On the Translation of Chinese Four-Character Idioms in Selected Modern Chinese Essays 1

Abstract

Chinese idioms are vivid and meaningful, which are the essence of national language. However, due to the great differences between Chinese and western cultures, the translation of Chinese idioms is an extremely complex task. In view of the importance and complexity of its translation, with the translation of Chinese four-character idioms in Selected Modern Chinese Essays 1 as its theme, the paper aims to investigate the application of different translation methods in C-E translation, and adopts Yan Fu’s theory of “faithfulness, expressiveness, and elegance” to judge the translation effects. Through a summary and study of the form and translation effect of idioms, the paper finds that literal translation is often used for straightforward idioms, while free translation is often used for idioms with an extended meaning, and context should be considered when selecting translation methods.