成语典故歇后语的英译策略2.ppt

成语的英译翻译练习n碰钉子 ,皮包公司 ,跑龙套 ,裙带关系 ,人 情债 ,三角恋爱 ,三下乡 ,试用期 ,内环路 参考译文nGet snubbed;bogus company;general handyman;networking through petticoat influence; debt of gratitude;love triangle;a program under which officials, doctors, scientist and college students go to the countryside to spread scientific and literacy knowledge and offer medical service to farmers;probationary period ; inner ring road n甲：这一点小意思，请务必收下n乙：你这个人真是有意思，怎么也来这套 ？n甲：唉，只是意思意思n乙：啊，真是不好意思参考译文nA：This is a little gift as a token of my appriciation.Please do take it nB:Oh aren’t you a bit too polite? You should not do that.nA: It just convey my gratitude.nB: hank you then, though I really do not deserve it.Give a lick and a promise成语翻译和成语故事敷衍搪塞 Give someone the runaround你根本没有洗手，只不过敷衍了事。

You didn’t wash your hands; you just gave them a lick and a promise.Bury the hatchet成 语 翻 译 和 成 语 故 事休战和好他们敌对多年，但一场搏斗后却和解了They had been enemies for ages, but after a fight they buried the hatchet.Backstairs influencen暗中势力，幕后人物；秘密影响成 语 翻 译 和 成 语 故 事他秘密会见了议员，暗中对议员施加了影响He met the congressmen in secret to exert backstairs influence.一、汉语成语英译n成语是我们日常生活中非常重要的语言要素 汉语成语结构稳定，绝大部分以四字格形式出 现，在翻译中是不可忽视的问题n哪些汉语成语可以根据其字面意义翻译？哪些 只能翻译比喻意义？这完全取决于成语的字面 形式和比喻形象能否为译文读者理解和接受 例如“胸有成竹”：nHave a bamboo in one’s stomachnTo have a well-thought-out plan before doing sth.nTo have a card up one’s sleeve1 可以直译的成语n 中国文学和政论作品中大量使用了 一些非常形象的比喻成语。

其比喻的本 体和喻体有着很强的关联性其中一些 与英语的说法没有很大的文化差异和障 碍这类成语可以字面直译引狼入室n直译：to bring the wolves into the house/fold (羊圈) n意译：to invite disastersn“……是些什么人呢？干这引狼入室的勾当！” n“…Whoever they are, they are letting the wolf into the fold!”调虎离山n直译：to lure the tiger out of the hillsn意译：to lure the enemy from his basen“……我中了他的调虎离山计啦！”n“…I’ve fallen for his luring -the -tiger -out -of – the- hills scheme!”如坐针毡n直译：to feel as if sitting on a cushion filled with needlesn意译：to feel terribly uneasyn套译：on pins and needles n且说林冲在柴大官人东庄上，听得这话，如坐针毡。

nLin Chong, however, was in the east village of the Lord Chai and when he heard all the talk of him, it was as though he sat on a cushion filled with needles.守株待兔n直译：to watch the stump and wait for a haren意译：to wait for gains without pains (wait for windfalls)n这样他采取守株待兔的态度，还是当他的乡董 nAccordingly, having adopted this attitude of “watching the stump and waiting for a hare”, he continued with his councillorship.翻译磨刀石（直译）n声东击西n刻骨铭心n狗仗人势n口蜜腹剑nShout in the east and strike in the west (look one way and row another / sell the dummy)nBe engraved in one’s heart and bones (remember to the end of one’s life)nBe like a dog counting on its master’s backing (be a bully under the protection of a powerful person)nTo be honey-mouthed and dagger- hearted (a Judas kiss)翻译磨刀石（意译）n虚怀若谷n如虎添翼n噤若寒蝉n指腹为婚nTo be modest and extremely open-mindednWith might redoubled (with added strength)nKeep silent out of fearnThe two have been engaged to each other before they were born. (prenatal betrothal)2 可以套译的成语涸泽而渔 套译：to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs 直译：to drain the pond to catch all the fish 只为工业积累，农业本身积累得太少或者没有积 累，涸泽而渔，对于工业发展反而不利。

If agriculture accumulated only for industry and very little or none for itself, that would mean “draining the pond to get all the fish” and would only harm the development of industry.打草惊蛇n套译：to wake a sleeping dogn意译：act rashly and alert the enemyn不要动声色，不要打草惊蛇，我们不妨看看他 们如何活动nDon’t say anything about it; we mustn’t wake a sleeping dog, why not keep an eye on what they engage in?家徒四壁n直译：have nothing but four bare walls in one’s house n套译：as poor as Job n意译：be utterly destituten她四面望望空洞的屋子，茫然地笑笑：“真是家 徒四壁啊！” （杨沫《青春之歌》） nLooking around the empty room, she told herself with a wry smile, “nothing but four bare walls.”其他例子：挥金如土 To throw money about like dirt To spend money like water掌上明珠 A pearl in the palm The apple of one’s eye The beloved daughtern骨瘦如柴 nTo be as thin as sticks/a lathnTo be a bag of bonesnTo be skin and bonesn雪中送炭 nTo send charcoal in snowy weathernTo help a lame dog over a stile(台阶)nProvide timely help翻译磨刀石（套译）n顺水行舟n非驴非马n日暮途穷n本末倒置nSail with the windnNeither fish, flesh nor fowlnAt the end of one’s ropenPut the cart before the horse3、不能直译的成语n 我们强调直译是成语英译的第一 选择，但并非所有成语都可按照字面翻 译，如“眉飞色舞”译成“eyebrows are flying and countenance is dancing”， 势必贻笑大方，应该根据实际意义翻译 成to beam with joy (enraptured).More examples…n粗枝大叶n无孔不入n扬眉吐气n纸醉金迷n开门见山n单枪匹马n风雨飘摇nTo be crude and careless (sloppy) nto be all-pervasive/seize any opportunity nTo feel proud and elated/ hold one’s head high nA life of luxury and dissipation nTo come straight to the point nTo be single-handed in doing something nTo be in unstable / turbulent timesn部分成语带着特定的中国文化背景，字面上含有 中国古代的人名、地名，有的出于寓言或历史的 典故。

这些成语，如加解释，就失去了成语精粹 的特点，所以一般绕开文化背景，译出其真正的 内涵意义n历史故事类成语：n完璧归赵；程门立雪；三顾茅庐；纸上谈兵；南 柯一梦；洛阳纸贵n寓言故事类：n拔苗助长；狐假虎威；亡羊补牢；坐井观天；叶 公好龙；精卫填海这类成语一般用意译或者套译n毛遂自荐n叶公好龙n南柯一梦n四面楚歌n锱铢必较n罄竹难书n初出茅庐n倾国倾城n悬梁刺股nTo volunteer one’s servicesnProfessed love of what one really fearsnA fond dream or illusory joynTo be besieged on all sidesnTo haggle over every pennyn(。