从 “夫妻肺片” 到 “佛跳墙”：中餐译名里的文化博弈

2025/7/15 2:17:53

当 “夫妻肺片” 被直译为 “husband-and-wi...

当 “夫妻肺片” 被直译为 “husband-and-wife lung slices” 引发困惑，当 “佛跳墙” 的 “Buddha jumping over the wall” 让老外摸不着头脑 —— 中国烹饪术语的翻译，早已超越语言转换，成为文化传播的棘手命题。是用食材直白描述让食客快速理解，还是坚持音译保留原初韵味？本文从 “狮子头” 到 “鱼香茄子” 的翻译争议切入，揭示直译背后被低估的文化力量：那些看似 “笨拙” 的译名，或许正是让世界读懂中国饮食美学的钥匙。

The translation of culturally specific Chinese terms has long been a challenge for even the best of experts, with culinary terms ranking among the most difficult.将具有中国文化特色的词语翻译成其他语言，长期以来对*优秀的专家来说也是一项挑战，而其中，烹饪术语的翻译难度位居前列。Not for nothing, a recent 2,000-word CNN article decried the "impossible task" of translating foods like fuqi feipian, a chilled dish of beef offal served in chili oil that literally means "husband-and-wife lung slices."难怪近期一篇2000字的CNN文章痛斥翻译像“夫妻肺片”这类食物是“不可能完成的任务”——这道菜是浸泡在辣椒油中的凉拌牛杂，字面意思是“夫妻的肺片”。But do these dishes need to be translated at all?但是，这些菜真的需要翻译吗？While diners around the world have grown accustomed to ordering ramen or bibimbap, most Chinese restaurants continue to render their dishes in English.尽管世界各地的食客已逐渐习惯点“拉面”或“石锅拌饭”，但大多数中餐馆仍然用英文翻译他们的菜名。At an academic conference last year, I met a scholar who was advising the government of Quanzhou, in eastern China"s Fujian province, on how to translate local dish names into English as part of an international tourism push.在去年的一次学术会议上，我遇到一位学者，他正在为中国东部福建省泉州市政府提供建议，作为其国际旅游推广计划的一部分，内容是如何将当地菜名翻译成英文。Although I recommended using transliteration instead, they ultimately chose the more conventional approach of describing the dishes using their ingredients and cooking methods.尽管我建议采用音译，但他们最终选择了更常规的做法，即用食材和烹饪方法来描述菜肴。It"s an understandable choice.这是一个可以理解的选择。The descriptions help tourists better understand what a dish contains, making them more likely to try it.这种描述有助于游客更好地了解一道菜包含什么，使他们更有可能尝试。Many Chinese also worry that transliterations may not seem like a "real" translation — officials in particular sometimes believe that simply rendering Romanized names in pinyin looks unpolished or incomplete.许多中国人也担心音译看起来不像“真正的”翻译——官员们尤其有时认为，仅仅用拼音呈现罗马化的名字显得不够精致或不完整。But contrary to popular belief, transliterations may actually help non-Chinese diners better appreciate the cultural uniqueness of Chinese cuisine.但与普遍看法相反，音译实际上可能有助于非华裔食客更好地欣赏中国饮食文化的独特性。Historically, linguistic borrowing has always been the most common method for transmitting culturally specific terms across languages.从历史上看，语言借用始终是跨语言传递特定文化术语*常用的方法。This manifests in two primary ways: loanwords and transliteration.这主要通过两种方式体现：外来词和音译。If the source and target languages share the same script, borrowing generally involves loanwords — e.g., English borrowing the word "espresso" from Italian.如果源语言和目标语言使用相同的文字系统，借用通常涉及外来词——例如，英语从意大利语借用了“espresso”（浓缩咖啡）一词。If the scripts differ, it involves transliteration — English gyoza from the Japanese.如果文字系统不同，则涉及音译——英语中的“gyoza”（煎饺）源自日语。Semantic translation, on the other hand, conveys meaning rather than form.另一方面，语义翻译传达的是意义而非形式。Traditionally, it prioritizes fluency and naturalness in the target language, even if that means departing from the original wording — rendering the Chinese shizitou as "meatball, " for example.传统上，它优先考虑目标语言的流畅性和自然度，即使这意味着偏离原文的措辞——例如，将中文“狮子头”翻译成“肉丸”。However, semantic translation can also mean literal translation, even if the result seems foreign or puzzling — such as translating shizitou as "lion"s head."然而，语义翻译也可以指直译，即使结果显得生僻或令人费解——例如将“狮子头”翻译成“lion"s head”。I"ve been working on an ongoing project exploring how to render Chinese food names into English, with entries covering provinces across the country.我一直在进行一个持续的项目，探索如何将中餐名称翻译成英文，项目条目涵盖了全国各省份。Throughout this process, I"ve been struck by the challenges involved.在这个过程中，我深深感受到了其中涉及的挑战。Many translations end up being long, awkward, or difficult to read and remember.许多翻译结果冗长、别扭、难以阅读和记忆。Hong Kong scholar Isaac Yue and British food writer Fuchsia Dunlop — both interviewed in the CNN article — express a similar sentiment: Chinese dishes are notoriously difficult to translate accurately, due to the country"s rich and layered culinary history, a cultural preference for vivid imagery, and the presence of ingredients and techniques that have no direct equivalents in English.接受CNN文章采访的香港学者余文章（Isaac Yue）和英国美食作家扶霞·邓洛普（Fuchsia Dunlop）表达了类似的看法：中餐菜名因中国丰富而多层次的烹饪历史、文化上偏好生动的意象，以及存在在英语中没有直接对应物的食材和技术而闻名地难以准确翻译。In the past, such efforts produced many overly literal translations that were widely criticized for being linguistically inept.过去，此类努力产生了许多过度直译的译名，因语言上的笨拙而广受批评。Yet today, these translations are valued for preserving the cultural context and thought patterns of the Chinese original.然而在今天，这些翻译因其保留了原文的文化背景和思维模式而受到重视。Their perceived awkwardness can even convey a certain cross-cultural charm, sparking curiosity and engagement.它们表面上的笨拙甚至能传递某种跨文化魅力，激发好奇心和参与感。This goes both ways: the English idiom "armed to the teeth" was once rendered stiffly into Chinese as wuzhuang dao yachi — a phrasing that, despite its initial oddity, has since gained popularity among Chinese speakers for its vivid imagery.这种影响是双向的：英语习语“armed to the teeth”曾被生硬地翻译成中文“武装到牙齿”——这个说法尽管最初显得奇怪，却因其生动的意象在中文使用者中流行起来。Literal translations may seem unsophisticated, but they enrich the target language and culture, whereas overly polished translations risk erasing distinctive flavors.直译可能显得不够精妙，但它们丰富了目标语言和文化，而过度打磨的翻译则有抹杀独特风味的风险。Thus, translating fuqi feipian as "husband-and-wife lung slices, " yuxiang qiezi as "fish-fragrant eggplant, " fotiaoqiang as "Buddha jumping over the wall," or shizitou as "lion"s head" may initially baffle English speakers, but could ultimately foster greater appreciation for the unique foodways they represent.因此，将“夫妻肺片”翻译成“husband-and-wife lung slices”（夫妻肺片），“鱼香茄子”翻译成“fish-fragrant eggplant”（鱼香茄子），“佛跳墙”翻译成“Buddha jumping over the wall”（佛跳墙），或“狮子头”翻译成“lion"s head”（狮子头），起初可能会让英语使用者困惑，但最终可能培养起对他们所代表的独特饮食文化更深的欣赏。Through such renderings, the cultural depth of Chinese cuisine may gradually enter global consciousness, while broadening the linguistic and cultural horizons of the English language.通过这样的译法，中国饮食的文化深度或许能逐渐进入全球意识，同时拓宽英语的语言和文化视野。By assuming that transliteration or literal translation will only confuse audiences, we underestimate the transformative power of translation.如果我们假设音译或直译只会让受众困惑，那就低估了翻译的变革力量。Opting only for idiomatic, instantly comprehensible translations may facilitate communication but forfeits the chance to showcase cultural richness.仅仅选择地道、能瞬间理解的翻译，或许能促进沟通，却放弃了展示文化丰富性的机会。In the end, translation is not merely a utilitarian tool for surface-level communication.归根结底，翻译不仅仅是用于表面沟通的功利性工具。It operates at a deeper level, subtly shaping cultures and fostering mutual understanding.它在更深层次上运作，微妙地塑造文化并促进相互理解。I"ve often heard foreign travelers asking restaurant staff how to pronounce dish names in Chinese.我经常听到外国游客向餐厅工作人员询问如何用中文发音菜名。When people are truly interested in a culture, they are curious and eager to learn more.当人们对一种文化真正感兴趣时，他们会充满好奇并渴望了解更多。Rather than retreating into an information cocoon, we should embrace the chance to share China"s culinary heritage.与其退缩进信息茧房，我们更应该拥抱分享中国饮食文化遗产的机遇。内容来源：每日英语听力 | 双语精读