Abstract

This thesis analyzes the different connotations of animal terms in Chinese and English cultures from the angles of Skopos theory and Loyalty rule. Comparing the different connotations of animal terms in Chinese culture and English culture, this paper displays the domestication and alienation strategies in the process of translating the culturally-loaded animal terms. Through studying, we find that the different purposes of the translator lead to adopting different translation strategies. At the same time, the translation version should be loyal to the source language and convey the information at utmost.

Key words: translation strategy, Skopos theory, animal-term, domestication and alienation

摘      要

本文从目的论角度来分析含有动物元素的习语的翻译。通过比对中西方文化中动物含义的不同，来诠释动物性词语翻译时常用的同化和异化的手法。借助目的论中的目的法则和忠诚法则发现译者翻译的目的的不同导致了所采取的策略的不同，但是采取的策略并不是随意的，译文必须在最大限度传递原文本内容的同时在意义和风格上忠实于原文。

关键词：翻译策略；目的论；动物俗语；同化和异化

1. Introduction
Language is always regarded as a carrier of culture which conveys the information of national psychology and national values. The differences between the cultures of China and the western world lead to different language phenomena. For instance: in Chinese there are “走马观花”, “马不停蹄”, “叶公好龙”, “快马加鞭”, “鸡鸣狗盗”, “狼吞虎咽”, “兔死狐悲”, “龙腾虎跃”, “鸡犬不宁”, “生龙活虎”, “龙飞凤舞”. In English there are “Barking dogs do not bite”, “when the cat is away, the mice will play”, “You have the memory of an elephant”, “Kill two birds with one stone”, “All asses wag their ears”, “Let sleeping dogs lie”. In both English and Chinese vocabulary, the idioms and proverbs with animal terms are common. We should admit that those culturally-loaded animal terms make the language more vivid.
There are both similarities and disparities in animal terms between Chinese and English cultures. Without a good understanding of these disparities, we will meet with obstacles in the process of translating. Choosing a proper translation strategy can never be more important.
This paper, therefore, will make a study on the translation on the culturally-loaded animal terms in Chinese and English. In the first part, this paper presents different connotations of animal terms in different cultures and analyzes the reasons for these disparities. Then, this paper further analyzes the Skopos theory and the main translation methods based on this theory. The conclusion part recapitulates the main points and emphasizes the significance of this study.