今天,小编为大家介绍成语英译的方法。
一、灵活翻译
1)比喻形象不能被译文读者所接受,意译为佳。
例4、沉鱼落雁 直译:something makes the fish dive down and geese fall.
意译:dazzling beauty/ striking beauty
解析:“沉鱼落雁”是极富东方特色的一种表述,中国读者当然十分清楚这里的“something”是指什么,但是国外读者恐怕难以知晓,甚至觉得可能是“雷电”或“飓风”等自然灾害让动物死亡。既然“沉鱼落雁”的字面意义误导英语读者,便大可采用意译的方式。
例5、灯红酒绿 直译:with red lights and green wine
意译:dissipated and luxurious
开门见山 直译:to open the door and see the mountain
意译:to come straight to the point
解析:以上两个例子,直译都会造成误解,采用意译为佳。在与其他文化接触时,人们很难摆脱自身的文化传统和思维方式,往往按照自己习惯的思维模式来解读,这就产生了难以避免的文化误解。这就需要在翻译中注意换位思考。
2)字面上含有中国古代人名、地名,或出自寓言或历史典故的成语,最好绕开其文化背景,翻译其内涵意义。若加上解释性文字,则失去了成语短小精炼的特点。
例6、毛遂自荐 to volunteer one's service
东施效颦 crude imitation with ludicrous effect
悬梁刺股 to be extremely hard-working in one's study
四面楚歌 to be besieged on all sides
解析:“毛遂自荐”指的是赵国平原君的门客毛遂自动请缨的故事,如果翻译时将毛遂的人名加上,不免让英文读者一头雾水。而这成语本身就是一个典故,若是后缀英文解释又显得过于累赘。
3)汉语成语和英语成语在意义上对等,可用英语成语翻译,使译文读者便于理解和更觉亲切。
例7、赴汤蹈火 go through fire and water
小题大做 make a mountain out of a molehill
洗心革面 turn over a new leaf
汉语成语的翻译相当复杂,既要保持原文特色,又要尊重本国国庆民俗,特别是传统观念;既要引入异国元素,又要考虑译文读者的反应和感受。而且汉语成语变化多端,同一成语因其上下文语境不同,意思也大为不同。因此,在翻译汉语成语时,译者在透彻理解原文的基础上,要善于随机应变,巧做处理。
二、字面翻译
1)汉语成语没有比喻意义,字面意思也就是实际意义。
例1、劳苦功高 to have spent toilsome labour and won distinctive merits
攻其不备 to strike sb when he is unprepared
牢不可破 to be strongly built as to be indestructible
2)汉语成语的字面翻译能够为译文读者所接受,其比喻效果和原文一样形象生动,译文能使读者很快联想到英文中的对等成语,可以使字面翻译。
例2、黛玉道:“跌了灯值钱呢,还是跌了人值钱?你又穿不惯木屐子。那灯笼叫他们前头点着;这个又轻巧又亮,原是雨里自己拿着的。你自己手里拿着这个,岂不好?明儿在送来——就失了手也有限的,怎么忽然又变出这‘剖腹藏珠’的脾气来!”
Which is more valuable, lamp or man? You're not used to wearing pattens, so get them to carry the horn lantern in front and take this one yourself, since it's handy and bright and meant to be used in the rain. Wouldn't that be better? You can send it back later. And even if your drop it, it won't matter. What's come over you suddenly that you want to ' cut open your stomach to hide a pearl'? ( translated by Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang)
解析:“剖腹藏珠”意思为为了一点小利益而牺牲大利益,译文直接按照字面意思翻译为“cut open your stomach to hide a pearl”,比喻十分形象生动。译文读者理解字面意思,能够获得英语对等成语“penny wise and pound foolish”同样的效果。
例3、竭泽而渔 to drain a pond to catch all the fish
(相当于kill the goose that lays the golden eggs)
打草惊蛇 to stir up the grass and alert the snake
(相当于 wake a sleeping dog)
守口如瓶 to keep one's mouth closed like a bottle
(相当于 keep a still tongue in one's head)
解析:但是这种方法并不适用于一切成语翻译。比如“狗血淋头”,在汉语里通常形容骂人骂得凶,绝对没有“淋狗血”的意思。翻译成“pour dog's blood on sb”,懂英语的中国人可能心领神会,但外国人却大为不解。成语是一个民族文化的精华,越是民族的越具有特色,中西成语和谚语中也只有少部分吻合。
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