2.2 Details of the Previous Studies on the translation of XHYs
In this section, the writer will probe into the studies on the translation of XHYs from several aspects according to the researches made by the scholars at home.
2.2.1The Traditional Approach to the Translation of XHYs.
Until present, the most representative and traditional methods for the translation of XHYs are the ones proposed by Professor Zhang Peiji, whose study on the translation of Chinese idioms(1979) is constructive. As for the translation of idioms, including XHYs, Zhang advocates that literal translation is the suitable approach in that idioms are the essence of a nation’s culture and can most represent its culture. To better convey a nation’s culture in idioms to other countries, the best choice is to translate them literally if the context permits (Zhang Peiji, 1979: 46). What Zhang means is that literal translation can not only reproduce the literal sense of the original text, but also directly convey the cultural connotations to the target text. Apart from that, Zhang also proposes several methods for the translation of XHYs, such as liberal translation, omission, addition and literal translation with liberal translation. According to Zhang’s proposal, any XHYs translation can take the above methods as a reference depending on the context in a broad sense. It is doubtless that Zhang has made great contribution to the study on the translation of Chinese idioms .However, Zhang’s study is confined in the general use from a prescriptive manner and ignores to take into account the literary factors for XHYs are used mostly in literary works. In literary works, the translation of XHYs must be under the condition of considering the context and the intention the writer of the original text wants to express. Anyway, Zhang’s study does offer a platform and helpful suggestions for more studies on the translation of XHYs. 从文化视角看歇后语的翻译(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_18482.html