爱华网习语的直译和意译
一、习语的范围
1. 成语 set phrase; idiom
2. 惯用语 idiom
3. 俗语 saying
4. 谚语 proverb
5. 歇后语 two-part allegorical [,æli’gɔrikl]; saying
6. 格言 maxim; motto
二、习语的特点
1. 习语集中反映一种文化的特色
2. 习语是各种修辞手段的集中表现
3. 习语是语言中独立的、不规则的、固定的成分
1&2→尽量保持原文的民族形式和风格，因此直译往往是必要的
3→不要把习语当作当作普通语句来处理，须避免字字对译
三、习语翻译的基本方法
1. 直译法
帝国主义都是纸老虎。
Imperialism is a paper tiger.
他说他决不会做这种事,因为这么做会很丢脸。
He said that he would never do it, because to do so would be tolose face.
他成了侵略者的走狗。
He become a running dog of the invaders.
跑了和尚跑不了庙。
The monk may run away, but the temple can’t.
竹篮打水一场空
drawing water in a bamboo basket。
他是个口蜜腹剑的人，你相信他就是在引狼入室
He is a honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted man. You are leading awolf into the house if you believe in him.
那段感情对于他而言已经刻骨铭心
That love has been engraved on his heart and bones.
他终于重见天日了。
He saw the daylight again.
城门失火,殃及池鱼
A fire on the city wall brings disaster to the fish in themoat.
路遥知马力,日久见人心
As a long road tests a horse’s strength, so a long task proves aperson’s heart.
2. 意译法（不能直译的）
一提到他的女朋友他就眉飞色舞起来。
He beams/ with joy as soon as he talks about his girl-friend.
死译：His eyebrows are flying and his countenance is dancing
他是个粗枝大叶的人
He is crude and careless.
死译：He is a man who has big branches and broad leaves
这场胜利让我们扬眉吐气
This victory made us feel proud and elated.
死译：This victory made us raise our eyebrow and let out abreath
那是个灯红酒绿的城市。
It is a dissipated and luxurious city.
It is a city with red lights and green wine.
她过着纸醉金迷的生活。
She has a life of luxury and dissipation.
She has a life with drunken paper and bewitched gold.
开门见山
To come straight to the point
死译 To open the door and see the mountain
好好学习，天天向上
Study hard and make progress every day
3. 同义习语借用法（归化法）
1）含义相同
混水摸鱼 to fish in troubled water
火上浇油 to add fuel to oil
空中楼阁 castles in the air
趁热打铁 Strike while the iron is hot
隔墙有耳 Walls have ears.
赴汤蹈火 go through fire and water
格格不入 be like square pegs in round holes
2）形象不同，但含义相同
小题大做 make a mountain out of a molehill （可借用）
班门弄斧：to teach a fish to swim（可借用）
谋事在人，成事在天
Man proposes, God disposes.
望着一片人山人海的听众，萨维奇先生发表一篇动人的演说。
Looking out upon the sea of faces, Mr. Savage delivered a touchingspeech.
我看到大街上人山人海。
I saw a large crowd of people in the street.
天下无不散的宴席
All good things come to an end.
Eventually, all bosom friends will drift apart.
There are no feasts in the world which do not break up atlast.
一言既出，驷马难追
A word once let go cannot be recalled.
You cannot take back what you have said.
One word lets slip and four horses will fail to catch it.
A statement that once let loose cannot be caught by four gallopinghorses.
祸从口出，言多必失
Careless talk leads to trouble.
The less said the better.
The mouth is the gate of misfortune and evil.
3)不借用形象或比喻的, 可放心借用
迂回曲折 twists and turns
断断续续 off and on
焕然一新 spick and span
乱七八糟 at sixes and sevens
挖空心思 to rack one’s brains
4）随意的
打草惊蛇
To stir up the grass and alert the snake
Wake a sleeping dog
易如反掌
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
雪中送炭
To send charcoal in snowy weather
To help a lame dog over stile
画蛇添足
To draw a snake and add feet to it
To paint the lily
3.完全意译
胸有成竹
To have a well-thought-out plan before doing sth
桃李满天下
To have students all over the world
四面楚歌
To be besieged on all sides
悬梁刺股
To be extremely hard-working in one’s studies
初出茅庐
At the beginning of one’s career
倾城倾国
To be extremely beautiful
5. 直译兼意译
无亲无故 without a single relative or friend to help herout
斩草除根 pluck up the evil by the roots
风餐露宿 braving the wind and dew
贼眉鼠眼 to behave stealthily like a thief
辗转反侧 to toss and turn restlessly
跃跃欲试 eager to have a try
6. 省略法
能工巧匠 skilled craftsman
称兄道弟 to call each other brothers
赤手空拳 to be bare-handed
自吹自擂 to blow one’s own trumpets
心慈手软 soft-hearted
安家落户 to make one’s home
抛头露面 to make one’s own appearance
愁眉苦脸 to pull on a long face
7. 增添法
树倒猢狲散
Once the tree falls, the monkeys on it will flee helter-shelter.(meaning 慌慌张张）
惊弓之鸟
A bird starteld by the mere twang of a bow-string
螳螂捕蝉，黄雀在后
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole lurking behinditself.
风声鹤唳，草木皆兵
be scared by the sigh of the wind or the cry of the cranes, fearingambush at every tree and tuft of grass
木已成舟
The wood is already made into a boat --- what’s done is done.
8. 还原法
牵着鼻子走 lead/be led by the nose
火中取栗 cat’s paw/to pull the chestnut out of thefire
武装到了牙齿 be armed to the teeth
象沙丁鱼罐头一样packed like sardines/jammed together like sardines
夹着尾巴跑了run away with their tails between their legs
战争贩子war monger
死硬派 die-hards 鹰派War Hawk 鸽派 War Dove
强权政治 power politics
9. 回避法
我要去就是王八蛋。
I’ll be damned if I’ll go.
他妈的，雨真大。
Blast it! What a heavy rain!
真该死，我没赶上末班车。
Oh, hell. I’ve missed the last train.
你可以滚蛋了。
You can go to the devil!
十年（liar老师给力翻译，另有倾情演唱）
Hadn't I trembled when saying that two words, Iwould not have found myself grieved.
However to be said, they are nothing but BREAK UP.
If we request nothing towards tomorrow, love will be like atravel.
Thousands of exits, one of us has to leave first.
Why not give the embrace when divided, now that it cannot lastlong.
Enjoying it, and weeping the same time.
A decade ago, I didn't know you, you don't belong to me.
We accompanied a stranger as usual
walking in the street with which we were more and morefamiliar.
After a decade, we are only friends who can still be greeted,
however that tenderness can never be found as the reason toembrace.
Lovers end up with friends unavoidably in the end.
Until I have been your friend for many years,
I don't realize that my tears is not only for you, but also forHERs.
