunity to understand the profound China culture.

1.2translation method of domestication

Domestication translation method usually contains the following six steps：The first，to choose the translation text suitable for domestication method carefully.Such as“空中樓閣”（castle in the air）.The second，consciously to take a natural and fluent language style.Such as“竭澤而漁”（to drain a pond to catch all the fish）.The third，to adopt the translation into the genre of the target language.Such as“引狼入室”（to head a wolf into the house）.The forth，to insert explanatory data.Such as“天生有福”（born with a silver spoon in ones mouth）.The fifth to cut out of the original concept of the solid materials.Such as“罄竹難書”（too numerous to mention）.The sixth to suit the concept and features of the translation and the original text well.Such as“猶大之吻：比喻背叛的行為”（a Judas kiss）.

2.Foreignization

2.1Introduction

Foreignizing method makes the translation go off the beaten track of the target language intentionally，and retains the original linguistic characteristics and traditional values generally.Lawrence Venuti （1995） chalked the foreignization up to the translatology of German philosopher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher in 19th Century，“translator should try not to disturb the original author； but make the reader be close to him.”

2.2translation method of foreignization

Specifically，foreignization translation method includes the following four features：

The first is not fully to follow the target language and discourse norms.For example：Although it is a small nation，it is a formidable opponent，for it is armed to the teeth.“Armed to the teeth” is not good to translate directly.It should be translated into “武裝到牙齒”.

The second is at the appropriate time，to choose the obscure style.For example：Similarly our tentative approaches to Communist China appeared to have fallen on deaf ears.“對牛彈琴” is a pejorative term，but “fall on deaf ears” has not.It should be translated into “毫無反應”.

The third is to keep the source language in the view of real materials，or use the ancient words in the target language.For example：The girl was all smiles on hearing the good news.“滿臉堆笑”is a pejorative term，but “were all smiles” attach positive meanings.It should be translated into “笑逐顏開”.

The forth is the aim is to offer the target language readers an “unprecedented reading experience”.For example：“傾國傾城”.The translation is“Her beauty is such as to overthrow cities and ruin states”，and “to be exceedingly beautiful” is not the best one.

Venuti admitted that，however，the translation was made up of “local culture material”.Foreignization translation could only be one of the strategies in the translation process，and the difference was that the attitude of foreignization translators may be generally clear-cut.

3.Conclusion

Antagonistic concepts of foreignization and domestication are not mutually exclusive，and translation strategies is offset each other，with mutual tolerance，foreignization and domestication have their advantages and disadvantages，they are both different in English and Chinese idioms，so we should combine them together.The translator should meet the needs of the target language readers cultural aesthetic standard，and use the right translation method to express the idioms perfectly.

References：

[1]彭長江.英漢——漢英翻譯教程[M].長沙：湖南師范大學出版社，2002.

[2]呂瑞昌等.漢英翻譯教程[M].西安：陜西人民出版社，1983.

[3]王令申.英漢翻譯技巧[M].上海：上海交通大學出版社，1998.

[4]E.A.Nida.Language，Culture and Translating[M].Shang hai：Shanghm Foreign languages Education Press，1999.

作者簡介：

曹霈，女，廣東深圳人，深圳職業技術學院教師，東北師范大學文學院2013級文字學博士研究生在讀。