习语翻译
随风奔跑-
Translating/Interpreting Idioms
习语翻译
1
．
Idiom
for
Idiom(<
/p>
以习语译习语
)
。请找出下列习语相应的
英
/
汉习语：
（
1
）
水
滴石穿
（
2
）
破
釜沉舟
（
3
）
隔
墙有耳
（
4
）
积
少成多
（
5
）
三
思而后行
（
6
）
无
风不起浪
（
7
）
一
箭双雕
（
8
）
一
言既出，驷马难追
（
9
）
种
瓜得瓜，种豆得豆
（
10
）
谋事在人，成事在天
（
11
）
The burnt child dreads the fire.
（
12
）
Better be the head of a dog than the
tail of a lion.
（
13
）
Where there is a will, there is a way.
（
14
）
Strike while the iron is hot.
（
15
）
To fish in the air
（
16
）
Don
’
t wash your
dirty linen in public.
（
17
）
To kill the goose that lays golden eggs
（
18
）
All good things must come to an end.
（
19
）
A fall to the pit, a gain in your wit.
（
20
）
Hungry dogs will eat dirty puddings.
There is no smoke without
fire.
Walls have ears.
As
you sow, so will you reap.
Look before
you leap.
Man proposes, god disposes.
To burn one
’
s
boats
What is said cannot be unsaid.
Many a little makes a mickle.
Constant dripping wears the stone.
To kill two birds with one stone.
吃一堑，长一智。
有志者，事竟成。
缘木求鱼
饥不择食
天下没有不散的筵席。
宁为鸡头，勿为凤尾。
趁热打铁
家丑不可外扬。
一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳。
杀鸡取卵
2. Literal
Translation (
直译法
)
以下是根据汉语习语直译而成，请说出其相应的汉语习语。
（
1
）
a
s easy as turning over
one
’
s
hand/palm
—
very easy
（
2
）
a
s short-sighted as
mice
—
see no farther than
one
’
s nose
（
3
）
a
gentleman uses his tongue,
not his fists.
（
4
）
T
here
’
ll
never
be
a
shortage
of
firewood
as
long
as
green
hills
remain;
As
long
as
green
mountains
are
there,
one
need
not worry about firewood; While there is life,
there is
hope.
（
5
）
A
bosom
friend
afar
brings
a
distant
land
near;
A
bosom
friend afar makes a
world smaller; Long distance separates
no bosom friends.
（
6
）
A
thousand-li journey is
started by taking the first step.
（
7
）
T
he gift itself may be as
light as a feather, but sent afar, it
conveys deep feelings.
（
8
）
L
eniency
to
those
who
confess,
and
punishment
to
those
who resist.
（
9
）
T
o cut the feet to fit the
shoes
（
10
）
Distant water cannot put out a nearby
fire.
（
11
）
Good medicine is bitter in the mouth,
but good for the
disease.
（
12
）
Listen to both sides and you will be
enlightened; heed
only one side and you
will be benighted.
（
13
）
Blood is thicker than water.
（
14
）
To play with fire
（
15
）
To show one
’
s
cards
（
16
）
To be armed to the teeth
（
17
）
To head a wolf into the house
（
18
）
As sly as a fox
（
19
）
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
（
20
）
God helps those who help themselves.
3. Paraphrasing or Free
Translation (
意译法
)
以下是习语一般用意译，请试着翻译。
（
1
）
小
二黑过年，一年不如一年。
（
2
）
擀
面杖吹火
—
一窍
不通
（
3
）
碰
一鼻子灰
（
4
）
打
开天窗说亮话
（
5
）
木
已成舟，只好如此了！
（
6
）
不
管三七二十一
（
7
）
小
巫见大巫
（
8
）
十
五个吊桶打水
—
七上八下
（
9
）
一
个和尚挑水吃，两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃。
（
10
）
a fly on the wheel
（
11
）
a bull in a china shop
（
12
）
to paint the lily
（
13
）
an area flowing with milk and honey
（
14
）
by hook or crook
（
15
）
to carry fire in one hand and water in
the other
（
16
）
Every dog has its day.
4. Literal Translation Combined with
Paraphrasing (
直译加注法
)
（
1
）
杀
鸡给猴看
to kill the chicken to frighten the
monkey
—
to
punish
somebody as a warning to others.
（
2
）
班
门弄斧
to show off one
’
s
skill with the axe before Lu Ban
the
master carpenter
—
to display
one
’
s slight skill before an
expert/to teach your grandma to suck
eggs/to offer to teach
fish to swim
（
3
）
三
个臭皮匠，赛过诸葛亮。
Three
cobblers
with
their
wits
combined
surpass
Zhuge
Liang
the
mastermind
—
two
heads are better than one.
Principles for
Translating/Interpreting Idioms
翻译习语的原则
There
are
a
number
of
principles
to
be
followed
in
translating/interpreting idioms.
1.
Principle
of
Translating/Interpreting
Idioms
with
Idioms
在
忠实于原文意思的情
况下，尽可能用习语翻译习语。请翻译：
（
1
）
既
往不咎
（
2
）
有
钱能使鬼推磨
（
3
）
T
he spirit is willing but
the flesh is weak.
（
4
）
B
irds of a feather flock
together.
（
5
）
O
nce bitten, twice shy.
2. Principle of Retaining
the Image
尽可能保留（原文的）形象。
请翻译：
（
1
）
A
stitch in time saves nine.
（
2
）
M
an proposes, God/Heaven
disposes.
（
3
）
一
寸光阴一寸金。
（
4
）
君
子动口不动手。
3. Principle of Achieving
Brevity
尽可能简洁。
（
1
）
三
个臭皮匠，赛过诸葛亮。
（
2
）
天
有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福。
（
3
）
G
ive him an inch and he will
take an ell.
（
4
）
J
ustice has long arms.
4. Pay Attention to
“
False
Friends
”
注意“假朋友”
：
（
1
）
你
可不能食言啊！
（
2
）
Y
ou are pulling my leg.
（
3
）
A
horse stumbles that has
four legs.
（
4
）
H
e
’
s
leading a dog
’
s life.
（
5
）
I
am dead-beat today.
5. Try to memorize the
established versions of translation.
尽可能
记住约定俗成的译文。
（
1
）
己
所不欲，
勿施于人。
Do as you would be done by./ Do unto
others as you would have them to do to
you./ Do not do to
others what you do
not wish to be done to yourself.
（
2
）
说
曹操，曹操到。
Talk/Speak
of an angel and you will hear
his
wings./
Speak
of
the
wolf,
and
you
will
see
his
tail./
Talk/Speak of the devil and he will
appear.
（
3
）
少
壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。
If
one
does
not
work
hard
in
youth, one will regret it in old age./
A young idler, and old
beggar./ An idle
youth, a needy age./ They must hunger in
frost that will not work in heat.
6. Try to convey the
original message, whichever method is used.
努力传达原文意思。请翻译：
（
1
）
D
on
’
t
argue
with
him.
He
has
already
got
one
foot
in
the
grave.
（
2
）
I
t
was
a
long
time
before
someone
broke
the
ice
at
the
meeting.
（
3
）
T
his was a rag to the bull.
（
4
）
Y
ou are a dreamboat.
（
5
）
Y
ou are such a dish.
（
6
）
I
only have eyes for you.
（
7
）
J
ust cool your heels!
Exercises
1.
Find the
equivalents for the following Chinese idioms and
quotations.
(1)
别有用心
（
2
）出尔反尔
（
3
）称王称霸
（
4
）背信弃义
（
5
）狂妄自大
（
6
）狼狈为奸
（
7
）礼尚
往来
（
8
）
众志成城
（
9<
/p>
）
利令智昏
（
10
）
自食其果
（
11<
/p>
）
忠言逆耳
（
12
）自取灭亡
（
13
）倒行逆施
（
14
）变本加厉
（
15
）有
目共睹
（
16
）一
如既往
（
17
）危言耸听
（
18<
/p>
）说三道四
（
19
）丧权辱国
（
20
）引狼入室
（
21
）后患无穷
（
22
）义愤填膺
（
23
）大
势所趋
（
24
）背
道而驰
（
25
）一意孤行
（
26<
/p>
）坐收渔人之利（
27
）远亲不如近
邻
（
28
）换汤不换药
（
2
9
）搬起石头砸自己的脚。
（
30
）冒天下之大不
韪
（
31
）情人眼里出西施。
酒。
<
/p>
（
33
）只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯。
小心不为过。
（
35
）天地万物，莫贵于人。
又要马儿不吃草。
（
37
）天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福。
海水不可斗量。
（
< br>39
）人无千日好，花无百日红。
落归根。
（
41
）满招损，谦受益。
体。
（<
/p>
43
）刚者至柔，柔者至刚。
显神通。
（
45
）每逢佳节倍思亲。
少。
32
）醉翁之意不在
（
34
）住在狼窝边，
（
36
）又要
马儿好，
（
38
）人不可貌相，
40
）血浓于水，叶
42
）居移气，养移
44
）八仙过海，各
46
）酒逢知己千杯
（
（
（
（
（
（
47
）常言道：近朱者赤，近墨者黑。
（
48
）有缘千里来相
会，无缘对面不相逢。
（
49
）凡事预则立，不预则废。
（
50<
/p>
）棒头出孝子。
（
51
）饱汉不知饿汉饥。
（
52
）伴君如伴虎。
（
53
）天行健，君子以自强不
息。
（
54<
/p>
）冰冻三尺，非
一日之寒。
（
55
）宝剑锋从磨砺出，梅花香自苦寒来。
1)
Blinded
by
one
’
s
gains;
to
bend
one
’
s
principles
to
one
’
s
interests; to be so obsessed with the
idea of profit-making
that one loses
all sense of righteousness.
2)
To make
irresponsible remarks/criticisms
3)
To lift a rock
only to crush/squash one
’
s
own feet; to tread
on
one
’
s own tail
4)
The united
will of the masses is like a fortress; People with
one will are stronger than a fortress;
Unity is strength.
5)
The
same
medicine
prepared
with
different
water;
the
same old stuff with a
different label; a change in form but
not in essence
6)
To
surrender
a
country
’
s
sovereign
rights
under
humiliating terms; to
humiliate the nation by forfeiting its
sovereignty