汉英翻译第十讲惯用语的翻译.共20页

中国习惯用语英译·一桶水摇不响，半桶水响叮当有人照字面译成：The full pot of water makes no sound; the half-empty pot of water is noisy. 老外听后，也许会感到困惑。

他们有自己的说法： A little knowledge can be dangerous.(一知半解很危险) 或者说：Still water runs deep.(静水深不可测) 也可以说：He who knows the most saysthe least.(懂得越多的人，反而说得越少。

) 至于“大智若愚”，通常可以这么说：A truly wise person does not show off his ability.(真正聪明的人，是不会显要自己的能力)·水落石出有人照字直译为：As the water level sinks,the stones are exposed.这样说，恐怕老外还是听不懂。

他们的说法是：All secrets may eventually come to light. 也可以说：Eventually, every secret will be disclosed. ·这山望到那山高有人译成：The apples on the other side of the wall are the sweetest.(意思是：墙那边的苹果最甜) 当然，如要译成：If you stand on a mountain, you feel the distant mountain seems higher than yours. 老外也勉强能接受。

而他们的最习惯说法是：The grass always looks greener on the other side.(另一边的草，看来总是绿些。

中国习惯用语英译一桶水摇不响，半桶水响叮当有人照字面译成：The full pot of water makes no sound; the half-empty pot of water is noisy.老外听后，也许会感到困惑。

他们有自己的说法：A little knowledge (or learning) can be (or is) dangerous.（一知半解很危险）或者说：Still water runs deep.（静水深不可测）也可以说：He who knows the most says the least.（懂得越多的人，反而说得越少。

）至于“大智若愚”，通常可以这么说：A truly wise person does not show off his (her) ability.（真正聪明的人，是不会显要自己的能力）·水落石出有人照字直译为：As the water level sinks, the stones are exposed.这样说，恐怕老外还是听不懂。

他们的说法是：All secrets may eventually come to light. (所有秘密最后总会曝光。

)也可以说：Eventually, every secret will be disclosed.·这山望到那山高有人译成：The apples on the other side of the wall are the sweetest.（意思是：墙那边的苹果最甜）当然，如要译成：If you stand on a mountain, you feel the distant mountain seems higher than yours. 老外也勉强能接受。

而他们的最习惯说法是：The grass always looks greener on the other side.（另一边的草，看来总是绿些。

英语惯用语含义英语惯用语含义背单词时，一定要尽快从记单个词的意思过渡到记“惯用语”的意思，因为很多英语单词的意思极度依赖周围出现的单词。

下面是店铺帮大家整理的英语惯用语含义，供大家参考借鉴，希望可以帮助到有需要的朋友。

英语惯用语含义11. It is a good athlete that never loses points.误译：从不丢分的运动员才是优秀的运动员。

应译为：再好的运动员也会丢分。

这里，“It is a +adj. + n. That + 否定句”是个习语中常出现的句型，应理解为“even if... + adj.，肯定句”，即“再……的，也会……”。

而与此结构相似的强调句型中，一般没有形容词。

2.You are not going to marry her, and that’s final.误译：你不准备同她结婚，那就算了。

应译为：你不许同她结婚，就这样定了。

“You are not going to +v.”意为“禁止你……，不许你……”。

3.The visit can’t have left us a deeper impression.误译：这次访问根本不会给我留下较为深刻的印象。

应译为：这次访问给我们留下的印象最深刻不过了。

“can’t + 形容词或副词比较级”，其实表达的是最高级的意义。

4. I can’t see you quickly enough.误译：我不可能很快见到你。

应译为：我巴不得尽快与你见面。

“cannot +adj./adv.+ enough”，意思是“越……越好”。

而另一个与此相似的句型为，“can誸+ v. +enough”，意为“非常……十分……”，如I can’t like the English teaching enough. 译为“我非常喜欢教英语”。

5. No criticism will be too severe to be gratefullyacknowledged.误译：没有一种批评会是尖锐得使人无法领谢的`。

Idiom‎a tic ‎g loss‎a ry &‎The ‎e xpla‎n atio‎n s 惯用‎术语及解释‎1. ‎F ish ‎c anno‎t bre‎a the ‎o ut o‎f wat‎e r.鱼离‎开水就不能‎呼吸。

‎例句：Th‎e y wa‎l ked ‎t hrou‎g h th‎e for‎e st b‎r eath‎i ng t‎h e sc‎e nt o‎f pin‎e s.‎他‎们步行穿过‎森林，呼吸‎着松树的芳‎香。

2‎. The‎road‎brid‎g e is‎now ‎o pen ‎t o tr‎a ffic‎.这座公‎路桥现在开‎放通行。

‎be o‎p en t‎o tra‎f fic ‎通车例‎句：The‎new ‎r oad ‎w ill ‎s oon ‎b e op‎e ned ‎t o tr‎a ffic‎.这条新‎马路不久就‎可通车。

‎3. He‎is a‎bold‎thin‎k er, ‎w ith ‎l ots ‎o f or‎i gina‎l ide‎a s.‎他敢于思考‎，富有创新‎观点。

‎ori‎g inal‎idea‎s: 新颖‎的意见，原‎创的看法‎例句：T‎h e sp‎e aker‎seem‎s to ‎h ave ‎n o or‎i gina‎l ide‎a s; h‎i s sp‎e ech ‎w as f‎u ll o‎f pla‎t itud‎e s. ‎演讲人‎似乎没有什‎么独到的见‎解，他的讲‎话充满了陈‎词滥调。

‎4. H‎o w's ‎t he b‎u sine‎s s? T‎h e bu‎s ines‎s is ‎s low.‎生意好吗‎?生意状‎况不太好。

‎生‎意不太好时‎可以说Th‎e bus‎i ness‎is s‎l ow；生‎意活络时，‎则说The‎trad‎eis ‎b risk‎，或者 T‎h e Ma‎r ket ‎i s br‎i sk。

1. 她动不动就骂她的孩子们，但孩子们都知道她是刀子嘴豆腐心。

She always scolded her children, but they knew that she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.She always scolded her children, but they knew her bark was worse than her bite.动不动: easily; frequently; at every turn动不动就感冒：catch a cold easily动不动就发脾气：be apt to lose one‟s temper; often get into a temper他动不动就训人：He is always lecturing people.刀子嘴豆腐心：have a sharp tongue but a soft heart2. 他是不到黄河不死心。

He wouldn‟t stop until he reached the Yellow River—to give up until his hope has gone.不到黄河不死心: not stop until one reaches the Huanghe River—not stop until one reaches one‟s goal;refuse to give up until all hope is gone3. 十年树木，百年树人。

It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to rear/cultivate people.4. 他这一去如石沉大海，再无消息。

He left like a stone dropped into the sea and has never been heard of.石沉大海: like a stone dropped into the sea---disappear for ever; never to be seen or heard of again.5. 若要人不知，除非己莫为。

第一篇形形色色的人1．一根筋儿one track-minded.别跟他较劲了。

他一根筋，你还不知道？Stop reasoning with him.Don’t you know he is one track-minded?2.出众的人a lulu要说漂亮，我们公司新来的秘书可算是个相貌出众的女孩子了。

Talking about being pretty,our company’s new secretary is indeed a lulu.3.两面派two-faced我知道怎样对付两面派，而且一眼就能看出谁是一贯两面讨好的人。

I know how to handle two-faced people and can even tell at the first glance who are in the habit of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.(注：run with the hare and hunt with the hounds指人两面讨好，不得罪任何一方的做法。

)4．傻大个儿a lummox听说那个傻大个儿把他们公司的买卖搞得一团糟。

It is said that the lummox has loused up their company’s whole business.5.收破烂儿的人a rag man那些收破烂儿的人走街串户，有时也能挣不少钱。

Those rag men going from door to door sometimes may also earn quite a handsome sum of money.6.乡巴佬a hayseed她说她决不会嫁给一个乡巴佬，不管他多有钱。

She insisted that she would not marry herself off to a hayseed,no matter how rich he was.7.不三不四的人riff-raffs老张的家里总来些不三不四的人，可想而知老张不是什么好东西。