谚语的翻译

Do as the local people do.
Example
“某事在人，成事在天”，咱们谋到了，考菩萨的保
佑，有些机会，也未可知。 Man proposes, God disposes. Work out a plan, trust to Budda, and something may come of it for all you know.
2. 同时干两事，全都干不好。
初生牛犊不怕虎。
1.New-born calves make little of tigers. 2.Young people are fearless.
意译
1. 塞翁失马，焉知非福 When the old man on the frontier lost his mare, who could have guessed it was a blessing in disguise? (直译) A loss may turn out to be a gain.
1.有其父必有其子
Like father, like son.
2.有钱能使鬼推磨 Money makes the mare go. 3.近朱者赤，近墨者黑
One takes the behavior of one’s company.
4.种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆 As you sow, so you reap. 5.五十步笑百步 The pot calls the kettle black. 6.天下没有不散的宴席 All good things come to an end.
意译
4.Give a dog a bad name and hang him. 众口铄金，积毁销骨。 5. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. 对人人都有害的事，天下少有。 6.Every man has a fool in his sleeve. 人人都有糊涂的时候。 7.When Greek meets Greek, then comes the

not be over.（直译） There will always be trouble until the trouble-maker is removed. 5.此地无银三百两。 No 300 taels of silver buried here. A guilty person gives himself away by conspicuously protesting his innocence.
4. 城门失火，殃及池鱼。
A fire on the city wall brings disaster to the fish in the moat. 5. 初生牛犊不怕虎。 New-born calves make little of tigers.
Comparison
If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. 1. 同时追两兔，全都抓不住。
sweet. 不尝黄连苦，怎知蜂蜜甜。 一个从来没有尝过苦味道的人是不知道什么叫甜味的。
同义反复的谚语，只需译一个
1.人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。 ① We cannot judge a person by his appearance. ② You cannot judge a book by its cover. 2.烈火炼真金，患难见真情。 ① Adversity is the test of friendship. ② Liquor brings out a person’s true color.
“How could our silly John fall in love with such a
girl?”Mrs Taft was surprised. “Why not” ‘Beauty lies in the lover’s eyes,’as the saying goes,” Mr Taft answered with a gentle smile. 情人眼里出美人 … “有啥大惊小怪的？俗话说得好：情人眼里出西施。”
4. God helps those who help themselves.
自助者天助。
直译
1. 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。
So long as the green hills remain, there will never be a shortage of firewood.
2. 路遥知马力，日久见人心
Read and Appreciate
三百六十行，行行出状元
一瓶子水不响，半瓶子水乱晃 三个臭皮匠，赛过诸葛亮 Out of sight, out of mind No mill, no meal Like father, like son
Translation strategies
game.
鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利。
借用
1.王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸 Every potter praises his own pots. 2.一次被火烧，二次避火苗。 A burnt child dreads the fire. 3.半瓶醋，出事故。 A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. 4.少见多怪。 Wonder is the daughter of ignorance.
What one loses on the swings one gets back on the roundabouts.
4.庆父不死，鲁难未已 Until Qing Fu is done away with, the crisis in the state of Lu will
tug of war. 两雄相争，其斗必烈。
借用
1.He that sows the wind will reap the whirlwind. 玩火者必自焚。 2.Like begets like.
龙生龙，凤生凤。
3.Many straws may bind an elephant. 烂麻搓成绳，也能拉千斤。 4.When shepherds quarrel, the wolf has a winning
用直译方法翻译下列谚语
1.良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行 Good medicine tastes bitter but cures; likewise,
good advice sounds harsh but works. 2.世上无难事，只怕有心人 There is nothing difficult in the world, unless one is true-minded in work. 3.若要人不知，除非己莫为。 Everybody will know what you’ve done, unless of that sort of things you will do none. 4.瑞雪兆丰年 A snow year, a rich year.
寻短见 look for a short view
Commit suicide/take one’s own life 炒冷饭fry the cold rice Dish up the same old stuff
Esp. 中ห้องสมุดไป่ตู้文化色彩词
1.赔了夫人又折兵
Suffer a double loss instead of making a gain
Heaven
注意口语化
1.Waste not, want not. 不浪费，不愁缺。 俭以防匮。
2.A good beginning makes a good ending.
有了好的开头，才有好的结果。 欲善其终，必先善其始。
精炼&对仗
1.Men may meet but mountains never. 山和山无法碰头，人和人总会相遇。 人也许会相见，可是山头却不会。 2.Who has never tasted bitter, knows not what is
By a long road, we know a horse’s strength; at times of difficulty, we discover a person’s true character.
3.明枪易躲，暗箭难防。
It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow shot from hiding.
7.说曹操，曹操就到 Talk of the devil and he will appear.
8.人善被人欺，马善被人骑 All lay load on the willing horse.
直译
连根拔起 tear up by the roots
捋虎须stroke a tiger’s whiskers 走下坡路go downhill
一窝蜂like a swarm of bees
及时雨timely rain 病急乱投医turn to any doctor one can find when
critically ill 卷铺盖 pack up and quit 单打一 concentrate on one thing only
Example
大伯笑呵呵地对我们说：“我们北方人都喜欢睡炕，
你也将就点吧。俗话说：‘入乡随俗’嘛。” Uncle said to me smilingly, “We northerners like to sleep on our kangs. You’ll have to put up with it. As the proverb goes, ‘Do as the Romans do.’”
意译
门外汉 a man outside the gate The uninitiated/ a layman 小广播 a small broadcast station Spreading hearsay information/bush telegraph 风凉话 cold words Irresponsible and sarcastic remarks 扣帽子 put a cap on sb Put a label on sb
2.不入虎穴，焉得虎子 How can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s lair? (直译) Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
意译
3.失之东隅，收之桑榆 Lose where the sun rises and gain where the sun sets.(直译)
意译
直译
借用
直译
1. Forbidden fruit is sweet.
禁果分外甜。
2. Half a loaf is better than no bread.
半块面包总比没有面包好。
3. If you run after two hares, you will catch neither.
同时追两兔，全都抓不住。
BUT
不能用充满本国民族色彩的谚语去套译原文，即不能用包
含中国地名或人名的汉语谚语去套译英语谚语，也不能让
西方的地名或人名出现在汉语谚语的英语译文里。
Example
“Is Susan beautiful?”asked Mrs Taft.
“She is anything but beautiful，”replied Mr. Taft.