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Differences between Chinese and western culture,Because of the differences in geography, history, religion and beliefs, customs etc, English and Chinese translation are closely connected with cultures and traditions, and they reflect different national characteristics and are loaded with rich cultural information.,一. Differences in Cultural background,Translation maintains close ties with peoples life and the culture where they are created and used. 1):As China has a long history of agriculture, a large number of idioms related to agriculture have been in use. e.g.（1）骨瘦如柴be lean as a rake （2）对牛弹琴cast pearls before swine (3）众人拾柴火焰高Many hands make light work,2):Living on an island, the English are keen on sailing and traveling, the English language abounds in idioms connected with navigation. e.g. (1) all at sea茫然不知所措 (2) in the same boat处境相同 (3) sink or swim靠自己在人世间沉浮，不管成败如何 (4) take the wind out of somebodys sail先发制人地占某人上风 (5) to keep ones head above water奋力图存 (6) to tide over顺利度过,二.Differences in customs,Differences of customs are multi-sided, of which the most typical one is the attitude towards such animals as the dog, the cat, etc. Take the dog for example. 1):In China, the dog is of a humble status. Most of the Chinese idioms concerning with dogs are used in a derogatory sense, usually describing wicked persons, though the numbers of pet dogs have increased. e.g. （1）狗腿子lackey （2）狗杂种bastard （3）狗崽子son of a bitch （4）狗胆包天monstrous audacity （5）狗急跳墙A concerned beast will do something desperate.,2):In the eyes of the English, the dog is a lovely pet, a faithful fellow and is regarded as mans best friend. Although some other languages exert passive influences on certain English idioms concerned with dogs. e.g. (1) a lucky dog 幸运儿 (2) a top dog左右全局的人，重要的人 (3) die like a dog 悲惨地死去 (4) as faithful as a dog像狗一样忠诚 (5) Every dog has his day. 凡人皆有得意日。 (6) Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌,三.Differences in thoughts,Language expresses thoughts, which in turn reflect subjective imagination. Under the influence of distinct cultural customs, each people refers to the same concept in different ways, leading to varied imagination. e.g. （1）天生有福born with a silver spoon in ones mouth （2）一箭双雕，一举两得to kill two birds in one stone （3）山中无老虎，猴子称霸王In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. （4）胆小如鼠as timid as a rabbit （5）如鱼得水like a duck to water （6）水中捞月to fish in the air （7）蠢得像猪as stupid as a goose （8）挥金如土to spend money like water （9)掌上明珠the apple of somebodys eye （10）健壮如牛as strong as a horse,四.Differences in religious beliefs,Religious beliefs produce an impact on peoples life and mind, and on the English and Chinese languages as well. 1) Buddhism, one of the three great religions in the world, has been practiced in China for nearly 2,000 years. It is a Chinese conviction that Buddha has control of everything in the world. There are many idioms in this regard. e.g. 借花献佛 ； 不看僧面,看佛面； 放下屠刀,立地成佛； 闲时不烧香,临时抱佛脚； 做一天和尚撞一天钟,2)In the Western countries, the majority of people are Christians, believing that God is the creator of everything and the master of the world. Idioms concerned with God are countless in the English language. e.g.(1) God helps those who helps themselves.自助者天助也。 (2) God sends fortune to fools. 傻人有傻福。 (3) God is on the side of the big battalions. 天助强者。 (4) Man proposes, God disposes. 谋事在人，成事在天,五.Differences in historical events,1）There is no lack of idioms alluding to historical events. Such idioms are simply-structured but highly significant. And they cannot be just understood and translated from the literal meaning. e.g.东施效颦； 守株待兔； 掩耳盗铃； 亡羊补牢； 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮； 班门弄斧； 龟兔赛跑； 名落孙山； 叶公好龙； 解铃还须系铃人 2）Most of English idioms of historical allusions come from the Bible and Greek and Roman mythologies. e.g (1) a Pandoras box潘多拉之盒，灾难和祸害的根源 (2) the lost sheep迷路的羔羊，比喻失足少年 (3) Judas kiss犹大的吻，比喻叛徒口蜜腹剑的可耻伎俩,Conclusions,To sum up, every people possesses her own unique culture, which makes their way of expression unique. So idioms of one people differ from those of another, due to cultural differences. Having discussed the cultural differences reflected in English and Chinese translation, a principle is presented, under which some methods follow to handle cultural differences in translation. And a good job in translation is supposed to have a thorough understanding of cultural differences and to comprehensively utilize the methods with flexibility.,thank you!,
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