One of the translation corners, translation of onomatopoetic words, involves with the cultural difference. Therefore, it becomes something that calls for our attention. Handling this problem requires some strategies.

Onomatopoetic words can vividly express the wriers’ feelings and emotions, which create so many beautiful articles since time immemorial.

Here is a list of those amazing words.

cock-a-doodle-do──喔喔喔

clip-clop──（马蹄）得得声

tick-tack──（钟表）滴答声

hoot(toot)──嘟嘟

dub-a-dub──（鼓）咚咚声

jingle-jangle──玎玲当啷

A horse neighs/whinnies/nickers.马嘶/马鸣/马萧萧。

A dog barks/yaps/yelps/bays/snarls/growls/howls.狗汪汪叫/犬吠。

A fly hums/buzzes/drones.苍蝇嗡嗡/哼哼叫。

A mosquito hums /buzzes/drones.蚊子哼哼/嗡嗡叫。

A pig grunts/squeals. 猪咕噜咕噜/哼哼叫。

meow(或meou)──喵

hiss──嘶嘶（作声）

dingdong──丁冬（声），叮当（声）

ping──乒

giggle──咯咯（地笑）

pit-a-pat──劈劈啪啪（地）

cuckoo──咕咕

A cow moos.母牛哞哞叫。

A pigeon coos.鸽子咕咕叫。

babble──（婴儿）咿呀学语声；（流水）潺潺作声

smack──（拍击声、鞭打声、砸嘴声、掌掴声）

萧萧──(a horse) neighs, (the rain) patters, (the wind) whistles, (the
trees) rustle

鸣──(birds) chirp, (frogs) creak, (a bugle) honks

1. When there are some onomatopoetic words in English, there are the correspondent words in Chinese transltion.

Whee-ee-ee! Whee-ee-ee! The police whistles shrilled suddenly.

“的！的！”突然警笛响了。

All was quiet and still except for the distant tinkling of a piano.

远处传来钢琴的叮咚之声，此外，万籁俱寂。

I lay down, listening to the rippling beneath the boat.

我躺着，听船底潺潺的水声。

The dishes and bowls slid together with a clatter.

碟子碗碰得丁丁当当响。

2. When there are some onomatopoetic words in English, yet sometimes in Chinese translation there are not suitable words to fill in. The reason may be that the onomatopoetic words in Chinese would hinder readers’ understanding of the text. (消声)

A profound silence prevailed over all and the only thing she could hear was the tap of ivy on the pane.

万籁俱寂，她唯一听到的是长青藤轻扣玻璃声。

On my way to school I can see the babbling water in the brook, hear the frogs creaking, cuckoos cuckooing, sparrows chirping in the woods.

上学路上，我能看见溪中的潺潺流水，能听见青蛙鸣、杜鹃啼，麻雀叫。

Love pit-a-patted in their hearts.

爱情在他们心中荡漾/激荡。

The cop carried a stick, ready to thwack anybody who offended his ear or eye.

警察提了根棍棒，只要遇到他听着不顺耳、看着不顺眼的，不管是谁，动手就打。

3. When there are not onomatopoetic words in English, but in order to convey the essential meaning of the text, we should add some sounds into the Chinese translation. (增声)

He crashed down on a protesting chair.

他猛然坐到一把椅子上，椅子被压得吱吱作响。

There were no sound but that of the tread of the men and the footsteps of the two shaggy ponies which drew the van.

那时候，只听见嗒嗒的脚步声以及拉车队那两匹鬃毛蓬松的小马得得的马蹄声，除此之外，再也听不到别的声音了。

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