An Analysis Of Mistranslation From The Perspective Of Culture

It is agreed that translation should transfer the original text as faithfully and correctly as possible. But owing to differences between the two languages, translating errors and defects are inevitable. Translation involves not only languages but also cultures. Incorrect comprehension, expressive defects and lack of social cultural background are normally the three resources for mistranslation. In addition, deliberate mistranslations can also be found in translation process. Purposeful mistranslations are closely connected with the receptor's cultural environment.In the field of translation studies, scholars' understanding of translation in its traditional sense has shifted along with the popularity and prosperous development of cultural studies in the recent years. Translation is no longer regarded as merely a cross-linguistic activity but essentially cross-cultural communication. Cultural factors begin to gain more and more attention of translators. Nida even claims that "for truly successful translating, biculturalism is even more important than bilingualism". The recognition and systematic study of the cultural factors that influence the translator's choices in the translation process are significant for the enrichment of translation studies. But in the field of translation research in China, there are only a few scholars who have made studies of translation from the perspective of culture. Obviously further researches are both necessary and needed in this field.In this thesis, the author investigates the inter-relations of language, culture and translation. It point out that both language and culture are intrinsically bound together. In order to understand a culture, one must do so by means of its language, and in order to comprehend the meanings of the words, a person must look to the culture. The translator will be at his peril if he treats the text in isolation from the culture.Viewing translation from the perspective of culture, we find there are similarities and dissimilarities among cultures from different nations. Cultural similarities make translation easier, while cultural dissimilarities pose major barriere in translating. Due to the cultural gaps in social life, customs, politics, religions and laws within different nations, a thing which is self-evident in one culture has to be painstakingly explained in another. The most serious mistakes in translating and interpreting are usually not the result of verbal inadequacy, but of wrong cultural assumptions. Misunderstandings and mistranslations can be found more and than in the across-cultural communication, which pose deep influence and barriers in the exchanges between the two cultures.Hardly any text can be successfully translated without properly dealing with the differences between source culture and target culture. Therefore in this thesis the author intends to analyze the differences between Chinese and Western cultures as reflected in translation and simultaneous put forward some translation methods in dealing with them, namely foreignizing method and domesticating method. Both of them may be justified in their own right for the target culture and the intention of the author, the reception of the reader and the attitude towards the source and target culture may all be possible factors which may influence a translator's choice of translation methods. Foreignizing method and domesticating method are indispensable and supplementary to each other and a truly successful translation depends on the unity of the two methods.Through the tentative investigation of the phenomena of mistranslation, it is hoped that some mistranslations will be avoided in the further translation process to improve the cross-cultural communications.