习语文化与汉英翻译

习语文化与汉英翻译

习语包括成语、歇后语、谚语等。习语具有强烈的民族文化特征，体现独特的民族的生活方式和风俗习惯。汉语中的习语更是具有这样的特征。

英译通常可采用直译、意译、直译加注释、直译兼顾意译、套译等。

1）叔叔两下里住着，过个一年半载，即或闹出来，不过挨上老爷一顿骂……就是婶子，见‚生米做成熟饭‛，也只得罢了。（曹雪芹《红楼梦》第六十四回）Then you will have two homes, uncle. After a year or so, if word does get out, at most you will get reprimanded by your father … When Aunt Xifeng sees that the rice is already cooked, she‟ll have to put up with it. (the yangs) (the rice is cooked ---- what is done cannot be undone; it can‟t be helped) (反正生米作成熟饭，大家都已经认可了。Anyway it was already a fait accompli, accepted by everybody.)

2）他一家子在这儿，他的房子地在这儿，他跑？跑得了和尚，跑不了庙。（周立波《暴风骤雨》第一部第六章）

Escape? But his house and property can‟t escape. “The monk may run away, but the temple can’t run away with him.”(Hsu Meng-hsing) (the monk may run away, but not the temple ---- a fugitive must belong to some place that can provide clues (to his whereabouts))

3）怎么的，你倒把好心当作驴肝肺！好，咱们支部会上见。（杜鹏程《保卫延安》第一章）

Oh, so you can‟t tell a man’s honest heart from a donkey’s liver and lungs? So that‟s how you take my good advice? All right, we will settle this at the Party branch meeting! (Sidney, Shapiro)

(donkey‟s liver and lungs ---- ill intent; take somebody‟s goodwill for ill intent) 4）子龙见妇人身穿缟素，有倾国倾城之色，乃问范曰：‚此何人也？‛（罗贯中《三国演义》）

Seeing that this lady was dressed entirely in white silk and her charm was such as to overthrow cities and kingdoms, General Zilong asked Fan, his advisor, “Who is she?”

意译 ---- 直译

5）他这样做，有他杀鸡给猴看之意。to kill the chicken to frighten the monkey –punish somebody to warn others

What he did was merely making an example of somebody to warn others.

老实讲，以前我以为‚三反‛运动是假的，不过是杀鸡给猴看，做给别人看

的。（周而复《上海的早晨》第一部第五十二章）

“To tell the truth, I‟ve always thought until now that the …Three Antis‟ campaign was sham, making an example of a few to frighten all the rest.”

6）探春坐下，便问：‚刚才谁在这里说话，倒像拌嘴似的？‛迎春笑道：‚没有什么，左不过他们小题大做罢了，何必问他？‛（曹雪芹《红楼梦》第七十三回）Tan-chun sat down and asked, “Who were talking in here just now? it sounded like a quarrel.”“Not really,”Ying-chun told her. “They were making a mountain out of molehill. It‟s nothing to worry about. (the yangs)

to make a fuss over a trifle; to use a hammer to swat a fly; to have a tempest in a teacup

7）风浪是意料中事；所谓‚道高一尺，魔高一丈！‛他，吴荪甫，以及他的同志孙吉人他们，都是企业界身经百战的宿将，难道就怕了什么？（矛盾《子夜》十）

Heavy seas were only to be expected: “While the priest climbs a foot, the devil climbs ten!”was the way it went, but he and his partners were battling scarred veterans, so what had he to fear? (Y eh Chien-yu)

As virtue rises one foot, vice rises ten.

The more illumination, the more temptation.

8）古人云，‚士别三日当刮目相待‛，所以堂倌，掌柜，酒客，路人，便自然显出一种疑而且敬的形态来。（鲁迅《阿Q正传》）

The ancients say, “A scholar who has been away three days must be looked at with new eyes.”So the waiter, tavern-keeper, customers and passers-by all quite naturally expressed a kind of suspicion mingled with respect. (the yangs)

A scholar should be judged in a new light when he reappears after an absence. 9）正当这个功夫，一个车夫又指着他的脸说：‚祥子，我说你呢，你才真是‘哑巴吃扁食——心里有数儿’呢。是不是，你自己说，祥子？祥子？‛（老舍《骆驼祥子》）

Just then, another puller pointed at him and said, “I tell you, Xiangzi, you‟re like the mute eating dumplings, you know how many you’ve downed! Aren‟t you now, Xiangzi? Speak up! Hey, Xiangzi!”

江世荣看见咱们开会都不叫他，哑巴吃饺子，心里有数。（丁玲《太阳照在桑乾河上》第三十三章）

Chiang Shirong saw us hold meetings without sending for him. He can put two and two together. (Y ang)