习语翻译讲义.doc

Unit 15 Comparison and Translation of Idioms Category of English IdiomsSet phrases 成语 Proverbs 谚语 Sayings 格言Colloquialisms 俗语Allusions 典故Slangs 俚语Enigmatic folk similes 歇后语 Culture specific: depend very much upon a specific social or ecological setting. Finding satisfactory equivalents for idioms is one of the most difficult aspects of translating. In many cases idioms can only be satisfactorily rendered by non-idioms in a target languageNote: east wind & west wind have absolute different connotations in Chinese and English cultureOde to the West Wind ShellyWhen the wind is in the east, its good for neither man nor beast.东风吹，寒风到，对人对畜都不好。（东风在英国象征寒冷，令人不愉快）When the wind is in the west, the weather is at the best.风从西边来，气候最宜人1. Influence of Custom on English Idioms Idioms concerning horsework like a horse辛辛苦苦地干活 beat a dead horse徒劳无益 as strong as horse非常强壮/强壮如牛 bet on the wrong horse支持错了对象 come off ones high horse 放下架子 that is a horse of another color那完全是另外一码事Note: horse is often treated as a common animal in English without the commendatory sense in Chinese: 老马识途 (an old horse knows the way)，老骥伏枥 (an old hero still cherishes high aspirations) Idioms concerning dogtop dog最重要的人物 a lucky dog幸运儿 a jolly dog快活的人 rain cats and dogs下滂沱大雨 He is in the doghouse他名声扫地 lead a dogs life过着悲惨的生活 Love me, love my dog爱屋及乌 Every dog has its day.凡人皆有得意时 Let a sleeping dog lie.别惹事生非 Barking dogs do not bite会叫的狗不咬人Note: dog is highly valued in English culture. However, Influenced by foreign culture, sometimes dog is often used in derogatory sense. Compare some Chinese idioms狗腿子/走狗lackey狗崽子son of bitch狗胆包天monstrous audacity狗急跳墙A concerned beast will do sth desperate.狗咬耗子，多管闲事Poke your nose into other peoples affairs.狗嘴吐不出象牙A filthy mouth cant utter decent language.Note: dog is often endowed with derogatory sense in Chinese2. Influence of Religion on English IdiomsChinese:做一天和尚撞一天钟Song long as I remain a bonze, I go to toll the bell.跑得了和尚跑不了庙The monk may run away, but the temple cant run with him.English:As poor as the church mouseGod damn you / go to hellNote: cast pearls before swine is closely related with religion:“Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye pearls before swine, lest they trample pearls under their feet, and turn again and render you.”不要把圣物给狗，也不要把你们的珍珠丢在猪面前，恐怕它们践踏了珍珠，转过来咬你们。3. Methods adopted in translating English Idioms1) Literal translation hot line热线; cold war冷战; round-table conference圆桌会议; armed to the teeth武装到牙齿; 武术martial arts 纸老虎paper tiger 丢面子lose ones face 无可救药beyond cure 竹篮打水一场空drawing water in a bamboo basket2) SubstitutionWalls have ears隔墙有耳 Once bit, twice shy.一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳 Use a sledge hammer to crack a nut.杀鸡用牛刀 Teach ones grandmother how to suck eggs.班门弄斧 You cant make an omelet without breaking eggs.巧妇难为无米之炊 坐如针毡to sit on thorns 海底捞月to fish in the air 入乡随俗When in Rome do as the Romans do. 猫哭耗子假慈悲 to shed crocodile tears3) Liberal translationa wet blanket令人扫兴的 to break the ice打破沉默to face the music勇敢地面对困难to be the cats paws上当，被人利用like a fish out of water很不自在 杞人忧天unnecessary anxiety落花流水to be shattered to pieces 司马昭之心，路人皆知The villains design is obvious东施效颦Blindly copying others and making oneself look foolish 做贼心虚He that has a great nose thinks everybody is speaking of it.4) Explanation with notesThe man who carries coal to Newcastle will pour water on a drowned mouse.运煤到纽卡索去的人好比往淹死的老鼠身上泼水-多此一举。 Note:纽卡索-英国著名产煤区All are not maidens that wear bare hair.不戴帽子的未必都是少女。 Note: 西方风俗中成年妇女一般都戴帽子，而少女则一般不戴，该习语告诫人们看事物不能光看外表。 After-class exercisesPlain sailing一帆风顺 At ones wits end智穷才尽The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.心有余而力不足 Silken tongue巧舌如簧 A lion in the way拦路虎A flash in the pan昙花一现 As red as rose; like lilies and roses艳若桃李 New brooms sweep clean.新官上任三把火 There is a skeleton in the cupboard.家家有本难念的经十年树木，百年树人。It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear people.江山易改，本性难移The wolf changes his coat, but not his disposition.好事不出门，坏事传千里A good reputation sits still; a bad one runs about.路遥知马力，日久见人心A distance tests a horses strength, so time reveals a persons heart.耳听为虚，眼见为实Seeing is believing.习语、对偶 四字词组的翻译多见于古代的诗词、骈文、辞赋。精炼、简明、优美，堪称语言之杰作，可增加语言美感和表现力。汉语成语多由四字组成，来源大抵有三类：一是来自文史古籍、神话寓言；二是来自俗语、谚语、歌谣和民间文学；三是来自外族语言或佛教。翻译时不仅要译出成语本意，还要译出其文化含义或隐含意义。绝非易事！英译汉中，适当使用四字句，译文将文采一新。I could not dance in fetters.(by an English poet in19th century)击链而舞，非吾所能。（ 钱钟书）“Living history” by Hillary ClintonThen I said goodbye to the house where I had spent eight years living history.亲历历史She has beauty still, and , if it be not in its heyday, it is not yet in its autumn.她依然很美，如果不是风华正茂，也远非迟暮之年。Structure of the four-letter words四字词组通常分为前后两部分。两部分的语法关系可以是：主谓： 祸不单行 Misery loves company.债台高筑Be up to ears in debt.暗箭伤人A stab in the back.好事多磨All good things have unexpected setbacks. 动宾词组：走漏风声Spill the beans达成协议Reach an agreement繁荣市场Bring about a prosperous market偏正：空中楼阁Castle in the air黄金时代Golden age和平统一Peaceful reunification混水摸鱼Fish in troubled water以权谋私Abuse of power for personal gain并列/联合：典雅大方Elegant and graceful丰衣足食Be well-fed and well-clothed改邪归正Turn over a new leaf三长两短Unexpected misfortunes天南地北 Far apartMethods of translationliteral or free?/ domestication or foreignization?直译能保持原作的风姿，体现鲜明的民族特征与语言特色；意译则是在不能直译的情况下的一种变通手段，一般译出大意并力求用目标语来弥补原作的其他方面，如联想、修辞、文风、幽默等。它能发挥原作的内涵，阐述其哲理思想；直译加注能使原作更加明确，从而深化理解。直译法 俗语:他搬起石头却砸了自己的脚。He lifted a rock only to drop it on his own feet.瘦死的骆驼比马大。A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.他是初生牛犊不怕虎。He is like a newborn calf which is not afraid of a tiger. 歇后语:你狗咬耗子，多管闲事。You are a dog trying to catch mice too meddlesome.如果你借给他钱，那就是肉包子打狗，一去不回头。Once you lend him money, you will like throwing meat pudding at a dog, never get it returned. 成语:实事求是 seek truth from facts；缘木求鱼to climb up a tree to catch fish；一衣带水 only a narrow strip of water in between走马观花look at the flowers while riding on horseback；欲擒故纵to set the enemy free in order to catch him later；拔苗助长try to help the rice seedlings grow by pulling them upward, etc.有时两种皆可：打草惊蛇to stir up the grass and alert the snake/wake a sleeping dog挥金如土to spend money like dirt/ to spend money like water鼠目寸光As short-sighted as mice / See no farther than ones nose对牛弹琴to play the lute to a cow/ cast pearls before swine守口如瓶to keep ones mouth closed like a bottle/ keep a still tongue in ones head画蛇添足 to draw a snake and add feet to it/ to paint the lilyE.g. “胸有成竹” “to have an bamboo in ones stomach”“to have a well-thought-out plan before doing sth.”“to have an card in/up ones sleeve谋事在人，成事在天。咱们谋到了，靠菩萨保佑，有些机会，也未可知。（红楼梦第6回）“Man proposes; Heaven disposes. Work out a plan, trust to Buddha, and something may come of it for all you know.”David Hawks “阿弥陀佛” “God bless my soul”套译 意义，形象相同:君子协定Gentlemans agreement有其父必有其子Like father, like son空中楼阁Castles in the air 意义大致相同:事实胜于雄辩Actions speak louder than words暗箭伤人To stab in the back沽名钓誉To fish for compliments半斤八两Six of one and half a dozen of the other祸不单行An evil chance seldom comes alone.贪多嚼不烂To bite off more than one can chew意译 扬长而去 stalk off; swagger off花言巧语 sweet words焕然一新 take on an entirely new look黄粱美梦 a pipe dream打开天窗说亮话，我不同意。To be frank with you, I dont agree. 对于法语我是擀面杖吹火一窍不通。I dont know a single letter of French.直译加意译 怨声载道Complaints are heard everywhere.怨天尤人To blame everyone and everything but oneself债台高筑To be up to ones ears in debt辗转反侧To toss and turn restlesslyn含有中国古代的人名、地名、或出自寓言或历史典故的四字词组( free translation)：毛遂字荐To volunteer ones service叶公好龙Professed love of what one really fears东施效颦nCrude imitation with ludicrous effect南柯一梦nA fond dream or illusory joy四面楚歌nTo be besieged on all sidesn谨防假对应：锦上添花“paint the lily” “add icing to the cake”四字格的翻译策略中国传统审美，讲究结构对仗和文采华丽 ，词义虚实杂糅，繁复重叠；西方注重逻辑思维，英语严谨，理性。对待四字格，应考虑思维差异，摆脱汉语影响，使译文符合英语的行文习惯。1) 他决心洗心革面，脱胎换骨。He is determined to turn over a new leaf.2) 本店货色齐全，品种多样，任君挑选。nWe have a good assortment (a wide selection) of goods to choose from.3) 花园里面使人间的乐园，有的是吃不了的大米白面，穿不完的绫罗绸缎，花不完的金银财宝。（上海的早晨）The garden was a paradise on earth, with more food and clothes than could be consumed and mor