The best way to translate well is to know the cultural background first。 At the present time, more and more researches are just existing in theory but lacking in practical application。 When translating, the English translation of Chinese dish name seems hard to understand or even strange。 Thus the awareness of cultural differences is of significance。
2。2 English translations methods of Chinese dish names源F于K优B尔C论V文N网WwW.youeRw.com 原文+QQ752^018766
The study regarding the English translation of Chinese dish names is a relatively new field at home and abroad。 Therefore, the relative academic study is rather few because cuisine is too mundane to be considered worthy of serious academic study。 (Zhao 20) Nowadays, more and more scholars tend to focus on the importance of the English translation of Chinese cuisine names and endeavor to do relational studies。 For example, Chinese scholars have paid due attention to the study of Chinese dishes names。 in 1990, Liu Zengyu indicated the disorders in dish names’ translation and pointed out that relevant regulations should be established。 (Zhao 19) Huang Chenqiu in 1997 emphasized that proper translation can only come from the translator's good understanding of the Chinese cooking culture。 (Huang 13) Huang Haixiang in 1999 discussed the demands and methods of dish name translation。 He suggests that a good dish name translator should enable foreigners to know the dish ingredients and, if possible, the cultural connotation the dish has。 Zhou Xiangping in 2003 explored the dietary differences between China and Western countries by comparing cookery nomenclature。 She argues that the translator has to pay due attention to the features of Chinese dishes and offers the methods of literal translation, free translation and transliteration in translating dish names。 Ren Jingsheng outlined six practical translating methods of Chinese dishes names in 2001, analyzed the shortcomings of some instances and indicates that the translator should choose translating methods flexibly。 。
Dish name translation belongs to cultural translation to some extent, because this paper discusses about the translation strategies on the basis of considering cuisine culture differences between China and English-speaking countries。 Cultural translation is defined as a “translation in which the content of the message is changed to conform to the receptor culture in sortie way, and/or in which information is introduced which is not linguistically implicit in the original” (Nida & Taber 199)。 Nida also points out that “For truly successful translating, biculturalism is even more important than bilingualism, since words only have meanings in terms of the cultures in which they function。” (Nida 110)
Previous studies of Chinese dish name translation are good attempts, but since the translation is done for foreigners who may not be familiar with Chinese culture, their perspectives of translations is of importance in judging the accuracy of translations。 Hence, this paper is to analyze the issue of English translation of Chinese dish names systematically and logically from a cultural perspective, specifically, from cuisine cultural differences。
3。 Different Characteristics of Cuisine Culture between Chinese and West
The differences between Chinese and Western cuisine culture reflect in the form of naming dishes, concept of diet, material selection, cooking method and so forth。 So doing in-depth understanding and investigation is in deed, then not only can cultural differences of Chinese and Western diet be controlled correctly, but also the English translation of Chinese dish names can achieve the best approximation。
3。1 Concept of diet
Westerners’ diet concept is rational and scientific, who emphasize more on nutrition such as protein, fat, heat quantity and vitamin which need to get enough from three meals every day, rather than on excessive pursuit of food color, aroma, taste and appearance。 Compared with Chinese food, Western-style food value raw material itself nutrient preservation in the process of making dishes。 For example, westerners may drink a cup of milk or coffee, a bowl of cereal and toast with jelly in the morning。 If busy, fast food like KFC, McDonald’s may be good choice。 Because many Western people consider food just as a way to maintain body function, they prefer the energy and nutrition of food to its taste so that the diet seem to be monotonous。 中西方饮食文化差异下中国菜名的英译策略(3):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_200001.html