On Cultural Transmission in the Translation of
Idioms in A Dream of Red Mansions
Abstract: Translation in its essence is an activity of cultural communication. English and Chinese differ from each other tremendously in many aspects such as traditions, concepts of values, aesthetic standards, religious beliefs, etc. Therefore, in the translation of A Dream of Red Mansions, the traditional Chinese classic, it is of great importance and critical concern to transmit the Chinese cultural idiosyncrasies implied in the idioms to the English readers. A Dream of Red Mansions, translated by Yang Hsien-Yi and Gladys Yang is one of the most authentic versions of this novel. Aiming at the faithful expression of the source culture, they transfer Chinese cultural messages to the greatest extent in this translation edition, thus successfully keep the Chinese flavor as much as possible. A good translator will always take into consideration both the original flavor of source text and readability for target language readers, uniting culture and translation perfectly together.
Key Words: A Dream of Red Mansions; idioms; translation; cultural transmission
《红楼梦》习语翻译中的文化传递
摘 要：翻译实质上是一项文化交流活动。由于中西方文化在文化传统，价值观念、审美情趣及宗教信仰等方面都相距甚远，因此，把《红楼梦》习语中所蕴含的中华文化特质译介给英文读者不仅是习语翻译的重点也是其难点所在。杨宪益与戴乃迭所翻译的《红楼梦》作为其最好的英译本之一, 以源语文化为归宿，尽量保留了中国文化特色，最大限度地传递了文化信息。一个称职的译者既能最大限度地保持源文的原汁原味，又能充分地考虑到目的文读者的口味，将文化和翻译融为一体。
关键词： 《红楼梦》；习语；翻译；文化传递
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
1. Culture and Idioms 2
1.1 Definition of Idioms 2
1.2 Culture and Idioms 3
2. Idioms in DRM 4
2.1 The Significance of Chinese Idioms in DRM 4
2.2 The Classification of Chinese Idioms in DRM 5
2.2.1 Allusions in DRM…………………………………………………….…5
2.2.2 Proverbs in DRM…………………………….….…………………………5
2.2.3 Xiehouyu in DRM.……………………………………………….…………5
3. Transmission of Cultural Elements in Idioms Translation in DRM….6
3.1 Religion Reflection of Idioms in DRM…………………………………………6
3.2 History Reflection of Idioms in DRM……………………………………….…8
3.3 Legend Reflection of Idioms in DRM……………….………………………10
3.4 Literature Reflection of Idioms in DRM…………………….…………………11
3.5 Value Reflection of Idioms in DRM……………………………………………11
4. Conclusion 13
Bibliography…………………………………………………….………15
