理论基础
惯用语概论
Idiomatic expressions, as defined by Baidu Baike, are fixed phrases with flexible structures and strong rhetorical flair, often acquiring figurative meanings through metaphors Wikipedia offers another perspective, describing idiomatic expressions as commonly used colloquial phrases that are concise and may carry implied meanings not easily inferred from standard Chinese Their expressive power is significant, as they can convey hidden meanings or negative connotations.
Idioms are an integral part of everyday language and conversation, reflecting the oral traditions that have evolved over thousands of years These expressions are unique because their meanings cannot be deduced from their literal interpretations; instead, one must grasp their figurative meanings and the cultural stories behind them.
各种语言中的惯用语
Languages exhibit systematic structures and shared characteristics In my research on idiomatic expressions, I discovered that the concept of idioms is not exclusive to Chinese; languages such as Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, English, and several others also possess idiomatic expressions.
英语学习者应该都很熟悉“Idiom”这个词。说白了，英语里面的惯用语就是
“Idiom”。一个人能否在英语对话中使用上“Idiom”并把它使用得恰当会体现出他
The proficiency in English can be demonstrated through the use of idiomatic expressions For instance, while phrases like "It rains heavily" or "The rain is pouring" convey the idea of heavy rain, using the idiom "It rains cats and dogs" reflects a more native-like fluency Mastering such expressions showcases a deeper understanding of the language and enhances communication skills.
In Japanese, there exists a system of idiomatic expressions known as "kanyouku," where many idioms combine body parts with other words, making it essential not to interpret them literally Similarly, Korean features a rich array of idiomatic expressions called "관용어" (gwan-yong-eo), which, like Chinese idioms, are deeply rooted in culture and often tell a story.
Trong tiếng Việt, khái niệm "Quán ngữ" phản ánh sự truyền tải văn hóa và lối sống của người dân qua hàng ngàn năm Các thành ngữ trong tiếng Việt thể hiện đặc điểm giản dị và thuần khiết của người Việt Chẳng hạn, cụm từ "đùng một cái" thường được sử dụng để chỉ sự việc xảy ra đột ngột và bất ngờ, thường mang ý nghĩa tiêu cực Người Việt quen thuộc với cách sử dụng này và không bao giờ hiểu sai lệch nghĩa của nó Một ví dụ khác là cụm từ "lúc nào cũng tỏ ra hiểu biết", thể hiện thái độ tự tin trong giao tiếp.
和“luôn đi dạy bảo người khác phải làm gì”这两个词组意义分别为“总是装作自己什
The article discusses the contrast between appearing to be knowledgeable in everything and the tendency of some teachers to overly direct others on what to do Both phrases convey a similar meaning, emphasizing the difference between genuine expertise and authoritative instruction.
上“lên lớp”和“dạy đời”这两个惯用语，表达效果会更好，语义也比较自然一些。
In addition to common languages, other languages feature similar expressions known as idioms Each language's idioms possess unique characteristics, yet they share a common trait: their meanings are not immediately apparent from the literal words but instead convey deeper significance and often contain a story As a foreign language learner, I believe that idioms are an important area worthy of exploration and study.
汉语惯用语介绍
This paper focuses on Chinese idioms, which are a significant and challenging aspect of the language The origins of these idioms are diverse, stemming from everyday life or historical texts Such origins allow Chinese idioms to vividly reflect the unique values, historical culture, customs, and social life of the Chinese people Therefore, promoting the teaching and learning of idioms is not only a vital way to disseminate Chinese culture but also an essential means to cultivate intercultural communication skills As foreign students, we have a strong interest and curiosity about idioms, yet we often find their flexible structures and semantic variations challenging.
Research on idiomatic expressions has primarily focused on their intrinsic characteristics, leading to frequent errors in usage To date, certain issues within this field remain contentious and debated among scholars.
In my research on Chinese idiomatic expressions, I have identified four key areas of focus: the semantics of idioms, their translation, their role in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, and common errors in their usage Previous studies in these areas have provided valuable insights, guiding my choice of research topic As noted in one academic paper, "Chinese idiomatic expressions serve as a prism of national culture, reflecting the values and psychological traits of the people." Exploring the cultural connotations of idioms enhances our understanding of Chinese values and cultural psychology Idioms hold significant importance in the Chinese language, conveying rich meanings through simple words and permeating everyday communication Their economical use enhances language vibrancy and expressiveness while also adding subtlety and humor, making idioms an essential component of effective communication in Chinese.
惯用语理论
1.4.1 汉语惯用语的研究状况 a 关于惯用语语义研究 a.1 焦佳，汉语惯用语的语义研究，2019
Chinese idiomatic expressions are a significant and unique category within modern Chinese vocabulary, characterized by their brevity, vivid imagery, humor, subtlety, and rich meanings These expressions are frequently used in both spoken and written Chinese, making them essential in everyday communication However, research on idiomatic expressions remains limited, with a relative lag in the study of their semantics and teaching methodologies compared to other vocabulary areas Therefore, exploring the semantics of idiomatic expressions holds considerable practical significance and value.
This paper focuses on a notable characteristic of Chinese idioms, which is their ability to convey emotions and meanings through metaphorical expressions and their analyzable nature It begins by categorizing idioms based on their surface meanings, then explores the types and methods of metaphor from a cognitive perspective The study concludes that idioms can be classified into two types based on their analyzable surface meanings: respective mapping and holistic mapping From the viewpoint of cognitive linguistics, the analysis reveals that structural metaphors and entity metaphors play a primary role in idioms, along with some instances of metonymy, collectively referred to as mappings Structural metaphors map the structures of everyday objects and actions onto target domains, while entity metaphors conceptualize abstract thoughts, emotions, and psychological activities as tangible entities to facilitate discussion, quantification, and identification of their characteristics and causes Additionally, there are six types of metonymy, including organ-action or ability, tool-related person or object, part-whole, representation-entity, clothing-person or object, and location.
Việc phân loại các thành ngữ trong tiếng Trung có thể chia thành hai loại chính: thành ngữ phản ánh riêng biệt và thành ngữ phản ánh tổng thể Thành ngữ phản ánh riêng biệt lại được chia thành hai loại nhỏ: loại hoàn toàn phản ánh nghĩa bề mặt và loại phản ánh một phần Trong khi đó, thành ngữ phản ánh tổng thể được phân loại dựa trên các mối quan hệ như: quan hệ chuyển tiếp, quan hệ điều kiện, quan hệ đồng cấp và quan hệ chủ-động-tân Nghiên cứu về tình hình dịch thuật các thành ngữ tiếng Trung cũng đã được thực hiện, như trong luận văn của Phạm Thị Thu Trang, "Khảo sát tình hình dịch các thành ngữ tiếng Trung," được công bố năm 2012 tại Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội.
The distinctive feature of idiomatic expressions is their brevity and rich meaning This paper analyzes the challenges faced in translating Chinese idioms and offers recommendations It posits that the translation of Chinese idioms is closely tied to Chinese culture, making cultural context crucial for effective translation Translation strategies are generally categorized into two types: foreignization and domestication The article begins with a concise overview of previous research on Chinese idioms and their translation, as well as the theories of foreignization and domestication.
Bài viết này định nghĩa, nguồn gốc và phạm vi của các thành ngữ trong tiếng Trung Nó phân tích chi tiết cấu trúc, nghĩa, ngữ dụng, tu từ và văn hóa của thành ngữ tiếng Trung, đồng thời tóm tắt các đặc điểm chính qua so sánh và thống kê Bài viết cũng khám phá hai chiến lược dịch chính của thành ngữ tiếng Trung, bao gồm chiến lược "đặc thù hóa" với phương pháp dịch trực tiếp và dịch trực tiếp kèm chú thích, và chiến lược "hòa nhập" thông qua việc thay thế hình ảnh gốc, bỏ qua hình ảnh gốc, và phương pháp vay mượn Ngoài hai phương pháp này, bài viết còn xem xét các chiến lược dịch khác như dịch mô hình và sự kết hợp giữa đặc thù hóa và hòa nhập Cuối cùng, thông qua phương pháp thống kê, bài viết chỉ ra xu hướng lựa chọn chiến lược của người dịch, cho thấy rằng do những ưu điểm của đặc thù hóa, chúng ta thường có xu hướng sử dụng chiến lược này trong quá trình dịch, nhưng khi không khả thi, chúng ta sẽ chuyển sang chiến lược hòa nhập hoặc kết hợp cả hai.
This paper consists of five chapters that analyze the characteristics and challenges of Chinese idioms in the context of teaching Chinese as a foreign language The first chapter introduces the significance of the topic, reviews the current research status of idioms in both the Chinese language field and foreign language teaching, and outlines the research methods and content Using a survey questionnaire targeting intermediate and advanced international students, the study offers recommendations for future idiom instruction The second chapter defines idioms, discusses their features, and highlights their importance in foreign language education The third chapter presents and analyzes the results of the survey, leading to three key conclusions The fourth chapter categorizes errors in idiom usage from semantic, grammatical, and pragmatic perspectives, examining the causes of these errors based on the characteristics of idioms, individual factors, and the handling of idioms in textbooks The final chapter offers suggestions for future idiom teaching and concludes the study.
This paper further examines the characteristics of idiomatic expressions based on existing research Additionally, it applies error analysis theory to investigate the semantic, phonetic, and pragmatic errors made by international students when using Chinese idioms.
This article analyzes the teaching of Chinese idioms to foreign learners and offers several recommendations It is divided into four sections The introduction outlines the rationale and significance of the topic, reviews the current state of idiom research both domestically and internationally, and presents the research methods and content The second section summarizes the concept, origins, semantic features, pragmatic characteristics, grammatical structures, and cultural implications of idioms The third section discusses the common errors foreign students make when using idioms, attributing these mistakes to interlanguage transfer, intralanguage transfer, cultural transfer, inappropriate learning strategies, and teaching errors The final section emphasizes four principles for teaching Chinese idioms to foreign learners: the integration of theory and practice, the combination of normative and contemporary approaches, the analysis of specific issues, and a gradual focus on key points It concludes with practical suggestions for enhancing idiom instruction in foreign language teaching.
This paper is divided into four main sections The first section outlines the purpose of the study, current research status, research content, and methodology The second section summarizes previous research findings and analyzes key perspectives in academia regarding the connotations of idiomatic expressions, providing a clear definition and distinguishing them from proverbs and sayings The third section highlights the rich socio-cultural content embedded in idiomatic expressions, categorized into material culture, institutional culture, behavioral culture, and mental culture, supported by cultural layering methods and linguistic theories along with extensive statistical analysis of idioms The final section integrates the cultural significance of idioms with the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language, discussing approaches to cultural instruction and the development of idiomatic expression courses, emphasizing the importance of cultural factors in idiom dictionary compilation and promoting practical teaching methods to foster an exploratory spirit in international students regarding idiomatic culture.
Bài viết này phân tích ý nghĩa của các thành ngữ từ góc độ quan hệ ngữ nghĩa, cho rằng thành ngữ là một hệ thống từ vựng có tính tầng bậc Điều này giúp sinh viên quốc tế có cái nhìn tổng quát và nắm bắt tốt hơn về thành ngữ Ngoài ra, bài viết cũng thảo luận về phương pháp giảng dạy thành ngữ cho sinh viên quốc tế dựa trên đặc điểm tính tầng bậc của chúng Cuối cùng, bài viết đề cập đến những lỗi sai trong việc sử dụng thành ngữ tiếng Trung của sinh viên trình độ trung cao cấp, như được phân tích bởi Trần Nguyễn Ngọc Hương và Nguyễn Thị Như Ngọc.
Trung Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ - Đại học Đà Nẵng,2019
Idiomatic expressions are a key focus in the study of Chinese With the development of society and the global economy, Chinese has become an essential communication tool, leading to an increasing number of people interested in learning the language This paper primarily examines the phenomenon among students at Da Nang University of Foreign Languages, where idiomatic expressions are rarely used or are misquoted Based on this observation, the author identifies common errors made by students in using idioms, explores the underlying reasons, and offers suggestions and solutions Consequently, Chinese language educators can adopt a more flexible approach in teaching idiomatic expressions.
1.4.2 汉语惯用语在语法方面上的特点
1.4.2.1 惯用语的固定性和灵活性
Chinese idioms exhibit both fixedness and flexibility, a seemingly contradictory trait that is actually harmonious These idiomatic expressions are fixed phrases with a complete and unified meaning and structure, remaining unchanged in form and meaning In essence, they have solidified to the point of functioning as single words For instance, the idiom "喝西北风" cannot be altered in its form.
成“喝东北风”，更不能是“喝南北风”。再比如“钻牛角尖”这个词组不能用“钻羊
角尖”来代替。
Idiomatic expressions, while structurally fixed, exhibit significant flexibility in practical use, particularly in three key aspects Firstly, idiomatic phrases with a subject-verb-object structure function similarly to separable compounds, allowing for the insertion of other elements For example, the common idiom "burning the midnight oil" can be split into its verb and object components, enabling usage such as "before marriage."
The phrase "she has been driving at night for two years" is grammatically correct Additionally, the idiom "to fire someone" can be expanded to "the boss fired the employee." Some separable idiomatic expressions, such as "to pour cold water on," illustrate how meaning can shift with context.
翻译理论
1.5.1 翻译概念与翻译特点
Translation encompasses various definitions, but according to Baidu Baike, it involves transforming information from one language to another while ensuring accuracy (faithfulness), fluency (smoothness), and elegance (gracefulness).
Translation is the process of converting a relatively unfamiliar expression into a more familiar one, encompassing language, text, graphics, symbols, and video translation In this context, "翻" refers to the conversion between two languages, where a sentence in language A is transformed into language B, and vice versa Meanwhile, "译" denotes the process of understanding the meaning of language B through its conversion into the local language Together, these elements form the essence of translation, enabling a broader understanding of different languages.
The New Oxford English Dictionary defines translation as the act of expressing the sense of words or text in another language Similarly, China's Cihai and Hanyu Da Cidian describe it as conveying the meaning of one language's text using another language's text Despite slight differences, both English and Chinese definitions emphasize the essence of translating the meaning already conveyed in one language into another.
Translation concepts can be categorized into two types: interpretation and translation Interpretation involves verbal translation, while translation refers to the conversion of written text The requirements for interpreters and translators differ significantly; interpreters must be quick-thinking, flexible, and possess strong memory skills due to the real-time nature of their work In contrast, translators need to ensure accuracy and appropriate word choice, adapting their strategies based on the type of text For descriptive texts, translations should be vivid and rich in imagery, whereas explanatory texts require clarity and a focus on key points.
Translation has traditionally been a human task, but advancements in science and technology have led to the involvement of machines in this process This article provides a comprehensive overview of human translation and machine translation, based on information gathered from Baidu Baike We categorize human translation into six types, with the first distinction based on the cultural stance adopted by the translator The two main types are domestication and foreignization Domestication, also known as sense-for-sense translation, adapts elements from the source culture to fit naturally within the target culture, allowing readers to understand immediately In contrast, foreignization translates according to the appropriateness of the source culture, often resulting in a more literal translation.
Human translation can be categorized into instrumental and literary translation based on the expected role of translated works within the target culture Additionally, translations can be divided into semantic and communicative types, where semantic translation aims to accurately reflect the original context within the constraints of the target language's semantics and syntax, while communicative translation focuses on achieving a similar effect for the target audience as the original had for its readers Furthermore, translations can be classified as literary or linguistic, with literary translation emphasizing the equivalence of literary functions, often prioritizing aesthetic quality over structural comparisons, whereas linguistic translation seeks systematic conversion rules and applies linguistic research to enhance translation practices Based on the relationship between the translation's purpose and the original language's form, translations can be categorized into literal and free translations Finally, translations can be distinguished by their medium, including interpretation, written translation, sight translation, and simultaneous interpretation The advent of machine translation (MT), proposed by Warren Weaver and Andrew Booth in 1947, has significantly impacted this field, evolving over 65 years into a competitive arena across academia, business, and military sectors MT encompasses multiple disciplines such as linguistics, mathematics, computer science, and artificial intelligence, ranking among the top technological challenges of the 21st century The demand for MT applications has surged since the mid-1980s, leading to substantial improvements in system performance and efficiency, with various translation software emerging and online translation becoming a focal point MT is divided into text-based and speech-based translation, with Google leading in both areas While MT bridges language gaps and represents a technological boon, concerns about translation quality persist, particularly regarding the accuracy of translated texts Professor Zhou Haizhong emphasizes that until we fully understand how the human brain processes language, achieving ideal translation quality remains a challenge for machine translation.
Achieving the levels of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" in translation is ultimately unattainable, highlighting a fundamental bottleneck that restricts the quality of translated texts.
What standards are required for translating between two languages, and can any translation accurately and fully convey the original meaning? How do we evaluate the quality of a translation? These questions highlight the importance of translation standards This article will outline and summarize the characteristics of translation standards as carefully researched and proposed by scholars in the field.
清末时代， 翻译家严复已经提出著名的、比较完整的翻译标准就是：
The principles of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" refer to the importance of accurately conveying the original text without deviation, ensuring clarity in expression, and maintaining a refined style According to Wikipedia, "faithfulness" means that the translation must be precise, avoiding any alterations or omissions of meaning.
"Da" refers to the translation that is not confined to the original text's form, ensuring that the translated content is smooth and clear In contrast, "Ya" emphasizes the importance of choosing appropriate vocabulary to achieve a refined and elegant style, striving for a classic and concise quality in the writing.
The article discusses the challenges of machine translation, emphasizing that achieving the quality of "faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance" remains difficult According to Chinese mathematician and linguist Zhou Haizhong in his paper "Fifty Years of Machine Translation," improving translation quality hinges on addressing inherent language issues rather than just programming design He argues that relying solely on software cannot enhance translation quality, especially as the complexities of human language processing and logical reasoning are still not fully understood These factors represent significant bottlenecks in advancing machine translation quality.
In addition to the well-known standards of "faithfulness," "expressiveness," and "elegance," there is also the equivalence translation standard proposed by the Soviet linguist Fedorov This standard emphasizes that the translation must fully and faithfully convey the meaning of the original text.
The entire content of the original text should be translated while maintaining a consistent tone and style, ensuring that the translation aligns with the original's linguistic value This concept, characterized by its theoretical generalization, has gained significant popularity.
Translation standards play a crucial role in evaluating whether a translation effectively conveys the meaning of the original text Achieving complete fidelity to both content and form is often challenging, if not impossible, due to the differing expressions in languages For instance, Chinese idioms and phrases are typically concise yet rich in meaning and emotional depth Translating a Chinese idiom like "其味无穷," which conveys both the endlessness of flavor and a deep emotional resonance, requires the translator to adopt a different expression in the target language to capture its full significance Therefore, translation standards are relative rather than absolute.
Có nhiều phương pháp dịch thuật, nhưng bốn loại phổ biến nhất là dịch nghĩa, dịch sát, dịch nội địa hóa và dịch ngoại địa hóa Dịch sát là phương pháp dịch từng từ, từng câu theo thứ tự của văn bản gốc, tập trung vào việc giữ nguyên hình thức ngôn ngữ mà không làm sai lệch ý nghĩa Ví dụ, cụm từ "một quốc gia, hai chế độ" được dịch là "Một nước hai chế độ" Ngược lại, dịch nghĩa là phương pháp dịch dựa trên ý chính của văn bản, không dịch từng từ một Phương pháp này thường được sử dụng khi có sự khác biệt văn hóa lớn giữa ngôn ngữ gốc và ngôn ngữ đích Từ góc độ giao tiếp văn hóa và ngôn ngữ xuyên văn hóa, dịch nghĩa nhấn mạnh tính độc lập tương đối của hệ thống văn hóa ngôn ngữ đích so với hệ thống văn hóa ngôn ngữ gốc Ví dụ, câu "Anh ta mà cũng đòi cưới cô ấy á? Đúng là cóc ghẻ đòi ăn thịt thiên nga" không thể dịch sát mà cần phải chuyển tải ý nghĩa, như "Anh ta mà đòi cưới cô ấy á? Đúng là không tự biết thân biết phận" Dịch sát có thể giữ được hình thức của văn bản gốc nhưng có thể khó hiểu về mặt ý nghĩa, trừ khi ngôn ngữ đích cũng có cách diễn đạt tương tự.
