The variation of “Animal Metaphor” and Its translation strategies
“动物隐喻”的变异及翻译策略

摘要

传统修辞学将动物隐喻视为静态的“文化化石”，认为其意义在漫长的历史进程中逐渐固化，成为特定文化的标志性符号；而网络的出现，却打破了这种静态性，将动物变成了“流动的符号”，其意义在网民的互动中不断被重塑和更新。本文以翻译策略为轴心，选取中西方在网络语境中使用频率较高的八种动物（狗、猫、鸽、猪、蛇、牛、马、兔）作为研究对象，分析它们在不同文化背景下的隐喻变异情况。借助概念隐喻理论、目的论及文化缺省补偿框架，探讨“语义漂移—语用压缩—文化折射”三重机制对汉英互译产生的影响。研究发现：其一，汉语网络社群在动物隐喻使用上更倾向于“贬义褒化”与“二次造梗”，而英语社群则多见“中性化”现象；其二，多模态压缩的特点对翻译提出了“图文双轨”的补偿需求；其三，文化折射造成的“情感真空”可通过“目的论导向的三重补偿”策略加以弥合。

Abstract

Traditional rhetoric regards animal metaphors as static “cultural fossils”, assuming their meanings have solidified over time into iconic symbols of specific cultures. However, the advent of the internet has disrupted this static nature, transforming animals into “fluid signs” whose meanings are continuously reshaped and updated through online interactions. Centering on translation studies, this paper selects eight animals (dog, cat, pigeon, pig, snake, ox, horse, rabbit) frequently used in online contexts across Chinese and Western cultures as research subjects, conducting a comparative analysis of their metaphorical variations in different cultural backgrounds. Drawing on conceptual metaphor theory, skopos theory, and the cultural default compensation framework, it delves into the impact of the triple mechanism—“semantic drift, pragmatic compression, and cultural refraction”—on Chinese-English translation. The findings reveal: (1) Chinese online communities tend to employ animal metaphors with “pejoration-to-appreciation” shifts and “secondary meme creation”, whereas English communities exhibit more “neutral-to-reneutralization” phenomena; (2) The multimodal compression characteristic demands a “dual-track compensation” approach integrating text and visuals in translation; (3) The “emotional vacuum” caused by cultural refraction can be bridged through a “skopos-oriented triple compensation” strategy.