翻译资格笔记讲义：翻译层次 习语译法

一、英汉习语比较

从形和义的角度来看，英汉习语的异同大体表现在以下四个方面：

A.英汉习语形义全同, 这类习语为数少，例如：

Barking dogs do not bite.吠犬不咬人。

Who is contented, enjoys.知足者常乐。

Misfortunes never come singly.祸不单行。

It is harder to change human nature than to change rivers and mountains.江山难改，本性难移。

Like father, like son. 有其父必有其子。

B. 习语形义基本相同, 这类习语比上面一类在数量上要多些，例如：

as light as a feather(or as thistle-down)轻如鸿毛

to take a load off one's mind如释重负

to run in the same groove; to cut from the same cloth.如出一辙

to make a beast of oneself形同禽兽

He that hath been bitten by a serpent is afraid of a rope.一朝被蛇咬，十年怕草绳。

Shallow streams make most din.水深不响， 水响不深。

Money makes the mare go.有钱能使鬼推磨。

Reckless youth makes rueful age.少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲。

C.英汉习语形似义异,这类习语相当多，例如：

When a dog is drowning every one offers him drink. (狗若落水人人救，强调人人伸出援之手。)

救了落水狗，反咬你一口(强调好心得不到好报)

Ignorance of the law is no excuse of breaking it. (法盲犯法不可恕，强调严格执行法律。)不知者无罪(强调网开一面)

Strike while the iron is hot (强调"抓住时机")趁热打铁(着重"抓紧行动")

Lock the stable-door after the horse is stolen.(强调为时已晚。)

亡羊补牢(强调受到损失后想法弥补，以免再受损失。)

D.英汉习语形异义似, 例如：

A word spoken is past recalling. 一言既出，驷马难追。

Great boast, small roast.干打雷， 不下雨。

Take not a musket to kill a butterfly. 杀鸡焉用宰牛刀。

as dumb as an oyster 守口如瓶

to hit someone below the belt/to stab someone in the back 暗箭伤人

as weak as water 弱不禁风

E.英汉习语形义完全不同，例如：

cast one's bread upon the waters不期望报答所作之事

keep the wolf from the door免于饥饿，勉强度日

make one's blood freeze令人恐惧

have bats in the belfry头脑有点古怪

see the sun活着

二、翻译英语习语应注意的几个问题

A. 准确理解习语，切毋望文生义，弄出笑话来。例如下面几例就是因为理解错了，所以译文不对：

(1)John likes to pat himself on the back. 约翰喜欢捶自己的背。(正确译法：约翰喜欢自吹。)

(2)Then it happened that I had to answer the call of nature, and, passing, I saw the risen dough, which seemed to say to me, "Do it!" In brief, I let myself be persuaded. 碰巧我现在得对自然的召唤作出答复(正确译法：碰巧这时我想解手)，走着，我看到了发起来的面团，它好象对我说，"撒吧!"简单地说，我真的这么做了。

(3)He kissed the hare's foot. 他吻了兔子的脚。(正确译法：他迟到了。)

有时，一些貌似有理据或合乎逻辑的习语极易导致人们相信自己直觉而疏于查考，单从字面或比喻意义去联想，造成理解以至表达的错误。这就要求译者不能马虎，不能望文生义，而需殚精竭虑，采取细针密缕的态度。例如： There is no love lost between them.很容易被理解成"他们彼此恩爱，感情从未破裂"，而实际意思却是"他们互相憎恨，毫无爱情可言。" 类似的例子还有：

(1) It is a good horse that never stumbles.好马也有失蹄时。(不宜译成"良马不失蹄")

(2) It is a good man that never stumbles, and a good wife that never grumbles.

好丈夫也有过失，好妻子也会唠叨。(不宜译成"从不失足的丈夫是好丈夫，从不唠叨的妻子是好妻子")

(3)It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest.

再坏的鸟也不至于弄脏自己的窝。(不宜译成"弄脏自己的窝的是坏鸟雀".)

(4) Time and tide wait for no man. 时光如潮水， 不等任何人。(不宜译为"时光和潮水不等人".)

(5) Of soup and love, the first is the best.

恋爱如喝汤， 头一碗最香。(不宜译?quot;头一次喝汤恋爱最好".)

(6)In choosing a wife and buying a sword we ought not to trust another.

择妻如选剑， 不能靠别人。(不宜译为 "择妻和选剑不能靠别人。")

(7) There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.

黑夜不能阻止日出， 难题无法抹杀希望。(不宜译为 "黑夜和难题无法击败日出和希望")

(8) People will be long forgetting her.人们会长久记住她的。(不宜译为 "人们在很长时间内会忘记她".)

B. 采用套译法时，要特别注意避免使用民族特色太浓的汉语成语来套译英语习语，否则译文在上下文中就会显得不伦不类，损及原意。例如：

(1) Beauty lies in lover's eyes.情人眼里出美人。(不宜译作"情人眼里出西施".)

(2) Many heads are better than one. 一人不及众人计。(不宜译作"三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮".)

(3)Never offer to teach fish to swim.不要教鱼儿游泳。(不宜译作"不要班门弄斧".)

(4) Even a worm will turn. 逼人入绝境，绵羊也反抗(不宜译作"狗急跳墙".)

(5)Give a dog a bad (an ill) name and hang him. 谗言可畏(不宜译为"欲加之罪，何患无辞"，其本意是指"一旦给人加个坏名声，他就很难洗刷掉了".)

(6) Lock the stable door when the horse has been stolen.贼去关门。 (不宜译作"亡羊补牢"，其原意是"马盗锁厩门，为时已太晚".)

(7) A miss is as good as a mile. 错无大小， 其错一样。 (不宜译作"失之毫厘，谬以千里".)

(8) have the face 恬不知耻，厚脸皮(不是有面子)

(9) to pull somebody's leg 开玩笑(不是拖后腿)

(10) a big fish in a small pond 山中无老虎，猴子也称王。(或： 林中无鸟雀称王。不是 "小塘容不下大鱼".)

C.有些习语有多种译法，哪种译法恰当要视具体语境而定:

(1)Take care of the pence, and the pounds will take care of themselves.

(金钱)积少自然成多。/小事谨慎，大事自成。

(2)One swallow does not make a summer.

一燕不成夏。/轻率推论必成大错。/一关渡过并非万事大吉。

(3) Still water runs deep. 静水流深。/外表淡漠然而内心深情。/沉默者深谋。

(4)Don't cross the bridge till you get to it.到了桥边才过桥。/不必担心太早。/不必自寻烦恼。

(5)He laughs best who laughs last.谁笑在最后，谁笑得最好(鼓励)。/不要高兴得太早(警告)。

(6)Don't cast out the foul water till you bring in the clean.清水未来，莫泼脏水。/新的不来，旧的莫丢。

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