四字格的翻译The Translaion of Four-characer Chinese Srucure.doc

1、AcknowledgementsMy thanks go to all people who have helped me with the challenging endeavor of my thesis writing. First, I would like to extend the earnest thanks to my supervisor, Zhang Liming, for her constant encouragement and guidance. She has walked me through all the stages of the writing of t

2、his thesis. Without her consistent and illuminating instruction, this thesis could not have reached its present form. She inspired me to pay more attention to other varieties of methods of translation other than those common ones. I thank her for generously sharing her knowledge and time, for being

3、patient with my questions. Second, I am grateful to the professors and teachers at the English Department in Jincheng College of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who have offered me informative and enlightening courses in the past few years. Last my thanks would go to my beloved f

4、amily for their loving considerations and great confidence in me all through these years. I also owe my sincere gratitude to my friends and my classmates who gave me their help and time in listening to me and helping me work out my problems during the difficult course of the thesis. Table of Content

5、s Abstract摘 要.Introduction.1. Methods of Translating Consecutive Four-character Chinese Structures.3 A. General Study.3B. Transfer3C. Division .4D. Subtraction.4E. Metaphrase.5. Transferring the Rhetoric Beauty of Four-character Chinese Structure in English Version.6 A. A Brief Study of the Rhetoric

6、 Beauty of Four-character Chinese Structure in Terms of Translation. 6B. Strategies Used to Translate the Relational Rhetoric Devices .61. Metonymy. 72. Periphrasis.73. Hypallage.74. Irony.75. 断取.86. Rhyme.87. 统括.88. 联边.99. 叠字.910. Acronym9 Conclusion.11References.12 毕业论文专用纸The Translation of Four-c

7、haracter Chinese StructureAbstractFour-character Chinese structure is phrase made up of four Chinese characters in structure; it originates from the long Chinese history and the conventional usage of this structure for many generations of Chinese people. Four-character Chinese structure is so widely

8、 used in daily life of Chinese that no one could even speak out an authentic Chinese sentence without it. This paper briefly introduces the methods of translating consecutive four-character Chinese structures, namely transferring, division, subtraction and metaphrase. Then it points out that four-ch

9、aracter Chinese structure has its own rhetoric beauty which is often omitted when translating. The beauty of it can be perceived as rhythmic beauty and metrical beauty, associational beauty and implied beauty, balanced beauty and symmetrical beauty. What is of importance and necessity in this paper

10、is that the rhetoric beauty is expressed by various kinds of Chinese rhetoric devices, transferring the rhetoric beauty of four-character Chinese structure in English version is the same as translating various Chinese rhetoric devices which contain metonymy, periphrasis, hypallage, irony, rhyme, 断取，

11、统联边，叠字and abbreviation. Finally, it concludes some enlightenment from the methods of translating four-character Chinese structure for students who want to translate that specific structure well, they should adopt appropriate methods of translation, be accomplished both in Chinese and English literat

12、ure, be familiar with the background information behind four-character Chinese structure and be proficient in both Chinese and English rhetoric devices.Key Words: four-character Chinese structure; methods of translation; transferring the rhetoric beauty; enlightenment 四字格的翻译摘 要 四字格是由四个中文字构成的短语结构，它源于

13、中国悠久的历史和一代代中国人对四字格的习惯性使用。四字格在中国人的日常生活中用途广泛，缺了四字格人们便很难说出一句地道的中文。 本文简单介绍了四字格群的翻译方法，即转换法，拆分法，缩减法和顺应法。接着论文指出了四字格具有其特殊的修辞美，人们在翻译四字格时却一直对此予以忽略。四字格的修辞美可以分为节奏美和韵律美，联系美和含蓄美，均衡美和对称美。尤其重要和不可或缺的是本文指出了四字格的修辞美是通过汉语的修辞手法表现出来的。如何把这种修辞美传递到英语译文中即是如何翻译好汉语修辞手法的问题。这些修辞手法包括转喻，折绕，移就，反语，脚韵，断取，统括，联边，叠字和紧缩。最后，从四字格的翻译方法中文章概括了

14、一些启示给那些想译好四字格的同学，即使用恰当的翻译方法，精通中英文学，了解四字格的背景知识和熟练运用中英修辞手法。关键词：四字格；翻译方法；修辞美的传递；启示- - 12 - -The Translation of Four-character Chinese StructureIntroductionA. A Brief Introduction to Four-character Chinese StructureFour-character Chinese structure is phrase made up of four Chinese characters in structur

15、e; it originates from the long Chinese history and the conventional usage of this structure for many generations of Chinese people. Four-character Chinese structure is so widely used in daily life of Chinese that no one could even speak out an authentic Chinese sentence without it. Naturally, consec

16、utive four-character Chinese structures are those structures put in one sentence or passage in sequence. They share the same context and there is of course logical connection between them.In recent years, as the contact between China and western countries becomes more and more frequent, the methods

17、of translating four-character Chinese structure develops with each passing day, now the methods of translating four-character Chinese structure are systematic and practical. What people are recently aware of is that when translating four-character Chinese structure the rhetoric beauty of them should

18、 also be transferred into the English version and translators of various backgrounds are working on it.B. The Significance of the StudyIn the past researches, Ni Danlie did research on the methods of translating four-character Chinese structure in Strategies of Handling Four-character Chinese Struct

19、ure in English Teaching in 2002, pointing out that whey translating single four-character Chinese Structure methods such as literal translation, free translation literal translation plus explanation, literal translation plus free translation and appliance of English idioms.(Ni Danlie, 2002:15) In 20

20、04, Ding Anyi analyzed numerous four-character Chinese Structure and summarized the rhetoric beauty of four-character Chinese Structure. The rhetoric beauty can be summed up as rhythmic beauty and metrical beauty, associational beauty and implied beauty, balanced beauty and symmetrical beauty. (Ding

21、 Anyi, 2004:33)This paper analyzes some examples relating to consecutive four-character Chinese Structures and their respective methods of translation and then, it points out the methods of transferring the rhetoric beauty of four-character Chinese Structure into English version. Finally, it conclud

22、es some enlightenment for English majors: when translating four-character Chinese structure the background information hidden behind should be taken into consideration and methods of translation should be adopted in an appropriate way. Methods of Translating Consecutive Four-character Chinese Struct

23、uresA. General Study As having studied for many years on the issue of translating consecutive four-character Chinese Structures, the author found that what is the most of deference between single four-character Chinese structure and consecutive ones is that there on occasion exists a logic flow in c

24、onsecutive four-character Chinese structures. As a result, while translating them the logic flow must be taken good care of. That is also one of the keys dealing with the problem.As is generally known by all of us, some of the consecutive four-character Chinese Structures have repetition in meaning

25、in order to gain the inseminating effect of expression, so subtraction of same meaning is the other key solving the problem of translating consecutive four-character Chinese structures.The respective methods are transfer, division, subtraction and metaphrase. B. Transfer例：本品味道鲜美、营养丰富、物美价廉，可供现货。Each

26、of the four consecutive Chinese structures in the sentence describes one aspect of the product introduced in the advertisement, and each of the aspects does not influence each other in logic. That means each of the consecutive four-character Chinese structures exists comparatively separate, as a res

27、ult the sentence of English version can be arranged and organized as one without a logic center, namely a parallel sentence in form. What is also must be noticed is that four-character Chinese structure has a characteristic of being concise, it uses only four Chinese characters to express a matter t

28、hat would request more words if is stated in an ordinary sentence, so being concise has to be remembered when translating.Adjective phrase or other kind of English phrase is known to be concise in nature; as a result using English phrase to translate four-character Chinese structure is the best choi

29、ce under the circumstances. That is also a process transferring four-character Chinese structure into English phrase, so the method is called transfer which applies specifically for the kind of consecutive four-character Chinese structures being concise without sequential logic. The sentence set as

30、an example can be translated as below:Delicious, nutritious and a good buy. Available from stock.The advertisement in Chinese is very easily accepted among the people and the English version seems authentic for English-speaking westerners. Those consecutive four-character Chinese structures transfer

31、 into adjective phrases, and both of them match each other well.C. Division例：作为世界第一大洲，亚洲幅员辽阔，人口众多，资源丰富，有着巨大的发展潜力。幅员辽阔 is a four-character Chinese structure meaning a vast land. 人口众多and资源丰富describe the land in terms of population and resources. As can be seen clearly, the three four-character Chinese

32、 structures in the sentence are not equal in logic and do not exist separately. The subsequent two are attached to the first one in order to introduce two aspects of the peculiarities of the land mentioned in the first one. Obviously, the first one is the logic center and it must be taken good care

33、of in translation. As a result the sentence of English version can be arranged and organized as one with a logic center, namely subordinative compound. To translate such kind of consecutive four-character Chinese structure well, translator has to use a method called division to divide those four-cha

34、racter Chinese structures into two parts: those which are able to be logic center and those which are not.The sentence set as an example can be translated as below:Asia, the largest continent in the world, is a vast land with a huge population, abundant natural resources and enormous potential for d

35、evelopment.The three consecutive four-character Chinese structures in the original text are put orderly and the English version contains a subordinative compound with a logic center. The English version seems orderly and is strictly stick to the logic form.D. Subtraction例：有的地方和部门甚至出现了“上有政策、下有对策”、有令不

36、行、有禁不止的现象。Chinese is a language which especially more emphasizes its form than its content. This lingual phenomenon can be clearly observed in four-character Chinese structure. Sometimes part of the consecutive four-character Chinese structures has repetition in meaning in order to gain effect of ex

37、pression or purely for the making of language beauty. Quite the opposite, English is a language which emphasizes more its content. It does not allow repetitive words of the same meaning to describe only one matter.有令不行、有禁不止contains the same meaning of what is expressed in上有政策、下有对策. As required by En

38、glish as a language itself, a method called subtraction can be applied. Subtraction means deletion of the extra consecutive four-character Chinese structures in translation. As a result, translator just needs to translate 有令不行、有禁不止，which is enough for the meaning expressed by the whole consecutive f

39、our-character Chinese Structures.The sentence set as an example can be translated as below:Some localities and departments even went so far as to disobey orders and defy prohibitions.The English version avoids strategically the repetition in meaning.E. Metaphrase例：要不断解放思想、实事求是、与时俱进、开拓创新。Some kind of

40、 consecutive four-character Chinese structures do not have a logic center while using simple English phrases can not express the whole meaning of the original text. Whats more, there also does not exist repetition in meaning. Under the circumstances, a method called metaphrase, namely literal transl

41、ation, is considered the best choice.The sentence set as an example can be translated as below:We should continue to emancipate our minds, seek truth from facts, keep pace with the times and make innovations in a pioneering spirit.What should be noticed is that metaphrase is not the mainstream strat

42、egy dealing with the translation of consecutive four-character Chinese structures. Being prior to the meaning and break down the shackle of form is the main idea a good translator should hold when translating consecutive four-character Chinese structures.II. Transferring the Rhetoric Beauty of Four-

43、character Chinese Structure in English VersionA. A Brief Study of the Rhetoric Beauty of Four-character Chinese Structure in Terms of TranslationFour-character Chinese Structure has its own rhetoric beauty which can be perceived as rhythmic beauty and metrical beauty, associational beauty and implie

44、d beauty, balanced beauty and symmetrical beauty. (Ding Anyi, 2004:33) Rhythmic beauty is the beauty of the level and oblique tone of four-character Chinese structure and metrical beauty is the beauty of rhyming. Associational beauty associates historical events of China and implied beauty implies t

45、he language environment. Balanced beauty and symmetrical beauty emphasizes the beauty of the form of four-character Chinese structure. What must be noticed is that rhythmic beauty and associational beauty can not be transferred into English version for English as a language itself does not have the

46、level and oblique tone and westerners are not familiar with the historical events of China, adding explanation for those historical events makes the English version cumbrous. As a result what can be transferred are metrical beauty, implied beauty, balanced beauty and symmetrical beauty.The rhetoric beauty of four-character Chinese structure is expressed by several Chinese rhetoric devices, so to transfer the rhetoric beauty well is equal to the good translation of those Chinese rhetoric devices. The rhetoric devices wh