1[1][1].汉语成语的英译

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2024年3月5日发(作者：)

Translation of Chinese Idioms

汉语成语英译

1. Definition

1). 成语—人们长期以来习用的、形式简洁而意思精辟的、定型的词组或短语。（《现代汉语词典》）

2). An idiom is an expression which functions as a single unit and whose meaning cannot be

worked out from its separate parts. (Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics, 1985)

成语（习语）作为一种表达式，在功能上相当于一个单位，其意义不能从各个组成部分得出。

成语是一种人们长期以来相沿习用的、具有固定的结构形式和完整的意义内容、带有书面语色彩的固定短语。

2. Features (特征）

1).结构严整，对仗工整 （form)

汉语成语结构紧密,一般不能任意变动词序,抽换或增减其中的成分,具有结构的凝固性，其形式以四字格居多。

三三两两

by twos and threes

才高八斗

of great erudition/have profound learning

2).言简意赅，形象生动（sense)

成语言词简练，可用来表达丰富的思想内涵 。

不可救药

beyond cure/hopeless/incurable/incorrigible

画饼充饥

draw a cake and call it a dinner (literal)

feed on illusions/eat the air (free)

抛砖引玉

cast a brick to attract jade/cast a brick to get a gem (literal)

make a modest spur to induce others to come forward with valuable contributions (free)

洋洋得意

be immensely proud with success/look triumphant /tread (walk) on air (free)

3). 琅琅上口 ，易学易记（sound)

汉语成语结构对仗工整，具有音韵美，读起来琅琅上口，较易记住。

曲曲环环 twisting (free)

叮叮咚咚 murmuring (free)

九溪十八涧则以“曲曲环环路，叮叮咚咚泉”著称。

The place called Nine Creeks and Eighteen Gullies is well-known for its twisting paths and

murmuring streams.

4. Sources of Chinese Idioms (来源）

（1）历史事实

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有些成语是从历史事实来的。其中有的是把某一历史事件，概括为成语的；有的是截取或改易历史里的著名文句为成语的。

A. 完璧归赵

return the jade intact to the State of Zhao—return sth. to its owner in good condition. (literal)

return a thing flawlessly to its owner. (free)

B.门庭若市

The courtyard is as crowded as a marketplace—a much visited house (literal + annotation)

C. 一鼓作气

at the first drum courage is aroused (literal)

at one fling/ at a dash (free)

（2）前人故事

有些成语是由前人的故事来的，这类故事也是确有其人其事，只是其人其事在历史上不是很重要的。这类成语有的比较有风趣，有的有比较好的修辞效果，所以也被人们广泛地使用 。

A.胸有成竹

have a well-thought-out plan before /have a card (or an ace) up one’s sleeve (free)

B. 满城风雨

(news) spread all over the city / become the talk of the town (free)

C.门可罗雀

You can catch sparrows on the doorstep—where visitors are few and far between.

(literal+annotation)

威武不屈heroic and indomitable, 尾大不掉cumbersome , 抱薪救火counter-productive

（3）寓言传说

古书里边也有些含义深刻的寓言，也是成语的来源。这类成语，往往有教训或讽喻的意味。

A.杞人忧天

like the man of Qi who was haunted by the fear that the sky might fall—entertain imaginary or

groudless fears (literal+annotation)

B.邯郸学步

imitate others and thus lose one’s own individuality/ imitate others without success and thus lose

what used to be one’s own ability gait

守株待兔, 刻舟求剑, 画蛇添足 windfalls superfluous

（4）古人原句

成语里面有一些是全用古人语句而不作改动的。

A. 水落石出

（宋朝文学家苏轼的《赤壁赋》：“山高月小，水落石出”“水落石出”本来是纯粹写景的文句，后代用为成语，比喻真实的情况终于显露出来。)

When the water subsides the rocks emerge—the whole thing comes to light. (literal+annotation)

The truth is (or comes)out /the murder is out. (free)

B. 一鸣惊人

(an obscure person) amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (literal)

make one’s mark at the first shot /win popularity with the first work. make a great coup (free)

（5）截用或改易古人语句

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有些成语是截用或者把古人的语句略加改变，然后使用的。截用或改变的原因，主要是为了使其符合成语的结构形式。

A.舍生取义

(《孟子·告子》上篇里有两句话是："生，亦我所欲也；义，亦我所欲也。二者不可得兼，舍生而取义者也。"后人从这两句话里，取出"舍生取义"这四个字作为成语，表示为了维护正义不惜牺牲生命的崇高品质。)

lay down one’s life for a just cause

die for principle/prefer honor to life (free)

B. 一丘之貉

birds of a feather/tigers from the same den/

jackals from the same lair

（6）人民群众用过的精炼词组

成语中绝大部分是人民群众创造的，其中有一些具有浓厚的口语色彩和生活气息。

A. 大海捞针

look for a needle in a bunch of haystack

fish in the air

B. 指桑骂槐

point at the mulberry and abuse the locust—point at one but abuse another (literal +annotation)

make oblique accusations (free)

(7).谚语俗语

有些成语是群众口头中使用的谚语或俗语。

A. 亡羊补牢

Mend the fold after the sheep is stolen.

B. 敝帚千金

cherish an old broom as if it were a thousand pieces of gold—cherish a possession of little value.

（8）外来的成语

成语中也有来自外国的。如佛经里边的语句和典故以及西方的典故、格言以及西洋著作的汉文译本中的精炼语句等。

Ａ．一尘不染

free of dust /stainless/spotless

Ｂ．现身说法

advise sb. or explain sth. by using one’s own experience / take oneself as an example

Ｃ．心花怒放

be wild with joy/be elated (free)

（9）新生成语

随着社会的发展演进，根据社会生活的实际需要，表达新思想意识的成语，就自然会不断地陆续地产生。

A. 推陈出新

weed through the old to bring forth the new

B. 分秒必争

seize every minute and second

race against time (free)

C. 百花齐放

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let a hundred flowers blossom (literal)

5. Methods to Translate Chinese Idioms (方法）

1). Literal translation

直译(在语言形式和比喻形象上有相似之处，虽所用比喻不同，但含义却较相似。尽量在译文中保留原文成语的形象、修辞手段和民族特色）

a. 打草惊蛇：

to stir up the grass and alert the snake (wake a sleeping dog)/act rashly and alert the enemy

b. 对牛弹琴：

to play the lute to a cow (cast the pearls before the swine)

c. 雪中送炭：

to send charcoal in snowy weather

d. 挥金如土：

Spend money like dirt/water

e. 易如反掌：

As easy as turning over one’s hand/palm /easy as my eye

f. 攻其不备：

Strike sb when he is unprepared

g. 声东击西：

Shout in the east and strike in the west /make a feint

h、顺水推舟:

Push the boat with the current

i、朴实无华:

Simple and unadorned

2) Literal translation with annotations直译加注有些习语含有比喻意义、象征意义或是历史典故等）

a.木已成舟:

The wood is already made into a boat—what’s done is done.

b. 杞人忧天:

Like the man of Chi who was haunted by the fear that the sky might fall—unnecessary

anxiety.

c . 朝秦暮楚:

Serve the State of Qin in the morning and the State of Chu in the evening—playing fast and

loose (quick to switch sides)

e. 走马观花:

appreciate flowers while riding on the back of a galloping horse—give a cursory glance.

3). Literal translation with amplification 直译增补 (Amplify the implied meaning (literal

translation + amplification)

a. 望梅止渴：

gaze (look) at plums to quench one’s thirst—vain hope

b. 三头六臂：

with three heads and six arms—superhuman

c. 三顾茅庐：

make three calls at the thatched cottage—repeatedly request sb. to take up a responsible post.

d. 一枕黄粱：

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Golden Millet Dream—a brief dream of grandeur

a fond/pipe dream

e. 一日三秋：

One day (away from a dear one) seems three years—miss one very much

4). Substitutive translation 套译(借用)法

(套译法是指有些英语习语在比喻意义上同汉语习语基本相似，但在形象或比喻手法上略有不同）

A. Chinese and English idioms with identical or similar images 形象比喻相同

a.原形毕露:

show the cloven hoof 狐狸尾巴

b.一文不名:

without a penny to one’s name

c.千钧一发:

hang by a thread

d. 君子协定:

Gentleman’s agreement

e. 空中楼阁

the castle in the air

f. 时时刻刻

Every now and then

B. Chinese and English Idioms are identical in meaning but different in images

但·意象或比喻不同）

a、无足轻重

be of no account

b. 三番五次

again and again

c. 囊空如洗

not to have a bean

d. 掌上明珠

the apple of the eye

e. 害群之马

a black sheep

f. 装腔作势

give oneself airs /put on airs/put on an act

5). Free Translation 意译法

(舍弃原文中的比喻形象，只译出其本质涵义，或作解释性的翻译）

a. 落花流水

be shattered to pieces/utterly routed(溃不成军)

b. 迎刃而解

be readily solved

c. 脱胎换骨

cast off one’s old self and take a new self

thoroughly remould oneself

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·，（含义相同

d. 双管齐下

do both things simultaneously

e. 前赴后继

advance wave by wave

f. 畏首畏尾

over-cautious/flinch

6). Literal and free translation combined直意译相结合

In some cases, literal translation is applied to retain the figurative image of the idiom

while free translation is adopted to explicate the implied or extended meaning.

a.怨声载道:

Complaints/Voices of grievances are heard everywhere.

b.债台高筑

be up to one’s ears in debt

g.贼头贼脑

behave stealthily/furtively/treacherously like a thief

d.杀人如麻:

Kill persons like flies hempen stalks

e.神出鬼没

Come and go like a shadow

f.天罗地网

Nets above and snares below

g.如雷贯耳

Reverberate like a thunder

7). Abridged translation 节译

There are in Chinese lots of set phrases composed of four characters, which are

characterized by two antithetic parts of identical or similar meanings—repetition of a kind. Hence

it suffices to translate only one part of the phrase.

a.自给自足

self-sufficient

b.同心同德

with one mind

e. 天长地久

Eternal like skies /everlasting

d. 惊心动魄

soul-stirring

e. 无影无踪

vanish without a trace

f. 长吁短叹

sigh deeply

g. 狼吞虎咽

wolf sth down

h. 一朝一夕

overnight

6. Noteworthy Points

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1)、注意译文的确切含义。如：“惊天动地”不能译成 move heaven and earth.

2)、尽量译出原文的形象。如：A.这是他梦寐以求的东西。（a. That is what he longs for. b. That

is what he has been longing for day and night/That is what he has been dreaming about.）B、呕心沥血 (a. take infinite pains. b. to work one’s heart out.)

3)、注意说话人的身份以及原文的风格。A、中国人连死都不怕，还怕困难吗？老子说过：“民不畏死，奈何以此惧？”

（Will the Chinese cower before difficulties when they are not afraid even of death? Lao-tze said,

“The people fear not death, why threaten them with it?”）

4)、注意语义的褒贬与轻重。如：“锦上添花”(paint the lily/gild refined gold, add flowers to the

brocade), “淫雨连绵”（rain for days on end, cloudy and drizzly for days on end

汉语习语中数词的英译处理

在汉语习语中数词比比皆是，如：“七嘴八舌”、“低三下四”、“三三两两”等。对习语中数词的翻译，大致可采用直译法与意译法，即对于数目确定而具体的数词，一般直译，如：““三三两两”可以译成“by twos and threes”,而“一箭双雕”就可译成”kill two birds with one

stone”。但对于没有实际意义而表示抽象意义的数词，一般不直接译出，而是采取虚化笼统的方法来处理，如：“五花八门” 就译成“all kinds of”。

1. 直译法(Literal Translation)

A.

保留全部数字

1)一目十行:take in ten lines at one glance

2）七嘴八舌:with seven mouths and eight tongues

3）一寸光阴一寸金:An inch of time is an inch of gold.

4）百花齐放，百家争鸣:Let a hundred flowers blossom and a hundred schools of thought contend

5）与君一席话，胜读十年书

One evening’s conversation with a gentleman is worth more than ten years’ study.

6)千金难买一笑

A thousand pieces of gold can hardly purchase a smile

7）一着不慎满盘皆输

One careless move loses the whole game.

8）一孔之见

A peel-hole view

B、保留部分数字

1）杀一儆百:punish one as an example to others

2）一知半解: have half-baked knowledge

3）两面三刀:double-faced and tricky

4）十拿九稳

Ninety percent sure

5）三心二意: two-minded/ be of two minds

2、意译法 (Free Translation)

A、完全省略数字

1）各执一词:Each sticks to his own version

2）昙花一现: be a flash in the pan

3）一干二净:neat and tidy (thoroughly)

4）不三不四:dubious (inappropriate)

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5）百无聊赖:be overcome with boredom

6）九牛一毛

A drop in the bucket

B、将数字虚化

1）三言两语: a few words

2）五谷丰登: produce good harvests

3）五光十色: all sorts of colors

4）五湖四海: from all corners of the country

5）六亲不认: disown all one’s relatives

6）十全十美

Be perfect in every aspect

7）百川归海

All rivers flow to the sea

8）千里迢迢

Far, far away

9）才高八斗

Have profound learning

10）千秋万代

Throughout the ages

11）十万火急

Most urgent

12）五彩缤纷

All the colors of the rainbow

13）十恶不赦

Wicked to the extreme

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