On English Translation Of Chinese Dish Names

As a form of material culture, catering culture is an all-embracing field. Chinese catering culture occupies a highly important position in the Chinese culture. As a thread going through the long history of Chinese catering culture, Chinese dish names not only reflect the variety of ingredients, cooking methods, color, aroma, taste, appearance of the dishes, but also contain much cultural elements such as dish inventors, original place, literary images and auspicious words. The English translation of Chinese dish names plays a significant role in promoting the interaction among peoples of different nations.Many scholars, in dictionaries or articles, have made efforts on dish-name translation. But these studies only list the Chinese-English translations of dish names, or introduce some translation methods without a systematic explanation on the classification, features, functions and translation principles of dish names. This paper is focused on the systematic research of Chinese dish names. After giving the related information of Chinese catering culture, the writer sums up the features and functions of Chinese dish names, and on the basis of that, analyzes the translation principles and criteria, namely"faithfulness","equivalence","domesticating & foreignizing translation"as the general principles for the English translation of Chinese dish names. In light of these general principles, the writer proposes four practical translation principles, including correct comprehension of the dish's name, conveying of cultural elements, transmittance of aesthetical value and adoption of common practice. By evaluating the current versions according to these principles, the writer classifies the Chinese dish names into five major groups and puts forward specific translation techniques like literal translation, literal translation plus explanation, free translation, free translation plus explanation. The writer points out that the translator should flexibly apply these techniques according to dish names'cultural connotation.