The Translation of English Proverbs 英语毕业论文.doc

Abstract Proverbs, as the accumulation and crystallization of human wisdom and national practice and experience, are the glittering gems of the cultural treasure house in the world. Proverbs play a very important role in the communication of national culture which could not be replaced by other forms of literature, processing a strong mass base and vigorous vitality. Thus, it is necessary to take some research on the understanding and translation of proverbs. In terms of content, proverbs have strong national color and cultural characteristics; and in terms of form, proverbs are of conciseness, vividness and expressiveness, and always with some rhetorical characteristics. They are not only terse in sentence structure but also rich and harmonious in rhythm and rhyme. On the translation of English proverb, some theories have been applied, including Lawrence Venuti’s Domestication and Foreignization, Eugene A. Nida’s Dynamic Equivalence, and Ernst-August Gutt’s Relevance-translation Theory, each of which has its own advantages and limitations. By the analyses of the utility of the above translation theories in English proverbs translation as well as their limitations, this thesis comes up the unity of Dynamic Equivalence and Relevance-translation Theory in English-Chinese proverb translation in which four methods that Loan Translation, Literal translation, Liberal translation and combination of literal translation and liberal translation are applied. Key words: proverb; Characteristic of Proverbs; English-Chinese proverb translation; unity of Dynamic Equivalence and Relevance-translation Theory Introduction Proverb is a kind of idiomatic expression. Bacon，a famous English writer, once said, “Genius wit and spirit of a nation are discovered by their proverbs.”1 That is true. From the proverbs, we can grasp the knowledge about the nation’s language and culture, as well as its people’s customs, habits and behavioral patterns. Proverbs, whether English ones or Chinese on