Abstract:As a special symbol in the language and culture, the number plays a very important role in the daily life and communication. The thesis studies the different understandings of the number “seven” in western and Chinese cultures. Comparing the cultural connotations of English and Chinese dictionary of numbers the author finds out the differences of numbers in different cultures from three aspects: myths and the religious culture, lifestyles of people in different countries and different aesthetic psychology. The differences between the eastern and western culture have also led to great differences in the C-E translation about numbers. Therefore, this paper introduces three kinds of typical translation methods: the literal translation method, the modified translation method and free translation method aiming at improving the accuracy of translation.

Key Words: cultural differences; seven; translation methods

CONTENTS

Abstract

中文摘要

1. Introduction1

2.The Cultural Connotations and Associations of Number 七/7 .2

2.1 Chinese 七

2.2 English 7

2.3 The Origins of Differences on the Number Seven between Chinese and English

  2.3.1 The Differences on the Myths and Religious Culture

  2.3.2 The Differences on the Lifestyles

  2.3.3 The Differences on the Psychology

3. Translation Strategies.4

3.1 Literal Translation

3.2 Modified Translation

3.3 Free Translation

4. Conclusion7

Bibliography.9

Acknowledgements..10