毕业论文关键词：饮食文化，文化差异，翻译
CONTENTS
Acknowledgementsi
Abstractii
摘要..iii
1 Introduction    1
2 Differences Between Chinese Culinary Culture and Western Culinary Culture    4
2.1 The Features of Chinese Culinary culture    4
2.2 The Features of Western Culinary Culture    5
3 Problematic Translations in Cross-cultural Communication    7
3.1 Problems Existing in the Translation of Chinese Dish Names    7
3.2 Solutions to These Problems    8
4 A Discussion on the Methods Used in Translating Chinese Dish Names    10
4.1 Literal Translation    10
4.2 Transliteration    12
4.3 Literal Translation + Regional Style    12
4.4Paraphrase..13
5 Conclusion    15
Bibliography16
1 Introduction

There is a Chinese saying: “Hunger breeds discontentment.” Food is the first need in human survival and development, and it is also a basic form of social life. If people want to survive, they must take in some nutriments. When a nation forms a set of fixed dietary practices and concepts, then its unique culinary culture comes into being.

Owing to each nation’s unique geographical location, natural environment, customs, and dietary concepts, their culinary cultures are normally quite different from one another. In the era of globalization, cultural exchanges have become more and more prevailing, which inevitably exposes people to different culinary cultures when they are traveling in an alien place or country. Given that differences in culinary culture may easily lead to misunderstanding, it is essential that appropriate and accurate translated menus be provided for those “strangers” to help them to integrate into and embrace the local culinary culture. A well-translated dish name can not only present the ingredients and cooking methods, but also illustrate its unique cultural connotations.

Nida & Taber (2001) maintained that the purpose and characteristics of translation are to promote understanding among different countries and nations. Nida (2001) pided the cultural elements in translation into five parts: ecological culture, logistical culture, religious culture, material culture and social culture, and also defined translation as reproducing the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source language, first in terms of meaning and second in terms of style. However, to reproduce “the closest natural equivalent” in the target language is more or less influenced by the cultural differences. Therefore, when translating Chinese dish names, translators should not only use flexible translation skills, but also know the differences between Chinese and Western culinary cultures.

There have been some Chinese scholars who have attempted to study the translation of Chinese dish names, and their research has provided some valuable insights. Li Min (2012) argued that dish names, as an important part in Chinese traditional culinary culture, reflect the rich connotations in Chinese culture; therefore, whether the translation of Chinese dish names is good directly reflects the Western understanding of Chinese culinary culture. The right choice and application of literal translation and free translation can not only give a brilliant touch to the dish but also facilitate the communication between China and Western countries and the spread of Chinese culinary culture. Zhuang Hongling and Que Zijiang (2005) argued that the translation of Chinese dish names should enable foreigners to acquaint themselves with not only the overt elements the dishes represent, such as the ingredients, cooking methods, and tastes, etc., but also the deep cultural connotations, for instance, the value of dishes, historical origins, cultural allusions and so on. As to the huge difference between China and Western countries in the dietary concepts, cooking ingredients, cooking techniques and dish naming, translators should consider not only fitting the habits of naming in the West, but also maintaining the Chinese characteristics. What’s more, Zhang and Que (2005) also argued that translation should be variable according to different situations and contexts, and that translators should choose different policies and methods to reach better effects. 从东西方饮食文化的差异探究中国菜名的英译(2):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_31429.html