Hong Lou Meng, one of China's Four Great Classical Novels, is always seen by most people as a piece of encyclopedic work which includes a vivid description about various cultural elements such as diet customs, religions, politics and other facts of social life. Attracted by this reason, many translators in different countries tried their best to introduce this great work to their country fellows. But it is cultural elements that make this novel very difficult in translation.
1.1 Research Background
Hunger breeds discontentment, in the history of human civilization, diet plays an important role. It is not only a necessity for human survival, but also closely related to the cultural life of mankind. The diet culture reflected in the food, beverage, food etiquette and custom forms in daily life Most think that understanding the diet culture is the best way to learn about a country.
In the course of historical development, different countries because of geographical and psychological reasons, such as the formation of a different diet culture. Chinese and Western culture is the world's two major mainstream culture, the difference is in many ways. The differences in food culture is an important part of it. This is why the diet culture translation is one of the most important.
1.2 Significance of the Thesis
  Mr Zhang jin thinks that translation is the process and tool of communication between the two languages, Its purpose is to promote our political, economic and cultural progress,Its mission is to put a image of real world and art from one language into another language. Lu Xun also pointed out that translation should not only pay attention to the differences of language, but also pay close attention to cultural differences.    
Hong Lou Meng is China's food culture of a book, of which about the description of the contents of wonderful food culture. How to use the translation of the cultural communication tools to the rich cultural content of the original to the foreign readers, so that more people understand China's food culture, understanding of the Chinese nation's long cultural traditions, the translators need to pay more efforts. Only by choosing the most appropriate translation strategies and methods, the translator can successfully transfer the cultural content of the original text, so as to realize the equivalent transfer of culture, and readers can understand the profound cultural connotation.
2、Literature Review
Language is the carrier of culture and an important part of culture. With the development of economy, the communication between our country and the world is becoming more and more frequently. However, due to geographical, religious and social customs and other aspects of the impact, the load of the two languages of the cultural information is also different. This requires the translator to use all kinds of effective methods to transmit cultural information accurately and effectively in the translation process. The diet culture in Hong Lou Meng has a rich national cultural characteristics, which is a very difficult problem to retain and convey the cultural connotation. This paper tries to make a comparative study about the two English versions of Yang Xianyi and Hawkes, and find out similarities and differences between the two versions.源`自,优尔`文.论"文'网[www.youerw.com
Hong Lou Meng is the peak of the development of Chinese classical novels, known as the "Encyclopedia of Chinese culture". which relates to all aspects of Chinese ancient traditional culture. the characteristics of these foods can be used to "elegant, harmonious, elegant" to summarize.
2.1 Review of the translation history of Hong Lou Meng
The English translation of a dream of Red Mansions "has experienced three major translation activities. The first is 1830-1893, a total of four versions, is a fragment of translation. The second is 1927-1958, a total of three versions, all is the adaptation of a dream of Hong Lou Meng The third time is 1973-1982, the two complete beautiful and unique English versions. A University of Oxford professor David Hawkes and John Minford The Story of the stone, another is China famous translator Yang Xianyi and his wife Dai Naidie, translated by Hong Lou Meng These two versions of Hong Lou Meng set off the upsurge of cultural translation 红楼梦饮食翻译研究(2):http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_55367.html