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【Abstract】Folklore is the “living fossil” of our unique culture and the “essence” of Chinese traditional culture for thousands of years,whose translation study is of great historical and practical significance.This paper,by taking northern Shaanxi folk culture translation as the examples,attempts to discuss three main principles that should be followed in the creation process from the new perspective of cognitive linguistics,aiming at achieving a better output in Chinese folk culture.
【Keywords】cognitive linguistics; folk culture translation; creativity; principle
1.Introduction
Cognitive Linguistics is an interdisciplinary subject which emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Today’s Cognitive Linguistics,as the outcome of the criticism of transformational-generative grammar represented by Chomsky,has become a main-stream linguistic school in recent years.Cognitive linguistics is a “people-oriented”linguistic theory,which explains the relationship among language,experience and cognition.Focused on meaning,it emphasizes physically-based experience of concepts,categories,cognition,mentality,reasoning,etc.
This paper,by taking northern Shaanxi folk culture translation as the examples,attempts to discuss the creativity of Chinese folk culture translation and the main principles that should be followed in the creative translating process from a brand-new perspective of cognitive linguistics,aiming at achieving a better output in Chinese folk culture.
2.Cognitive Linguistics and Folk Culture Translation
Translation theory in Cognitive linguistics emphasizes only one element in the translating process-the author,the text,or the reader.It is not complete.In pursuit of achieving“reasonable interpretation”and“harmonious translation”,close attention should be paid to the interactive relationships among the three factors and full consideration should be given to the restrictive functions of both experience and cognition (Wang Yin,2007).Due to the impact of differences in natural environment,historical literature,social customs,living habits,religious beliefs,and various understandings of objective things,different ethnic groups have disparate cognitive models,cultural patterns and social reality.
3.Principle of creative folk cultural translation
3.1 Principle of highlighting cultural identity
Wang Hongyin (2009: 4) also said,I would rather make the cultural factors alienate and unfamiliar,instead of confusion caused by over domestication.Indeed,creative “domestication” makes it much more easier for foreigners to understand,but it also may cause the loss of language features,folk elements and cultural identity in the original text.Meanwhile,the translator should also adhere to the principle of “difference” and “meaning”,because folklore translation is aiming to spread the unique culture of the nation after all.Using the method of domestication,Gibbs translated “zou xi kou” as“Beyond the Western Pass”,whereas Wen Shilong and Wang Hongyin directly translate the place name as“Xikou”“Xikou”refers to an area of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia as a living place for the poor in northern Shaanxi and Shanxi area to travel. 3.2 Principle of harmony
Zheng Hailing (2000:164),who first proposed the theory of “harmonious translation” argues that generally speaking,the harmonious aesthetic effect is: the source text should not only conform to its readers’ habits of appreciation,so that readers feel close to nature,enjoying the beauty.Translating theories in cognitive linguistics not only emphasizes readers’ understanding of the two worlds,but also believes that in the translating process,the translator should take into account the three elements of“author”,“text” and“reader”.Harmony has become a goal pursued tirelessly by the human society.Translation should also conform to this main trend.
4.Conclusion
Translating theories in cognitive linguistics reveals that the “faithfulness” and “creativity” in literary translation constituting a contradictory unity which is complementary and closely related.Cultural differences make creative translation of folk culture extremely important.Based on the original text and the translator’s common cognitive experience of the world,the translator should bring his subjective initiative into play.
References:
[1]王寅.认知语言学[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2007.
[2]王宏印.西北回想:汉英对照新旧陕北民歌[M].北京:文化艺术出版社,2009.
[3]劳伦斯·韦努蒂.译者的隐身[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社, 2004.
[4]郑海凌.文学翻译学[M].郑州:文心出版社,2000:164.
*本研究获陕西省教育厅人文专项资助(2013JK0312)。
【Keywords】cognitive linguistics; folk culture translation; creativity; principle
1.Introduction
Cognitive Linguistics is an interdisciplinary subject which emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Today’s Cognitive Linguistics,as the outcome of the criticism of transformational-generative grammar represented by Chomsky,has become a main-stream linguistic school in recent years.Cognitive linguistics is a “people-oriented”linguistic theory,which explains the relationship among language,experience and cognition.Focused on meaning,it emphasizes physically-based experience of concepts,categories,cognition,mentality,reasoning,etc.
This paper,by taking northern Shaanxi folk culture translation as the examples,attempts to discuss the creativity of Chinese folk culture translation and the main principles that should be followed in the creative translating process from a brand-new perspective of cognitive linguistics,aiming at achieving a better output in Chinese folk culture.
2.Cognitive Linguistics and Folk Culture Translation
Translation theory in Cognitive linguistics emphasizes only one element in the translating process-the author,the text,or the reader.It is not complete.In pursuit of achieving“reasonable interpretation”and“harmonious translation”,close attention should be paid to the interactive relationships among the three factors and full consideration should be given to the restrictive functions of both experience and cognition (Wang Yin,2007).Due to the impact of differences in natural environment,historical literature,social customs,living habits,religious beliefs,and various understandings of objective things,different ethnic groups have disparate cognitive models,cultural patterns and social reality.
3.Principle of creative folk cultural translation
3.1 Principle of highlighting cultural identity
Wang Hongyin (2009: 4) also said,I would rather make the cultural factors alienate and unfamiliar,instead of confusion caused by over domestication.Indeed,creative “domestication” makes it much more easier for foreigners to understand,but it also may cause the loss of language features,folk elements and cultural identity in the original text.Meanwhile,the translator should also adhere to the principle of “difference” and “meaning”,because folklore translation is aiming to spread the unique culture of the nation after all.Using the method of domestication,Gibbs translated “zou xi kou” as“Beyond the Western Pass”,whereas Wen Shilong and Wang Hongyin directly translate the place name as“Xikou”“Xikou”refers to an area of Inner Mongolia and Ningxia as a living place for the poor in northern Shaanxi and Shanxi area to travel. 3.2 Principle of harmony
Zheng Hailing (2000:164),who first proposed the theory of “harmonious translation” argues that generally speaking,the harmonious aesthetic effect is: the source text should not only conform to its readers’ habits of appreciation,so that readers feel close to nature,enjoying the beauty.Translating theories in cognitive linguistics not only emphasizes readers’ understanding of the two worlds,but also believes that in the translating process,the translator should take into account the three elements of“author”,“text” and“reader”.Harmony has become a goal pursued tirelessly by the human society.Translation should also conform to this main trend.
4.Conclusion
Translating theories in cognitive linguistics reveals that the “faithfulness” and “creativity” in literary translation constituting a contradictory unity which is complementary and closely related.Cultural differences make creative translation of folk culture extremely important.Based on the original text and the translator’s common cognitive experience of the world,the translator should bring his subjective initiative into play.
References:
[1]王寅.认知语言学[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社,2007.
[2]王宏印.西北回想:汉英对照新旧陕北民歌[M].北京:文化艺术出版社,2009.
[3]劳伦斯·韦努蒂.译者的隐身[M].上海:上海外语教育出版社, 2004.
[4]郑海凌.文学翻译学[M].郑州:文心出版社,2000:164.
*本研究获陕西省教育厅人文专项资助(2013JK0312)。