汉英翻译教程期末考试复习要点 Microsoft Word 文档

1. 直译法

(1) 英译按原文的字面翻译, 其比喻意义同原文一样生动, 译文使读者能很快联想起英文中的对等成语. 如:

竭泽而渔 to drain a pond to catch all the fish (相当于 kill the goose that lays the golden eggs)

2) 打草惊蛇 to stir up the grass and alert the snake (相当于 wake a sleeping dog)

3)易如反掌 to be as easy a s turning over one’s hand (相当于as easy as falling off a log)

4) 玩火自焚 to get burnt by the fire kindled by oneself (相当于fry in one’s own grease)

5)掌上明珠 a pearl in the palm (相当于the apple of one’s eye)

6)对牛弹琴 to play the lute to a cow (相当于 cast pearls before swine)

7)守口如瓶to keep one’s mouth closed like a bottle (相当于 keep a still tongue in one’s head)

8) 雪中送炭to send charcoal in snowy weather (相当于help a lame dog over a stile)

9) 画蛇添足 to draw a snake and add feet to it (相当于 paint the lily)

(2) 不少汉语成语不一定有非常对等的英语成语, 但它们的字面翻译也能使译文读者得到正确无误的形象意义. 如:

1) 声东击西 to shout in the east and strike in the west

2) 刻骨铭心to be engraved on one’s heart and bones

3)井底之蛙to be like a frog at the bottom of a well

4)调虎离山to lure the tiger from the mountain

5)口蜜腹剑 to be honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted

2. 意译法

如：手忙脚乱 in a frantic rush 立竿见影get instant results

它虽难以保全成语的文化特色和具体形象，却能简洁明快的反应出成语的喻义。

1) 粗枝大叶: with big branches and large leaves to be crude and careless

2) 无孔不入to take advantage of every weakness to get into every hole

3) 扬眉吐气 to raise the eyebrows and let out a breath to feel proud and elated

) 灯红酒绿 with red lights and green wine dissipated and luxurious

5) 大张旗鼓 to make a great array of flags and drums on a large and spectacular scale

6) 海阔天空(to talk) at random with a vast sea and a boundless sky

7) 风雨飘摇(of a situation) being unstable the wind and rain are rocking

有一部分汉语成语带着一定的中国文化背景, 有的成语在字

面上就含中国古代的人名, 地名, 有的出自寓言或历史的典故.

对这部分成语, 字面翻译是无法为外国读者所接受的. 如加上

解释性文字, 就失去了成语精练的特点. 我们最好

的办法就是绕开其文化背景, 直接译出其真正的

内含意义. 1) 毛遂自荐to volunteer one’s service

2) 叶公好龙professed love of what one really fears

3) 南柯一梦a fond dream or illusory joy

4) 四面楚歌 to be besieged on all sides

5) 锱铢必较to haggle over every penny

6) 罄竹难书(of crime) too numerous to mention

7) 初出茅庐at the beginning of one’s career

8) 倾国倾城 to be exceedingly beautiful

9) 悬梁刺股 to be extremely hard-working in one’s study

10) 东施效颦 crude imitation with ludicrous effect

3.套译法。

指套用译语中某个与汉语成语喻义相近的

成语来进行翻译的方法。可分为：

1) 两个成语的字面意义和蕴含意义基本一致。如：

赴汤蹈火 go through fire and water七颠八倒at sixes and sevens

滴水穿石constant dripping wears away the stone

垂头丧气 in low spirits杂乱无章 out of order

英雄所见略同 Great minds think alike.

2) 两个成语的比喻形象有所差异，但比喻意义基本一致。如：

小题大做 make a mountain out of a molehill

洗心革面 turn over a new leaf过河拆桥 kick down the ladder

乳臭未干 be wet behind the ears，格格不入 be like square pegs in round holes 大发雷霆blow one’s top横行霸道throw one’s weight about

物以类聚 Birds of a feather flock together.一文不名without a penny to one’s name

弱不禁风 as weak as water山穷水尽 at the en d of one’s rope

扬眉吐气to hold one’s head high

3) 汉语成语原本是翻译的产物，因此可直接以英语成语回译之。如：

君子协定a gentleman’s agreement滚石不生苔A rolling stone gathers no moss.

吠犬不咬人 A barking dog never bites.火中取栗 pull the chestnuts out of the fire

4.加注法。它是在译文中添加读者理解成语所需的文化信息和背景知识，其特点在于既能保留成语的比喻形象和文化蕴含，又能确保译文容易为译语读者所理解接受。

5.增译法。指在译文中直接增补理解成语所需的相关信息。

总而言之, 翻译汉语成语时, 为了保留原文形象, 能直译则尽量直译, 即按字面翻译；不能直译时, 我们也不能因词害义, 可以翻译其实际意义；如能在英文中找到意义完全对等的成语, 我们也可采用这种套译法。

一般来说, 正规文体中, 汉语成语多采用形象的

逐字翻译；非正规文体中, 多采用简洁的大意翻译。

.6.2 四字格的翻译策略

四字格又称四字结构，是汉语的

一种独特的词汇现象。它是由四个汉字