英语谚语俗语翻译.docx

1、英语谚语俗语翻译Part One I had only recently seen John in a restaurant. The news of his death came as a bolt from the blue She found the keys she had lost last month, which was like a bolt from the blue A bolt from the blue Meaning：A complete surprise, like a bolt of lightning from a blue sky. Origin：This h

2、as the feel of a Shakespearian or Biblical phrase, but it isnt as old as it sounds. There are several forms of it: out of the blue, a bolt out of the blue, etc. The earliest citation is Thomas Carlyle, in The French Revolution, 1837: Arrestment, sudden really as a bolt out of the Blue, has hit stran

3、ge victims. It is unpleasant to hear him speak on national topics, for he is a bird of ill omen. 叫他谈论国事是不愉快的，因为他常出不吉之言。a bird of ill omen 中国有句老话:“夜猫子进宅，无事不来”，可见猫头鹰是种不吉利的象征。它往往和黑暗、神秘甚至死亡联系起来。然而在日本，猫头鹰却是吉利和幸福的代表。 奥运会的吉祥物 雕像、挂钟、水壶、牙签盒，甚至还有女士佩戴的胸针 They were only crying crocodile tears at the old mans fu

4、neral because nobody had really liked him. 在老人的葬礼上，他们在假装慈悲，因为他们之中没有谁喜欢过他。 We need not hope for lower taxes in the future that would be crying for the moon. 我们不应抱任何希望将来会降低税收，这是根本不可能的事。“不可能”，“没门”的译法 No way/There is no way! Impossible! Out of the question/Thats out of the question! Not a chance! Hopele

5、ss! Pigs might fly! The sun might rise in the west! Never/Never ever ever! You are crying for the moon! Street Arabs are produced by slums and not by original sin. 流浪儿是贫民窟的产物，而不是原始罪恶的产物。 John is ashamed of his humble background. That is his Achilles heel. 约翰因出身卑贱而自惭形秽，这是他的致命弱点。 Every atom of your fl

6、esh is as dear to me as my own; in pain and sickness it would still be dear. 在我看来，你身上的每一个细胞都像我自己的细胞一样亲，即使你痛苦你有病，也还是一样亲 。 Ill play old Gooseberry with the office, and make you glad to buy me out at a good high figure. 我要在工作上故意捣蛋，使你不得不付出高价收买我。 play gooseberry (British humorous) to be with two people w

7、ho are having a romantic relationship and who would prefer to be alone. “Best be off to bed, my boy ho, ho!” “No, no. We know a trick worth two of that. We wont go home till morning, till day light does appear!” “孩子，最好上床睡吧嗬，嗬！”“不，不，你不必跟我们玩那一套。 不到明天，不到天大亮我们不归家。know a trick worth two of that: 有更好的办法 W

8、hat you suggest is very good. But listen to me. I know a trick worth two of that. When the wells dry, we know the worth of water. Well never know the worth of water till the well go dry. We never know the worth of water till the well is dry. She gave her heart to one who could not know its worth. No

9、 one know the worth of womans love till he sue for alienation. You know a trick or two after twenty years in business. Your class made him monitor, which amounts to setting the fox to keep the geese. 你们班推选他当班长，这等于是引狼人室 set a fox to keep ones geese： 引狼人室 Yes, I went there the night before last, but s

10、he was quite on the high ropes about something, and was so grand and mysterious that I couldnt make anything of her. 不错，前天晚上我到那儿去过，也不知道她为何异常得意洋洋，又威风 又神秘，弄得我莫名其妙 be on the high ropes：兴高采烈, 得意 The Squire broke in, “Dont think that Ill have any humble pie eaten to that fellow Bellew! 乡绅插嘴道：“别以为我会向贝鲁这种人

11、低声下气。” Eat humble pie (British, American & Australian) also eat crow (American)：Act submissively and apologetically, especially in admitting an error. 忍气吞生，赔礼道歉 我们原打算在妈妈生日那天给她意外惊喜，可他却泄露了秘密。We had planned to give Mum a pleasant surprise on her birthday, but let the cat out of the bag To look like the

12、 cat that ate the canary形容一个人显得非常满足的样子。 rain cats and dogs倾盆大雨 All cats are（或look）black（或gray）in the dark./We are in the same boat. 五十步笑百步或乌鸦笑猪黑。 西方人也喜欢猫，并将猫养为宠物。但是黑猫却让西方人心生恐惧，尤其是英国人，他们将黑猫与女巫联系在上起。如果是漆黑的星期五晚上碰上一只黑猫，便预示着此人会遭厄运。在英国古代的传说中，人们认为妖魔常变成黑色的动物，尤其是黑猫，还有人说黑猫就是巫婆变的。黑猫有九命，巫婆有变九次的魔法。杀死一只黑猫，她还可以再变八

13、次。所以英语的猫还含有心地恶毒的女人，爱说人坏话的女人等意思。 She is a cat（她是个包藏祸心的女人） Mrs Smith is a perfect cat（史密斯太太是个地地道道的长舌妇） The man and his wife live a cat and dog life, and both are miserable (他们夫妻俩经常吵架，两人都感到痛苦) Its difficult to get a man to bell the cat（敢于在危险中挺身而出的人不容易找到） A cat has nine lives（猫有九命/自有天相） Cats hide their

14、claws（猫总是藏起自己的爪子/知人知面不知心） All cats are grey in the dark （黑暗处的猫都是灰色的/人未出名时看起来都差不多） A gloved cat catches no mice（戴手套的猫抓不到老鼠/不愿吃苦的人成不了大事业） The cat shuts its eyes when stealing cream（掩耳盗铃，自欺欺人） Theres more ways than one to kill a cat（有的是办法） like a cat on hot bricks（焦躁不安，如热锅上的蚂蚁） 他决定不了究竟是上大学还是去找工作，可事实上他只

15、能干一件，两者不能兼得。 He cant make up his mind whether to go to college or get a job. You cant eat your cake and have it, too. To have ones cake and eat it too ： （eat ones cake and have it too or simply have ones cake and eat it ） you cant have it both ways and you cant have the best of both worlds. 如果你在数学课堂

16、上准备英语考试，那就好比是挖肉补疮 It is just like robbing Peter to pay Paul if you try to prepare for the English exam during a maths class rob Peter to pay Paul (拆东墙补西墙 ) Fig. to take or borrow from one in order to give or pay something owed to another For example By borrowing money to meet the debt, you are just

17、robbing Peter to pay Paul You borrow money from me to pay the bank loan. It is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. 害群之马，无处不有。 There is a black sheep in every flock 饿了糠也甜，饱了蜜也咸。 Hungry dogs will eat dirty puddings 我刚来，真是“丈二和尚摸不着头脑”！你的估计怎样？ Being new here, Im very much in the dark myself! Lets hear your a

18、ssessment of it. 那二鬼子被村子里的人打得鼻青脸肿。 The puppet soldier was beaten black and blue by the villagers 我看见火车朝他们开来，还没来得及喊，它已经撞上了其中一人。 I saw the train coming towards them. Before I could say Jack Robinson，it had hit on one of them. He ran off before I could say Jack Robinson As I walked into the kitchen the

19、 cat jumped out of the window before you could say Jack Robinson 她有一次解释她为何嫁给比她矮小很多的人。她说：“他虽然矮一点, 但他不但仁慈而且精力充沛，工作又勤奋。所谓身小会文国家用，大汉空长做什么？ She once explained why she married him so much shorter than her. “He may be a bit short, she said,” but hes not only kind, but very energetic and hardworking. Better

20、 short and sweet than long and lax .” short and sweet: brief and to the point；without de lay 简短扼要；不拖延 The politicians speech was surprisingly short and sweet；it only lasted ten minutes The students appreciated the fact that the teacher made the exam short and sweet 我平日和你说话，你全当耳边风。 But let whatever I

21、 say go in one ear and out the other. How many times have I told you to get to work on time? But my words just go in one ear and out the other. So I dont have any choice but to fire you. Whatever you say to him goes in at one ear and out at the other. The teachers directions to the boy went in one e

22、ar and out the other. Since his mind was already made up, my arguments went in one ear and out the other. 他认为这些美丽的中国画是连城之璧。 He thinks that these beautiful traditional Chinese paintings are beyond price (rare and valuable) 他是个不中用的货，又不会种田，又不会作生意，坐吃山空，把些田地都弄得精光。 This fellow was a good-for-nothing； he c

23、ould neither till the land nor trade. He just sat at home eating until he had eaten up all his property 现在国家正当多事之秋，那王公大臣只是恐怕耽处分，多一事不如少一事。 Now the country is in peril, yet the nobles and high officials are only afraid of being punished, and their policy is to let sleeping dogs lie. Its better to save

24、 trouble.; the less trouble the better; avoid trouble whenever possible; dont meet trouble halfway If I were you, I would not tell Nellie you saw her husband having lunch with another woman. It might have been perfectly innocent, but Id let sleeping dogs lie. Better let sleeping dogs lie. The boss l

25、ikes Peter so much, and you are just like fish in a big pond. Be smart and stay quiet until your chance comes. Practice 2 Remain where you are till I return; be as still as a mouse. 你呆在此处等到我回来，静静地不要弄出声响 。 John, a timid middle-aged mickey mouse who was afraid of crowds，people， anything. 约翰，一个胆小的微不足道的

26、中年人，他怕人多，怕同人接触，什么都怕 If the mountain will not come to Mahomet，Mahomet must go to the mountain. (谚语事不将就人，人就得将就事。（他不迁就你，你就得迁就他） You neednt pay the bill. Its my turn to stand Sam. 你不必付账。这次轮到我做东。 He rose again and toured the dishevelled room. The man at the other table raised his head, ”You seem a bit on

27、 your toes. ” 他又站起来在乱糟糟的房间里踱来踱去，在另一餐桌旁的那个人抬起 头来说：“你看上去有些坐立不安。 on ones toes: stay alert and ready for action. Keep on your toes, lads, the attack is expected at any moment. It keeps your brain on its toes. A toadeater is one who eats somebodys toads. 马屁精是拍某人马屁的人 If you do it, it means that you are se

28、tting the tortoise to catch the hare. 你若做它，这意味着你在做不可能做到的事 He has an old head on young shoulders ； at one moment he is a scampish boy, and at another a resolute man. 他少年老成：一会儿是个淘气的小孩，一会儿是刚毅果断的男子汉 He talks about nothing but money Its becoming a King Charles head! 他只谈到了钱钱成了他不离口的话题 当有人对我提出另一个工作时，我进退维谷，因

29、为我仍然对我的老板怀有极大的忠心。 I was on the horns of a dilemma when I was offered another job because I still felt a great deal of loyalty to my boss. 钱先生周岁时“抓周”，抓了一本书，因此得名“钟书”。（舒展文钱钟书与杨绛 When Qian was just one year old, he was told by his parents to choose one thing among many others, he picked up a book of all

30、 things. Thereupon his father very gladly gave him the name: Zhongshu ( = book lover) 谚曰：“桃李不言，下自成蹊”。此言虽小，可以喻大。 The peach and plum trees can not talk, yet a path is trodden out to them. This simple saying conveys a wealth of meaning. 真是一说曹操，曹操就到！老无赖来了！杰克，你已经订婚了，是不是？ Well, speak of the wolf (and he w

31、ill appear) ！ Here is the old scoundrel！ Is that right, youve gotten yourself engaged, Jack? 许多家长太溺爱孩子了，这样反而害了他们。他们给孩子们太多的钱，太多的自由，这样很容易导致少年犯罪。 A great many parents are killing their children with kindness by giving them too much money and freedom. This may lead to juvenile delinquency. Practice 3 Guards knew when blue devils had seized the inmates of these cages, they couldnt eat. 看守们知道，牢笼