3. 适合直译的谚语
① 明枪易躲，暗箭难防。 It is easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard
against an arrow shot from hiding. ② 路遥知马力，日久见人心。 As a long road tests a horse’s strength, so a long task proves a
意译：to feel terribly uneasy
直译法:保留原文表达方式，能最大限度在译文 中再现成语中的形象和感情色彩。
其他诸如： 如鱼得水 Feel just like fish getting into water 临阵磨枪 Sharpen one’s spear only before going into battle 狐假虎威 The fox borrows the tiger’s terror 对牛弹琴 Play the harp to a bull
5). 有些成语在英语中没有对应的表达而无法套译，也不 能根据字面直译，否则读者无法接受和理解，从而造成 误解；
一般则采用比较保险的意译法。 意译法，虽然难以保全成语的文化特色和具体形象，却
能简洁明快地反映出成语的喻意。
① 眉飞色舞 Eyebrow are flying and countenance is dancing. （直译，
其他成语意译举例：
手忙脚乱 In a frantic rush 立竿见影 Get instant results 明火执仗 Do evil things openly 牵肠挂肚 Be full of anxiety and worry 快马加鞭 Speed up
藕断丝连 Have not cut off relations completely 归心似箭 Be very anxious to return home 开门见山 Come straight to the point 黔驴技穷 At one’s wits’ end 守株待兔 Trust to chance and stroke of luck
have you been hiding at home for so long, instead of bring your money here to give us all a good time.
2).打草惊蛇
例句：不要动声色，不要打草惊蛇。我们不妨看看他们如 何活动。
《山乡巨变》周立波
意译：To gain a superficial understanding through cursory observation.
4). 如坐针毡 直译：to feel as if sitting on a cushion filled with needles. 例句：且说林冲在柴大官人东庄上，听得这话，如坐针毡。 《水浒传》施耐庵
4). 骨瘦如柴 例句：他骨瘦如柴，只穿着一条夹裤和一件败色的旧薄棉
袍。
《日出》曹禺 套译：to be a bag of bones, to be skin and bones
He is a bad of bones and he is wearing only a pair of lined trousers and an old, faded, thin wadded gown.
4. 能够套译的汉语成语 一些汉语成语在意义上和英语 成语一致，但表达的形象和
意象不同，可以采用套译法翻译
1).挥金如土 例句：少卿兄挥金如土，为什么躲在家里用，不拿来这里
我们大家玩玩？ 《儒林外史》吴敬梓 套译：to spend money like water I understand you spend money like water, sir. In that case, why
其他套译举例：
笑掉大牙 Laugh off one’s head 乱七八糟 At sixes and sevens 东张西望 Look right and left 抛砖引玉 To throw a sprat to catch a herring 缘木求鱼 Seek a hare in hen’s nest
promise. 敷衍塞责
② bury the hatchet They had been enemies for ages, but after a fight they
buried the hatchet. 偃旗息鼓；休战和好
③ by the cut of one’s jib I see you are a sailor by the cut of your jib. 从外表上看
熟语的翻译
Translation of Idiomatic Phrases
成语、谚语、歇后语和惯用语等
成语的翻译
1. 英语中的成语
① give a lick and a promise You did not wash your hands; you just gave them a lick and a
3). 走马观花 直译：to ride out on horseback to enjoy flowers
例句：调查有两种方法，一种是走马观花，一种是下马看 花。
《毛泽东选集》
There are two ways of making investigations, one is to look at flowers on horseback and the other is to get off your horse and look at them.
person’s heart. ③ 初生牛犊不怕虎 New-born calves make little of tigers.
4. 适合意译的谚语
套译：to wake a sleeping dog
Don’t say anything about it; we mustn’t wake a sleeping dog. There is no harm in our keeping an eye on the sort of activities they engaged in.
3. 能够直译的成语
1). 兔死狐悲 直译：Foxes will grieve at the death of the hare. 例句：获曰：“‘兔死狐悲，物伤其类’，吾与汝皆是各洞之
主，往日无怨，何故害我？” 《三国演义》罗贯中 “When the hare dies the fox mourns,” said Meng Huo. “One
2). 调虎离山 直译：to lure the tiger out of the hills 例句：“……我中了他的调虎离山计啦。” 《林海雪原》 曲波
“…I’ve fallen for his luring the tiger out of the hills scheme. ” 意译：to lure the enemy from his base.
sympathizes with one’s own as a rule. We are both chiefs and have been friends. I know not why you injure me?” 意译：All things are sorry for their own kind.
5). 画蛇添足
例句：将军功绩已成，威声大震，可以止矣；今若前进， 尚不如意，正如画蛇添足也。
《三国演义》罗贯中
套译：to paint the lily
General, you have won a great victory, which will bring you fame. If you attempt more, things may go wrong, and you will only paint the lily.
3). 掌上明珠
例句：哥哥有伤心事，培培是他的掌上明珠，他们都能平 安无事。
《我们家的炊事员》 母国政
套译：her had gone through a personal tragedy, and Peipei was the apple of his eye; they could all get by without any trouble.
胆小如鼠 As timid as a hare/ rabbit 瓮中之鳖 Like a rat in a hole 无风不起浪 There is no smoke without fire 挂羊头卖狗肉 Cry up wine and sell vinegar 新官上任三把火 New brooms sweep clean 偷鸡不成蚀把米 Go for wool and come back shorn
对于历史故事类或寓言类的成语，要采用意译，译出其内 涵意义，直译和加注解释会使译文臃肿难懂，失去成语的 精粹特点。
① 毛遂自荐 To volunteer one’s service ② 南柯一梦 A fond dream or illusory joy ③ 四面楚歌 To be besieged on all sides ④ 倾国倾城 To be exceedingly beautiful ⑤ 悬梁刺股 To be extremely hard-working in one’s study grind away at one's studies
④ backstairs influence He met the congressmen in secret to exert backstairs
influence. 暗中势力；幕后人物
2. 汉语中的成语
成语（idiom; set phrase）是语言中经过长期使用、锤炼 而形成的固定短语，它是比词的含义更丰富而语法功能 又相当于词的语言单位，而且富有深刻的思想内涵，简 短精辟易记易用。