中英习语谚语等对比.docx

1、中英习语谚语等对比英汉语成语、习语、俗语的比较与翻译Lead up: The Pure Brightness Day; All SoulsDay; The Clear-and-Bright Feast; the Rainy Season of Spring; the Tomb-visiting Day; The Mourning Day吴钧陶译 The Pure Brightness Day It drizzles thick on the Pure Brightness Day; I travel with my heart lost in dismay. Is there a public

2、 house somewhere, cowboyHe points at Apricot Bloom Village far away.杨宪益、戴乃迭 译：In the Rainy Season of Spring It drizzles endless during the rainy season in spring, Travelers along the road look gloomy and miserable.When I ask a shepherd boy where I can find a tavern,He points at a distant hamlet nest

3、ling amidst apricot blossoms.许渊冲译 The Mourning DayA drizzling rain falls like tears on the Mourning Day; The mourners heart is going to break on his way.Where can a wineshop be found to drown his sad hours A cowherd points to a cot mid apricot flowers. 一 例句1. to kill two birds with one stone2. to fl

4、og a dead horse；do sth in vain; make futile efforts鞭打死马；白费力气3. a drop in a bucket 沧海一粟；太仓一粟；九牛一毛；微不足道；微乎其微；不足挂齿4. to teach a pig to play on a flute 教猪吹笛；对牛弹琴；5. 过街老鼠（直译）like a rat crossing the street (意译) the object of universal condemnation; a bad man hated by everybody6. 门庭若市(直译) the courtyard is

5、like a market. （意译）a much visited house; a busy town; bustling; crowded 7. 望梅止渴（直译）to gaze at plums to quench ones 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. 8. 危如累卵（直译）as dangerous as a pile of eggs（意译）h

6、azardous in the extreme; great insecurity; in a precarious condition; at stake, at risk; at hazard; in peril; in danger; perilous; risky; critical.9. A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse. （直译）点头也好，眨眼也好，示意盲马，同样无效。（意译）犟汉难劝，狂人难喻。10. The worst wheel of a cart creaks most. （直译）最坏的车轮最会嘎吱响。（意译）能猫不叫，

7、叫猫不能。11. A creaky wheel gets the oil. （直译）嘎吱响的轮子有润滑油。（意译）会哭的孩子有奶吃。12. 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. 13. 树倒猢狲散（直译）When the tree falls, the monkeys scatte

8、r. （意译）Members run away when the family (constitution) falls; when an influential person falls from power, his hangers-on dispers; Rats leave a sinking ship. 14. hand in glove with 狼狈为奸15. once in a blue moon千载难逢16. at sixes and sevens 乱七八糟17. 招风惹草look for trouble18. it is a long lane that has no tu

9、rning好事多磨19. It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest. 家丑不可外扬如下成语：20. cut in a joke 插科打诨21. speak ones mind 畅所欲言22. be after ones own heart; to one s hearts content称心如意23. at ones finger-tips 了如指掌24. fish in troubled waters 浑水摸鱼25. in deep water水深火热26. turn up ones nose at 嗤之以鼻27. skin and bones 皮包

10、骨头28. touch and go 一触即发29. from the cradle to the grave一生一世；从生到死30. hit the nail on the head 一语道破31. 充耳不闻turn a deaf ear to 32. 出人头地be head and shoulders above others33. 吹毛求疵pick a hole in ones coat34. 破釜沉舟burn ones boat35. 大惊小怪make a fuss about36. 大海捞针look for a needle in a bundle of hay37. 颠倒黑白tal

11、k black into white 38. 得意忘形have ones nose in the air 39. 攀龙附凤worship the rising sun 40. 大发雷霆hit the ceiling; fly into a rage41. 骑虎难下hold a wolf by the ears 42. 视而不见turn a blind eye to 如下谚语：43. look before you leap三思而后行44. make hay while the sun shines未雨绸缪45. there is no smoke without fire无风不起浪46. Il

12、l news travels fast. 恶事传千里47. 欲速则不达more haste, less speed. 48. 出门一里，不如家里；在家千日好，出门事事难east and west, home is best. 49. 捡到篮子里就是菜all is fish that comes to the net. 50. 皇天不负苦心人everything comes to him who waits. 51. 小巫见大巫the moon is not seen when the sun shines. 52. One boy is a boy, two boys half a boy,

13、three boys no boy; two is company, three is misery. 一个和尚挑水喝，两个和尚抬水喝，三个和尚没水喝。 53. Out of sight, out of mind.眼不见，心不烦。54. Spare the rod, spoil the child. 55. Where there is a will, there is a way. 有志者,事竞成 56. The on-lookers see most of games. 旁观者清 57. Tall trees catch much wind. 树大招风 58. Seeing is beli

14、eving. 百闻不如一见59. like father like son60. like knows like 61. 笨鸟先飞A slow sparrow should make an early start.62. 不打不成交No discord, no concord. 63. to kill two birds with one stone64. to flog a dead horse 65. a drop in the bucket 沧海一粟；九牛一毛；微不足道；66. to teach a pig to play on a flute 67. pull ones leg 开玩笑

15、英译汉：1. I took the news with a grain of salt. 我对这个消息半信半疑。2. Unless youve got an ace up your sleeve, we are dished. 除非你有锦囊妙计，否则，我们是输定了。3. He went through fire and flood to save his mother. 他赴汤蹈火去救他的母亲。4. You have a lucky star above you. 你真是吉星高照。5. She is now between the devil and the deep sea on this

16、matter. 她在这个问题上真是进退维谷。6. He is reaping what he has sown. 他这是咎由自取。7. She is an easy-going woman. She always throws her cares to the winds.她是个大大咧咧的女人，总是把忧愁抛至九霄云外。8. That fellow is always fair without but foul within.那个家伙总是口蜜腹剑。9. That little girl has a ready tongue.那个小姑娘真是伶牙俐齿。10. The light-fingered g

17、entry frequented these shops. 梁上君子经常光顾这些商店。汉译英：1. 这些国家的经济形势每况愈下。The economic situation in these countries is on the downgrade. 2. 为了迷人眼目，他们把自己打扮成革命者。In order to throw dust into the eye of the public, they decked themselves out as revolutionaries. 3. 扪心自问，他不得不承认自己是错了。By searching his heart he could n

18、ot but admit that he was in the wrong. 4. 我们必须全力以赴，拿下这场球。We must do our level best to win the game. 5. 照当时情况，他除了忍气吞声又能怎么办呢As things stood, what else could he do but swallow the insult 6. 侵略者已经走投无路。The invaders had come to the end of their tether. 7. 我讨厌游手好闲的人。I dislike the people eating the bread of

19、 idleness. 8. 你为什么要引狼入室Why did you set the wolf to keep the sheep 9. 他是信口开河，他对经济一窍不通。He is shooting off his mouth. He does not know the first thing of economy. 10. 鸡毛蒜皮trifling; trifles; odds and ends 11. 开门见山come straight to the point; get down to business12. 公事公办business is business13. 狗急跳墙do sth

20、desperately 14. 顺手牵羊walk off with sth 15. 守株待兔trust to chance and stroke of luck 16. 唇枪舌剑engage in a battle of words 17. 黔驴技穷at ones wits end 18. 单枪匹马all by oneself 19. 生龙活虎bursting with energy 英译汉：1. I was practically on my knees but he still refused. 苦苦哀求2. The two sisters were usually in agreemen

21、t on most issues, but they were at swords point on the matter of abortion. 3. He is a rolling stone. I dont think he can go far. 他是个见异思迁的人，我想他不会有多大出息。4. Since I only got the news at second hand, I took it with a grain of salt. 5. Ill break my neck to get this done by Friday, but I cant promise for s

22、ure. 竭尽全力6. Different perspectives: 转换视角1. To have one foot in the grave. 半身入土 2. To fish in the air. 水中捞月 3. Love me, love my dog. 爱屋及乌拆东墙补西墙rob Peter to pay Paul How to understand the proverbs: 1. It is a long lane that has no turning. 直译：没有弯的巷子要多长啊。意译：路必有弯；事情必有转机；好事多磨2. It is a wise man that neve

23、r makes mistakes. 从不犯错误的人可是个聪明人啊。（言外之意：再聪明的人也会犯错误；智者千虑，必有一失）3. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. 直译：吹得人人倒霉的风才是恶风。（即：没有使人人都受害的坏事；也即：世事皆利弊并存；鄙译：东风不尽善，西风不尽恶）4. I am not the first man who has made mistakes. 5. Who dares do all that may become a man, and dares no more, he is a man indeed. ( Willi

24、am Shakespeare) 能屈能伸，方为大丈夫。Coincidence: 汉语习语英译： 三个臭皮匠顶得上诸葛亮 Three cobbers with their wits combined equal ZhuGeliang the master mind. Teamwork; brainstorming; Many hands make light work. 拙译：Wits combined are wits that satisfy; wits combined are wits of great mind. 螳螂捕蝉,黄雀在后The mantis stalks the cicad

25、a but behind them lurks the oriole. (sparrow麻雀；swallow燕子) Be careful about the hidden/implicitpotential risks; hazards; 比上不足，比下有余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; fairly well-off;

26、 fairly contented life; 不以物喜，不以己悲not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personal losses; take ones personal gains lightly; to be philosophical about; be open-minded; 辞旧迎新bid farewell to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old year and ring in the new; wind up the old, unfold the new大事

27、化小，小事化了try first to make their mistake sound less serious and then to reduce it to nothing at all过犹不及going too far is as bad as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as falling short; too much is as bad as too little 功夫不负有心人Everything comes to him who waits. 好了伤疤忘了疼once on shore, one prays no mor

28、e好事不出门，恶事传千里Good news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news spread far and wide. 既往不咎let bygones be bygones 金无足赤,人无完人Gold cant be pure and man cant be perfect. 活到老，学到老One is never too old to learn.脚踩两只船sit on the fence 君子之交淡如水a hedge between keeps friendship green 礼尚往来Courtesy calls for recipro

29、city. 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧Where there is life, there is hope. 没有规矩不成方圆Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.每逢佳节倍思亲 On festive occasions more than ever one thinks of ones dear ones far away. It is on the festival occasions when one misses his dear most. 谋事在人，成事在天The planning lies with man, t

30、he outcome with Heaven. / Man proposes, God disposes. 弄巧成拙;聪明反被聪明误be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.抛砖引玉a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions; throw a sprat to catch a whale破釜沉舟cut off all means of retreat；burn ones own way of retreat and be determined

31、 to fight to the end巧妇难为无米之炊If you have no hand you cant make a fist./ One cant make bricks without straw.千里之行始于足下a thousand-li journey begins with the first step-the highest eminence is to be gained step by step1. 前事不忘,后事之师Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.2. 3. 前人栽树,后人乘凉One generation plants the trees in whose shade another generation rests；One sows and another reaps.4. 5. 前怕狼,后怕虎fear the wolf in front and the tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something6. 7. 强龙难压地头蛇Even a dragon (from the outside) finds it hard to control a snak