英汉翻译技巧.docx

1、英汉翻译技巧英译汉常用的方法和技巧（6） English-Chinese Translation PracticeCourse Tutor: SUN Pinghua英译汉常用的方法和技巧（6）一、习语的译法翻译习语时，应当尽能保持原文习语的形象比喻、丰富联想、修辞效果以及其民族、地方特色等。习语不仅大量出现在文艺作品中，在政治和科学论文中也同样经常遇到。习语（idioms）一般包括俗语（colloquialisms）、谚语（proverbs）、俚语（slang expressions）等。习语的英译汉有三种主要方法：（一）直译法；（二）汉语同义习语的套用法；（三）意译法。（一）直译法所谓直译法

2、即指在不违背译文语言规范以及不因其错误的联想的条件下，在译文中保留英语习语的比喻、形象和民族、地方特色的方法。To fight to the last manTo break the recordUnder ones noseArmed to the teethPacked like sardinesSour grapesA die-hardA gentlemans agreementAn olive branchThe Trojan horseThe heel of AchillesThe open-door policyThe most-favored-nation clauseThe p

3、osition-of-strength policyShuttle diplomacyThe cold warA cat has nine livesBlood is thicker than waterBarking dogs do not biteA rolling stone gathers no moss战斗到最后一个人 打破记录 在某人鼻子底下 武装到牙齿 挤得象罐头沙丁鱼酸葡萄 死硬派 君子协定 橄榄树枝 特洛伊木马 阿基里斯的脚踵悬挂在达摩克里斯头顶上的剑 门户开放政策 最惠国条款 实力地位政策 穿梭外交 冷战 热战 猫有九命 血浓于水 吠犬不咬人 滚石不生苔（二）汉语同义习语的

4、套用法有的英语习语和汉语同义习语在内容和形式上都相符合，双方不但有相同的意义和修辞色彩，并且有相同的或大体相同的形象比喻。在这种情况下，汉译时可以直截了当地套用汉语同义习语。例如：1双方有完全相同的形象比喻：To praise to the skies To fish in troubled waters To add fuel to the fire捧上天去 浑水摸鱼 火上加油To be on thin ice Walls have ears Strike while the iron is hot如履薄冰 隔墙有耳 趁热打铁2 双方有大体相同的形象比喻：A drop in he ocean

5、 To laugh off ones headTo shed crocodile tears To be out at elbowsTo spend money like water At sixes and sevensSix of one and half a dozen of the otherOne boy is a boy, two boys half a boy, three boys no boy沧海一粟 笑掉牙齿 猫哭耗子 促襟见肘 挥金如土 七颠八倒；乱七八糟半斤八两 一个和尚挑水吃，两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃（三）意译法Many kiss the baby for th

6、e nurses sake. 醉翁之意不在酒。Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌。Give me liberty or give me death. 不自由，毋宁死。To pay Chinese compliments 阳奉阴违To hold a candle to the devil 助纣为虐Let speak frankly./ to put all the cards on the table 打开天窗说亮话Its unnecessary anxiety. 杞人忧天Weve been driven to it. 逼上梁山。It is better for the doe

7、r to undo what he has done. 解铃还待系铃人。To pick on something to find fault with 吹毛求疵To cast off ones old self and take on new self 脱胎换骨Who chooses well chooses sons-in-law; who chooses badly chooses land. 会选的选儿郎，不会选的选田庄。A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. 吃一堑，长一智。To be in the same boat 同舟共济Like a d

8、rowned rat 像个落汤鸡Strike while the irons hot. 趁热打铁。I have been a stranger in a strange land. 独在异地为异客。Castle in the air 空中楼阁Give him an inch and hell take an ell. 得寸进尺。Time flies like an arrow. 光阴似箭。Nothing comes wrong to the hungry. 饥不择食。Birds of a feather flock together. 物以类聚。There is no smoke withou

9、t fire. 无火不起烟。To know like the palm of ones hand 了如指掌To throw cold water on 浇冷水Facts speak louder than words. 事实胜于雄辩。The burnt child dreads the fire. 一朝遭蛇咬，三年怕井绳。Even an honest official cant judge domestic cases. 清官难断家务事。A long road tests a horses strength and a long task proves a mans heart. 路遥知马力，

10、事久见人心。The teenagers dont invite Bob to their parties because he is a wet blanket.Among so many well-dressed and cultured people, the country girl felt like a fish out of water.All right, I blame myself. But its the last time. We were cats-paws, thats all.To break the ice, Ted spoke of his interest i

11、n mountain climbing, and they soon had a conversation going.She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth; she thinks she can do what she likes.Two heads are better than one. （三个臭皮匠胜过诸葛亮。）一人不及两人智。If you run after two hares, you will catch neither. 脚踏两头船，必定落空。Its no use crying over spilt milk. When t

12、he cats away, the mice will play. 猫儿不在，鼠儿成精。A stitch in time saves nine. 及时缝一针，可以省九针。注意：有时可以把英语原文中的非习语译为汉语习语，是译文生动有力：But against the vast expanse of the sky, the chute looked very small.Over the past several weeks, she had grown increasingly restless.It is clear that he was one of the outstanding pi

13、lots in the whole program.It was nervous before crowds.The mere thought of appearing before a crowd frightened me.The guest was pleased by the distinction but not overwhelmed.但是，习语的使用不能违背忠实、通顺的翻译标准。如：The aircraft is small, cheap, pilotless.It was a chilly day in early spring.Earthy and gracious, he

14、finds the city dwellers too cold and sophisticated.练习题一、试用汉语同义习语翻译下列各习语：1. To take French leave 2. A stony heart3. At ones fingertips 4. To have a hand like a foot 5. As mute as a fish 6. To return good for evil7. To shut ones eyes against 8. To talk black into white9. To turn a deaf ear to 10. Prac

15、tice makes perfect.11. To face the music 12. Plain sailing13. To be dead drunk 14. Laugh and grow fat15. Tweedledee and tweedledum 16. To fly into a rage17. To look for a needle in a haystack 18. A leap in the dark19. To show ones colours 20. To make a noise in the world21. More haste, less speed 22

16、. Neither fish nor flesh 23. To pick holes in 24. To mind ones Ps and Qs25. To be at the end of ones rope 26. To flog a dead horse27. To turn over a new leaf 28. To put all ones eggs in one basket二、 试译下列各句：1. He just had forty winks. 2. His wife held the purse string.3. You should keep your nose out

17、 of here.4. Dont you see the writing on the wall?5. that night he slept like a top, and woke with his knee of almost normal size.6. Im not talking about castles in the airthe donkeys carrot. No, I mean something weve all shared.7. Mother said, “John, youre talking through your hat. Youre crazy!”8. H

18、is accent gave him away.9. Large police forces were encamped near the meeting, out of sight but hardly out of mind.10. The Nazis in Berlin became desperate and tried to make hell while the sun was shining.三、 试译下列各句，注意运用汉语习语翻译斜体部分：1. By comparison, the Great Wall in China is a mammoth presence.2. Aft

19、er that the special missions became frequent occurrences.3. Yet there was no hint as to who had irresponsibly started this fiction in the first place. Or why?4. On careful analysis it appears that the information was erroneous or was susceptible of varying interpretations.5. In a dangerous and uncer

20、tain world, the strengthening of national defence is the best guarantee of a nations vital interests.6. He wads confronted by the wild irrationality, the deviousness, the maliciousness and venality of the Manchu officials.7. His body was perfect, alive with easy suppleness and health and strength.8.

21、 A vision of countless colorful flowers blinded his eyes.9. And then I ell asleep and only woke at broad day.10. But far from recovering, that country remained overwhelmed by corruption, a tottering bureaucracy, surging prices and natural disasters.二、拟声词的译法凡是以摹仿事物或动作的声音而构成的词称为拟声词。世界各族语言都有大量的拟声词。如汉语中

22、的“轰隆、啪啪、呜”等。拟声词有时兼顾动词和声音的特点。拟声词的英译汉可归纳为三类：（一） 英语原文有拟声词，汉译时也运用拟声词Two heavy guns went off in the woodsBRUMP! BRUMP!Whee-ee-ee! Whee-ee-ee! The police whistles shrilled suddenly.Thump! A table was overturned!But as the door banged, she seemed to come to life again.All was quiet and still except for the

23、 distant tinkling of a piano.“Whats happening?” he muttered.“Whats that?” he suddenly exclaimed, hearing a rustle; and they both looked up.“Hold him by the nose, dearie, then hell splutter and wake up.”They heard the twitter of birds among the bushes.Thunder rumbled in the distance.The cart rumbled

24、past.His stomach rumbled emptily.（二） 英语原文有拟声词，汉译时不用拟声词I clanked the kettle.The cop carried a stick, ready to thwack anybody who offended his ear or eye.The train puffed towards Tokyo from Sendai.He slammed his tea cup down on the table.We heard the machines whirr.They heard the muffled booming of ar

25、tillery from afar.The squeaking of the radio was disturbing everybody.The screeching of the brakes got on my nerves.The train whistle tooted.The underground train was humming.The frogs in the fields outside the town were croaking cheerfully.The cock in the yard crowed its first round.The moment he r

26、ushed in, the hens chucked and the dogs barked.（三） 英语原文没有拟声词，汉译时加用拟声词The stone fell on his head.The child fell into the water.Zigurd fell asleep almost immediately.Phyl expected them to start brawling, but Mrs. Cooper merely laughed good-naturedly.The kids are crying loudly.There were no sounds but

27、that of the tread of the men and the footsteps of the two shaggy ponies which drew the van.练习题一、试译下列各句，把作独立成分用的英语拟声词译成作独立成分用的汉语拟声词：1. Crack! The stick broke in two.2. Plop, plop there was water dripping from the ceiling on to the earth floor.3. Crash! The door was broken.4. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! T

28、his was the first humiliation of his life.5. Splish! Splish! The water bubbled round his legs.二、试译下列各句，将英语拟声动词、名词或动词派生词转化为汉语动词拟声词附加语或名词拟声词附加语：1. He let the beer gurgle down his throat.2. All the time there were clucks of admiration from the crowd.3. A crystal tear-drop plopped down on to the letter.

29、4. The young man slapped three silver dollars on the counter.5. The low whirr of the spinning wheel spoke to him of the warmth of home and his mothers love.6. She wore a pair of black leather shoes that clicked against the asphalt as she walked along.三、试译下列各句，将英语拟声词或动词派生词译成汉语拟声动词：1. All you can do i

30、s keep on clack-clack-clacking.2. Those standing behind whispered and chattered all the time.四、试译下列各句，将英语拟声词译成汉语非拟声词：1. The old man banged the boys head against the wall.2. She thumps her chest as if she feels pain there.3. They splashed through the mire to the village.4. Already some horse-drawn carts were creaking along the street.五、试译下列各短语，将英语拟声词译成汉语拟声词：1. The rataplan of the drum2. the changour of the gong3. The changing of the tram4. The bumping of the van5. The