-
汉语成语英译四法
I.
直译法
直译法（
literal translation
）能够保留原文的巧喻及形式，是翻译成语的最
好方法。
< br>但直译法必须在不违背译文的语法习惯，
又不致引起误解的情况下才能
使用。例如：
川流不息→
flowing past in an
endless stream
犬马之劳→
to
serve like a dog or a horse
易如反掌→
as easy as turning
over one's hand
触景生情→
the
scene brings back memories
无可救药→
beyond cure
II.
意译法
有的成语用直译法无法表达
其意，
我们只好忍痛割舍原文的巧喻，
改以意义
（
free
translation
）来翻译。例如：
木已成舟→
What's done is done.
杞人忧天→
unnecessary anxiety
东施效颦→
blindly copying others
and making oneself look foolish
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩→
Willingly fall
into the snare.
III.
同义成语借用法
有的汉语成语在内容和形式上都能够与英语成语相通，
这时我们可以用同
文的英
语习语或成语来翻译汉语成语。例如：
隔墙有耳→
Walls have ears.
绞尽脑汁→
to rack one's brains
一文不名→
without a penny to
one's name
谋事在人，成事在天→
Man
proposes, God disposes.
说曹操，曹操到→
Talk of the evil
and he is sure to come.
对牛弹琴→
to throw pearls before
swine
IV.
注释法
<
/p>
翻译汉语成语时，
我们还可采用注释法
（
explanation
），
运用该种方法的好处
是能介绍本国成语的特色，并能兼顾比喻、形式、
清晰各方面。例如：我们前面
意译法中的几个成语还可这样译：
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩→
like the fish
rising to Jiang Taigong's hookless
and
baitless line
东施效颦→
Dong
Shi, an ugly woman, knitting her eyebrows in
imitation
of the famous beauty Xi Shi
only to make herself uglier.
木已成舟→
the wood is already
make into a boat
杞人忧天→
like
the man of Qi who was haunted by the fear that the
sky
might fall
爱屋及乌
Love me, love my dog.
百闻不如一见
Seeing is believing.
比上不足，比下有余
better
than the worst
笨鸟先飞
A slow
sparrow should make an early start.
不眠之夜
white night
不以物喜，不以己悲
not pleased by
external gains, not saddened by personnal losses
不遗余力
spare no effort; go all
out; do one's best
不打不成交
拆东墙补西墙
rob Peter to pay Paul
辞旧迎新
bid farewell
to the old and usher in the new; ring out the old
year and ring in the new
大事化小，小事化了
try first to make
their mistake sound less serious and then to
reduce it to
nothing at all
大开眼界
open one's eyes; broaden
one's horizon; be an eye-opener
国泰民安
The country flourishes
and people live in peace
过犹不及
going too far is as bad
as not going far enough; beyond is as wrong as
falling short; too
much is as bad as
too little
功夫不负有心人
Everything comes to
him who waits.
好了伤疤忘了疼
once on shore, one
prays no more
好事不出门，
恶事传千里
Good
news never goes beyond the gate, while bad news
spread far and
wide.
和气生财
Harmony brings wealth
活到老，学到老
One is never too old
to learn.
既往不咎
let bygones be bygones
金无足赤
,
人无完人
Gold can't be pure and man can't be
perfect.
金玉满堂
Treasures fill the home
脚踏实地
be down-to-earth
脚踩两只船
sit on the
fence
君子之交淡如水
the
friendship between gentlemen is as pure as
crystal; a hedge between keeps
friendship green
老生常谈，陈词滥调
cut and dried,
cliché
礼尚往来
Courtesy calls
for reciprocity.
留得青山在，不怕没柴
烧
马到成功
achieve
immediate victory; win instant success
名利双收
gain in both fame and
wealth
茅塞顿开
be suddenly
enlightened
没有规矩不成方圆
Nothing
can be accomplished without norms or
standards.
每逢佳节倍思亲
On
festive occasions more than ever one thinks of
one's dear ones far away.
It is on the
festival occasions when one misses his dear most.
谋事在人，成事在天
God
disposes.
弄巧成拙
be too smart
by half; Cunning outwits itself.
拿手好戏
masterpiece
赔了夫人又折兵
throw good money
after bad
抛砖引玉
a modest spur
to induce others to come forward with valuable
contributions; throw a
sprat to catch a
whale
破釜沉舟
cut off all means
of retreat
；
burn one‘s own
way of retreat and be determined to fight
to the end
抢得先机
take the preemptive
opportunities
巧妇难为无米之炊
If you have no hand
you can't make a fist./ One can't make bricks
without
straw.
千里之行始于足下
a thousand-li
journey begins with the first step--the highest
eminence is to
be gained step by step <
/p>
前事不忘
,
后事之师
Past experience, if not forgotten, is a guide for the future.
前人栽树
,
后人乘凉
One generation plants the trees
in whose shade another generation
rests.
One sows and another
reaps.
前怕狼
,
后怕虎
fear the wolf in front and the
tiger behind/ hesitate in doing something
强龙难压地头蛇
Even a dragon (from
the outside) finds it hard to control a snake in
its old haunt
- Powerful outsiders can
hardly afford to neglect local bullies.
强强联手
win-win co-
operation
瑞雪兆丰年
A timely snow
promises a good harvest.
人之初
,
性本善
Man's nature at birth is
good.
人逢喜事精神爽
Joy puts heart
into a man.
人海战术
huge-crowd strategy
世上无难事，只要肯攀登
世外桃源
a fictitious land of
peace away from the turmoil of the world;
死而后已
until my
heart stops beating
岁岁平安
Peace all year round
上有天堂，下有苏杭
earth.
塞翁失马，焉知非福
Misfortune
may be an actual blessing.
三十而立
At thirty, a man should be able to
think for himself.
升级换代
updating and upgrading
(of products)
四十不惑
Life
begins at forty.
谁言寸草心，报得三春晖
水涨船高
When the river rises,
the boat floats high
时不我待
Time and tide wait for
no man.
杀鸡用牛刀
break a butterfly on
the wheel
实事求是
seek truth from facts;
be practical and realistic; be true to facts
说曹操
,
曹
操到
T
alk of the devil and he
comes.
实话实说
speak
the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as
it is
实践是检验真理的唯一标准
Practice is the
sole criterion for testing truth.
山不在高，有仙则名
there is
a fairy;
韬光养晦
hide one's
capacities and bide one's time
糖衣炮弹
sugar-coated bullets
天有不测风云
Anything unexpected
may happen. a bolt from the blue
团结就是力量
Unity is strength.
“
跳进黄河洗不清
”
clean--there's nothing one can do to clear one's
name
歪风邪气
unhealthy practices and
evil phenomena
物以类聚，人以群分
Birds of a feather
flock together.
往事如风
望子成龙
hold high hopes for
one's child
屋漏又逢连阴雨
Misfortunes never
come singly. When it rains it pours.
文韬武略
military expertise;
military strategy
唯利是图
draw water to one's mill
无源之水
,
无本之木
water without a source, and a tree
wiithout roots
无中生有
make/create something
out of nothing
无风不起浪
There are no waves
without wind. There's no smoke without fire.
徇私枉法
bend the law for the
benefit of relatives or friends
新官上任三把火
a new broom sweeps
clean
虚心使人进步
,
骄傲使人落后
Modesty helps one go
forward, whereas conceit makes one lag
behind.
蓄势而发
accumulate strength for
a take-off
心想事成
May all your
wish come true
心照不宣
have a
tacit understanding; give tacit consent; tacit
understanding
先入为主
First
impressions are firmly entrenched.
先下手为强
catch the ball before
the bound
像热锅上的蚂蚁
like an ant
on a hot pan
现身说法
warn people
by taking oneself as an example
息事宁人
pour oil on troubled
waters
喜忧参半
mingled hope and fear
循序渐进
step by step
一路平安，一路顺风
speed somebody on
their way; speed the parting guest
严以律己
,
宽以待人
be strict with oneself and lenient towards others
鱼米之乡
a land of milk and honey
有情人终成眷属
有钱能使鬼推磨
Money makes the mare
go. Money talks.
有识之士
people
of vision
有勇无谋
use brawn
rather than brain
有缘千里来相会
Separated as we are
thousands of miles apart, we come together as if
by
predestination.
与时俱进
advance with times
以人为本
people oriented; people
foremost
因材施教
teach students according
to their aptitude
欲穷千里目，更上一
层楼
further, were you to look
farther; Would eye embrace a thousand miles? Go
up, one flight.
欲速则不达
Haste does not bring
success.
优胜劣汰
survival of the fittest
英雄所见略同
Great
minds think alike.
冤家宜解不宜结
Better make friends
than make enemies.
冤假错案
false or
wrong cases
一言既出，驷马难追
A real man never
goes back on his words.
招财进宝
Money and treasures will
be plentiful
债台高筑
become
debt-ridden
致命要害
Achilles'
heel
众矢之的
target
of public criticism
知己知彼
,
百战不殆
Know the enemy and know
yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles
with no danger of defeat.
纸上谈兵
be an armchair
strategist
纸包不住火
Truth will
come to light sooner or later.
左右为难
between the devil and
the deep blue sea; between the rock and the hard
place
见机行事。
Act
according to circumatances.
兵不厌诈。
All is fair in war.
种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆。
As you
sow, so shall you reap.
血浓于水。
Blood is thicker than
water.
海内存知己，天涯若比邻。
A bosom friend afar brings a distant
land near.
简洁是指挥的灵魂。
Breity
is the soul of wit.
公事公办。
Business is
business.
笨鸟先飞。
Clumsy birds have to start flying
early.
习惯成自然。
Custom is a second nature.
早动手，早收获。
Early
sow, early mow.
吃一堑，长一智。
A fall
into the pit, a gain in your wit.
欲速则不达。
Haste
makes waste.
历史总在重演。
History
repeats itsdlf.
酒后吐真言。
In wine
there is truth.
祸不单行。
Misfortunes
never come singly.
一失足成千古恨。
A
moment's error can bring a lifelong regret.
不打不相识。
No discord, no concord.
一失足成千古恨。
One
false step brings everlasting grief
突飞猛进
by leaps and
bounds
活蹦乱跳
alive and kicking
患难与共
to share
weal and woe
少年老成