Chapter One Introduction
1.1 Research Background
Yao Xiyuan (2005, p. 57) once said, “In the linguistic ocean of any nation, there are some ready-made compact expressions being full of aesthetic elements and fixed meaning, whose formation is motivated by the combination of convenient usage, rich connotation, vivid language effect and other demand mechanisms.” In general lexicology, we call it “Shuyu”. In the end of 1950s, “Shuyu” was introduced to China through translation from Russian to Chinese, referring to some fixed combinations of words whose meanings are closely combined and “Shuyu” is an independent lexeme in language (Wang Dechun, 1990, p. 94). As a species concept, “Shuyu” covers many inferior types and Yao Xiyuan (1998) analyzes seven types of “Shuyu”, namely “Chengyu”, “Yanyu”, “Suyu”, “Xiehouyu”, “Guanyongyu”, “Geyan” and “Jinju”. And among the seven types, “Chengyu” are the most widely used one. The formation of idioms has gone through a very complex process. There has been great controversy about the definition and explanation of “Chengyu” in modern Chinese. The Origin of Words and Phrases defines “Chengyu” as “habitually used archaism, fixed phrases or short sentences with completed meaning”. Modern Chinese Dictionary defines “Chengyu” as “fixed phrases or short sentences used by people for a long term which are concise in forms and comprehensive in meanings”. Some others think the meaning of “Chengyu” can be defined in a broad way or in a narrow way. People who hold the view of broad sense think that “Cheng” means “something fixed, shaped and ready made” and “Chengyu” is a combination of words, focusing on its “fixity” and “availability”. This definition of “Chengyu” is similar to that of “fixed expression” from Moon (1998), indicating two or more than two holistic units. Fernando and Flavell (1981) also use “pure idiom” to refer to those fixed, semantic fuzzy or metaphorical linguistic units.
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1.2 Research Methodology
The present study chiefly concerns the translation of Chinese idioms from the perspective of cognitive linguistics, in which theoretical development and practicability of the theory are of equal importance. Therefore, the study will be conducted in the following steps: In the first place, this thesis adopts cognitive linguistics as the primary theoretical foundation, so that extensive reading is employed in the study of cognitive linguistics and idiomatic translation. In addition, intensive reading is involved in the process of case study to provide a comprehensive and insightful analysis. Then, based on existing studies, the thesis attempts to unfold the cognitive process of idiomatic formation and translation, during which analytic and synthetic descrip
