摘要

本文通过探讨中西方饮食文化的差异以及结合实例归纳总结中式菜肴名称的翻译方法和技巧,指出影响中西方餐桌文化口译工作的因素。饮食作为人类生存和发展的一个重要前提，与文化息息相关，并且饮食文化还在不断变化着。中国与英美等西方国家对饮食的观念，态度以及饮食方式等方面都存在着显著的差异。本文就餐饮文化方面着重分析了中国与英美等西方国家的饮食文化差异,揭示了饮食文化差异对中餐菜名英译的影响。同时通过中式菜名的翻译的事例来加以分析说明译员跨文化意识的重要性。

关键词: 饮食文化；中式菜肴名称；翻译；文化意识

Abstract

This paper, through analysis of the differences between Chinese and English countries’ dietary cultures, points out some influential facts in interpretation of dietary culture at tables, and briefly discusses several methods for interpreting Chinese dishes into English. Food, an essential precondition for the existence and development of mankind, remains a close relation with culture, and food culture is changeable. Therefore, there are great dissimiliarities between China and the English countries in concepts, targets and dietary pattern of dietary cultures. This paper try to analyze the cultural differences of diet between China and English Countries, and reveal its influence on interpretation of Chinese dishes.Ultimately it emphasizes that the interpreter’s cultural awareness plays an important role in the interpretation.

Key Words: dietary culture; Chinese dish names; translation; cultural awareness

1. Introduction

In recent years, with the rapid development of the Chinese economy and the influences of holding the Expo, the international communication activities between China and foreign countries are becoming more and more popular. The Chinese people, who are well known for their hospitality both at home and abroad, should not miss such chances to introduce their various delicious food to foreign friends. Chinese diet culture, with a long history, is rich and profound, which has become an important window for foreign guests to get acquainted withe Chinese cultures. Under such circustances, the interpreter, as a bridge over people from different countries, plays a tremendously important role in the process of their communication. However, for several decades, some interpreters are often misunderstood by foreign guests because of their lack of cross-culture awareness and their inability to translate some Chinese dish names correctly.