英语翻译-习语的翻译.ppt

,Main contents,The definition of idiomsThe similarities between Chinese and English idioms 理学院：,The definition of Idioms,According to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary of Current English,an“idiom refers to“a phrase or sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit”.English idioms mainly include set phrases or expressions,colloquialism（俗语）,proverbs（谚语）and slangs（俚语）.,The similarities between Chinese and English idioms,Both China and Britain have a long-time history,ancient civilization and glorious culture.Both the two countries have the similar experience and thought.During the communication of the two countries,cultures are interacting.This made some idioms have the same or similar culture characteristic,Therefore,the idioms are corresponding no matter in meaning,image cultural flavor.In such condition,we could use the source language to translate the target language directly.,Examples,Failure is the mother of success.失败乃成功之母 Misfortunes never come singly.祸不单行 A wolf in sheeps clothing.披着羊皮的狼 Pour oil on fire.火上浇油 Constant dropping wears the stone.水滴石穿,to turn ones boat 破釜沉舟bull market 牛市bear market 熊市easy come,easy go来得容易，去得快 All these show the similarities between the two cultures.When do translating,we can translate directly.,Cultural Differences Reflected by Chinese and English Idioms 理学院,Main contents,Different Living EnvironmentsDifferent Social Customs Different Religions and Believes Different Historic Allusion,1 Different Living Environments,a sea of troubles 无尽的烦恼at sea 不知所措 All these idioms have no relation with sea when they are translated into Chinese.follow the vine to get the melon 顺藤摸瓜,2 Different Social Customs,There are many differences in social customs between Chinese and English languages.The most obvious one is the attitudes towards dogs.,gang of scoundrels 猴朋狗友act as a snob 狗眼看人低luck dog 幸运儿love me,love my dog 爱屋及乌,3 Different Religions and Believes,It is known that most westerners are Christians.So a lot of idioms about it,God helps those who help themselves 自助者天助 God sends fortune to fools 傻人有傻福,However,in China，there are many idioms from Buddhism.,As Buddha needs incense,so man needs respect 佛靠一炷香 人靠一口气Present Buddha with borrowed flowers 借花献佛,4 Different Historic Allusion,There are some differences in historic allusion between Chinese and Western culture.Pandoras box It not refer to a box,it means the root of disaster,trouble and evil.,If we dont know the differences and translate directly,we will make a joke.And the readers will be puzzled.,英语习语翻译 意译法,Index,Definition,Free translation is a skill in translation.Translators should first comprehend the original thoroughly,then translate it correctly by target language,and acceptability comprehend the original thoroughly is on the basis of extensive knowledge and excellent literature training.,Keys,e.g.The dog that will fetch a bone will carry a bone.译文：对你说别人的坏话的人，也会说你的坏话 e.g.smell a rat 译文：怀疑其中有诈 e.g.fight the cat and dog 译文：吵吵闹闹,keys,e.g.a blessing in disguise 译文1：塞翁失马，焉知非福 译文2：祸中得福 e.g.two heads are better than one 译文1：三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮 译文2：一个不及两人智,Keys,e.g.Achilles heel 译文1：阿克勒斯的脚后跟 译文2：惟一致命的弱点e.g.laugh off ones head 译文1：笑掉大牙（看笑话）译文2：笑的很夸张（beyond reasonable limits）,Literal translation,Definition:,Literal translation,refers to translate a sentence originally,keep the original message form,including construction of sentences,meaning of the original words,metaphor of the original and so on.,Literal translation in English idioms：,It is estimated that there is about 70%translation use the literal approach.The majority of English idioms can be literally translated.,Examples of literal translation：,Practice makes perfect.“熟能生巧”,Strike while the iron is hot.“趁热打铁”,All roads lead to Rome.“条条大路通罗马”,Example is better than precept.“身教胜于言传”,Every life has its roses and thorns.“人生道路上有鲜花也有荆棘”,Attentions!,Literal translation word for word translation.Blind pursuit of literal translation will lead to mistranslation.Dont be bound hand and foot by the source language syntax.The specific meaning of idioms is according to the idioms occasions,conditions and patterns.Complement literal translation and free translation.,习语的翻译注释法,CONTENTS,What is annotation,Annotation is a kind of translation method being used when you are in the face of some idioms withliterary quotation so that you have to comment on its culture background for the sake of retaining the national feature and local character of the idioms.Usually speaking,we use it in the following two ba-sic forms instead of using annotation alone:,annotation,The classification of annotation,Literal translation+notes,Through literal translation,readers can catch the culture information easily,but it will be difficult for t-hem to understand the deeply meaning of those id-ioms exactly without the help of notes.Therefore,literal translation with notes can not only provide you with literary quotation,resources and complementary material,it also enhances the idioms acceptability as well as its original flavor.,1.“难道这也是个痴丫头，又象颦儿来葬花不成?”因又自笑道：“若真也葬花,可谓东施效颦了；不但不为新奇,而是更是可厌。”(红楼梦)“Can this be another absurd maid come to bury flowers like Daiyu？”he wondered in some amusement.”If so,shes Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi,which isnt original but rather tiresome Dong Shi was a famous beauty in the ancient Kingdom of Yueh.Xi Shi was an ugly girl who tried to imitate her ways.,Literal translation+notes,2.鲍小姐秀色可餐，你看饱了不用吃饭了。(围城)Miss Baos beauty is such a feast to the eye,and you got your fill just looking at her and didnt have to eat.Literally,beautiful enough to be eaten.,Literal translation+notes,3.As American as apple pie.像苹果派一样是典型美国式的。(注：苹果馅饼是美国人喜欢的甜品之一，据说是美国人发明的，因此这个短语用来强调某种东西是真正美国式的。),Literal translation+notes,Free translation+notes,Sometimes it is not so effective to convey the cultural identity of some idioms that it is necessary to add notes on annotation.,1.心较比干多一窍,病如西子胜三分。(红楼梦)She looked more sensitive than Bi Gan1,more delicate than Xi Shi2.1A prince noted for his great intelligence at the end of the Shang Dynasty.2A famous beauty of the ancient kingdom of Yueh.,Free translation+notes,2.The team met its Waterloo in the final.该球队在决赛中惨遭失败。（注:Waterloo滑铁卢,比利时城镇,1815年拿破仑的军队在此惨遭失败。),Free translation+notes,3.Its like robbing Peter to pay Paul.(Fargo)借债还债，相近的还有拆东墙补西墙，剜肉补疮等。（注:Peter和Paul都是耶稣的使徒,16世纪时英国威士敏斯特教区尊奉彼得为保护神,而伦敦教区尊奉保罗为保护圣徒。1550年威士敏斯特教区并入伦敦教区，原圣彼得教堂的许多财物被拨归圣保罗大教堂作修缮使用。这一做法当时人们用rob Peter to pay Paul一语来形容,后人们用该语来比喻“借债还债”）。,Free translation+notes,还原法（Reduction method）,College of Computer ScienceGong Wenqin计算机学院龚文琴,还原法(Reduction method),Definition：Actually,“Reduction method”is an unusual translation method when traditional translation method is useless.The“Reduction method”use a method which diluted the original language by means of color to exchange between languages.In English,many idioms with unique and vivid metaphor,historical allusions,structural rhetorical should only use“reduction method”to be translated.,For example,1、have an ax to grind(别有用心)The literal meaning of this idiom and image translation can hardly be understood by Chinese people.The literal translation of this phrase should be“有一把斧子要磨.But later,this language will gradually switch to as 心怀叵测，别有用心.,2、Their marriage is on the rocks.,This can not be understood in its literal meaning and be translated into“他们的婚姻在岩石上”。In fact,“on the rocks”is an idiom to express the brink of marriage on the rocks or business bankruptcy.,3、We really need someone to break the ice.,This can not be understood in its literal meaning and be translated into“我们的确需要一个人来砸破冰”。In fact,“break the ice”is an idiom to express on the beginning of the initial encounter or gathering to do something to cancel or mitigate the situation or the tension,and its so-called打破僵局.,4、armed to the teethAlthough similar in Chinese idiom,全副武装 but 武装到牙齿 is more vivid.,5、Kill two birds with one stoneWhile there are two idioms 一箭双雕 and 一举两得“which is same with the core meaning of the Chinese meaning,but 一石二鸟,the translation is refreshing and enriching the Chinese idiom.,Furthermore,There are some commonly used Chinese idioms from English.This type of translation is only to revert to the original English idioms,and this translation is known as reduction method.,For instance,1、他只好硬着头皮，装出也不在乎的态度，实际上是勉勉强强地给她牵着鼻子走。（周而复：上海的早晨）He had no alternative but to brazen it out and pretend that he did not care,either,though the fact of the matter was that he was being reluctantly led by the nose.“牵着鼻子走”is a literal translation from the foreign language,now reduced to as long as“led by the nose”.,2、原来被捕的同志全押在这里，像沙丁鱼罐头一样，挤得紧紧的。（曲波：林海雪原）,Here the captured comrades were jammed together like sardines.“像沙丁鱼罐头一样，挤得紧紧的”means“挤得像罐头沙丁鱼”.This idiom is also a literal translation from English,and here it reverted to“jammed together like sardines”（=packed like sardines）。,Shool of Management Wenguang Zhong,Idioms translation,Borrowing translation,feelings about objectivity,emotions,social experiences,crossing point between English and Chinese idioms,Borrowing translation can be used.,literal meanings、figurative meanings、implied meanings picturesque metaphors and rhetoric devices,Two dogs strive for a bone and the third runs away with it.两条狗争抢一块骨头，却被另外一条狗抢走了。,To put the boot on the wrong leg.靴子穿错了腿。,张冠李戴,鹤蚌相争，渔翁得利。,To pay back in his own coin.以子之矛，攻子之盾Coinweapon（矛/盾）,The early bird catches the worm.捷足先登Birdpeople,Yeah,it was real neck and neck there for a while.平分秋色,Yeah,it was real neck and neck there for a while.半斤八两,增译法Amplification,Definition,Amplification,also called addition,means supplying necessary words in the translation on the basis of accurate comprehension of the original.Many idiomatic expressions that are well understood in the country of their,origin can hardly make sense to the people from a different country.Therefore,it is necessary for a translator to alter the original pattern through adding some words in the translation.,Definition,Examples,Examples,Examples,Examples,Examples,Examples,The Points for Attention in the Translation of English Idioms,Idiom translation is rather complicated.There are two points which should merit our attention in translation practice.,1 Avoiding word-for word translation,As we know,idioms have the feature of semantic unity and we cannot deduce the meaning from the component part of an idiom,thus a word-for-word translation may lead to the distortion of the original message.,For example,a word-for-word translation for“free living”may be“自由生活”,but it actually means“奢侈的生活”.“He has the legs of me”can not be translated into“他有我的腿”,but“他比我跑得快”.“Last night I heard him driving his pigs to market”does not mean“昨晚我听见他把猪赶进市场”,but“昨晚我听见他鼾声如雷”.,2 Avoiding indiscriminate substitution of the original idiom with a Chinese idiom which is highly culture-bound.,Since idioms best reflect the special features of a nation or a culture,we should not exchange for another in the target language an idiom with distinctive national and local flavor.Such an idiom may be associated with some specific situations of a nation such as history,economy,culture,life,customs,natural environment etc.,In translating these idioms,we should take full account of cultural differences and national flavors,and oppose a blind substitution with a highly culture-bound Chinese idiom.Otherwise our translation will bring about the loss of the original images and causes cultural confusions and incorrect associations.,For example:“to carry coals to Newcastle”should not be translated into“带着瓷器上浮梁”,because 浮梁is a place where china was produced in ancient China,it actually means“运煤炭到纽卡斯尔去-多此一举”.For the same reason,“Do not teach your grandmother to suck eggs”can not be translated into“不要关公面前耍大刀”but“能人面前莫逞能”.,Culture-loaded words in the idioms,1.my uncle is a hen-pecked husband 我叔叔是个妻管严。,a hen party只有女性参加的告别单身晚会old hen 老婆子 one chick keeps a hen busy 谚一只小鸡也得母鸡照顾（意指一个孩子也叫娘不省心）,2.Rats desert a falling horse.树倒猢狲散,a rat leaving a sinking ship 不能共患难的人smell a rat 怀疑其中有诈like a drowned rat 像落汤鸡like a rat in the hole 瓮中之鳖 as quiet as a rat 鸦雀无声,3.she is a cat 她是个包藏祸心的女人 regal as a lion 庄严 a lion 名流、社交场合的宠儿 big fish 大亨 fresh fish 新囚犯 puppy-love 初恋,4.Leave her alone,for she is in holiday blue 别理她，她处于周末的蓝色 别理她，她患了假期综合症,blue blood 出身于名门世家。blue stocking 女学者或女才子blue print 指周详的计划。once in a blue moon 千载难逢之事。,5.Dont show the white feather to the enemy 不要向敌人示弱,days with a white stone 某人幸福的日子white light 正直无私的判断this is very white of you 你真诚实a man who wears a white hat 指正直的人、英雄。,6.a green eyed monster 嫉妒 a yellow dog 胆小鬼或卑鄙小人 to born in the purple 出身于帝王之家 black sheep 害群之马,败家子 the black art 妖术 to see the red light 觉察到灾祸降临,