Abstract:The study on English and Chinese idioms has been carried out years ago. But the field of the study is confined to the origins, lexical structure, semantic features, syntactic function and cultural connotation of idioms. Also, idiom study has always been a hot topic of research papers. As there is no strict definition of idioms, proverbs, idioms and slang all belong to the category of idioms for the time being. So, there are many areas for research and much literature for reference. Language is not only a part of culture but also a good means of communication. Languages of different ethnic groups are different. Idioms belong to a kind of special language form derived from the long-term language practice of human beings and has evolved into the essence of a language. With the rapid development of social economy, the exchanges between China and the western countries are more extensive. The study on the translation between English and Chinese idioms in the perspective of cultural differences is not only helpful for people to understand idioms better, but also plays a very important role in the transmission of cultural information. This paper not only analyzes the differences between Chinese idioms and English idioms from the angle of the cultural differences but also, based on the discussions on the differences between Chinese and Western cultures, puts forwards some translational techniques for English and Chinese idioms.

Keywords: English and Chinese idioms；translation；cultural differences

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Chapter 1 Introduction-1

Chapter 2 a review of literture-3

2.1 The Definition of Idioms-3

2.2 The Relationships among Idioms,Language and Culture-3

Chapter 3 cultural differences between english and chinese idioms-5

3.1 The Differences of Natural Environment-5

3.2 The Differences of Religious Faith-6

3.3 The Differences of Customs and Habits-6

3.4The Differences of Mode of Thinking-7

3.5 The Differences of Historical Allusions or the Development of History-8

Chapter 4 Techniques for translating english and chinese idioms-11

4.1 Literal Translation-11

4.2 Liberal Translation-12

4.3 Amplification-13

4.4 Replacing Images-13

Chapter 5 Conclusion-15

References-17

Acknowledgements-18