| Summary: | 碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 跨文化研究所翻譯學碩士在職專班 === 106 === The English names of Chinese culinary dishes are highly variable, numerous translations hav-ing often been proposed for a single dish. The few studies that have been conducted lack clear analysis of different approaches and hence fail to offer useful guidelines. The current variability of English names is best understood in terms of the distinction between source-oriented (for-eignizing) and target-oriented (domesticating translation). The former method aims to transmit as much culinary and cultural information as possible, whereas the latter aims to simply give eaters an idea of what they are eating. The translator’s choice of method largely depends on his/her conceptions of what is intelligible and acceptable to English-speaking recipients.
In this study, a survey was devised to investigate investigate translators’ choices and recipi-ents’ preferences. A questionnaire given to Chinese-speaking translators, English-speaking trans-lators, and English speakers. They were asked to choose among 3–6 English translation for the Chinese names of 20 dishes or offer their own preferred translation. Each of the English transla-tions was given ratings for accuracy (the marker for source orientation), clarity (the marker for target orientation), and elegance respectively, thus permitting quantification of each respondent’s degree of preference for source- or target-oriented translation.
The results were as follows: (1) English-speaking translators’ preferences showed the highest overall scores for accuracy, clarity, and elegance, suggesting a higher general translation perfor-mance. (2) English-speaking translators’ preferences scored higher than Chinese-speaking transla-tors’ preferences on accuracy, although both scored higher on accuracy than on clarity. (3) Target language recipients with no knowledge of Chinese showed almost equal preferences for accuracy and clarity. Thus, source-oriented translation of Chinese dishes is preferred by translators and ac-ceptable to roughly half of the target-language recipients, demonstrating the validity of hypothe-sis motivating this study that source-oriented translation is effective.
To illustrate the principle of source orientation in the translation of Chinese dishes in greater detail, this study includes appendices listing “Types of Chinese Dishes and Preparation Methods,” “Names of Ingredients,” and “Source-Oriented Names of Chinese Dishes,” in the hope of pro-moting more effective transmission of Chinese gastronomic culture. Further research might exam-ine questions concerning translators’ competence and recipients’ comprehension abilities in the wider context of cultural transmission.
Keywords: transmission of culture, source-oriented, target-oriented, source language, target lan-guage, source text, target text, idiomatic expression.
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