ABSTRACT
Traditional translation studies treat translation as the transformation of linguistic signs, taking insufficient notice of the interference of cultural factors in the translating process. However, owing to the natural and close relations between language, culture and translation, with the development of related disciplines, translation studies from the perspective of cultural communication have been gaining weight in the academic circles of translation theories in recent years, which resulted in the cultural view on translation.
This thesis tries to explore translating problems from the cultural perspective. It falls into seven parts including the Introduction:
The thesis starts with the Introduction in which the author concisely states his purpose of writing this paper, outlining the contents of the whole thesis according to its structure.
Chapter One is Language, Culture and Translation. This chapter is designed to explicate the concept of culture and the relations between language, culture and translation, laying foundations for the following discussion at deeper levels.
Chapter Two is Cultural View on Translation and Cultural Factors to be Taken into Account When Translating. On the basis of analysing traditional translation studies, the author points out the defects of traditional translation studies. Then the author looks back at the culture turn in translation studies and introduces the cultural view on translation. The author holds the view that common cultural core is the foundation of translation and cultural communication, but cultural differences pose obstacles to smooth cultural exchange and cultural conflicts are the tough nut for translators to crack.
Chapter Three is Foreignization and Domestication—Two Approaches to Cultural Translation. When it comes to the discussion of handling cultural factors in translation, scholars at home and abroad can be roughly divided into two schools: the school of foreignization and the school of domestication, with Venuti and Nida being their major respective representatives. The disputes between the two schools have been continuing for quite a few years, each school having its own advocates and theoretical bases.
Chapter Four is Foreignization or Domestication: An Analysis of the Contributing Factors in the Decision-making Process of Translation. The author has no intention of getting involved in the disputes between the two schools. After analysing such factors as the intention of the translator, textual function, social-cultural environment, historical limitations and the translator’s style, the author comes to the conclusion that the choice of translating strategy is decided upon by many conditioning factors rather than by the preference of the translator.
Chapter Five is The Mediating Functions of the Cultural View on Translation. In the circles of translation theories, there are many disputable issues such as the contradiction between domestication and foreignization, the conflict of literal translation and free translation, the trace of translation, the translator’s style, etc. Studying these problems from the perspective of cultural communication, the author concludes that all these tricks to some extent contribute to cultural communication, and so their existence is justifiable.
Chapter Six is Conclusion. The author harbours the view that to conduct translation studies from the angle of cultural communication provides a new perspective for translation studies, reconciling the long-term contradictory opinions and guiding them to serve the task of promoting cultural communication. This helps translation studies get out of marginal position and exist as an independent discipline. At the same time, the author warns that the cultural view on translation is just one of the many perspectives of translation studies, and it is complementary to translation studies from other perspectives. Its development, to a great extent, counts on the development and prosperity of related disciplines.
内容提要
传统的翻译研究只是把翻译看作一种语言符号的转换活动，对于文化因素对翻译过程的介入讨论不够充分。然而，由于语言、文化和翻译的天然的密切关系，随着与翻译相关的学科的发展和国际交流的日益频繁，从文化交流的角度探讨翻译问题在近年来成为翻译理论界的一个热点，文化翻译观应运而生。
本文试从文化翻译观的角度对若干翻译问题进行探讨。全文包括导言共由七个部分组成：
在导言中，作者以简洁的语言阐述了文章的写作目的，按照文章的写作架构对整篇论文进行了概述。
第一章, 语言，文化和翻译。本章旨在阐述文化的概念，以及语言，文化和翻译之间关系，为后面的深入讨论做准备。
第二章，文化翻译观及翻译中要考虑的文化因素。这一章里，在对传统的翻译研究进行回顾分析的基础上，指出其存在的不足；进而回顾了翻译界的文化转向，并对文化翻译观的内容做了介绍。作者认为文化共核是翻译和文化交流能够进行的基础，而文化差异是顺利达成文化交流的障碍，也是译者翻译实践中的最大困难。
第三章，异化和归化—跨文化翻译的两种基本策略。国内外的学者对处理翻译中的文化因素的态度大致分为两派：异化派和归化派。异化派以文努提为代表，归化派以奈达为代表。两派之争由来已久，各自都有自己的理论依据，也都有为数不少的支持者。
第四章，异化还是归化—翻译决策过程中的制约因素分析。作者并未介入异化和归化两派的争论，而是通过对文本功能，译者的目的，历史局限，社会文化环境，以及译者的风格诸制约因素的分析的基础上，认为异化和归化两种策略的选择是由于许多制约因素共同作用的结果，而不是靠译者的个人偏爱。
第五章，文化翻译观的调停作用。翻译中有争议的问题很多，如异化和归化，译者能否有自己的风格，能否对原作进行删节修改，直译与意译，译作中能否保留翻译的痕迹，等等。作者把这些争议放到促进文化交流的文化翻译观下来考察，认为这些问题在一定条件下对文化交流都有积极的作用，都有其存在的必要。
第六章，结论。作者认为从文化交流的角度研究翻译为翻译研究提供了新的视角，使长期以来翻译界存在的争论统一在促进文化交流的根本任务之下，并有利于翻译研究摆脱边缘化地位，作为独立的学科而存在。同时，作者也认为，文化翻译观只是翻译研究的众多角度中的一个，与从其他角度进行的翻译研究是互补性的，它的发展有赖于相关学科的繁荣和发展。
CONTENTS
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Introduction···················································································· 1
Chapter One：Language, Culture and Translation 4······························· 1.1 Why is it important to elaborate on the definition of culture?·································· 4
1.2 Various definitions of culture ························································· 5
1.3 Intrinsic traits of culture ····························································· 7
1.4 The relation of language to culture···················································· 11
1.5 The relation of translation to culture·················································· 13
Chapter Two: Cultural View on Translation and Cultural Factors
to Be Taken into Account When Translating 15
2.1 Traditional translation studies··· 15
2.2 The cultural turn in translation studies ·········································· 17
2.3 Cultural view on translation ·························································· 19
2.4 Cultural factors to be taken into account when translating··· 22
2.4.1 The importance of cross-cultural awareness ································· 22
2.4.2 Cultural common core···························································· 23
2.4.3 Difficulties caused to translation by cultural differences··· 25
2.4.3.1 Conflict of word meaning··················································· 25
2.4.3.2 Semantic association························································ 26
2.4.3.3 Zero of equivalent word···················································· 28
2.4.3.4 Pragmatic implication························································ 29
2.4.3.5 Difference of national psychology··· 30
Chapter Three: Foreignization and Domestication－Two Approaches
to Cultural Translation ···································································· 32
3.1 Cultural translation, foreignization and domestication······························ 32
3.2 Advocates of domestication and their theories······································ 34
3.3 Advocates of foreignization and their theories ····································· 36
3.4 The endless dispute between the two schools·· 37
Chapter Four: Domestication or Foreignization: An Analysis
of the Contributing Factors in the Decision-
making Process of Translation········································· 42
4.1 The intention of the translator·· 42
4.2 Textual function·········································································· 46
4.3 Socio-cultural environment···························································· 49
4.4 Historical limitations···································································· 51
4.5 The translator’s style··································································· 52
Chapter Five: The Mediating Function of the Cultural View on
Translation ································································ 55
5.1 On style·················································································· 55
5.2 On literal translation and free translation············································ 56
5.3 On translatability and untranslatability··············································· 57
5.4 On addition and omission····························································· 59
5.5 On foreignization and domestication················································· 60
5.6 On the trace of translation····························································· 61
Chapter Six: Conclusion··································································· 63
Bibliography·················································································· 64
