3. On the Translation Methods of English Idioms
3.1 Two main translation approaches of English idioms
Domestication and foreignization are two main approaches of translation. The US translation theoretician Venuti defines the two methods as follow:
Domestication adopts the national center principle, enables the source language text to satisfy the value of target language and culture, and leads the source language readers into the target culture, while foreignization means to accept the differences between foreign language culture and target language culture to take target language readers to see the foreign scene. From the definitions, we can see both of them hold different approaches toward the cultural differences. But the author believes that the domestication is the best way to enrich the expression of target language. Adopting domestication in maximum can enable the target language readers emerge the same or the similar association as the source language readers.
3.2 Four concrete translation skills of English idioms
There are some concrete skills of translation between English and Chinese, which are cited as follows:
1. Literal translation
2. Free translation
3. Borrowing
4. Literal translation with annotation
The author reveals the methods in detail in the following.
3.2.1 Literal translation
Literal translation can fairly retain the English idioms’ analogy; image; national and local flavors, in the position of not violating the standard of translation or causing the readers misunderstand. This way of translation can not only retain the original intention, but also enrich Chinese language. It can be seen clearly in the following examples:
(3) An apple of discord (不和女神的金苹果) comes from Greek mythology. The story is about: a goddess named discord is angry and never forgives King Paris and his wife because they don’t invite her to participate in their wedding banquet. In order to give vent to the hate, she abandons a golden apple on the table of wedding banquet; declaring that this apple is given to the most beautiful lady in this wedding banquet. There are three goddesses want to obtain this golden apple. And then it causes wrangle in a mess. From then on, the meaning of an apple of discord spreads. It becomes the synonym of “the cause of disaster” and “the source of the disagreement”.
(4) These are the Greek gifts for you. The literal translation of this idiom is 希腊人的礼物, which comes from the well-known epic poem “Odyssey”. When the Greek had left Troy, they left behind a big wooden horse outside the Troy city. Priest Laocoon tried his best to persuade his king not to accept the thing that the Greek stayed behind. He said that, “I fear the Greek, even when bringing gifts.” But what a pity, the king and the people did not listen to his advice. They pulled the big wooden horse into their city. Actually, in the wooden horse there hid the most excellent Greek soldiers. At that night, they killed the Trojan and fired the city. This wooden horse brought disaster to the Troy. In English Greek gifts is equal to the proverb: When the fox preaches, take care of your geese. The similar Chinese idiom is “the yellow weasel goes to his respects to the hen-----with the best of intention”. 黄鼠狼给鸡拜年―不安好心.
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