第三章 第五节 成语的翻译

第五节成语的翻译1.成语翻译概述（1）定义成语：“人们长期以来习用的简洁精辟的定型词组或短句。汉语的成语大多由四个字组成,一般都有出处。有些成语从字面上不难理解,如‘小题大做’、‘后来居上’等。有些成语必须知道来源或典故才能懂得意思,如‘朝三暮四’、‘杯弓蛇影’等。”（《现代汉语词典》）Idiom:agroupofwordsinafixedorderhavingaparticularmeaning,differentfromthemeaningsofeachwordunderstoodinitsown.（CambridgeInternationalDictionaryofEnglish

）(2)成语翻译的技巧1）直译法例1：对于小病，往往最好是顺其自然。译文：Withminorailments,thebestwecandoisoftentoletnaturetakeitscourse.

例2：他一家在这儿，他的房子也在这儿，他跑？跑了和尚跑不了庙。译文：Escape？Buthishouseandpropertycan’tescape.“Themonkmayrunaway，butthetemplecan’trunwithhim”．例3：HitlerwasarmedtotheteethwhenhelaunchedtheSecondWorldWar,butinafewyears,hewascompletelydefeated.译文：希特勒在发动第二次世界大战时是武装到牙齿的，可是不过几年，就被彻底打败了。例4：SayonewordmoreandI’llburyawhitebladeinyouandpullitred.译文：再说别的，我让你白刀子进去，红刀子出来。Moreexamples:半途而废悬崖勒马水涨船高了如指掌digone’sown

gravenewwineinoldbottlepackedlikesardines

Barkingdogsdon’tbite.2）直译加注法例5：她（梅）一个单身人，无亲无故。（曹禺《雷雨》）译文：ButthisgirlMeiwasallbyherselfandfarfromhome,withoutasinglerelativeorfriendtohelpher.例6：嘴里天天说“唤起民众”，民众起来了又害怕得要死，这和叶公好龙有什么两样？（毛泽东）译文：Ifoneshoutseverydayabout"arousingthemassesofpeople",butisscaredtodeathwhenthepeopledorise,whatisthedifferencebetweenthemandLordYe’sloveofdragon?Note:LordYewassofondofdragonthatheadornedhiswholepalacewithdrawingsandcarvingofdragons.Butwhenarealdragonheardofhisaffectionandpaidhimavisit,hewasfrightenedoutofhiswit.例7：ThefavorsofgovernmentareliketheboxofPandola,withthisimportantdifference,thattheyrarelyleavehopeatthebottom.译文：政府的恩惠如同潘多拉的盒子，后患无穷，主要不同之处在于：盒底很少留有希望。例8：LetbothsidesunitetoheedinallcornersoftheearththecommandofIsaiahto"undotheheavyburdens…andlettheoppressedgofree."(JohnKennedy:InauguralSpeech)译文：不管我们在地球的什么地方，让我们双方都记住先知以赛亚（圣经人物）的重托：“卸下负担……让所有受压迫的人都获得自由。”Moreexamples:不劳而获饮水思源对牛弹琴真金不怕火炼toshedacrocodile’stearsJudaskissFishbeginstostinkattheend.Thebestfishswimnearthebottom.3）借译法例9：他若想那样解决问题，无异于缘木求鱼。译文：Hewouldbeclimbingatreetocatchthefishifhetriedtosettletheproblemthatway.例10：得知本国发生了强烈地震，总统一直心如乱麻。译文：Thepresident,beingtoldthestrongearthquakeinhiscountry,wasontenterhookseveryminute.例11：Ithink,andIcertainlyhope,thosestoriesareterriblyexaggerated.Ourintelligencesaystheyare.Still,wherethere’ssmoke.译文：我觉得，我当然也希望，这些报道是夸大了。我们的情报人员说是这样。不过，无风不起浪。例12：Well,it’stoolatetohidenow.Imusttrytoavoidsuspicionbythrowingthemoffthescent.译文：如今即使赶着躲，也躲不及了，少不得要使个金蝉脱壳的法子。Moreexamples:一触即发空中楼阁隔墙有耳祸不单行addfueltothefire

Wallshaveears.

spendmoneylikewater

fishintroubledwaters

(4)意译法例13：她怕碰一鼻子灰，话到了嘴边，又把它吞了下去。译文：Shewasafraidofbeingsnubbed.Sosheswallowedthewordsthatcametohertips.例14：抓住了这个主要矛盾，一切问题就迎刃而解了。译文：Oncethisprincipalcontradictionisgrasped,allproblemscanbereadilysolved.例15：Johncanbereliedon.Heeatsnofishandplaysthegame.译文：约翰为人可靠，他忠诚又正直。例16：AfterIfinishedmywork,hesaidthathewantedtogivemeahand.IthoughtthathisideawasjusttocarrycoalstoNewcastle.译文：我完成任务后，他说他想帮我。我认为他的想法是多此一举。Moreexamples:一文不名鸦雀无声扬眉吐气大张旗鼓throw/flingmudat

holdthebaby

smellarat

seethelight

2.译例说明例1：他善于见机行事。译文1：Heisgoodatactingaccordingtocircumstances.译文2：Healwaysmakeshaywhilethesunshines.例2：《吕氏春秋》：“雍季曰：‘竭泽而渔，岂不获得，而明年无鱼。’”译文1：TheLü’sAnnals："Yongjisaid,‘Drainthepondtocatchallthefishtobefoundthere.Theywouldbecaught,buttherewon’tbefishnextyear’."译文2：TheLü’sAnnals："Yongjisaid,‘killthegoosethatlaysgoldeneggs.Thefishwouldbecaught,buttherewon’tbeanynextyear’."例3：虽然他被炒鱿鱼了，但是塞翁失马，还有更好的工作等他去做。译文1：Heisfired,butmisfortunemayprovetobeablessingindisguise,asthesayinggoes.Maybeabetterworkiswaitingforhim.译文2：Heisfired,butasthefamousstoryof"theoldfarmerlosthishorse"goes,maybeabetterworkiswaitingforhim.例4：Fromthecontinuedexistenceoftheoldtheory，"aneyeforaneye"condemnedtodeathovernineteenhundredyearsago，butstilldyingveryhardinthisChristianCountry．译文1：这古老的理论“以眼还眼”一千九百多年前被判处死刑了，但在这个基督教国家里却死而不僵，仍然存在。译文2：这古老的理论“以牙还牙”一千九百多年前被判处死刑了，但在这个基督教国家里却死而不僵，仍然存在。例5：Inthecountryoftheblind,theone-eyedmanistheking.译文1：盲人国中，独眼为王。译文2：山中无老虎，猴子称大王。译文3：蜀中无大将，廖化作先锋。例6：Helaughsbestwholaughslast.译文1：谁笑在最后，谁笑得最好。译文2：不要高兴得太早。需要注意的是，成语在双语词典中完整精确的释义与在行文中的具体含义往往不能一一对应。为了达到最佳的翻译效果，具体的行文得对词典里完整精确的释义进行改造，适应行文语境的翻译需求。下面以汉语成语“海阔天空”为例：《现代汉语词典》中“海阔天空”的释义为：asboundlessastheseaandthesky;(fig)endlesslyvast;(ofspeech)unrestrainedandfar-reaching;discursive（2002：756）再看具体行文：例7：开普敦有画一般的风景奇观，有妙不可言的海景，还有海阔天空的远景。译文：CapeTownprovidesasettingformanyscenicwonders,magnificentseascapesandpanoramicvistas.例8：中国有一句老话：退一步，海阔天空。译文：AsanoldChinesesayinggoes:drawbackastepandyouwillfindanendlessvastbeforeyou.例9：两人都很健谈，海阔天空，聊起来没个完。译文：Theywerebothtalkativeandhadaramblingchatabouteverythingunderthesun.3.课内练习（1）E→C1.Thingsareblackindeed,butI’mnotgoingtogivein.Iwillnailmycolorstothemast.2.Sheborethepalminallsheattemptedandwasacknowledgedsupremeamongherschoolfellows.3.ThelasttimeIlenthermoneyaftershehadspentallherown,shejustwastedit.SothistimeIletherstewinherownjuice.4.Iwasthrownoutofgearwhenmyhusbandunexpectedlybroughthomethreefriendsforameal.5.Forseveralyearsthegovernmenthascontinuouslyreducedtheamountofmoneyspentoneducation.Nowtheycomplainthatteachersarenotdoingtheirjobsproperly—itisenoughtomaketheangelsweep.

（2）C→E1.

现在合同已签了，真是木已成舟，生米煮成了熟饭，只好如此了。2.男男女女都七嘴八舌地说出他们的惦记和盼念。3.我这么失魂落魄地坐着，要惹人奇怪的。已经有人在注意我，他一边咀嚼着白斩鸡，一边咀嚼着我。4.只有破釜沉舟地跟他们拼，还许有翻身的一天。5.新型的电动车可能会成为昙花一现的事物，看来人们不再有兴趣购买了。4.课后练习（1）E→CWelivedonthebanksoftheTennesseeRiver,andweownedthesummerswhenweweregirls.Weranwildthroughhumidsummerdaysthatneverendedbutonlymeltedoneintotheother.Wefloateddownriversofweekdayswithnoschool,norules,noparents,andnoconstructsotherthanourfantasies.Weweregoodgirls,mysisterandI.Wehadnothingtorebelagainst.Thiswasjustlifeasweknewit,andweknewthesummerstobelongandtobeours.Theroadthatranpastourhousewasaone-laneruralroute.Everymorning,afterourparentshadgonetowork,I'dwaitforthemailladytopulluptoourbox.SomedaysIwouldputenoughchangeforafewstampsintoamasonjarlidandlea