习语等解释翻译.doc

中英习语解释性翻译或形象具体互译一、以浮生六记为例1.一灯如豆 The light of a rapeseed oil lamp was then burning as small as a pea.2. 但李诗宛如姑射仙子，有一种落花流水之趣，令人可爱。 but Li Pos poems have the wayward charm of a nymph. His lines come naturally like dropping petals and flowing waters, and are so much lovelier for their spontaneity.3. 兼之玉碎香埋，不堪回首矣。 and the woman I loved is dead, like broken jade and buried incense. How sad indeed to look back upon these things.4. 芸初缄默，喜听余议论。余调其言，如蟋蟀之用纤草，渐能发议。 Yun was at first very quiet and loved to hear me talk, but I gradually taught her the art of conversation as one leads a cricket with a blade of grass. She then learned the art of conversation.5.有女名憨园 。亭亭玉立，真一泓秋水照人寒。She had a girl by the name of Hanyuan, who was a very sweet young maiden, still in her teens. Her eyes looked“like an autumn lake that cooled one by its cold splendor”. 【2】二、Double-way: literal translation; borrowing; paraphrase 1. 过街老鼠（直译）like a rat crossing the street (意译) the object of universal condemnation; a bad man hated by everybody2. 门庭若市(直译) the courtyard is like a market. （意译）a much visited house; a busy town; bustling; crowded 3. 望梅止渴（直译）to gaze at plums to quench ones thirst（意译）to console oneself with false hopes; to feed on fancies (illusion); imagined satisfaction; a Barmecide （一千零一夜中一个口惠而实不至的人物）feast. 4. 危如累卵（直译）as dangerous as a pile of eggs（意译）hazardous in the extreme; great insecurity; in a precarious condition; at stake, at risk; at hazard; in peril; in danger; perilous; risky; critical.5. 山雨欲来风满楼（直译）The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains. （意译）A turbulent situation foretells a big event; Coming events cast their shadows before. 6. 树倒猢狲散（直译）When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. （意译）Members run away when the family (constitution) falls; when an influential person falls from power, his hangers-on disperse; Rats leave a sinking ship. 7. 三个臭皮匠顶得上诸葛亮 （直译）Three cobbers with their wits combined equal ZhuGeliang the master mind. (意译) eamwork; Brainstorming; Many hands make light work.; Two heads are better than one. (拙译) wits combined are wits of great mind; Wits combined are wits that satisfy; 8. 螳螂捕蝉,黄雀在后（直译）The mantis stalks the cicada but behind them lurks the oriole (金莺；黄莺儿).(意译) Be careful about the hidden/implicitpotential risks; hazards; 9. 比上不足，比下有余（直译）worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst; better off than the worst and worse off than the best; （意译）fairly well-off; fairly contented life; 10. 不以物喜，不以己悲（直译）not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personal losses; （意译）take ones personal gains lightly; to be philosophical about; be open-minded; 11. 金无足赤,人无完人(直译) Gold cant be pure and man cant be perfect; （意译）Human beings are human beings三、形象具体1. 哭得泪人似的 A. The child was in floods of tears. B. Be drenched in tearsC. He became a wretch of tearsD. While Mother was feeling so wrought, the slightest cross word or ill-judged remark could reduce her to tears.当母亲感到过分劳累紧张时，哪怕是听到一点点令人生气的话或不妥之词，都会使她伤心得落下泪来。2. 唉声叹气a. To moan and groanb. Heave deep sighsc. Sigh in despair 3. 矮子里拔将军A. Pick or single out a general from among the dwarfs b. Choose the best person available c. In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. d. To settle for an undesirable candidate or alternative. 4. 碍手碍脚a. be obstructed by ones hands and feetb. To be or stand in the wayc. To be a hindranced. To be cumbersome 5. 爱不释手a. like love sth. so much that one cannot bear to part with it；b. be fond of and unwilling to part with；c. be so delighted with it that one could hardly bear to put it down；d. be too fond of sth. to let go of ite. To fondle sth admiringly f.I can always lose myself in a good book. 来自简明英汉词典g. The novel is so instructive that I can hardly tear myself away from it. 这部小说很有意义，简直使我爱不释手。来自现代汉英综合大词典h. He indulges in a new hat. 他对一项新帽子爱不释手。来自辞典例句i. The book is a page-turner. 这本书引人入胜，叫人爱不释手。6. 爱屋及乌a. Love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof. b. Love me, love my dog. 7. 画蛇添足a. if you are telling a lie, keep it simplenever overegg the pudding. b. draw a snake and add feet to itc. ruin the effect by adding sth superfluousd. leave enough alone 不要画蛇添足7. 花前月下a. before the flowers and under the moon b. ideal setting for a couple in love c. romantic circumstances d. romance 8. 花容月貌a. ones face is like flowers and ones features like the moon b. fair as a flower and beautiful as the moon 9. 囫囵吞枣a. to swallow dates whole b. lap up （照单全收；欣然接受） information without digesting it c. read without understanding 10. 呼风唤雨a. summon wind and rain b. control the forces of nature c. stir up trouble 11. 洪水猛兽a. fierce floods and savage beasts b. great scourges （祸害；灾难） c. formidable disasters 三、释义 1. 辞旧迎新bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new; wind up the old, unfold the new 2. 过犹不及going too far is as bad as not going far enough; Beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too littleOverdoing is underdoing. More is less; less is more四、练习 英译汉1. Unless youve got an ace up your sleeve, we are dished. 除非你有锦囊妙计，否则，我们是输定了。2. He went through fire and flood to save his mother. 他赴汤蹈火去救他的母亲。3. You have a lucky star above you. 你真是吉星高照。4. She is now between the devil and the deep sea on this matter. 她在这个问题上真是进退维谷。5. He is reaping what he has sown. 他这是咎由自取。6. She is an easy-going woman. She always throws her cares to the winds.她是个大大咧咧的女人，总是把忧愁抛至九霄云外。7. That fellow is always fair without but foul within.那个家伙总是口蜜腹剑。8. That little girl has a ready tongue.那个小姑娘真是伶牙俐齿。9. The light-fingered gentry frequented these shops. 梁上君子经常光顾这些商店。汉译英：1. 这些国家的经济形势每况愈下。The economic situation in these countries is on the downgrade; worsening; is through undergoing downturn; on the decline; 2. 为了迷人眼目，他们把自己打扮成革命者。In order to throw dust into the eye of the public, they decked themselves out as revolutionaries; in order to confuse the public; puzzle; in order to perplex the public; throw the public into the dark; 3. 扪心自问，他不得不承认自己是错了。By searching his heart he could not but admit that he was in the wrong; by introspecting himself, he ; his introspection led to his admitting; 4. 我们必须全力以赴，拿下这场球。We must do our level best to win the game. 5. 照当时情况，他除了忍气吞声又能怎么办呢？As things stood, what else could he do but swallow the insult? 6. 侵略者已经走投无路。The invaders had come to the end of their tether. 7. 我讨厌游手好闲的人。I dislike the people eating the bread of idleness. 8. 你为什么要引狼入室？Why did you set the wolf to keep the sheep? 9. 他是信口开河，他对经济一窍不通。He is shooting off his mouth. He does not know the first thing of economy. 10. 鸡毛蒜皮trifling; trifles; odds and ends 11. 开门见山come straight to the point; get down to business12. 公事公办business is business13. 狗急跳墙do sth desperately 14. 顺手牵羊walk off with sth 15. 守株待兔trust to chance and stroke of luck 16. 唇枪舌剑engage in a battle of words 17. 黔驴技穷at ones wits end 18. 单枪匹马all by oneself 19. 生龙活虎bursting with energy 英译汉：1. I was practically on my knees but he still refused. 苦苦哀求2. The two sisters were usually in agreement on most issues, but they were at swords point on the matter of abortion. 3. He is a rolling stone. I dont think he can go far. 他是个见异思迁的人，我想他不会有多大出息。4. Since I only got the news at second hand, I took it with a grain of salt. 半信半疑5. Ill break my neck to get this done by Friday, but I cant promise for sure. 竭尽全力 既往不咎let bygones be bygones 活到老，学到老One is never too old to learn.脚踩两只船sit on the fence 君子之交淡如水a hedge between keeps friendship green 礼尚往来Courtesy calls for reciprocity. 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧Where there is life, there is hope.没有规矩不成方圆Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.每逢佳节倍思亲 On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of ones dear ones far away. It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most. 谋事在人，成事在天The planning lies with man, the outcome with Heaven. / Man proposes, God disposes. 弄巧成拙;聪明反被聪明误be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.抛砖引玉a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale破釜沉舟cut off all means of retreat；burn ones own way of retreat and be determined to fight to the end巧妇难为无米之炊If you have no hand you cant make a fist./ One cant make bricks without straw.千里之行始于足下a thousand-li journey begins with the first step-the highest eminence is to be gained step by step前事不忘,后事之师Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.前人栽树,后人乘凉One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests；One sows and another reaps.前怕狼,后怕虎fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something强龙难压地头蛇Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in its old haunt - Powerful outsiders can hardly afford to neglect local bullies. 瑞雪兆丰年A timely snow promises a good harvest.人之初,性本善Mans nature at birth is good.人逢喜事精神爽Joy puts heart into a man.世上无难事，只要肯攀登Where there is a will, there is a way. 上有天堂，下有苏杭Just as there is paradise in heaven, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth. 塞翁失马，焉知非福Misfortune may be an actual blessing.三十而立A man should be independent at the age of thirty. At thirty, a man should be able to think for himself. 四十不惑Life begins at forty. “三十而立 四十不惑 五十而知天命 六十而耳顺 七十而从我心欲” -论语The Analects of ConfuciusConfuciuss own account of his gradual progress and attainments.1. 理译 (James Legge):The Master said: At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning.At thirty, I stood firm.At forty, I had no doubts.At fifty, I know the decrees of Heaven.At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth.At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right.2. 威译 (Arthur Waley):The Master said, At fifteen I set my heart upon learning.At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground.At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities.At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven.At sixty, I heard them with docile ear.At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries 水涨船高When the river rises, the boat floats high.时不我待Time and tide wait for no man. 杀鸡用牛刀break a butterfly on the wheel实事求是seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic; be true to facts 说曹操,曹操到Talk of the devil and he comes.实话实说speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is 实践是检验真理的唯一标准Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.山不在高，有仙则名No matter how high the mountain is, its name will spread far and wide if there is a fairy; 韬光养晦hide ones capacities and bide ones time糖衣炮弹sugar-coated bullets天有不测风云Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue团结就是力量Unity is strength.“跳进黄河洗不清”eve if one jumped into the Yellow River, one can not wash oneself clean-theres nothing one can do to clear ones name 物以类聚，人以群分Birds of a feather flock together.往事如风The past has vanished (from memory) like wind.; What in past, is past. 望子成龙hold high hopes for ones child屋漏又逢连阴雨Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.唯利是图draw water to ones mill 无源之水,无本之木water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots无中生有make/create something out of nothing 无风不起浪There are no waves without wind. Theres no smoke without fire.徇私枉法bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends 新官上任三把火a new broom sweeps clean 虚心使人进步,骄傲使人落后Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.心照不宣have a tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit understanding先入为主First impressions are firmly entrenched.先下手为强catch the ball before the bound像热锅上的蚂蚁like an ant on a hot pan现身说法warn people by taking oneself as an example喜忧参半mingled hope and fear 循序渐进step by step一路平安，一路顺风speed somebody on their way; speed the parting guest 严以律己,宽以待人be strict with oneself and lenient towards others鱼米之乡a land of milk and honey有情人终成眷属Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well. 有钱能使鬼推磨Money makes the mare go. Money talks.有识之士people of vision有勇无谋use brawn rather than brain 有缘千里来相会Separated as we are thousands of miles apart, we come together as if by predestination.与时俱进advance with times以人为本people oriented; people foremost 因材施教teach students according to their aptitude 欲穷千里目，更上一层楼to ascend another storey to see a thousand miles further; Ascend further, were you to look farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles? Go up, one flight. 欲速则不达Haste does not bring success. 优胜劣汰survival of the fittest 英雄所见略同Great minds think alike.冤家宜解不宜结Better make friends t