基于中英文化差異的商務(wù)英語翻譯【畢業(yè)論文】

1、<p><b>　?。?0_ _屆）</b></p><p><b>　　本科畢業(yè)設(shè)計</b></p><p><b>　　英語</b></p><p>　　基于中英文化差異的商務(wù)英語翻譯</p><p>　　Business English Translation

2、Based on Differences between Chinese and English Cultures</p><p><b>　　摘要</b></p><p>　　自2001年中國加入WTO后，跨國間的貿(mào)易活動越來越多。英語，作為一種國際語言，充當(dāng)了重要的角色。因此，商務(wù)英語翻譯活動越來越頻繁。然而，中英文化差異很大，使商務(wù)英語翻譯困難重重。忽視中英文化

3、差異導(dǎo)致翻譯失當(dāng)，致使商務(wù)活動失敗。翻譯和文化密不可分，沒有文化，就無從翻譯，翻譯促進了文化的傳播；國際商務(wù)是一個翻譯過程，翻譯促進了國際商務(wù)活動的順利進行。中英文化在宗教思想、地理自然環(huán)境、風(fēng)俗習(xí)慣方面存在很大差異?；谥杏⑽幕倪@些差異，本文提出了商務(wù)英語翻譯的基本方法，即直譯、意譯、音譯加注。譯者在翻譯商務(wù)英語時，需要仔細思考其中的文化差異，靈活選擇適當(dāng)?shù)姆g方法。</p><p>　　關(guān)鍵詞：商務(wù)英語；文

4、化差異；翻譯</p><p><b>　　Abstract</b></p><p>　　With China’s entry into WTO in 2001, international trade occurs more and more. English, as an international language, plays an important role

5、 in the international business. The activities of business English translation become more often than ever. However, there is a great difference between Chinese and English cultures, which leads to difficulties in busine

6、ss English translation. There always exist failures in business activities because of the improper translation which ignores the cultural d</p><p>　　Key words：business English; cultural difference; translati

7、on</p><p><b>　　Contents</b></p><p>　　Abstract………………………………………………………………….…………..II</p><p>　　1 Introduction…………………………………………………...….……..…..…....1</p><p>　　2 Tr

8、anslation, Culture and International Business…………...….……………....2</p><p>　　2.1 Translation and Culture………………………………………………………..2</p><p>　　2.2 Culture and International Business……………………………………….……3&l

9、t;/p><p>　　2.3 Translation and International Business…………………………...……………3</p><p>　　3 Differences between Chinese and English Cultures...………………………….4</p><p>　　3.1 Religious Beliefs……………

10、…………………………………………………4</p><p>　　3.2 Geographical and Natural Environments……………………………………...5</p><p>　　3.3 Customs and Habits……………………………………………………………6</p><p>　　4 Translation Approaches…

11、……………………………………………………….7</p><p>　　4.1 Literal Translation……………………………………………………….…….8</p><p>　　4.2 Free Translation……………………………………………………….……….8</p><p>　　4.3 Transliteration with Annotat

12、ion …………………...………………….….…..10</p><p>　　5 Conclusion………………………………..…………………………………….. 11</p><p>　　Bibliography………………………………………………………..……………….12</p><p>　　Acknowledgements…………………………………………

13、……………………….13</p><p>　　1 Introduction</p><p>　　With China’s accession to WTO, English, as an international language, has played an important role in world communication. International business En

14、glish is one branch of English for specific purposes. International business English focuses on specific communication requirements for business affairs dealt with in companies, factories and related industries, such as

15、banking, insurance, finance and transportation. And the activity of business English translation becomes more and more frequent. The</p><p>　　China has a great effect on the study of translation. Yanfu puts

16、forward three translation principles, i.e. faithfulness, expressiveness and elegance, which are popular in China. However, up to now, there are not as many books on studying business English translation as those concerni

17、ng other translations in China. In the West, functional theory is popular. The theory emphasizes that the translation should be done based on the source text analysis and takes the expected function of target text a</

18、p><p>　　At present, the whole situation of business English translation is optimistic. But there still exist problems because of ignorance of the culture and so on. In the activities of business, there often ex

19、ist failures because of the improper translation which ignores cultural differences. It is necessary to strengthen the importance of the culture in the process of translating business English.</p><p>　　This

20、thesis tries to make a study of differences between Chinese and English cultures. And it analyses the basic business English translation approaches. </p><p>　　In the process of business English translation,

21、 there are many errors. I choose this title in order to emphasize the significance of the culture. In the process of business English translation, translators should pay attention to the differences between Chinese and E

22、nglish cultures, and make use of the proper translation approaches to make the activities of business much more successful.</p><p>　　2 Translation, Culture and International Business</p><p>　　Tr

23、anslation, culture and international business are closely related. In the process of translation culture is important. Without culture, the translation activity can’t continue. When translating the business English, the

24、translators should take culture into consideration. The following section attempts to talk about the relationship between translation and culture, the relationship between culture and international business, and the rela

25、tionship between translation and international business.</p><p>　　2.1 Translation and Culture</p><p>　　The word “culture” is an alien word coming from Latin “cultura”, whose earliest basic meani

26、ng was “cultivation, planting, crop”. It is a part of social element and closely related to society. It is people’s historical or social experience from human being’s activity. Culture is the special product of a nation

27、in specific geographical environment (Fu Yao, 2000:36).</p><p>　　Translation is an activity deeply rooted in culture. Translation is to express the meaning or the sense of a word, which exactly refers to the

28、 sense in a certain cultural background. It is introducing one culture into other places while transferring information. So translation is closely related to culture. </p><p>　　The aim is to exchange ideas a

29、nd culture. Different countries and areas, different nations and communities hope to understand each other well, which is essential for translation’s existing. Translation is the result of cultural exchange. Without the

30、culture, the translation cannot continue. And translation promotes the understanding among people from the different countries and nations. Translation is the bridge of communication between different cultures. And it al

31、so promotes the spread of the </p><p>　　As soon as one starts the activity of translation, he or she just approaches another culture. Translation is not merely the work from one text to another text, but a p

32、rocess of culture transfer. Translating from one language into another cannot be done satisfactorily without adequate knowledge of the two cultures which are involved. Culture should be considered in the process of trans

33、lation.</p><p>　　2.2 Culture and International Business</p><p>　　The business talked in this thesis is the international business. In Wikipedia, international business is a term used to collecti

34、vely describe all of the commercial transactions (private and governmental, sales, investments, logistics and transportation) that take place between two or more than two nations (http//:www.wikipedia.cn). </p>&l

35、t;p>　　International business is a course of cultural exchanges (Liu Huanyu, 2003:34). Parties from different countries have different cultures. Culture is the entire way of life of a society. It is the system of share

36、d beliefs, customs and behaviors. While negotiating with a foreign partner, one is approaching another culture. So it is necessary to understand the different culture for translators, if the translators want to make the

37、business successful. </p><p>　　With China’s opening up to the world and its entry into WTO, China is playing an important role in the world’s economical fields such as import and export business, business in

38、terview, activities of business organization and so on. China is trying its best to introduce its products and also its culture to the world.</p><p>　　In the activity of international business, culture is im

39、portant. If culture is ignored, the business may fail. Meanwhile, the international business can make a great effect on spread of the culture.</p><p>　　2.3 Translation and International Business</p>&

40、lt;p>　　The key to success in business is communication. International business is a process of translation (Cao Ting, 2005:56). Therefore, translation is essential as a tool of communication. Translation has been acti

41、ng as an important medium in international business. A successful communication is significant to come to a satisfactory conclusion. International business needs the involvement of translation. So translation becomes mor

42、e and more important.</p><p>　　In business activities, translation of the materials, such as documents, letters and advertisements involving different will, guarantee the success of business affairs. The tra

43、nslation of trademark will straightly affect the sale of the commodity. At the same time, in some occasion such as business negotiation, interpretation is a necessity for the communication of all parties. The application

44、 of translation promotes the success in business. Without translation, the activity of business cannot c</p><p>　　3 Differences between Chinese and English Cultures</p><p>　　Translation is a cou

45、rse of culture transfer. It is not simply a matter of seeking other words with similar meaning, but a matter of finding appropriate ways of describing things in another language. It aims at the presentation of contents a

46、nd culture of the source text in the target text. So in the process of business English translation, cultural difference should be paid more attention. One culture differs from another culture. That is to say, different

47、nations have different cultures. Because</p><p>　　3.1 Different Religious Beliefs</p><p>　　Religion is an important part of culture. People from different areas have different religious beliefs,

48、 which should be taken much into consideration during the process of the business English translation. As religion is a sensitive and serious part of culture, violation to the religious beliefs may lead to the failure of

49、 business. </p><p>　　We all know that Christianity is the most important religion in Britain. And the majority of people in Britain believe in God. Christianity has been known to the Western for more than 20

50、00 years. Holy Bible is the primary book of the Christians, which consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Christianity was the national religion to the British people in the Middle Age. After then, Holy Bibl

51、e touched every field of Britain. And more and more people believed in God. Also in modern tim</p><p>　　Many words and expressions used in today’s literary works are from Holy Bible. According to the Bible,

52、God creates the heaven and the earth, and all the things in the world are arranged under God’s order. People often use “God” to express a strong emotion. And “God” is the most inviolable owner in their minds. They often

53、say “Oh, my God!”. </p><p>　　People often use allusions from the Bible. In Britain, it is not difficult for the people to know the allusions. However, the Chinese people know less about the Bible than the Br

54、itish. So it is not easy for them to have a consciousness about the allusion from the Bible. </p><p>　　In China, Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are regarded as the first three religions. These three relig

55、ions play important roles in Chinese culture and have deep influences on the Chinese people. However, the influence is not as the same as that in Britain. In Chinese people’s views, the most powerful is Heaven.</p>

56、<p>　　Confucianism was formed before Qin Dynasty (211-206BC). And it was created by the great Chinese scholar Confucius. In fact, it is an academic faith with moral ethical color. The feudal rulers promoted Confuc

57、ianism as a tool of ruling, while people regarded Confucius as a saint. Confucianism focuses on humans, including human position, personal relationship, morality and happiness and so on. Its belief is to reach harmony an

58、d unity of the world. So people are required to be modest, peaceful, care</p><p>　　During the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and Tang Dynasty (618-907AD), Buddhism was introduced to China. Buddhism advocates peop

59、le to give up all desires. It preaches that if people discard the illusions and do good things, they would be Buddhas after death. Besides, Taoism is an indigenous religion of China. Its belief is that people can go to t

60、he heaven and be long-lived through some special practice. But its influence is the smallest among these three. It advocates an escape from social duties, a</p><p>　　3.2 Different Geographical and Natural En

61、vironments</p><p>　　Different geographical and natural environments also make culture different. People living in different geographical and natural environments have their own words to express all kinds of

62、things. Culture is geographical. </p><p>　　The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is an island nation surrounded by the sea. It lies in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north coast of cont

63、inental Europe. It is separated from the rest of Europe by the English Channel in the south and the North Sea in the east. It comprises the island of Great Britain and the Northeastern one-sixth of the island of Ireland,

64、 together with many smaller islands. So people always have the spirit of adventure. And it has maritime climate. The </p><p>　　Chinese is ancestral home in the Asian continent. Its culture is inevitably affe

65、cted by nature. China stretches about 5,026 kilometers across the East Asian landmass. The east of the country, whose seacoast is fringed with offshore islands, is a region of fertile lowlands, foothills and mountains. T

66、he west of China is a region of sunken basins, rolling plateaus and towering massifs, including a portion of the highest tableland. The vastness of the country and the barrenness of the western hinter</p><p>

67、;　　For example, the British company of car uses “Zephyr” as the trademark. But the translation “西風(fēng)” cannot let Chinese people accept and understand. The Chinese has the saying “東風(fēng)送暖”, as the wind of China is from the eas

68、t. Therefore，the car trademark should be “東風(fēng)”rather than “西風(fēng)” if translated into Chinese.</p><p>　　The meaning of words sometimes can be different because of different geographical and natural environments.

69、Translators have to consider this in their business English translation work.</p><p>　　3.3 Different Customs and Habits</p><p>　　The culture of each place is different. As the customs and habits

70、 are one aspect of the culture, they are also different in different places. </p><p>　　As to eating, the Chinese like to eat around the table, while the British people like to eat the food which is distribut

71、ed to them so as not to bother others. Britain is a developed country. So they chase for the speed. In Britain, praise is included in their talks. When praised by others, the Chinese often deny the praise and say “No, no

72、t good at all”, etc.. The British usually respond “Thank you very much.”.</p><p>　　As the British think that marriage, age, salary all belong to others’ privacy, they seldom ask these questions. However, the

73、 Chinese don’t think so. They often ask their friends and relatives questions, such as “How much do you earn each month?”, “What’s your job?”. Instead, the British people choose the common topic acceptable to all, such a

74、s the weather, sports, hobby and news, which is not private and can break the ice at the same time.</p><p>　　Those differences can be expressed in some animal-related vocabulary phrase. The British love hors

75、es, horse riding, horse racing. British culture is typical of the “horse culture”. And the English “on the horse” means “rich”. For example, talk horse (boasting); get on one’s high horse (arrogance); horse and horse (ne

76、ck and neck) and so on. However, China is a traditional agricultural country. Generations of cattle farming life seems to make Chinese have the “cattle culture”. A cow is a symbol of</p><p>　　For example, “G

77、oldlion”, the famous trademark , was first directly translated into “金獅” in Chinese. “獅” has the same pronunciation as “死”, which is a taboo in Chinese customs. To have a good meaning of imagination, “l(fā)ion” is finally di

78、vided into “l(fā)i” which is translated into “利” by transliteration and “on” which is translated into “來” by free translation. Therefore, “Goldlion” is translated into “金利來”.</p><p>　　4 Translation Approaches<

79、;/p><p>　　Differences exist in the cultures. In the process of business English translation, it needs to consider the cultural differences and choose the appropriate translation approaches (Huang Xiaofeng, 2010

80、:79). In the process of business English translation, there will be failures in the activity of the international business, if the cultural differences are ignored.</p><p>　　Literal Translation </p>&

81、lt;p>　　Literal translation is also called foreignization or sense-for-sense translation. Literal translation is to reproduce the original meaning by keeping the linguistic form as possible as one can. The linguistic f

82、orm includes word choice, sentence structure, and figures of speech. Literal translation can help keep the original way of expression. It takes the reader to the foreign culture, makes him or her feel the cultural and li

83、nguistic differences, and helps people to know the foreign culture. Wh</p><p>　　If a version by literal translation is functionally equivalent in both designative and associative meaning, literal translation

84、 can be used directly with no doubt. The readers have no difficulties or misunderstanding regarding the different cultures. </p><p>　　Example is presented as follow.</p><p>　　The Eurodollar borr

85、owing rate based on the London Interbank Offer Rate is considered as one of the most valid barometers of the international cost of money.</p><p>　　以倫敦銀行間同業(yè)拆放利率為基準(zhǔn)的歐洲美元接待率被認為是國際資金借貸成本最有效的晴雨表之一。</p><

86、;p>　　As Britain is a country where it often rains, the British people often use the word related to the weather. “晴雨表” just reflects this point. “晴雨表” is an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure, and is a spec

87、ial term of weather. Now it is used to express the change of the international cost of money reflected on the change of the Eurodollar borrowing rate. By literal translation, the version not only takes the meaning of the

88、 source text, but also reserves the figure of speech and the form. T</p><p>　　4.2 Free Translation </p><p>　　Translation is not only the exchange of two languages, but also the culture transfer.

89、 We can use the free translation. In Dictionary of Translation Studies, Mark Shuttleworth and Moira Cowie give a definition to free translation like the following: “Free translation is a type of translation in which more

90、 attention is paid to producing a naturally reading target text than to preserving the source text wording” (Shuttleworth, Cowie, 2005:198). Free translation is to reproduce the original meaning </p><p>　　Th

91、e translator is entitled to do more by free translation. Business translation is target reader centered, which is greatly different from literal translation. Some examples are presented as follows.</p><p>　　

92、（1）Extra privacy could be obtained by engaging a “drawing room” at the end of the car, which would accommodate up to three, but at a higher supplement. In these cars, they were equipped with public toilets for passengers

93、 at the end.</p><p>　　車廂盡頭有一個特等臥室，具有很好的私密性，內(nèi)可容納三人，但要額外收較高的費用。這類車廂的兩頭還設(shè)有公用洗手間，供旅客使用。</p><p>　　In this paragraph, the free translation is used. In English-speaking countries, the privacy is import

94、ant. They like to have the personal space. By using free translation, the form and the structure are changed, which make it more readable for readers. As the British people strengthen the privacy, it is essential to use

95、free translation. Otherwise, the privacy can’t be expressed fully.</p><p><b>　　(2)白象電池</b></p><p>　　“白象” battery has been translated into “White Elephant”, which has a complete equiv

96、alence of semantic message. However, it is a bad translation in view of cultural message. White elephant in British culture means useless and cumbersome thing. The British people will not want to buy something whose bran

97、d is “White Elephant”. To make a good culture transfer, it can be translated into “Brown Lion”, for lion is a strong animal with power in British culture. Of course, people like to buy a battery wit</p><p>&

98、lt;b>　　(3)亞洲四小龍</b></p><p>　　Four Asian Dragons</p><p>　　Four Asian Tigers</p><p>　　In East Asia, South Korea, Taiwan China, Hong Kong, and Singapore are called “亞洲四小龍”, fo

99、r their quick and strong development of economy. Some people translate it into “Four Asian Dragons”, which is an inappropriate translation, as it neglects the cultural difference. Dragon is a lucky animal in China while