文化与语言的关系.ppt
n n1 Definition of Culturen nIf we look back upon the historical origin of If we look back upon the historical origin of culture,we can find that the word culture was culture,we can find that the word culture was first used in Chinese ancient books.Its first used in Chinese ancient books.Its meaning is opposite to uncivilized,pristine and meaning is opposite to uncivilized,pristine and wildness,and has great differences with the wildness,and has great differences with the meaning of culture which we use today.meaning of culture which we use today.Nowadays,the word culture is original from the Nowadays,the word culture is original from the Latin word cultus which stems from colere Latin word cultus which stems from colere(tend,cultivate).In late Middle English,the(tend,cultivate).In late Middle English,the sense was cultivation of soil and from this sense was cultivation of soil and from this(early 16th century)arose the present meaning(early 16th century)arose the present meaning of cultivation of the mind,faculties and of cultivation of the mind,faculties and manners.The meaning of English culture is manners.The meaning of English culture is related to politics,law,and education etc social related to politics,law,and education etc social life.From the end of the 19th century,scholars life.From the end of the 19th century,scholars around the world tried to give a definite around the world tried to give a definite definition to culture.definition to culture.n n However,the definitions vary a lot from each other by now.n nThe earliest and the most widely acknowledged definition of culture was given by the British anthropologist Edwar Tylor in his Primitive Culture(1871).He puts forward the first important anthropological definition of culture.n n Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge,belief,art,morals,law,custom,and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society(Tylor,1871:1)n nMore specifically concerned with language and More specifically concerned with language and translation,in A Textbook of Translation,Peter translation,in A Textbook of Translation,Peter Newmark defines culture as Newmark defines culture as the way of life and its manifestations that are peculiar to a community that uses a particular language as its means of expression(Newmark,1988:94)(Newmark,1988:94)n n Daniel Bates and Fred Plog propose a Daniel Bates and Fred Plog propose a descriptive definition descriptive definition Culture is a system of shared beliefs,values,customs,behaviors and artifacts that the members of a society use to cope with their world and with one another,and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning(Samovar&Porter,(Samovar&Porter,2000:36)2000:36)n n Vermeer focuses more on norms and conventions as Vermeer focuses more on norms and conventions as the main features of a culture.For him,the main features of a culture.For him,a culture is a culture is the entire setting of norms and the entire setting of norms and conventions that an individual as a conventions that an individual as a member of his society must know in order member of his society must know in order to be like everybody or to be able to be to be like everybody or to be able to be different from everybodydifferent from everybody.(Nord,2001:33).(Nord,2001:33)n n Using these descriptions as a starting point,Using these descriptions as a starting point,Samovar and Porter advance to the following definition:Samovar and Porter advance to the following definition:n n The deposit of knowledge,experience,beliefs,values,actions,attitudes,meanings,hierarchies,religion,notions of time,roles,spatial relations,concepts of universe,and artifacts acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.(Samovar&Porter,2000:36)(Samovar&Porter,2000:36)n nIn China,Deng Yanchang and Liu Runqing hold the In China,Deng Yanchang and Liu Runqing hold the view that view that culture refers to the entire way of culture refers to the entire way of life of a societylife of a society,that is,that is,the total pattern of the total pattern of beliefs,customs,institutions,objects,and beliefs,customs,institutions,objects,and techniques that characterize the life of techniques that characterize the life of human communityhuman community.(Deng&Liu,1989:3).(Deng&Liu,1989:3)n n According to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia(2002),According to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia(2002),culture,in anthropology,is the patterns of behavior culture,in anthropology,is the patterns of behavior and thinking that people living in social groups learn,and thinking that people living in social groups learn,create,and share.Culture distinguished one human create,and share.Culture distinguished one human group from others.It also distinguished human from group from others.It also distinguished human from other animals.other animals.A peoples culture includes A peoples culture includes their beliefs,rules of behavior,language,their beliefs,rules of behavior,language,ritual,art,technology,styles of dress,ritual,art,technology,styles of dress,ways of producing and cooking food,ways of producing and cooking food,religion,and political and economic religion,and political and economic systems.systems.n nAccording to the above definitions given According to the above definitions given by famous experts and the dictionary,we by famous experts and the dictionary,we can see that culture is a quite universal,can see that culture is a quite universal,multi-dimensional,complex and all-multi-dimensional,complex and all-pervasive concept.Based on the features pervasive concept.Based on the features of culture mentioned above,the meaning of culture mentioned above,the meaning of culture can be understood from the of culture can be understood from the following aspects:(1)following aspects:(1)ideological cultureideological culture,which refers to psychological structure,which refers to psychological structure,ways of thinking and value system;(2)ways of thinking and value system;(2)system culturesystem culture,which comes down from,which comes down from the past generation,or changes the past generation,or changes continuously,or exists by all sorts of continuously,or exists by all sorts of codes and regulations;(3)codes and regulations;(3)material material cultureculture,which is made by people and,which is made by people and serves people,such as house,clothes,etc.serves people,such as house,clothes,etc.n n2 The Relationship between Culture and Language n nIt has been widely recognized that language It has been widely recognized that language and culture are inseparable.Nida points out and culture are inseparable.Nida points out Since culture is defined succinctly as totality of Since culture is defined succinctly as totality of beliefs and practice of a society,nothing is of beliefs and practice of a society,nothing is of greater strategic importance than the language greater strategic importance than the language through which its beliefs are expressed and through which its beliefs are expressed and transmitted and by which most interaction of its transmitted and by which most interaction of its members takes place.When it is used in members takes place.When it is used in contexts of communication,it is bound up with contexts of communication,it is bound up with culture in multiple and complex ways:(Nida,culture in multiple and complex ways:(Nida,2000:105)The anthropologist Huckhohn also 2000:105)The anthropologist Huckhohn also thinks that human culture without language is thinks that human culture without language is unthinkable.I would like to analyze the unthinkable.I would like to analyze the relationship between culture and language from relationship between culture and language from the following three aspects.the following three aspects.n nFirst,language is a part of culture.According to the definition of culture given by Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia,a peoples culture includes their beliefs,rules of behavior,language,ritual,art,technology,style of dress,ways of producing and cooking food,religion,and political and economic systems.We can draw a conclusion that language is a component of culture.Secondly,language is the carrier of culture and language reflects culture.As Mr.Xu Guozhang says that“语言是人类特有的一种符号系统，当它作用于文化的时候，它是文化信息的载体和容器。”(许国璋,1991:1)n n Language is the base of entire culture,and it is Language is the base of entire culture,and it is only in language that culture can be well only in language that culture can be well presented and handed down from generation to presented and handed down from generation to generation.From language,we can know the generation.From language,we can know the natural environment,habits,religion,and natural environment,habits,religion,and history of the people.history of the people.Thirdly,culture influences Thirdly,culture influences language and shapes language.language and shapes language.In Arabian,In Arabian,there are many words to express the animal there are many words to express the animal camel,however,there is only one word to camel,however,there is only one word to name the animal camel in Chinese.This is name the animal camel in Chinese.This is because camel is one of the important traffic because camel is one of the important traffic tools for the Arabian,and they classify camels tools for the Arabian,and they classify camels according to their ages,sizes,and types,etc.according to their ages,sizes,and types,etc.So language is influenced and shaped by So language is influenced and shaped by culture.culture.n nAccordingly,we can conclude that language and culture,as different as they are,are intricately interwoven and they rely on each other.We cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture.To understand a language,one must know well about its culture and vise versa.So it is quite reasonable to say that learning a language is,in a way,learning the culture and habit of the country where the language is spoken.n n3.Definition of Translationn nBefore we go further to study the relationship between culture and translation,it is necessary for us to make clear what translation is.First,lets look at some definitions of translation from different aspects given by many experts.n n Catford(1965:20)defines translation as the replacement of textual material in replacement of textual material in one language(SL)by equivalent textual one language(SL)by equivalent textual material in another language(TL).material in another language(TL).By this definition,he evidently seeks for the translation of textual material,that is,of the language itself.In other words,translation is bilingual switch.n nSager Jakobson thinks that translation is an interpretation of verbal signs by an interpretation of verbal signs by means of some other means of some other language(language(Shuttleworth,1997:182)n n In Nida and Taber words,translation translation consists in reproducing in the receptor consists in reproducing in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of language the closest natural equivalent of the source language message,first in the source language message,first in terms of meaning and secondly in terms of terms of meaning and secondly in terms of style.style.(Nida&Taber,1969:2)Both Nida and Taber attach importance to message,that is,the meaning and style that a language conveys.So they think that translation in its very sense is communication.n nChrestiane Nord holds the point that translating means comparing cultures.translating means comparing cultures.Translators interpret source culture Translators interpret source culture phenomena in the light of their own phenomena in the light of their own culture-specific knowledge of that culture,culture-specific knowledge of that culture,from either the inside or the outside,from either the inside or the outside,depending on whether the translation is depending on whether the translation is from or into the translators native from or into the translators native language and culture.language and culture.(Nord:2001).n n Bassnett and Lefevere point out that translation have been made with the intention of influencing the development of a culture and in 1998 they further argued that the study of translation is the study of cultural interaction.n n According to the translation definition According to the translation definition given by Chrestiane Nord and the theory given by Chrestiane Nord and the theory of Bassnett and Lefevere,we can see of Bassnett and Lefevere,we can see clearly that all of them have strengthened clearly that all of them have strengthened the importance of culture in translation.the importance of culture in translation.n n In In 文化研究语境下的翻译研究文化研究语境下的翻译研究文化研究语境下的翻译研究文化研究语境下的翻译研究(Translation(Translation Studies in the Context of Cultural Studies)Studies in the Context of Cultural Studies)Wang Ning says that Wang Ning says that translation studies at translation studies at least contains these two types of studies:least contains these two types of studies:in its narrow sense,dealing with,iteral in its narrow sense,dealing with,iteral translation aiming at turning the content translation aiming at turning the content in one language into another language,in one language into another language,and in its broad sense,exploring in and in its broad sense,exploring in turning the cultural connotation in one turning the cultural connotation in one language into another cultural form.The language into another cultural form.The former is called literal translation and the former is called literal translation and the latter cultural translation.latter cultural translation.n nQiu Maoru says,Translation is the bridge Translation is the bridge for the communication between two for the communication between two languages.Its main task is to reproduce languages.Its main task is to reproduce the ideological contents from the source the ideological contents from the source text to the target text.When the text to the target text.When the translator is translating the source translator is translating the source language,he must be introducing and language,he must be introducing and broadcasting the culture of the source broadcasting the culture of the source language.In this sense,inter-linguistic language.In this sense,inter-linguistic translation must be cultural translation.translation must be cultural translation.(Guo Jianzhong,2000:319).n n Zhang Jin(1987)associates translation with cultural exchange,uncovering the purpose of translation:“翻译是两个语言社会之间的交际过程和交际工具，它的目的是要促进本语言社会的政治、经济和文化进步，它的任务是要把原作品中包含的现实世界的逻辑映象或艺术映象，完好无损地从一种语言中译注到另一种语言中去。”n n Chen Hongwei(1996)asserts that:“翻译是跨语言(cross-linguistic)，跨文化(cross-cultural)，跨社会(cross-social)的交际活动。翻译的过程不仅是语言转换过程，而且是反映不同社会特征的文化转换过程。This definition reveals the essence and function of translation.It is not only a window open to another world but also a
