Abstract
 
Idioms are an important part of the language and culture of a nation. As they often have vivid images, concise expressions and strong cultural characteristics, it is not an easy job to translate them into Chinese. In the field of translation, the controversy between foreignization and domestication has lasted for a long time both at home and abroad. In the past, domestication played a major role, while foreignization was just in a subordinate role. However, in recent years, the development of globalization and the increasing communication between different cultures among different nations have greatly promoted the wide application of foreignization in translation.      
On the basis of the introduction to domestication and foreignization, this thesis takes many English idioms as examples to prove that the first choice to maintain the cultural elements in English idiom is foreignization. Therefore, foreignization should be applied as the primary strategy while domestication as the supplementary one, sometimes a combination of the two is also necessary in English idiom translation in order to promote the cross-cultural communication between the two languages.

Keywords:  English idiom translation   domestication   foreignization

摘要

习语是一个民族的语言和文化的重要组成部分。由于它们一般都具有生动活泼的形象和浓厚的民族文化特征，因此，翻译起来并非易事。在翻译界归化与异化两种策略之争一直贯穿着中外翻译历史。过去，归化一直占据主导地位，而异化则属于从属地位。近年来，经济全球化的发展以及各民族日益频繁的文化交流,大大推动了异化这一翻译策略的广泛采用。
本文结合大量英语习语,对归化和异化两种翻译策略进行了介绍和分析，指出要保持英语习语中所包含的文化元素，应首先选择异化。在以异化为首选策略的同时，以归化策略为辅，必要时可以将两种策略相结合，以便更好地促进英汉两种语言文化之间的交流。

关键词: 英语习语翻译；归化；异化

1.1 Background and Significance of the Study
Idioms are an indispensable part of the language and culture of a nation. English and Chinese idioms have many common features. However, as they contain strong national cultural characteristics and reflect different geographical environments, customs, religious beliefs, thinking modes, historical and literary allusions, it is sometime difficult for native speakers to understand them, let alone foreign readers. The cultural differences between English and Chinese endow the two languages their own charm, but also bring barriers to the translation of idioms between the two languages. The translation between English and Chinese idioms should take not only the conversion between two languages into consideration but the conversion between two cultures. To solve the problem, scholars have put forward two controversial strategies, that is, domestication and foreignization. It is known to all that in the field of translation, the two primary strategies, domestication and foreignization, have been the focus of debate since their appearance. John Dryden, Tytler and Nida are the strong advocates of domestication, while Venuti is often recognized as the advocate of foreignization. Both of the two strategies have their own merits and demerits. But until now there is no consensus on which translation strategy is more appropriated for the transmission of cultural contents and which strategy can make the translated version a better effect among the target readers. No theory can give a definite answer to the questions and no theorist can deny either of them.