[分享]翻译注意事项－－－常见中文俗语、习语英译技巧

happybird3

<STRONG>翻译注意事项<BR></STRONG>常见中文俗语、习语英译技巧<BR><BR><BR>许多中国人爱用俗语、成语、俚语和习语。由于中美两国文化、风俗、思想、习惯的差异，如果照字直译，或把单字堆在一起，老外听了，也许就会满头雾水。在此，把一些常见的中文俗语与一般老外的说法相对比较，已便有兴趣的朋友参考：）<BR><BR>俗语篇<BR>1. 人山人海<BR>有人直译为：People mountain, people sea.，老外很难理解。他们指“人多”时，通常只说：There is a large crowd of people.如果看到电影院门前大排长龙，也只说：There is (was) a long movie line.不过在诗词用语 (poetic expression) 里，老外也有使用：a (the) sea of faces，颇有咱们“人山人海”的味道。例如：Looking out upon the sea of faces, Mr. A delivered a touching speech.（望着一片人山人海的听众， A先生发表一篇动人的演说。） Standing at his podium, President Clinton saw a sea of faces waving at him.（柯林顿总统站在讲台上看到人山人海的人群挥手向他致意。） 可见，说话者通常要在台上或高处，才有“人海”的感觉。因此，可以说：I saw a sea of faces from the top of the building. 但在平地的人群中，就不说：I saw the sea of faces.也不说：There is a sea of faces.只说：I saw a large crowd of people.<BR><BR>2. 家家有本难念的经<BR>有人译成：Every family cooking － pot has a black spot. (意思是：每个家庭的锅子都有黑色的污点)这样说法，老外恐怕不能充分了解。不过老外最常的说法是：Many families have skeletons in the closet. (许多家庭的衣柜里都有骨骸) (骨骸就是指家丑)或者说：Every family has its own source of shame. (每个家庭都有自己的丑事)。说白些，就是： Every family has its own problem. <BR><BR>3. 天下无不散的宴席<BR>有人直译为：There are no feasts in the world which do not break up at last.老外听后，也许很难体会其中意义。如果按照美语说法，也许更易理解：All good things come to an end. (意思是：所有好的事情，总有结束的一天。) 假如是指好友最后也有分别的一天，那么可以说：Eventually, all bosom friends will drift apart. (bosom friend 是指知心的好友) <BR><BR>4. 平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚<BR>有人直译为：When times are easy, we do not burn the incense, but when the trouble comes, we embrace the feet of the Buddha.这种说法，老外也会一知半解。美语里一般说法是：Worship God every day; not just in times of adversity. (要每天敬拜神，不是只在困难时。)对学生也可以说：If you study hard every day, exams will not seem overwhelming. (如果你每天用功，考试就不会形成压力。) <BR><BR>5. 挂羊头，卖狗肉<BR>有人直译为：He advertises mutton, but sells dog's flesh. 或 He hangs up a sheep's head at the shop front and sells dog meat.这两种译法，恐怕老外都难理解，尤其谈到“狗肉”，他们更会“反感”，因为狗是他们最爱的宠物，不过老外倒有相近的说法： He applied bait-and-switch tactics in business. (他经商的策略是先引诱顾客来，再改变货物的品质。)(Bait-and- switch 当名词用) (也可不用连字号) This store uses bait and switch policy.或者简单的说： Let the buyer be aware! (让消费者提高警觉) ; 或 Say one thing and do another. <BR><BR>6. 一言既出，驷马难追<BR>有人译成：One word lets slip and four horses will fail to catch it. 或 A statement that once let loose cannot be caught by four galloping horses.这两种说法，中文味道太重，老外未必理解。不过他们倒有类似的说法：A word once let go cannot be recalled.或者说：You cannot take back what you have said. (你说出的话，就不能再收回来。) <BR><BR>7. 祸从口出，言多必失<BR>有人译为：The mouth is the gate of misfortune and evil. 老外听了，恐怕不能完全理解。最好说成：Careless talk leads to trouble. (不小心说话，会带来麻烦); 或The less said the better. (说的愈少愈好)甚至也可以说：Shut the mouth and open the eyes. (闭嘴少说，张眼多看。) <BR><BR>习语篇<BR><BR>1．“不妙”something is to pay<BR>汉语的“有些不妙”或“有点不对头”的概念常可用something is to pay的句式来表示。这一短语常和feel或have a hunch that连用。经理感到事情有些不妙：The manager had a hunch that something was to pay.<BR><BR>2．“眼中钉”a thorn in someone's flesh<BR>我们说的“眼中钉”与英美人讲的a thorn in someone's flesh指的是一回事，虽比喻有异，但意思相同。与此说法相似的还有“刺耳的话”（a flea in someone's ear）。不知为什么我成了他们的眼中钉了。我可从未错待过他们：I wonder why I become a thorn in their flesh. I've never harmed them.<BR><BR>3．“馋得流口水”make someone's mouth water<BR>“使某人流口水”指“使某人垂涎”，是地道的汉语口语。这一概念一般是用make someone mouth water的句式来表达的。桌上的美味佳肴馋得他直流口水：The delicacies on the table make him mouth water.<BR><BR>4．“胡说八道”shooting from the hip<BR>汉语口语中的"胡说八道"曾被译成break wind。其实，英美人更习惯用shoot from the hip来表示这一说法。他说我迷恋上李丽了？这简直是胡说八道！：He thinks I've got the hots for Lily? It's shooting from the hip!<BR><BR>5．“各奔东西”drift apart<BR>“各奔东西”指的是“散开”或“不在一起”的意思，但“散开”或“分散开”的英语是disperse，常指“分散精力”，“疏散人群”或“驱散云雾”等概念。因而，“各奔东西”不宜使用disperse，而应该用drift apart。此语中的drift是漂流的意思。毕业后我们班的同学就各奔东西了：After graduation my classmates drifted apart.<BR><BR>6．“呕吐”shoot the cat<BR>Shoot the cat 是一条俚语，意即vomit。表示"呕吐"的概念时，除了用shoot, 还可以用jerk,形成jerk the cat的说法。他刚吃完饭就吐了：He shoot the cat right after the meal.<BR><BR>7．“打嗝”make a belch<BR>汉语口语中的“打嗝儿”可以用动词belch来表示，也可以用make a belch的形式。作为动词使用，belch有“猛烈喷射”、“阵阵冒出”以及“打嗝”等意。在日常口语中，英美人一般使用make a belch的说法。孩子打嗝儿了，让他喝口水吧：The kid is making a belch. Give him a drink.<BR><BR>8．“久等”cool one's heels<BR>汉语口语中“久等”或“足足等了”之类的概念可以用Cool one's heels来表示。比如：I have left cooling my heels since seven o'clock.此语源于古时，人们一般骑马外出，当马走的路程太长或太疲惫时，马蹄就会发热，骑马的人必须停下来，让马休息，一直到马蹄凉下来再走。<BR><BR>9．“各有利弊”cut both ways<BR>“各有利弊”一般是用have both advantages and disadvantages的片语来表示的。但作为口语，用cut both ways似乎更好些。此语直译为“两面都砍”。这也就如同在说，事物既有好的一面，也有其坏的一面；有有利的一面，也有不利的一面，与汉语的“各有利弊”相吻合。在国营企业或合资企业工作各有利弊：在国营企业工作比较安定，但工资较少；在合资企业工业挣钱多一些，可是又不稳定。It cuts both ways to work in a state-run enterprise or a joint venture :the pay from a state-run enterprise is relatively lower but <BR><BR>10．“吃闭门羹”to a locked door<BR>汉语口语中“吃闭门羹”的说法指登门拜访某人而某人不在家。在大多数的场合，是用to a locked door的片语来表示的。我昨天去他家看他，不想吃了闭门羹。I went to see him yesterday, but unfortunately I was to a locked door.<BR><BR>11．“哪儿都找了”look high and low<BR>有人曾把“哪儿都找遍了”译成looked everywhere似乎也说得过去，但英美人还有个look high and low的说法，十分接近“哪儿都找遍了”所表达的语气。但请注意，有时人们会用search high and low来替代look high and low。在这种情况下，search后面一般跟宾语。我哪儿都找遍了，可还是没找到那把钥匙。I looked high and low for the key, but I couldn't find it any where.<BR>

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many thanks