文化认知差异下中英文误导性复合词翻译策略研究

Translation Strategies for Misleading Compound Words in Chinese and English from the Perspective of Cultural-Cognitive Differences

摘要: 全球化背景下，跨文化交流的深度与广度日益拓展，而语言中的词汇层面往往是文化差异与认知冲突的焦点。误导性复合词作为一种特殊的语言现象，其字面意义与实际所指严重偏离，构成了翻译与跨文化理解的重要障碍。本文以语义透明度与理据性理论为基础，将中英文误导性复合词划分为历史渊源型、认知隐喻型与文化习俗型三类，并借助奈达的功能对等理论，系统探讨其翻译策略。通过对“夫妻肺片”、“jellyfish”、“老婆饼”、“hamburger”等典型案例的对比分析，本文发现，翻译策略的选择是一个动态的权衡过程：对于文化习俗型词汇，“异化 + 注释”能有效平衡文化传真与读者理解；对于认知隐喻型词汇，归化意译更为经济高效；而对于历史渊源型词汇，则需视其国际化程度而定。研究表明，对误导性复合词的翻译，本质上是不同文化认知模型间的协商与调适，远非简单的语言转换。本研究进一步深化了理论框架，通过辨析奈达的“功能对等”与韦努蒂的“归化/异化”理论之间的张力，并引入汉斯·弗米尔的“Skopos理论”作为核心变量，构建了一个更具动态性和语境适应性的翻译策略抉择模型，强调翻译目的对于策略选择的决定性作用。

Abstract: In the context of globalization, the depth and breadth of cross-cultural communication are continually expanding, with the lexical level of language often becoming a focal point for cultural differences and cognitive conflicts. Misleading compound words, a unique linguistic phenomenon characterized by a significant divergence between their literal meaning and actual reference, pose a major challenge to translation and cross-cultural understanding. Grounded in the theories of semantic transparency and motivation, this paper categorizes Chinese and English misleading compound words into three types: historical-origin, cognitive-metaphorical, and cultural-conventional. Employing Nida’s theory of functional equivalence, it systematically explores translation strategies for these words. Through a comparative analysis of typical examples such as “Couple’s Lung Slices”, “jellyfish”, “Wife Cake”, and “hamburger”, this study finds that the choice of translation strategy is a dynamic process of trade-offs: for cultural-conventional terms, foreignization plus annotation effectively balances cultural authenticity with reader comprehension; for cognitive-metaphorical terms, domesticated free translation is more efficient and economical; and for historical-origin terms, the decision depends on their degree of international recognition. The research demonstrates that translating misleading compound words essentially involves negotiation and adaptation between different cultural-cognitive models, extending far beyond mere linguistic transfer. This study further deepens the theoretical framework by analyzing the tensions between Nida’s “functional equivalence” and Venuti’s “domestication/foreignization” theories, and introduces Hans Vermeer’s “Skopos Theory” as a core variable. This integration constructs a more dynamic and contextually adaptive model for translation strategy decision-making, emphasizing the determinative role of the translation purpose.