汉语成语英译中的动物形象转换

The Transformation of Animal Images in Chinese Idiom Translation

摘要

语言是文化的载体，我们文化的方方面面都需要依靠语言来进行继承与交流。文化是习俗、信仰、艺术与生活方式的集合，而我们又通过语言来表达这些集合，可以看出语言与文化的关系密不可分。因此，语言的翻译也同时意味着文化的传递与交流。

中华文化博大精深，而成语则是其中的精粹。随着网络与媒体的发展，人们已经对中华文化有了一定了解，而成语作为富含文化信息的语言则可以帮助人们进一步加深对中华文化的了解。然而，汉语成语的数量繁多，研究起来实属不易，因此，本文选取了汉语成语中的动物成语作为研究对象，试图从该角度来分析成语翻译的策略。

本文从成语翻译与动物形象翻译的角度出发，以功能对等的翻译理论及翻译实践为依据，重点研究了汉语成语中动物成语的翻译策略。第一章探讨了汉语成语的特点、来源及其与文化之间的关系；第二章简要介绍了动物形象的文化内涵及其在中英文化当中的异同；第三章重点研究了汉语成语中动物成语的翻译原则与方法。

关键词：成语翻译，动物成语，功能对等，文化内涵

Abstract
Language is the carrier of culture. We communicate our thoughts and record what happened in our lives with the help of language. As culture include the customs, beliefs, art and lifestyle, language is involved with culture inevitably. Therefore, when we translate a language into another, we should also take into consideration the transmitting of culture information.
Chinese idioms are the crystallization of the fruitful Chinese culture. As people have gained some basic information about Chinese culture with the help of mass media, the study of Chinese idioms may help them get a deeper insight into the Chinese culture. The number of Chinese idiom is very large, so it would be much easier if we choose one category of Chinese idiom to study on its translation. Therefore, in this paper, we take the Chinese idioms with animal images in them as our subject to analyze the translation strategy from one particular angle.
From the perspective of idiom translation and animal image translation, this paper focuses on the translation strategies of Chinese animal idioms. In the analysis of this subject, the theory of functional equivalence and some examples of translation practice are used to clarify the author’s idea. The first chapter discusses the features and origins of the Chinese idiom and its relationship with culture. The second chapter gives a brief introduction to the connotations of animal images and the similarities and differences of connotations of Chinese and English animal images. The third chapter is about the translation principle and strategies of Chinese animal idioms.
Key words: idiom translation, animal idioms, functional equivalence, cultural connotation