Abstract：
Idioms are the essence of a language, which have strong national colors and distinctive cultural connotations. So it is important for the translator to understand the differences between Chinese and English cultures if she/he wants to produce successful translations of English idioms in Chinese. This paper first introduces the definition and characteristics of English idioms, and then it probes into the differences between Chinese and English cultures that are often reflected in idiom translation, namely different living circumstances, different customs, different value systems, different historical allusions and myths, and different religions and beliefs. After that, it discusses the influence of these cultural differences upon the translation of English idioms. The next part explores two basic principles in English idiom translation, i.e. consideration of cultural information contained in English idioms and consideration of the translation aim, and then summarizes five idiom translation methods that are often used, including literal translation, literal translation with notes, liberal translation, transliteration with notes, and combination of liberal and literal translation. All the significance of this paper is to urge idiom translators to convey the idioms’ cultural information as much as possible. It is hoped that some ideas in this paper will be of some help in guiding the English idiom translation and thus enhancing the effectiveness of cultural communication.

Key words：idiom; cultural differences; influence; translation

摘  要：
习语是语言的精华，它带有浓厚的民族色彩和鲜明的文化内涵。因此对英语读者和汉语读者来说，做到彻底精确地理解蕴含深刻文化内涵的习语的翻译,必须明确中西方文化差异在英语习语翻译中的作用。本文首先介绍习语的定义和基本特征，然后来分析文化差异在英汉习语中的表现，主要体现在地理环境，习俗差异，价值取向，宗教信仰等方面。接下来讨论文化差异对英语习语翻译的影响，然后提出英语习语翻译的两个基本原则，一个是完全考虑英语习语所含的文化信息，另一个是其翻译的目的，最后给出5个翻译英语习语时的常用的方法，包括直译法，直译加注法，意译法，音译加注法,直译与意译混合法。文章的意义在于能让译者完全表达习语所含的文化气息。同时希望文章中的一些思想在译者翻译英语习语时能起到借鉴的作用，从而加强中西方文化交流。

关键词：习语；文化差异；影响；方法

1 Introduction
Idioms are the expressions in a language gradually developed in the populace’s physical life and accepted and used among a community of people. They are, in essence, the outcome of cultural growth and ethnical evolution. Idioms are, often colloquial metaphors-terms which require of users some foundational knowledge, information, or experience, to use only within a culture where parties must have common reference. As a specialized form of language, idiom will naturally reflect its cultural even more intensely than all other kinds of words. As idioms are typically localized in a culture, learning idioms well in a language will undoubtedly involve knowledge of its culture.