中式隐喻菜名与翻译研究_英语论文

A Study of Metaphors in Chinese Menu and Their English Translation

摘要

中国作为名副其实的饮食大国，饮食文化源远流长。一句“民以食为天”，便足以说明饮食文化在中华传统文化中的重要性。在中国人的传统观念里，菜肴的命名非常重要。中式菜肴的命名大多强调意境美，必须雅致、吉利，且常采用各种修辞手段。隐喻就是其中之一。隐喻性命名是中国菜肴名称的一个重要特色，也是中国饮食文化的一扇窗口，其中蕴涵着浓郁的中国传统文化。我们只有深入剖析中式隐喻菜名与中国传统文化的联系，才能真正把握隐喻菜名中呈现的五彩缤纷的形象, 才能通过翻译把中国的饮食文化传播到世界各地。因此,本文拟从隐喻的定义、功能出发，通过描述与分析相结合的方法,探讨中国菜名中的隐喻及其翻译。

关键词：隐喻; 中国菜名; 翻译

Abstract

 China, as a large nation of catering, has a long history of food culture. There is an old saying in Chinese, just like “Food is sky for the people”, from which we can see how important the food culture is in the traditional Chinese culture. In the Chinese tradition, the dishes naming is very significant. The naming of Chinese dishes usually emphasizes the creation of poetic imagery beauty. It must be elegant or auspicious. Besides, various rhetorical devices are widely used. Metaphor is one of them. Metaphorical naming is an important feature of Chinese menu names and a window of Chinese food culture. Only through in-depth analysis of relationship between metaphor-loaded dish names with Chinese traditional culture, can we understand the colorful images embodied in metaphor-loaded dish names. Chinese food culture can be spread all over the world through translation. Therefore, this paper will start with definition and functions of metaphor, and then discuss metaphors in Chinese Menu and their translation.

Key words: metaphor; Chinese menu; translation

Contents

Acknowledgements i

Abstract & Key words in English..ii

Abstract & Key words in Chineseiii       

Introduction 1

1.An overview of metaphor 2

1.1 Definition of metaphor 2

1.2 Functions of metaphor 2

1.3 Metaphor and culture 3

2.Metaphor in Chinese menu 5

2.1 Chinese food culture 5

2.2 Chinese metaphor-loaded food names 5

2.3 The functions of metaphor in Chinese menu 6

2.3.1 Informative function 6

2.3.2 Aesthetic function 7

2.3.3 Advertising function 7

2.3.4 Culture function 8

3.Metaphor translation in Chinese menu 8

3.1 Factors influencing Chinese menu translation 9

3.2 Principles for metaphors translation in Chinese menu 10

3.3 Translation strategies of metaphors in Chinese menu 10

3.3.1 Transliteration plus note 10

3.3.2 Literal translation 11

3.3.3 Free translation 12

Conclusion 12

References 13