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习语的翻译--Part I 课文学习--第四页
（ Translation of Idioms ） |
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| 5 ． Untranslatability of idioms In the preceding analysis ， the strategies of translating idioms having or having not equivalent in the target language have been discussed ． However ， the strategies supplied all concentrate on the idioms whose idiomatic senses are used in the source language only ． As for me idioms mat both its literal and idiomatic senses are used in the source text at the same time, the problem Of untranslatability arises ． The play on idioms cannot be successfully reproduced in the target language unless the target—language idioms correspond to the source-language idioms both in form and meaning ． Practically it is almost impossible to achieve such perfect match ． Example A “ Great news! The teacher said we'd have a test today rain or shine !” “What's so great about that?” “It's snowing!” “ 重大新闻 ! 老师说今天我们在任何情况下都要测验 ! “ 这算什么重大新闻 ?” “ 下雪啦 !” 注释： rain or shine 是 “ 在任何情况下 " 的意思，字面意思是雨天或晴天。 In me above text ． the idiom“ rain or shine ”in the source language has both its literal meaning“ a rainy day or a sunny day” and its idiomatic meaning “under any circumstances" ． In the target language ， Chinese ， mere is no such a11 equivalent idiom or expression. So the idiom “rain or shine ”is untranslatable in this context ． Example B Bill ： I'd move heaven and earth to break my 110 score ． Phil ： Try moving heaven ． You've already moved plenty of earth today ． 比尔：为了打破我 110 分的记录，我竭尽全力了。 菲尔：试着移动天空吧。你今天已经移动许多土了。 注释： move heaven and earth 意为 “ 竭尽全力 " 。 move 的字面意思是 “ 移动 ” 。 In the previous example ． the idiomatic sense of the idiom “to move heaven and earth ”is “to do one's utmost”, and the literal sense of the idiom means“ to put or change heaven and earth in a different place”. Since both the idiomatic and the literal meaning are used in the source text ， and we cannot find a match in the target language to express both of the two meanings of the idiom simultaneously, the idiom “to move heaven and earth ”in this context is untranslatable ． |
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