《英语习语的翻译》PPT课件.ppt

Translation of English Idioms英文习语翻译英语习语的翻译方法大致可分为直译、直译加注、套译、意译。一、直译Forbidden fruit is sweet.禁果分外甜。All are not friends that speak us fair.说我们好话的不一定都是朋友。If you run after two hares,you will catch neither.同时追两兔，全都抓不住。（比“同时干两事，全都干不好”更形象生动）To save time is to lengthen life.节约时间就等于延长生命。Time is money.时间就是金钱。比“一寸光阴一寸金”流行）二、直译加注Forbidden fruit禁果（比喻非法的逸乐，尤指不正当的两性关系）Hellfire 地狱之火（比喻苦苦折磨人的东西）A Judas kiss 犹大的吻（比喻背叛行为、口蜜腹剑）Olive branch橄榄枝（和平的象征）Pandoras Box 潘多拉的盒子（比喻祸害的根源）A Sphinxs riddle 斯芬克斯之谜（比喻难题或难解之谜）Sour grapes 酸葡萄（得不到的东西就说它不好）The tower of ivory 象牙塔（比喻脱离现实生活的小天地、世外桃源）The Trojan horse 特洛伊木马（比喻暗藏的敌人或危险）Waterloo滑铁卢（比喻惨重的失败、致命的打击）Wolf in sheeps clothing 披着羊皮的狼（比喻伪装友善的敌人）To shed crocodile tears 流鳄鱼眼泪假慈悲The best fish swim near the bottom.好鱼居水底有价值的东西不能轻易得到。三、汉语习语套译法Can the leopard change his spots!江山易改，本性难移。Let anothers shipwreck be your sea-mark.前车之覆，后车之鉴。In the end things will mend.车到山前必有路。Man proposes,God disposes.谋事在人，成事在天。In the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king.山中无老虎，猴子称大王。(直译：盲人之邦，独眼称王。)When shepherds quarrel,the wolf has a winning game.鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利。（直译：牧人自相口角，恶狼乘机大嚼）He that sows the wind will reap the whirlwind.玩火者必自焚。（直译：播风的人必将收到旋风）Many straws may bind an elephant.烂麻搓成绳，也能拉千斤。（直译草多可缚大象。）Like begets like.龙生龙，凤生凤。（直译：什么种生什么苗。）四、意译Mary and her mother are as like as two peas.玛丽和她妈妈长得一模一样。（而不是“像两颗豌豆一样相似”）Im too old a dog that cant learn new tricks.（说话人运用了谚语an old dog cant learn new tricks.(老狗学不了新花样)。表达了诙谐的口吻，如果直译恐怕难以被中国读者接受。）意译：我太老了，再也学不进什么新鲜玩意儿了。She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth;she thinks she can do whatever she likes.她生长在富贵之家，认为凡事都可随心所欲。Every man has a fool in his sleeve.人人都有糊涂的时候。（不宜直译“人人袖子里都装着傻瓜。”）When Greek meets Greek,then comes the tug of war.两雄相争，其斗必烈。It is an ill wind that blows nobody good.对人人都有害的事儿，天下少有。（不宜直译“不给任何人带来好处的风的确是恶风。”）五、英语习语翻译的注意点（一）切忌望文生义Pull somebodys leg愚弄人，开某人的玩笑。不是：拉后腿。Move heaven and earth竭尽全力；不遗余力，想法设法。不是：翻天覆地、惊天动地。Childs play简单、容易的事情。不是：儿戏。Eat ones word承认自己说错了话。不是：食言（不履行诺言）。Dog eat dog你死我活，残酷争夺的关系。if a situation is dog eat dog,people will do anything to be successful,even if what they do harms other people.e.g.In showbusiness its dog eat dog-one day youre a star,the next youve been replaced by younger talent.不是：狗咬狗。Throw a sprat to catch a whale吃小亏占大便宜。不是：抛砖引玉。Have the face恬不知耻，厚脸皮。不是：有面子A miss is as good as a mile.虽然只差一点点，但是总是没有达到目标；即使快要成功，还是没有成功。(a near miss is still a miss;a near success is still a failure)e.g.We only missed the train by one minute?Well,a miss is as good as a mile.不是：失之毫厘，谬以千里。（二）谚语翻译要注意语言的艺术性一要注意用词的精练，二要注意上下两句的对仗。不能用过于随便的口语句子来翻译。Men may meet but mountains never.山和山无法碰头，人和人总会相遇。（不要译成：人也许会相见，可是山头却不会。）Who has never tasted bitter,knows not what is sweet.不尝黄连苦，怎知蜂蜜甜。（不要译成：一个从来没有尝过苦味道的人是不知道什么叫甜味的。）Count ones chickens before they are hatched.小鸡未孵出，急着数鸡数。（过早乐观）Empty vessels make the most noise.瓶子越空，响声越大；一瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡。（三）套译时，要特别注意民族性，避免使用民族性太浓的汉语成语来套译英语习语。e.g.-Is Susan beautiful?-She is anything but beautiful.-How could our silly John fall in love with such a girl?-Why not?Beauty lies in the lovers eyes.如果将斜体部分译成“情人眼里出西施”，中国读者看了译文不禁要问：难道外国也有个西施？还是这一对夫妇博学多才，也知道中国古代的西施？为了避免这些不必要的困惑和猜测，最好改译为“情人眼里出美人。”Justice has long arms天网恢恢,疏而不漏These stories of food riots may well be straws in the wind.这些因争抢食物引起的暴乱的传闻很可能就是要出事的苗头/征兆。Im fascinated by Michaels songs but I dont like his performance.He was often dressed up like a dogs dinner.我对迈克尔的歌曲很着迷,但我不喜欢他的表演。他总是穿得花里胡哨的。To ride the tiger.骑虎难下。A snake in the grass.奸细，阴险凶残的人。Its an ill bird that fouls its own nest.家丑不可外扬。E.g.Why did you say such things to him.You know,its an ill bird that fouls its own nest.To have ants in ones pants”就有“焦躁不安”“跃跃欲试”两种意思。As soon as the stranger entered the room,he said to her,“Fourteen hundred.”那个陌生人一走进房间,他立即对她说:“当心外人。”从前规定英国交易所会员人数不得超过1399人,因此,第1400个人被认为是外人。He countered each question with a stunning one-two.他坚决反驳了每一个问题。one-two源出拳击运动,原指拳击运动中“迅速连击两次”,现转义为“迅速的反驳”。A man may lose more in an hour than he can get in seven.得之艰难失之易。to be in the seventh heaven。极其快乐to come under the influence of seven things 发誓在中国人眼里,最富有神奇色彩的数字莫过于“九”了。汉语中带“九”的习语,有如“九霄云外”、“九牛一毛”、“九死一生”、“九流宾客”、“九牛二虎之力”、“九天九地”、“一言九鼎”、“一龙生九子,九子各不同”等。中国人对“九”的迷信源于对天的崇拜。英语中seven(七)是一个被赋予神奇色彩的数字,具有特殊的文化内涵。在圣经中,“七”是个神圣的数字。如创世纪中说,上帝创造世界用了六天,第七天休息,被定为“圣日”。启示录中说上帝“右手拿着七星”、“七盏火灯在宝座前点着,这七灯就是上帝的七灵”。如：seven virtues七大美德 seven deadly sins七宗罪。