习语等解释性翻译

中英习语解释性翻译或形象具体互译

一、以《浮生六记》为例

1.一灯如豆

…The light of a rapeseed oil lamp was then burning as small as a pea.

2. 但李诗宛如姑射仙子，有一种落花流水之趣，令人可爱。

…but Li Po’s poems have the wayward charm of a nymph. His lines come naturally like dropping petals and flowing waters, and are so much lovelier for their spontaneity.

3. 兼之玉碎香埋，不堪回首矣。

… and the woman I loved is dead, like broken jade and buried incense. How sad indeed to look back upon these things.

4. 芸初缄默，喜听余议论。余调其言，如蟋蟀之用纤草，渐能发议。

Yun was at first very quiet and loved to hear me talk, but I gradually taught her the art of conversation as one leads a cricket with a blade of grass. She then learned the art of conversation.

5.……有女名憨园。。。亭亭玉立，真一泓秋水照人寒。

She had a girl by the name of Hanyuan, who was a very sweet young maiden, still in her teens. Her eyes looked“like an autumn lake that cooled one by its cold splendor”.【2】

二、Double-way: literal translation; borrowing; paraphrase

1.过街老鼠

（直译）like a rat crossing the street

(意译) the object of universal condemnation; a bad man hated by everybody

2.门庭若市

(直译) the courtyard is like a market.

（意译）a much visited house; a busy town; bustling; crowded

3.望梅止渴

（直译）to gaze at plums to quench one’s thirst

（意译）to console oneself with false hopes; to feed on fancies (illusion); imagined satisfaction; a Barmecide （《一千零一夜》中一个口惠而实不至的人物）feast.

4.危如累卵

（直译）as dangerous as a pile of eggs

（意译）hazardous in the extreme; great insecurity; in a precarious condition; at stake, at risk; at hazard; in peril; in danger; perilous; risky; critical...

5.山雨欲来风满楼

（直译）The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains.

（意译）A turbulent situation foretells a big event; Coming events cast their shadows before.

6.树倒猢狲散

（直译）When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.

（意译）Members run away when the family (constitution) falls; when an influential person falls

from power, his hangers-on disperse; Rats leave a sinking ship.

7. 三个臭皮匠顶得上诸葛亮

（直译）Three cobbers with their wits combined equal ZhuGeliang the master mind.

(意译) eamwork; Brainstorming; Many hands make light work.; Two heads are better than one. (拙译) wits combined are wits of great mind; Wits combined are wits that satisfy;

8. 螳螂捕蝉,黄雀在后

（直译）The mantis stalks the cicada but behind them lurks the oriole (金莺；黄莺儿).

(意译) Be careful about the hidden/implicit\potential risks; hazards;

9. 比上不足，比下有余

（直译）worse off than some, better off than many; to fall short of the best, but be better than the worst; better off than the worst and worse off than the best;

（意译）fairly well-off; fairly contented life;

10. 不以物喜，不以己悲

（直译）not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personal losses;

（意译）take one’s personal gains lightly; to be philosophical about; be open-minded;

11. 金无足赤,人无完人

(直译) Gold can't be pure and man can't be perfect;

（意译）Human beings are human beings

三、形象—具体

1. 哭得泪人似的

A.The child was in floods of tears.

B.Be drenched in tears

C.He became a wretch of tears

D.While Mother was feeling so wrought, the slightest cross word or ill-judged

remark could reduce her to tears.

当母亲感到过分劳累紧张时，哪怕是听到一点点令人生气的话或不妥之词，都会使她伤心得落下泪来。

2. 唉声叹气

a. To moan and groan

b. Heave deep sighs

c. Sigh in despair

3. 矮子里拔将军

A. Pick or single out a general from among the dwarfs

b. Choose the best person available

c. In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.

d. To settle for an undesirable candidate or alternativ

e.