2 Literature review

2。1 Culture, language, idiom and translation

2。1。1 The relationship between culture and language

There is a close relationship between language and culture。 We cannot separate them from each other because they are intricately related to each other。 Language, as a media of communication, can reflect social and cultural development of a specific community。 It is no longer viewed as an isolated linguistic phenomenon but rather a means of social discourse integrated with culture and social adaptation。 In a broad sense, culture includes both material and spiritual things。 According to Robertson Stuart, “culture consists of all the shared products of human society”。 (Stuart, 1981:9) “Language is the principal means whereby we conduct our social lives。 When it is used in contexts of communication, it is bound up with culture in multiple and complex ways”。 (Clair, 2000:3) So language is not only a part of culture but also a presentation of culture。 Culture was passed down from generation to generation through language。 So it represents the history of a nation and reflects people’s way of thinking。 Language, on the other hand, is influenced and shaped by culture。 It is culture that endows language with meaning and significance。 In a word, learning a language is learning that society’s culture, and understanding a culture is inseparable from understanding that society’s language。 文献综述

2。1。2 The relationship between culture and idioms

Idioms, as the gem of language, are loaded with accumulated human wisdom from everyday experiences。 They are thought as cultural products that reveal cross-cultural beliefs and behaviors, in which the truth revealed is not the only main point of concern。 Idioms are derived from life and associated with historical development, which reflects social system, philosophy, customs and so on, so idioms are the most representative part of a culture。 Idiom contains a large number of cultural factors。 Different cultures inevitably have different idioms, so the understanding of the idiom can not only depend on the literal meaning。 When analyzing idioms of a nation, its culture must be put into consideration。 In other words, learning idioms of another nation is learning its culture。 As a kind of language, the unique charm of the idiom is that it is the essence of national culture。 On one hand, the idiom is the reflection of the culture, on the other hand, its formation and existence is influenced by culture。 Idiom contains a large number of cultural factors, different culture inevitably have different idioms, so the understanding of the idiom can not only depend on the literal meaning。 This point is especially important for translators。 When the translator does the idiom translation work, he must consider the culture background of the source language and the target language so as to ensure the accuracy of translation。

English and Chinese derived from different cultures, but they have both similarities and differences。 As a matter of fact, some idioms in English and Chinese share not only the same idea in common but also the same image or the same way of figurative expression, both of which do have their equivalents carrying the similar images, meanings and styles in each other。 So there are stocks of similar idioms describing the same thing and expressing the same indication, such as “Strike while the iron is hot(趁热打铁)”, “A neighbor is better than a distant cousin(远亲不如近邻)”。 However, English and Chinese show little in common while much in differences。 And idioms vary from nation to nation according to different aspects including living environment, social customs, religious belief and ways of thinking。

2。1。3 The relationship between culture and translation

Translation is a kind of way to convert one language into another。 It is obviously that the process of the conversion of the two languages necessarily involves the two cultures。 In the interaction of different cultures, translation plays a meaningful role in lowering and even breaking down the language barriers and permits cultural communication using different languages。 Translation is the process and the tool of communication between two societies。 Its aim is to promote the progress of the language society’s politics, economy and culture。 From this perspective, cultural communication can be regarded as one of the major aims of translation。 More and more translators realize that translation refers to not only the content but also the cultural connotation of one language into another。 “For a truly successful translator, his bi-cultural abilities are even more important than his bi-lingual abilities。”(Nida, 1993:110) Translation is a kind of intercultural communication and is closely related to culture。 “Accordingly, competent translators are always aware that ultimately words only have meaning in terms of the corresponding culture。”(Nida, 2001:139) Susan Bassnett emphasizes the function of language in translation and compares language to the heart of culture organism。 In her point of view, “Language, then, is the heart within the body of culture, and it is the interaction between the two that results in the continuation of life-energy。 In the same way that the surgeon, operating on the heart, cannot neglect the body that surrounds it, so the translator treats the text in isolation from the culture at his peril。”(Susan Bassnett, 2004: 22)。 Just as what Lefevere says, “Translation is not done in a vacuum。” (Lefevere, 1992: 14)。 Since language is a part of culture, we cannot do translation successfully without sufficient knowledge of the two cultures involved。 No translation can be done in the non-cultural environment。