李长栓《非文学翻译理论与实践》第2版翻译示例汇总第13章隐喻、俗语等文化词语的翻译13.2隐喻的翻译方法1.直译(在译入语中再现相同意象)。
(1)a ray of hope【译文】一线希望(2)spend money like water【译文】花钱如流水(也可借用“挥金如土”)(3)be armed to the teeth【译文】武装到牙齿(4)crocodile tears【译文】鳄鱼的眼泪(5)God helps those who help themselves.【译文】自助者天助也。
2.借用(用标准的译入语意象替代源语意象，但不得和译入语文化相抵触)。
(1)sunny smile【译文】灿烂的微笑；(2)Among the blind the one-eyed man is king.【译文】山中没老虎，猴子称霸王(3)He who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl.【译文】近朱者赤，近墨者黑(4)Old dog will not learn new tricks.【译文】人过三十不学艺(5)Talk of the devil(and he will appear).【译文】说到曹操，曹操就到(6)物不平则鸣【译文】Injustice will cry out.(7)负荆请罪【译文】abject apologies(8)burn one’s boats(bridges)【译文】破釜沉舟【解析】用来比喻“不留后路，下定决心干到底”，意思同汉语的“破釜沉舟”，形象稍有差异；(9)Kill the goose toget the eggs【译文】杀鸡取卵【解析】比喻只贪图眼前利益，没有长远打算，与汉语“杀鸡取卵”意思相同，喻体也相近。
3.把隐喻翻译为明喻，保留原来的意象，这样可以避免隐喻造成的突兀。
(1)龙飞凤舞【译文】like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing(2)狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心。
【译文】Like the dog that bit Lu Tung-pin—you bite the hand that feeds you.4.直译＋意译(把比喻翻译为比喻＋意思)。
(1)A skeleton in the closet【译文】衣柜里的骷髅，见不得人的事儿(2)龙飞风舞【译文】like dragons flying and phoenixes dancing—bold cursive calligraphy (3)Pandora’S box【译文】潘多拉的盒子——灾难、麻烦、祸害的根源(4)病来如山倒，病去如抽丝。
【译文】Getting better is always a lengthy business.You know what they say “Sickness comes like an avalanche but goes like reeling silk”.5.意译(把比喻转换为意思)。
(1)Every family is said to have at least one skeleton in the cupboard.【译文】据说家家户户至少也有一桩家丑；(2)The teenagers don't invite Bob to their parties because he is a wet blanket.【译文】青少年们不邀请鲍勃参加他们的聚会因为他是一个令人扫兴的人；(3)Old dog will not learn new tricks.【译文】老人学不了新东西；(4)Achilles’heel【译文】唯一致命弱点；(5)meet one’s waterloo【译文】一败涂地；(6)说得天花乱坠，不由得尤老娘不肯。
【译文】He painted such a glowing picture that naturally old Mrs.agreed.6.删除。
他不但不去管约，反助纣为虐讨好。
【译文】he had not checked his disgraceful behavior but actually abetted him in order to curry favor.7.直译＋解释。
(1)To carry coals to Newcastle【译文】运煤到纽卡斯尔，多此一举(注：“纽卡斯尔”是英国的一个产煤中心地，运煤到此是多余的事)；(2)班门弄斧【译文1】show off one’s skill with the axe before Lu Ban the master carpenter.【直译译文2】show off one’s talent/skill before an expert；(3)卧薪尝胆【译文】sleep on brush-wood and taste gall—undergo self-imposed hardship(to strengthen one’s resolve to wipe out a national humiliation or to accomplish some ambition)。
13.4汉英隐喻翻译举例13.4.1比喻1.当前，国有经济战线太长，重复建设严重，布局过于分散，企业规模偏小，素质较差，这是造成国有企业经营困难，高投入、低产出，高消耗、低收益的重要原因。
【原译】At present,the strength of the state-owned sector is spread too thin. Moreover,it is haunted by such problems as repeated construction,excessively scattered distribution of industry,small scale of the enterprises and poor product quality.These problems cause many difficulties for the management of state-owned enterprises,such as high input,low output,high consumption of energy and other resources and low efficiency.(Foreign Languages Press)【解析】“战线长”：指行业分布广。
另外，“布局分散’’这一表达方法很抽象，它的意思是指涉足的领域多，和“战线长”意思相同。
所以翻译时有必要把比喻和抽象的内容落到实处，把重复的信息合并。
【译文】Lack of focus,duplication,small scale,and poor quality are major causes of operational difficulties such as low efficiency and high energy intensity in the state-owned sector.2.近年来，世界经济低迷给国际航空运输业的发展蒙上了一层阴影，去年发生的“9.11”恐怖事件，更是雪上加霜，使国际航空运输业再次遭受重创。
【译文】Global economic slowdown in recent years has encumbered growth of the international air transport industry．Last year’s September11th attack only madeit worse.3.没有社会的稳定，就没有经济的发展和社会的进步。
而社会保障则是维护社会稳定的重要防线。
【译文】Without social stability,neither economic growth nor social progress is possible.And social security is essential for stability.4.应当说，中国与俄罗斯和欧洲国家在多极化方面是有共同利益的，中国和欧洲国家也没有什么重大的利益冲突，在建立多极化的进程中可以寻找到更多的共同语言。
【译文】Multi-polarity is one area which China,Russia,and Europe share common interests.Without major conflict of interests between them,China and Europe can find more common ground in building a multi-polar world.5.第二，是要给实际上处于不利境况或者是社会底层的人以制度化的实际帮助(包括生活救济和其他方面的救助)，使法律上的平等对他们而言不再是无实际意义的镜中之花、水中之月。
【译文】Second,there must be real institutional support(for living and other needs) for the disadvantaged and the lower social classes,so that equality under the law is no longer mere rhetoric.6.我们能漂亮地打赢一场神出鬼没的战役，当然是战略奏效，主帅领导有方，而老百姓也理智地给以充分的配合。
对抗沙斯的战役为新加坡赢得了声誉，这个宝贵的资产是属于全国。