英语习语比喻的翻译（转）

思考题：

为什么说习语翻译是理想的“观察哨所”？体现在哪里？

如何体现习语的文化内涵以及修辞艺术？

习语的定义

所谓习语，即约定俗成的词语或短句。

包括成语、谚语、俗语、惯用语、歇后语等

习语翻译是理想的“观察哨所”

Exercises:

1 方案一公布，大家就七嘴八舌地议论开了。

with seven mouths and eight tongues

gabble 《金山词霸》

Publication of the draft touched off a lively discussion with everybody eager to put in a word.

2 谋事在人，成事在天。咱们谋到了，靠菩萨保佑，有些机会，也未可知。（《红楼梦》第六回）

Man proposes, God disposes.

Man proposes; Heaven disposes. Work out a plan, trust to Buddha, and something may come of it for all you know.

爱屋及乌

Love me, love my dog.

《英汉大词典》、《综合英语成语词典》、《金山词霸》、《新英汉词典》[世纪版]

汉语“爱屋及乌”，立足于“爱人”

爱那个人而连带地爱护停留在他屋上的乌鸦。—《汉语成语词典》p.3

Love me, love my dog. 强调的是“爱己”

Anyone who wished to remain friendly with me will have to accept and tolerate all that belongs to me, all my personal habits and opinions, etc. —Longman Dictionary of English Idioms

? He that loves the tree loves the branch.

习语的译法：

1 保留比喻形象的译法

2 舍弃比喻形象的译法

3 改变比喻形象的译法

4 保留或舍弃比喻形象都可的译法

保留比喻形象的译法

有助于引进外来文化、新鲜词汇和生动表达法，丰富和发展本国语言

但比喻形象必须是为译语读者理解和接受的

有时需要适当增补注释性话语

明枪易躲，暗箭难防 It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow shot from hiding.

城门失火，殃及池鱼 A fire on city wall brings disaster to the fish in the moat.

路遥知马力，日久见人心 As a long road tests a horse’s strength, so a long task proves a person’s heart.

初生牛犊不怕虎 New-born calves make little of tigers.

口蜜腹剑 to be honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted

声东击西 to shout in the east and strike in the west

刻骨铭心  to be engraved on one’s heart and bones

引狼入室 to lead a wolf into the house

（cf. to set the wolf to keep the sheep)

打落水狗 to beat the dog in the water

重见天日 to see the daylight again

百川归海 All rivers flow into the sea.

画饼充饥 to draw cakes to allay hunger

所以这李纨虽青春丧偶，且处在膏梁锦绣之中，竟如“槁木死灰”一般，一概不问。（《红楼梦》）

So this young widow living in the lap of luxury was no better off than withered wood or cold ashes, taking no interest in the outside world.

他一家子在这儿，他的房子、地在这儿，他跑？跑得了和尚跑不了庙。（周立波：《暴风骤雨》）

Escape? But his home and property can’t escape. The monk may run away, but the temple can’t run with him.

咳！这一来，竹篮子打水一场空了。（梁斌：《红旗谱》）

Ah！We were drawing water in a bamboo basket.

三个臭皮匠，胜过诸葛亮。 The wit of three cobblers combined surpasses that of Zhuge Liang the master mind.   （增加词语，提供背景知识）

班门弄斧  show off one’s proficiency with axe before Lu Ban, the master carpenter （增加词语，以表达原文内涵意义、提供背景知识）

不能保留比喻形象的译法

原文中的比喻形象不能为译文读者所理解和接受，或者即使译文读者能理解，但在译文读者头脑中形成的形象和原文读者头脑中形成的形象相去甚远

胸有成竹

to have a bamboo in his stomach

to have a well-thought-out plan before doing something

桃李满天下

to have the peaches and plums all over the world

to have students all over the world

用典的习语往往不能保留比喻形象

叶公好龙

professed love of what one really fears

东施效颦

crude imitation with ludicrous effect

南柯一梦

a fond dream  or illusory joy/fond dream

四面楚歌

to be besieged on all sides

悬梁刺股

to be extremely hard-working in one’s study

初出茅庐

at the beginning of one’s career

罄竹难书

(of crime) too numerous to mention

失之东隅 收之桑榆 What one loses on the swings, one gets back on the roundabouts.

塞翁失马 安知非福？A loss may turn out to be a gain.

庆父不除 鲁难未已 There will always be trouble until the trouble-maker is removed.

几乎不含文化因子的比喻形象往往不能保留

眉飞色舞

his eyebrows are flying and his countenance is dancing

to beam with joy

粗枝大叶

with big branches and large leaves

to be crude and careless

灯红酒绿

with red lights and green wine

dissipated and luxurious

扬眉吐气

to raise the eyebrows and let out a breath

to feel proud and elated

无孔不入

to get into every hole

to take advantage of every weakness

开门见山

to open the door and see the mountain

to come straight to the point

纸醉金迷

with drunken paper and bewitched gold

(a life of ) luxury and dissipation

风雨飘摇

the wind and rain are rocking

(of a situation) being unstable

适当改变比喻形象的译法（自然归化/套译）

在两种语言中都有表达类似概念的说法，但所用的比喻形象并不完全一致。在翻译时，可以根据需要适当套用。

小题大做 make a mountain out of a molehill

赴汤蹈火 go through fire and water

过河拆桥 kick down the ladder

格格不入 be like square pegs in round holes

魂不附体 jump out of one’s skin

乳臭未干 be wet behind the ears

空中楼阁 castle in the air

浑水摸鱼 to fish in troubled water

班门弄斧 to teach fish to swim

暗送秋波 to make eye at

掌上明珠  the apple of one’s eye

一丘之貉 birds of a feather flock together

家丑不可外扬 It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.

cut in a joke               插科打诨

speak one’s mind   畅所欲言

be after one’s own heart  称心如意

at one’s finger-tips              了如指掌

fish in troubled waters  混水摸鱼

thousands upon thousands of 成千上万

in deep water   水深火热

turn up one’s nose at  嗤之以鼻

skin and bones   皮包骨头

touch and go             一触即发

from the cradle to the grave          一生一世

hit the nail on the head  一语道破

make fish of one and flesh of another    厚此薄彼

lick sb’s boots                       巴结

stick to one’s last             安分守己

keep sth under one’s hat                    保密

eat one’s heart out                             极度悲痛

be in sb’s  pocket             被某人操纵

be in irons             被监禁

wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve        表露感情

put one’s cards on the table         表明观点

eat like a bird                     吃得极少

catch forty winks   打盹儿

break the ice    打破僵局

jump out of one’s skin  大吃一惊

get cold feet    胆怯 

be driven from pillar to post 被逼得走投无路

walk on air    得意洋洋

get the green light   得到许可

mend one’s fences   改善关系

poke one’s nose into sth  干涉

turn thumbs down on sth  反对

充耳不闻  turn a deaf ear to

出人头地  be head and shoulders above others

吹毛求疵  pick a hole in sb’s coat

破釜沉舟  burn one’s boat

大惊小怪  make a fuss about

大海捞针  look for a needle in a bundle of hay

颠倒黑白  talk black into white

得意忘形  have one’s nose in the air

攀龙附凤  worship the rising sun

大发雷霆  hit the ceiling; fly into a rage

骑虎难下  hold a wolf by the ears

视而不见  turn a blind eye to

大吵大闹 raise the roof

公开认错 stand in a white sheet

有花不完的钱 have enough money to burn

话中有话 with the tongue in the cheek

获得全胜 sweep the board

机敏 keep one’s eyes on the ball

坚决反对 put one’s foot down; set one’s face against

简言之 in a nutshell

侥幸 by the skin of one’s teeth

结为良缘 win the hand of

鸡毛蒜皮  trifling

开门见山  come straight to the point

 狗急跳墙 do sth desperate

顺手牵羊  walk off with sth

守株待兔  trust to chance and stroke of luck

铜墙铁壁  an impregnable fortress

唇枪舌剑  engage in a battle of words

黔驴技穷  at one’s wit’s end

单枪匹马  all by oneself

生龙活虎  bursting with energy

截然不同 oil and vinegar

家丑 a skeleton in the cupboard; a family skeleton

觉得可疑 smell a rat

鲁莽的人 a bull in a china shop

捏造 pull sth out of one’s hat

告发 put the finger on 

干苦差事 hold [carry] the baby

反应快 quick on the trigger; think on one’s feet

恻隐之心 the milk of human kindness

保密 keep sth under one’s hat

注意形象的不同

胆小如鼠 as timid as a hare

如鱼得水 like a duck to water

多如牛毛 as plentiful as blackberries

一箭之遥 at a stone’s throw

水中捞月 to fish in the air

半瓶子醋 half-baked

蠢得像猪 as stupid as a goose

害群之马　black sheep

挥金如土 to spend money like water

烂醉如泥 drunk as a sailor

热锅上的蚂蚁 like a cat on a hot tin roof

瘦得像猴子 as thin as a shadow

如履薄冰 to tread upon eggs

棋逢敌手 diamond cut diamond

挂羊头卖狗肉 cry up wine and sell vinegar

火上加油 to add fuel to the fire

趁热打铁 Strike while the iron is hot.

隔墙有耳 Walls have ears.

眼见为实 Seeing is believing.

沧海一粟 a drop in the ocean

破釜沉舟 burn one’s boat

保留或舍弃比喻形象均可的译法

有些成语既可采用保留比喻形象的译法，也可套用译语中已有的表达同一概念的说法，舍弃原文中的形象。两者各有利弊，采用何种译法视上下文和需要而定。

竭泽而渔

to drain a pond to catch all  the fish

to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

打草惊蛇

to stir up the grass and alert the snake

to wake a sleeping dog

易如反掌

to be as easy as turning over one’s hand

as easy as falling off a log

掌上明珠

a pearl in the palm

the apple of one’s eye

守口如瓶

to keep one’s mouth closed like a bottle

to keep a still tongue in one’s head

雪中送炭

to send charcoal in snowy weather

to help a lame dog over a stile

画蛇添足

to draw a snake and add feet to it

to paint the lily

习语翻译实例：

There is a mixture of the tiger and the ape in his nature.

他的本性既残暴又狡猾。

Every life has its roses and thorns.

每个人的生活都有甜有苦。

She sailed into the room.

她仪态万方地走进屋子。

We must keep our powder dry.

我们要时刻提高警惕。

John can be relied on. He eats no fish and plays the game.

约翰为人可靠，他既忠诚又老实。

他每天要处理许多棘手的问题。He has many hot potatoes to handle every day.

他新雇来的女佣人懒得出奇，饭量倒很大，真是一个无用而又累赘东西。His newly employed servant woman was extremely lazy and ate a lot, no more than a white elephant.

我不敢肯定我能赢得这个荣誉，这还是未到手的东西。 I’m not sure whether I can win the honour; it’s a bird in the bush.

你不要过早乐观，真正的困难还在后头呢。Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched. The real difficulties still lay ahead.

我们决不能姑息坏人。We should never warm snakes in our bosoms.

 

那位小伙子真是喝了大胆汤。That young man has great courage, indeed!

这是他们夫妻之间的事情，你去插一脚干吗？ That’s a business of their own, between husband and wife. Why should you get involved in it?

别人家里鸡零狗碎的事情你都知道得这么全，真是个顺风耳啊！ You know all the bits and pieces of trifles of other families. You are really well informed.

他万万没想到在他前进的道路上竟会出现这么多拦路虎！ He had never expected that so many obstacles would stand in his way.

习语翻译注意事项：

文化因子

感情色彩、语体等

时间变迁

 

习俗不同，文化背景不同

宗教有关：

to wear one's Sunday best 穿上最好的衣服 ( to church)

as poor as a church mouse  一贫如洗

fool’s paradise              黄粱美梦

Like priest, like people      师高弟子强

海洋和航海有关：

to know the ropes               内行，懂其秘诀

to sail one’s own boat  独立行动

as close/dumb as an oyster  守口如瓶

cast/lay/have an anchor to windward 未雨绸缪

to tide over　         安然渡过

to go with the stream　 随波逐流

to clear the decks　    准备战斗

all at sea　            晕头转向

plain sailing　         一帆风顺

to rest on one's oars　   小憩片刻

to keep one's head above water　  奋力求生

农业有关：

牛：多如牛毛，体壮如牛，老黄牛

斩草除根；解甲归田；拔苗助长；

顺藤摸瓜；瓜熟蒂落；桃李满天下

区分感情色彩、语体、使用范围及程度

死：

to expire　                 逝世

to pass away　             与世长辞　

to close (end) one's day　 寿终

to breathe one's last　        断气

to go west　               归西天

to pay the debt of nature　    了结尘缘

to depart to the world of shadows　 命归黄泉

to give up the ghost　    见阎王

to kick the bucket　      翘辫子

to kick up one's heels 　  蹬腿

时间变迁：她怀孕了。

She has canceled all her social engagements. (1856)

她已经取消了所有社交约会。

She is in an interesting condition. (1880)

她正处于一种有趣的状态。

She is in a delicate condition. (1895)

她正处于一种微妙的状态。

She is knitting little bootees. (1910)

她正在编织婴儿毛线鞋。

She is in a family way. (1920)

她正处于一种家居状态。

She is expecting. (1935)

她正期盼着。

She is pregnant. (1956)

她妊娠了。