中西思维差异对翻译的影响.docx

1、中西思维差异对翻译的影响毕业论文 题目：中西思维差异对翻译的影响 Title：A Probe into the Influences onTranslation Exerted by Different Thinking Patterns 2009年5月25日 AcknowledgementsFirst and foremost, my appreciation goes to my affectionate parents, and the rest of my family. Throughout the development of this paper, they have been

2、there always giving me continuous support, encouragement and understanding. Their love and support encourage me to pursue progress all the time.I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to all other teachers who gave me lectures during the past four academic years. I have benefited so much not o

3、nly from their courses and lectures but also from their constant encouragement.Finally, my deepest gratitude and respect goes to my supervisor, Yang Ying. It is for her constant encouragement, critical instructions, her great care and precious advice that this paper appears in the present form.Abstr

4、actTranslation is not only a kind of language activity, but also a kind of thinking activity. It involves the transformation between the source language and target language. Language is the tool and result of thinking which is the basis of translation activity, language and thinking are closely inte

5、rrelated. However, the differences in culture, geography and history lead to the discrepancies of the Chinese and English mode of thinking and difference in language expressions. This paper starts with the relations between language and thinking, then focuses on the differences of thinking patterns,

6、 discussing the influences on translation exerted by the difference between English thinking and Chinese thinking. It aims to draw the translators attention to the influences of thinking difference and reduce the communication impediment of two peoples. Key Words: language; influence; translation; d

7、ifferent ways of thinking; English people and Chinese people 摘要翻译不仅是一种语言活动，而且还是一种思维活动，它是把一种语言所表达的信息用另一种语言传达出来的过程。语言既是思维的工具，又是思维的结果，而思维是翻译活动的基础。语言和思维紧密相关。但是由于中西方地域上相隔较远，各自相对独立，文化历史发展的轨迹相去甚远，因而中西思维方式存在着很大的差异，英汉两种语言对同一主题的表达方式也各异。本文从语言与思维的关系出发，从思维方式差异入手，探讨英汉思维差异对翻译的影响，以使译者重视英汉思维差异对翻译的影响，从而减少两民族的交流障碍。 关键

8、词：语言；影响；翻译；思维差异；英汉民族Contents Introduction 1I. Language and Thinking 1II. Different Thinking Patterns 22.1 Figurative thinking vs. abstract thinking 22.2 Integrated thinking vs. analytic thinking 42.3 Spiral thinking mode vs. linear thinking Mode 62.4 Subject-centered thinking vs. object-centered thi

9、nking 7III. Specific Expression in Translation 83.1 Impact on vocabulary 93.2 Impact on word order 103.3 Impact on sentence structure 103.4 Impact on paragraph structure 12Conclusion 12Bibliography 14IntroductionThe famous Whorf hypothesis thinks that languages have determining effects on thinking.

10、Thinking as a kind of cognitive activity dominated by brain is a deep mechanism of languages production and development. Language as a tool used for thinking is a component of thinking. Thinking must be expressed in language.Although thinking is universal, which mean different national people can ha

11、ve common recognition toward the same thing. However, growing up in different national cultures, people in different nations have their own characteristics, thus their modes of thinking vary greatly. Therefore, the discrepancies of different thinking patterns caused language expressions variety. As

12、a tool for communication the basic attribute of English and Chinese are the same, so there are many similarities during the description and thinking with the two languages. But because of the influence of their own cultures, there are many differences between the two languages.Different nations have

13、 not only different cultures but also different thinking ways, thinking features, thinking styles, these are the differences between thinking. English belongs to Indo-European while Chinese belongs to Sino-Tibetan Languages. Chinese is spoken by more people while English is more widely distributed.

14、As exchanges between the two peoples are becoming more and more frequent, differences between the two nations thinking have brought about many problems affecting the two inter-ethnic dialogue. Translation as a transference activity from one language to another language, in essence, is not only a lan

15、guage activity, but also a thinking activity. The thesis aims to study the relationship between language and thinking through the manifestations in thinking differences to reveal the differences between English and Chinese thinking on translation.I. Thinking, Language and Translation Thinking is a c

16、ognitive function of the human brain, by means of which man cognizes the world. It is an intangible process that cannot be heard, seen or touched, therefore it must take language as its form. Language is the most important tool or physical shell for thinking. It is also the organizer of human thinki

17、ng and recognition. As the arbitrary system of signs used by human beings to express their feelings and aspirations and to exchange their ideas, language provides the best instrument for the expression and communication of thinking. All in all, thinking is the basis of language and language has to d

18、epend on thinking for its content; Language and thinking intricately intertwine. Translation, the process of which begins from language and ends at it as well, is not only a linguistic act, but also an act of thinking. It is based on the commonness of thinking. In the process of translation, the suc

19、cessful communication between the source language and the target language is achieved through the shared contents and rules of thinking. However, the thinking styles of different nations, though have a lot in common, are unique in specific characters owning to the difference in terms of history, geo

20、graphical location, ecology, religion, customs, etc., as a result, people of different nations might perceive the same object in different perspectives. Deeply rooted thinking habits, make it impossible for us to escape the impact of our thinking upon our language, such as the range, the structure a

21、nd the form of our language. For example, we Chinese say “一举两得”or “一箭双雕” to express the meaning of “get two sides of benefits from doing one thing (做一件事情行到两方面好处）”. Whereas in English, its equivalent is “to kill two birds with one stone (一石双鸟）”.II. Different Thinking Patterns2.1 Figurative thinking v

22、s. abstract thinkingDue to historical and cultural reasons, different nations might be prominent of one style of thinking. Generally speaking, traditional Chinese culture is featured by concrete style of thinking in contrast to abstract thinking in Western culture. Chinese people are ideographic, us

23、ing imagery-focused language, they are sensitive to image and the meanings hidden in language, namely, “the implication”. They are good at using imagery thinking as well as figurative language to express abstract meaning, with specific and vivid pictures formed in their mind. Traditional Chinese phi

24、losophers favor in using literature forms to state their extensive and profound philosophy is good evidence of this figurative and imagery modes of thinking. Analogy has become a trend as a result of Chinese concrete pattern of thought. The application of analogy has made intuition an important elem

25、ent in Chinese concrete pattern of thought as a result they are opt to use intuition instead of logic in their thought.In sharp contrast, English belongs to alphabetic writing system, which is symbolic signs regulated rationally by people rather than purely imitation of natural phenomenon with its m

26、eaning decided by sound combination. For it based on peoples analytic, summarizing and abstract ability, logic tendency of this language was formed. The two different thinking styles are directly reflected on sentence and vocabulary. In Chinese, more concrete nouns are used, but the case is quite di

27、fferent in English, where more abstract nouns are found. Therefore, during translation, great effort should be made to alternate between abstract noun, impersonal subject words in English and specific, figurative, personal subject words in Chinese.E.g.:1. In line with latest trends in fashion, a few

28、 dress designers have been sacrificing elegance to audacity. 有些时装设计师为了起时髦，舍弃了优雅别致的式样，而一味追求袒胸露体的奇装异服。 2.Wisdom prepares for the worst; but folly leaves the worst for the day it comes. 聪明人防患于未然，愚蠢者临渴掘井。 The underlined abstract nouns are all generic terms, which are concise and explicit to English read

29、ers, but they might have to be rendered into more concrete nouns for Chinese readers. 2.2 Integrated thinking vs. analytic thinkingChinese economic form, small-scale farming by individual owners, leads to an integrated world with man and nature, and peoples integrated mode of thinking. In underdevel

30、oped social circumstances, the “integration of heaven and human”, “integration of cognition and behavior”, and “integration of feeling and setting” were gradually formed, they consider people and nature, people and cosmos, individual and society as an indivisible, corresponding organic whole. When a

31、nalyzing the relation between subject and object, human and nature, spirit and substance, thought and existence, soul and body, phenomenon and essence, they put much attention on the integral balance of things. The Chinese integral pattern of thought produces a general-particular order in the Chines

32、e language.Occidental analytic mode of thinking is originated in Platos theory “dichotomy of subject and object”. They distinguish subject and object, human and nature, etc. clearly. As a result, they are fond of making researches on this duality world respectively and analyzing on two levels: independent and not isolated; dynamic and not statica dialectical way of analyzing. The Western analytical pattern of thought produces a particular-general order in the English language.The difference of Chinese general-particular order and English particu