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习语的翻译--Part I 课文学习--第十一页
（ Translation of Idioms ） |
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| We often hear the expression “真是个黑色星期五”， connoting that something unhappy happened, while some may not know that this idiom originated from English Bile, because Jesus Christ was hanged on this day, thus “black Friday” got its name. later it has its extended meaning “发生灾难事件的星期五”， and also has gradually been translated and used by Chinese as “黑色星期五”。 We can also find the similar cases in English idioms whose literal translations are now being widely used among Chinese people, e.g.: Yellow Page (黄页)： This is a book with the telephone numbers of different shops ， businesses organizations etc ．， arranged in the order of different categories ． It is a very useful handbook whose page are yellow ． And it is easily accepted and used by Chinese people in daily 1ife as “城市黄页”． “ To see someone's ancestors' ' ( 去见祖先 )is a euphemism for “to die”. This expression is vivid and the literal equivalent translation “去见祖先 ”is just easy for the ordinary reader to understand ． “ Armed to the teeth” “ 武装到牙齿' sounds a bit exaggerating ， but very impressive ． The image of a person armed to the teeth is so picturesque that it is hard for the target language reader to forget ． This literal translation has been widely accepted since New China was established ． “ Talking the devil and he will appear” “说鬼鬼到”． It is not translated ¨ literally to Chinese as “说鬼鬼到”， the Chinese reader would not have been able to understand the image ， neither could the expression be able to get into the Chinese Culture ． Although for some idiomatic expression in SL and TL, the image and references may be different, they are actually making the same or similar sense in their respective culture. 3. In the respect of faithfulness to the original ， apart from the analysis above ， there are two other very important aspects in idiom structural translation which are always neglected, they are couplets and sound effect. （1）. Antithetical couplets are a special feature in the Chinese culture. When the Chinese couplets are used to render the English proverbs, the translated version often bring in more images or different than the original although the philosophy of the proverb remains the same. Please study the following expressions and their respective translations. · A lazy youth, a lousy age. 少壮不努力，老大徒悲伤。 · Nothing venture ， nothing have 不入虎穴，焉得虎子。 · To fall in pit ， to gain a wit. 吃一堑，长一智。 · What'd done by night appears by day 若要人不知，除非已莫为。 · What you lose on the swings, you get back on the roundabouts 失之东隅，收之桑榆。 · Bad news has wings ． 好事不出门，恶事传千里。 · Where there is life ， there is hope 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。 · If you do good ， good will be done to you ， but if you do evil ， the same will be measured back to you ． 善有善报，恶有恶报。 · Forgive a11 but thyself ． 严以律已，宽以待人。 （2）．The sound effect is especially important in both English and Chinese culture for the idioms and proverbs ． To the Enghsh proverb ：“ As you sow ， so shall you reap ”， meaning that the way you behave — badly or well — determines what will happen to you in the future ， the Chinese translation ：“种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆” would be a good choice both to the sentiments and to the sound effect ． Another example ， the English saying ：“ One boy 1s a boy ， two boys half a boy ， three boys no boys ．” The Literal meaning of this expression is very clear ， but how to make a translation reach its original meaning at the same time not to destroy its original sound effect? The Chinese saying ：“一个和尚挑水吃，两个和尚抬水吃，三个和尚没水吃。” does bring to the readers the spirit hidden in the original and at the same rime resume the rhyming effect in line with the original ， therefore it is a perfect choice in the respect of true faithfulness ． |
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