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into “Even the cleverest housewife can’t cook a meal without rice.” In this way, the cultural concept of “rice” is reserved and the cultural feature of the idiom is reproduced. Here is another example, “穷棒子闹翻身是八仙过海各显神通”. It can be translated into “The way we poor folks try to emancipate ourselves, is just like the way the Eight Fairies crossed the sea each displaying his own talent.”[14] p143-144 In this way, the image of “the Eight Fairies” has been reserved and the connotations of it “each displaying his own talent” has been translated. Of course, translators can add an extra explanation to introduce“八仙”to English readers for knowing more about the idiom, i.e., “The Eight Fairies” is the eight immortals of Taoism in Chinese folklore. Perhaps, some people will doubt that English readers may have difficulty in understanding and even misunderstand some idioms if they are translated in this way, for the cultural differences between Chinese and English really exist. In my opinion, translators should not be worried about it. They should believe in the wisdom and imagination of English readers. Furthermore, it takes time for one to achieve understanding. With the development of cultural communication, misunderstanding will disappear and English readers will finally accept it. Therefore, translators should put the emphasis on cross-cultural communication and try to reserve the cultural differences and reproduce as much as the unique cultural features of Chinese idioms. 3.2 Several commonly used techniques of foreignization in translating Chinese idioms 3.2.1 Literal translation In the translation of Chinese idioms, literal translation means that in the condition of not invading the English cultural conventions and not causing the misunderstanding and disassociations, translation should completely preserve the image, figurative and cultural features of Chinese idioms in order to pursue the conformity of both the contents and expressions[15]p70. Chinese idioms, as we know, contain one of the deepest cultures of Chinese. It bears lots of cultural features and message. Therefore, translators should have a deep knowledge of Chinese idioms before doing translation. With the correct understanding of Chinese idioms, translators should translate the idioms with the guide of cultural reproduction, that is to say, translators should retain cultures of the idioms into English. During translation, translators should translate not only the image and meaning of the idioms but also the cultural connotations. (1) 七嘴八舌－with seven mouths and eight tongues The Chinese idiom “七嘴八舌” may be translated into “have a loose tongue”. If so, English readers may know the meaning easily. However, they cannot perceive particular way Chinese people use to describe “noisy”. If it is translated into “with seven mouths and eight tongues”, English readers may take much more interest in it and try to understand what “seven mouths and eight tongues” really means. In this way, not only will they find out its meaning sooner or later, they also can really learn more about Chinese culture. (2) 东风压倒西风－the east wind subdued the west wind “东风压倒西风”, it is usually translated into “the east wind subdued the west wind” or “the east wind prevails the west wind” via literal translation. Here, the image of “东风” and “西风”has been kept in translation. Maybe some people doubt that English readers cannot understand it, for “the west wind” in England is different from that in China, and