英汉成语翻译第 2 页

 
（四）确切理解，不要望文生义  
 　　（有些英语成语看起来与汉语某些成语相似，但意义完全不同，或存在细微差别。要特别注意。如：
to go home    作为自由词组，是“回家”的意思。但用作成语，往往表示“击中要害”和“发生影响”；
to wash one's hand  容易让人误解为 “洗手不干”，其实含有“断绝关系”、“推脱责任”的意思；
 to bark at the moon 和“蜀犬吠日”，两个成语虽然设喻差不多，但情景和思路大不一样，前者比喻“徒劳无益”，后者比喻
“少见多怪”。）
（五）分辨褒贬义，注意有褒贬两可的。  如：
（It's an ill wind that blows nobody good.  天下无绝对的坏事。（有弊必有利）
 这句谚语看起来好像是贬义，其实不然；
Birds of a feather flock together. 并无贬义，无非表示消极意义；
To be hand and (in) glove with 即可用于褒义，又可用于贬义。不能不加区别，一概译成“亲密无间”。 比较：
 The two friends are hand in glove with each other.
 这两位朋友亲如手足。
 The traitors and the enemy were working hand in glove with each other.
 卖国贼和敌人相互勾结。
 Every official is hand in glove with him.
 当官的跟他穿一条裤子。
 再如：to lock the stable door after the horse has been stolen，有人译成“亡羊补牢”，并不妥当。“亡羊补牢”是“犹为未晚”，含义是积极的。英语成语是说“马已被盗，再关厩门也无益了”，含义是消极的。）
 
（六）英汉互译时，为方便读者理解，可适当添词或减词
　　（汉语成语多是四字组成，译成英语时，不能仅从字面意义去译，而应领会其实质，译出内在思想。必要时，可以加词。如：Show off one's proficiency with the axe before Lu Ban，the master carpenter. 如不在译文中加上the master carpenter Lu Ban，恐怕大多数外国人都不知Lu Ban是何许人。
　  相反，有时也可以省译。 如：山雨欲来风满楼。The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains. 只保留原文的主要比喻，省略了“山”，“楼”的字眼。外语爱好者网站 -英语教学版
　　有些并列式成语，如：“取之不尽，用之不竭”，英译时仅用“inexhaustible”一个词来表达；又如：沉鱼落雁之容，闭月羞花之貌。只要译成Her beauty would put the flowers to shame.）
　　
 四字成语往往含义重复，在修辞上优美匀称，但翻译时，只要译出其中一组的意思即可。 如：
花言巧语　　fine words            油嘴滑舌　　  glib tongue
长吁短叹　　sighing deeply         精疲力竭　　  exhaustion, exhausted
发号施令　　issue orders           土崩瓦解　　  fall apart

（七）有时，英语原文没用成语，但译文却用四字成语。 如：
Over the past several weeks, she had grown increasingly restless.
 过去几周，她越来越六神无主。
I was nervous before crowds.
 我在大庭广众之前感到紧张。
It was a privilege revokable at any time on whim（冲动）of the authorities.
 只要当权者心血来潮，这种恩赐随时可以取消。
                                                                       (end of 3-2?)

四、英汉成语翻译第 2 页举例

a laughing stock　                 笑柄   （树桩/木头）
in the land of nod　                睡乡   （瞌睡/打盹）
at snail's pace　                   蜗行
in one's evening of life　            晚年
an outsider　                     门外汉
all skin and bone　                皮包骨
the year of snow, the year of fertility　瑞雪兆丰年
a blot from the blue　             晴天霹雳  （耻辱）
to see through at a glance　        一眼看穿
to see through the trickery　       看穿把戏
to fish in troubled waters　            混水摸鱼 1    （张培基：“完全相同的形象比喻”162页）
to do something by halves　       半途而废
a heart of stone　                铁石心肠
strike while the iron is hot　       趁热打铁
tit for tat　                    一报还一报
like father, like son　            有其父必有其子
A rolling stone gathers no moss　  滚石不生苔
to seek truth from facts　         实事求是
to become cocksure　            自以为是
to stand on one's own feet　        自立
slow and steady　                稳健
skin deep　                     肤浅
the prime of life　               壮年
call a spade a spade　            说实话
to gain the upper hand　                 占上风
to hold the cards in one's hand　   操胜券
fair field and no favour　         一视同仁
to go with the tide　             随波逐流
to be in the same boat　          同舟共济
to go through thick and thin　     赴汤蹈火
to one's heart's desire　          称心如意
to pour oil on the flame　        火上浇/加油   /to add fuel to the fire 2
to become a household word　    家喻户晓
to be in two minds　            三心二意
as alike as two peas　           一模一样
a sea of faces　                人山人海
rain or shine　                 风雨无阻
haste makes waste　             欲速不达
much coin, much care　          钱多劳神
to read between the lines　       字里行间   （implied meaning!)
to vanish like smoke　           烟消云散
to end in smoke　               烟消云散
practice makes perfect　         业精于勤
to provide against a rainy day　   未雨绸缪 (mo)
wait-and-see attitude　          观望态度
to talk black into white　         颠倒黑白
in black and white　             白纸黑字
Many a little/pickle (Every little) makes a mickle. 集腋成裘/积少成多 （old Scotish: a./ad./n. 许多/大量）
to fish for compliments　         沽名钓誉
to cudgel one's brain　           绞尽脑汁   (用棍敲击)
firm as a rock　                 坚如磐石
to be lean as a lath　             骨瘦如柴   (a: /板条)
not to stir a finger　             袖手旁观
to fish in the air　               缘木求鱼
a friend in need is a friend indeed　 患难之交
care killed the cat　              愁能伤人
to wear one's heart on one's sleeves　                  心直口快
a contented mind is a perpetual feast　                 知足长乐       (/banquet)
to tread the heel of　                               步其后尘
to spare no effort　                                不遗余力
to leave no stone unturned　                         不遗余力
to play ducks and drakes with one's money　            挥金如土       (female/male)
to kill two birds with one stone　                     一石二鸟
Pride goes before fall　                             谦受益，满招损
Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.　  远亲不如近邻
Much ado about nothing　                          无事忙/生非/小题大做
Lover's quarrels are soon mended　      夫妻无隔夜之愁
Ill news comes apace　                好事不出门，恶事传千里    （pace-space)
to have a finger in the pie　             染指/干预
to bull in a china shop　                闯祸
to burn the midnight oil　              开夜车
put on airs　                         摆架子
a stitch in time saves nine　             事半功倍
Well begun is half done.　              良好的开端是成功的一半
Birds of a feather flock together　        物以类聚
to cast pearls to the swine             　对牛弹琴  （猪！）
a black sheep　                       害群之马
to hold a candle to the devil　           助纣为虐
to hail the rising sun　                 趋炎附势
An old head on a young pair of shoulders　少年老成
neither fish nor flesh　                 不伦不类
black and blue　                      鼻青脸肿
to shed crocodile tears　                猫哭老鼠
to put a fifth wheel to the coach　         画蛇添足
to spring up like mushrooms　           雨后春笋
to put the cart before the horse　          本末倒置
to make a mountain of a small hill　       小题大做
He that dies pays all debts　             一了百了
as snug as a bug in a rug　              舒舒服服  (warm & comfortable/cosy)
No use crying over spilt milk　          覆水难收
to be at sixes and sevens　                  乱七八糟    （张培基：“大体相同”162页）
Six of 1 and half a dozen of the other.          半斤八两
to hang by a thread　                  千钧一发
Harm hatch, harm catch.　              恶有恶报   （孵（小鸡））
once in a blue moon　                 千载难逢
after death, the medicine / after meat, the mustard.　  放马后炮
the memory of a good deed lives　       流芳百世
to have a card up one's sleeves　         锦囊之计
to warm a snake in one's bosom        　养虎为患
hitting the nail on the head　           一针见血
to flog a dead horse　                 徒劳无功
to help a lame dog over the hill　        救人之急
to put all one's eggs in one basket　      孤注一掷
to teach one's grandma to suck eggs　    不自量力
to know the ropes　                   熟门熟路
by fits and starts　                    一曝十寒
like cures like　                      以毒攻毒
to beat with one's own stuff　           自相矛盾
to carry coal to Newcastle　            多此一举
to cut the Gordian knot 　             快刀斩乱麻  （Greek mythology: 棘手）
goose-flesh　                       鸡皮疙瘩
to break a fly upon the wheel　         杀鸡用牛刀
to count one's chickens before they are hatched　   打如意算盘
In for a penny, in for a pound　             一不做，二不休
a cat on hot bricks　                     热锅上的蚂蚁
Nothing venture, nothing gain.　           不入虎穴，焉得虎子
Do unto others as you would be done by　   己所不欲，勿施于人
A miss is as good as a mile　              差之毫厘，失之千里
Greek meets Greek　                    棋逢对手
Diamond cuts diamond　                 针锋相对
on the horns of a dilemma　              进退两难
a blessing in disguise　                  塞翁失马，焉知非福
to play with fire　                      玩火
to buy off                             收买
to turn for the better　                   好转
to see how the wind blows　              看风势
to wound one's feelings　                伤感情
to see the world 　                     见世面
to praise to the skies　                   捧上天去
at one's wits end 　                     智穷才尽
by leaps and bounds　                    突飞猛进
to turn over a new leaf　                 改过自新
The longest day must have an end.　       世上没有不散的宴席。
Where there is life, there is hope.　        留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。
Many kiss a baby for the nurse's sake.　              醉翁之意不在酒。
Many hands make light work.　                     众人拾柴火焰高
Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl　  近朱者赤，近墨者黑

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