1、英汉互译难点 习语的翻译 第一篇 形形色色的人 1. 一根筋儿 One track-minded 别跟他较劲了。他一根筋,你还不知道? Stop reasoning with him. Don’t you know he is one track-minded? 2. 两面派 Two-faced 我知道怎样对付两面派,而且一眼就能看出谁是一贯两面讨好的人。 I know how to handle two-faced people and can even tell at the first glance who are in the habit of runnin
2、g with the hare and hunting with the hounds. 3. 傻大个儿 a lummox 听说那个傻大个儿把他们公司买卖搞得一团糟。 It is said that the lummox has loused up their company’s whole business. 4. 收破烂儿的人 A rug man 5. 乡巴佬 A hayseed 6. 不三不四的人 Riff-raffs 老张的家里总来些不三不四的人,可想而知老张不是什么好东西。 There are always riff-raffs hanging
3、 around in Lao Zhang’s home, which gives you the feeling that Lao Zhang is not a good guy. 7. 受气包儿 Doormat 她天生就是个受气包儿,什么事都不敢说个不字 She’s born doormat, afraid of going against anything. 8. 面无表情的人 A deadpan 和那些面无表情的人在一起工作真让人憋气。 You feel choked to work with those deadpans. 9. 扫帚星 a jinx
4、有人说那个女人是个扫帚星,谁跟她结婚谁倒霉。 She’s said to be a jinx, who would bring bad luck to whoever she marries. 第二篇 能力与智慧 1. 海量 Have a hollow leg 2. 略胜一筹 Be a notch above 3. 有名无实 A poor apology It was an apology for a meal A poor excuse for an automobile 4. 绞尽脑汁 To rack one’s brain 5. 没骨气 Have
5、no guts 6. 真了不起 Really something 7. 昙花一现 Flash in the pan 那个歌星也只是昙花一现,出了几张唱片就销声匿迹了。 That singer was only a flash in the pan. He disappeared into the air after having made one or two records. 8. 寡不敌众 Be outnumbered 9. 单枪匹马 Play a lone hand 10. 出师不利 Get off on the wrong foot 11. 口才
6、 The gift of gab 12. 还嫩点儿 Still wet behind the ears 想陷害我?你还嫩点儿 Attempt to do me in? you are still wet behind the ears. 13. 糊涂虫 A nitwit a halfwit a dimwit 14. 饭量小 Eat like a bird Eat like a horse 15. 痛失良机 Let something slip through one’s fingers 这样一个发大财的机会千载难逢,你怎能眼睁睁的让他跑掉那? How coul
7、d you let such a golden opportunity to make big money slip through your fingers? It was an opportunity that comes once in a blue moon. 16. 抓住机会 Jump at the chance 17. 上圈套 Rise to a bait 18. 占上风 Gain the upper hand 19. 有资格 Be in a position 20. 嘴硬 Never say uncle 21. 头脑有点不正常 Have a few
8、 buttons missing 22. 见机行事 Play to the score 到那儿,你要见机行事,千万不要由性子来。 When you are there with them, play to the score. Never act on impulse. 23. 唆使 put somebody up to 24. 心有余而力不足 The spirit is willing, but the flesh is week. 25. 轰动全世界 Set the world on fire 26. 盲从 Follow like sheep 27. 听其自
9、然 Let things slide 第三篇 脾气和性格 1. 心怀叵测 Have an ax to grind 2. 说话兜圈子 Beat about the bush 3. 偷懒耍滑头 Goof-off 4. 说某人的坏话 Badmouth somebody 5. 背后捅刀子 Stab in the back 6. 傻笑 Grin like a Cheshire cat 7. 大献殷勤 Dance attendance 8. 血口喷人 Smite with the tongue 9. 假惺惺的说 Speak with one’s tong
10、ue in one’s cheek 10. 这山望着那山高 The grass is always greener on the other hill. 11. 发牢骚 Beef 12. 等不及了 Champ at the bit 13. 点头哈腰 Bow and scrape 14. 说话不算数 Go back on one’s words 15. 废话连篇 Beat one’s gums 16. 恩将仇报 Bite the hand that feeds one 17. 勤快 An eager beaver 18. 好客 Keep ope
11、n house 19. 待客周到 Keep a good house 20. 偷鸡摸狗 Be on the sly 21. 与……不合 Be at odds with 22. 巴结 Buddy up 23. 装傻 Play possum 24. 花言巧语 Do a snow job 25. 哪壶不开提哪壶 Touch the tender spot 你真哪壶不开提哪壶。她就怕别人提起婚姻。 You were plain touching the tender spot. She was most sensitive to the topic of mar
12、riage. 26. 脚踩两条船 Serve two masters 我可不想脚踩两条船,也不乐意两面讨好。 I don’t want to serve two masters at the same time nor do I like to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds. 27. 说到做到 Be the equal of one’s words 28. 贪吃 Gluttonous 29. 很乖 As good as gold 30. 十分嫉妒 Be green with envy 31. 神经过敏
13、 Thin-skinned 32. 性子过急 Be too quick on the trigger 33. 撒娇 Play the woman 第四篇 情感和态度 1. 犹豫不定 Be of two minds 2. 心事重重 Something weighs heavily on one’s mind 3. 埋头苦干 Keep one’s nose to the grindstone 4. 使人大为激动 Make one’s spine tingle 5. 怀恨在心 Bear somebody a grudge 6. 感到四肢无力 Feel wo
14、bbly and rough 7. 受冷落 Feel left out 8. 为难 Be in a pickle 9. 苦苦哀求 Press one’s suit 10. 闲得无聊 Twiddle one’s thumbs 这些娘们儿都闲得无聊,不是坐在那里说长道短,就是三五成群的谈论别人家的“丑闻” These “old girls” network are twiddling their thumbs, sitting there either gossiping or forming into groups talking about other famili
15、es’ “skeletons” 11. 推卸责任 Pass the buck 12. 承担后果 Face the music 13. 真烦人 A pill 她真烦人,整天唠唠叨叨的 She’s really a pill, spending whole day harping and complaining. 14. 一门心思 Have one’s heart set on 15. 心烦意乱 Nerves on edge 16. 无聊 Be for the birds 他特别无聊,不是讲下流笑话就是谈论别人的婚姻。 He’s plain for the
16、birds. He would either crack a blue joke or talk about other people’s marriages. 17. 死也不同意 Over one’s dead body 18. 头痛得快炸了 A splitting headache 19. 垂头丧气 Sing the blues 20. 直打哆嗦 Tremble like a leaf 21. 美颠颠的 Walk on air 22. 热情得让人受不了 Kill someone with kindness 23. 感到心里不好受 Get a lump in
17、one’s throat 24. 感到不舒服 Feel under the weather 25. 临走时说的一句气话 A parting shot 26. 让过去的事过去吧 Let bygones be bygones 27. 满不在乎 Like water off a duck’s back 28. 站在某人一边 Side with someone 29. 置若罔闻 Turn a deaf ear to 第五篇 工作,机会和运气 1. 前途远大 Have the world before one 2. 手气好 Have the Midas to
18、uch 3. 让人给骗了 Be ripped off 4. 不入虎穴焉得虎子 Nothing venture, nothing have 5. 白费力气 Plough the air 6. 背黑锅 Hold the bag 7. 吃苦头 Burn one’s fingers 8. 被开除 Be sacked 他因为玩忽职守被开除了 He got sacked for falling asleep at the switch 9. 因祸得福 A blessing in disguise 10. 一举成名 Be vaulted to fame 老张就是个一
19、夜成功,一举成名的典型例证 Lao Zhang was vaulted to fame, a classic example of overnight success. 11. 千载难逢 once in a blue moon 12. 十拿九稳 it’s dollar to buttons 13. 好日子不多了 one’s days are numbered 他意识到自己好日子没几天了,不禁感到一阵凄凉和恐慌。 He felt a rush of chilled feeling of anxiety when he realized that his days were num
20、bered. 14. 有点玄乎 A bit iffy 15. 走上坡路 Be on the up grade 走上坡路比走下坡路要难得多 It’s much more difficult to be on the up grade than on the down grade. 16. 开门红 Get off to a flying start 17. 跟白给的一样便宜 be a steal 18. 坐失良机 Miss the boat 19. 碰钉子 Get the cheese 20. 棘手的问题 A ticklish question 21. 难办的事 Sticky business 22. 饭碗儿 One’s bread and butter 23. 忙得不可开交 Have one’s hands full






