12.3　漢語成語英譯策略與方法

美國著名翻譯理論家尤金·奈達(dá)（Eugene A. Nida）指出：“所謂翻譯，就是從語義到文體在譯語中用最切近而又最自然的對等語再現(xiàn)原文的信息?！睋Q句話說，翻譯就是用目標(biāo)語從內(nèi)容到形式最準(zhǔn)確通暢地復(fù)制源語的信息。好的譯文能夠讓目標(biāo)語讀者獲得與源語讀者相同的信息和感受，在目標(biāo)語讀者中產(chǎn)生與源語讀者中等同的效果。

為了達(dá)到等效傳遞成語信息的目的，對于不同成語，就須采用不同的翻譯策略與方法。翻譯漢語成語時，為了保留原文形象和味道，能直譯則盡量直譯，即按字面翻譯。不能直譯時，我們不能因詞害義，應(yīng)該翻譯其實(shí)際意義。如能在英文中找到意義完全或基本對等的成語，我們也可采用套譯法。一般情況下，正規(guī)文體中，漢語成語多采用形象的逐字翻譯，非正規(guī)文體中，多采用簡潔的大意翻譯。

下文將逐個介紹套譯、直譯、意譯、直譯或意譯加注、綜合編譯等成語翻譯方法。

12.3.1　套譯法

漢語和英語中存在意義基本對應(yīng)的成語，還存在一部分從意義和到結(jié)構(gòu)都基本對應(yīng)的成語。對該類成語的翻譯可直接選用目標(biāo)語對應(yīng)成語，即采用套譯法。成語套譯屬歸化翻譯，為目標(biāo)語讀者的順暢理解提供便利。下文中我們整理出一組比較典型的可以套譯的成語。

趁熱打鐵　Strike while the iron is hot.

點(diǎn)鐵成金　the touch of Midas

多此一舉/畫蛇添足　to paint the lily/to gild the lily

烽火戲諸侯　cry wolf

否極泰來　After black clouds, clear weather.

赴湯蹈火　to go through fire and water

隔墻有耳　Walls have ears./Even the walls have ears.

孤注一擲　to put all one’s eggs in one basket/to have all one’s eggs in one basket; to stake everything on a single cast of the dice/to put everything on one throw

渾水摸魚/趁火打劫　to fish in troubled water

撿了芝麻，丟了西瓜。/小事精明，大事糊涂。　Penny wise, pound foolish.

見樹不見林　can’t see the wood for the trees

空中樓閣　castles in the air

了如指掌　to have something at one’s fingers’ ends/to have something at one’s finger ends/have (or get) something at one’s fingertips (or finger tips)/to know something like the palm of one’s hand/to know something or someone like a book/as a person knows his ten fingers

沒做虧心事，不怕鬼叫門。A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder./A clean conscience is a good pillow./A good conscience makes an easy couch./A safe conscience makes a sound sleep.

木已成舟/生米已成熟飯。What’s done is done./What’s done can’t be undone; What’s done is done and can’t be undone./What’s been done can’t be undone./The die is cast.

能說會道　to have the gift of the gab/to have a glib tongue

怒發(fā)沖冠　One’s hair stands on end.

旁觀者清　The onlooker sees most of the game./The onlooker sees the game best./ Lookers- on see more than players.

破釜沉舟　to burn one’s boat

巧婦難為無米之炊。Even the cleverest housewife cannot make bread without flour./You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs./You cannot make bricks without straw.（語出《舊約·出埃及記》第五章）

翹辮子　to kick the bucket; to turn up one’s toes

熱鍋上的螞蟻　like a cat on hot bricks（也可直譯為like an ant on a hot pan）

入鄉(xiāng)隨俗Do in Rome as the Romans do./Do as the locals do.

殺雞取卵　to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

身體力行/躬行己言　To practice what you preach./To put your preaching into practice.

失之東隅，收之桑榆。What one loses on the swings one gets back on the roundabouts./ What one loses on the swings one gains (or wins) on the roundabouts.

時作時輟/斷斷續(xù)續(xù)　by fits and starts/by fits

事實(shí)勝于雄辯。Actions speak louder than words.

死里逃生/幸免于難　to escape by (or with) the skin of one’s teeth

偷偷摸摸/鬼鬼祟祟　hole-and-corner

未雨綢繆　to provide for a rainy day

問心無愧　a clear conscience

無風(fēng)不起浪。No smoke without fire./There’s no smoke without fire./Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

洗心革面/改過自新　to turn over a new leaf

小題大做　to make a mountain out of a molehill

眼見為實(shí)　Seeing is believing.

一箭雙雕/一舉兩得　to kill two birds with one stone

以眼還眼，以牙還牙　an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth

鷸蚌相爭，漁翁得利。Two dogs strive for a bone, and a third run away with it.

遠(yuǎn)親不如近鄰。Anearby neighbor is better than a far-off relative.

朝三暮四　to blow hot and cold

直言不諱　to call a spade a spade

自吹自擂/王婆賣瓜，自賣自夸。All one’s geese are swans.

12.3.2　直譯法

直譯（literal translation）就是在譯文語言條件許可時，在譯文中既保持原文的內(nèi)容，又保持原文的形式——特別指保持原文的比喻、形象和民族、地方色彩等。

如果漢語成語的字面形式和比喻形象能為譯文讀者所接受，就可以根據(jù)其字面意義翻譯。（馮慶華2002：108）直譯法屬異化翻譯，可以更多地保留源語中的形象等特色，更好地使目標(biāo)語讀者了解源語文化。

例如下文中成語“剖腹藏珠”的翻譯：

黛玉道：“跌了燈值錢呢，還是跌了人值錢？你又穿不慣木屐子。那燈籠叫他們前頭點(diǎn)著；這個又輕巧有亮，原是雨里自己拿著的。你自己手里拿著這個，豈不好？明兒再送來?！褪Я耸忠灿邢薜?，怎么忽然又變出這‘剖腹藏珠’的脾氣來！”（曹雪芹： 《紅樓夢》，第四十五回）“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 you 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)

成語“剖腹藏珠”直接按字面直譯成cut open your stomach to hide a pearl，原文中“為了一點(diǎn)小利益而犧牲大利益”的形象比喻，在譯文中也一樣生動，完全能被譯文讀者所接受，使他們獲得與英語對等成語“penny wise and pound foolish”近乎相同的效果。

由上例可見，如果英文讀者能夠像中文讀者一樣，從漢語成語的比喻中獲得正確而又生動的形象效果，我們便可采用像上例“剖腹藏珠”那樣的直譯方法。

下面幾例成語英譯是按原文的字面翻譯，其比喻效果同原文一樣生動傳神，譯文能使英語讀者很快聯(lián)想起英文中對等的成語。如：

趁熱打鐵　Strike the iron while it is hot.

打草驚蛇　to stir up the grass and alert the snake（近似于to wake a sleeping dog）

對牛彈琴　to play the lute to a cow（近似于to cast pearls before a swine）

畫蛇添足　to draw a snake and add feet to it（近似于to paint the lily）

揮金如土　to spend money like dirt（近似于to spend money like water）

火上澆油　to pour oil on the flame/to pour oil on (a, the) fire/to add fuel to the flame

竭澤而漁　to drain a pond to catch all the fish（近似于to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs）

巧婦難為無米之炊。Even the cleverest housewife can’t cook a meal without rice.

守口如瓶　to keep one’s mouth closed like a bottle（近似于to keep a still tongue in one’s head）

玩火自焚　to get burnt by the fire kindled by oneself（近似于fry in one’s own grease）

雪中送炭　to send charcoal in snowy weather（近似于help a lame dog over a stile或to be a friend in need）

易如反掌　to be as easy as turning over one’s hand（近似于as easy as falling off a log）

掌上明珠　a pearl in the palm（近似于the apple in one’s eye）

天下無不散的宴席　There is no party in the world which does not have an end./Even the finest feast must break up at last.（近似于All good things must come to an end.）

此外，許多漢語成語不一定有完全對等的英語成語，但由于人類思維的某些共性，它們的字面翻譯也能使譯文讀者獲得正確無誤的形象意義。例如：

八仙過海各顯神通　The eight fairies cross the sea, each displaying his own talent.

不到長城非好漢。 You won’t consider yourself a great man until you’ve been to the Great Wall.

春華秋實(shí)　Blossom in spring will bring fruit in autumn.

戴著斗笠親嘴，差著一帽子　It’s like kissing in straw helmets—the lips are far apart!

風(fēng)餐露宿　to brave the wind and dew

否極泰來　Out of the depth of misfortune comes bliss./When misfortune reaches the limit, good fortune is at hand./After extreme bad luck, comes good luck.

禍福相依　Fortune and misfortune are closely related.

刻骨銘心　to be engraved on one’s heart and bones

口蜜腹劍　to be honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted

臨時抱佛腳　to embrace Buddha’s feet in one’s hour of need—to seek help at the last moment

沒做虧心事，不怕鬼叫門。If one has not done anything to be ashamed of, one need not fear devils calling at the door.

目不識丁　One does not recognize丁, one of the simplest character in Chinese.

泥菩薩過河——自身難保。 The clay idol fording the river—it is more than one can do to save himself from disaster.

破鏡重圓　a broken mirror made whole again

聲東擊西　to shout in the east and strike in the west

天道酬勤　Heaven rewards the diligent.

嘴上沒毛，辦事不牢。Downy lips make thoughtless slips.（注：該例譯出了押韻的修辭韻味，取得了文化復(fù)制效果。 ）

例8.行百里者半九十。

“行百里者半九十”是中國古典名著《戰(zhàn)國策》中的一句名言。其原意如下：走了90%的路程也不過是走到一半——最后一段路總是最艱難的。吳光華編撰的《漢英大辭典》中將其英譯如下：to cover 90 percent of one’s destined distance brings the traveler no farther than the midway point—the last part of an endeavor is the hardest to finish; A thing is not done until it is done; One must sustain one’s effort when a task is nearing completion; The ninety miles is only half of a hundred miles journey—the going is toughest towards the end of a journey.

溫家寶記者招待會上曾有譯員將其譯為：If the journey is one hundred miles, traveling ninety is only half of it.簡潔的直譯達(dá)到了信息傳遞的效果。

12.3.3　意譯法

意譯（free translation）是指表達(dá)原文內(nèi)容，但不拘泥于原文形式的一種翻譯方法。每一種喻義都有獨(dú)特的詞匯、句法結(jié)構(gòu)和表達(dá)方法。當(dāng)內(nèi)容和形式出現(xiàn)矛盾時，則取內(nèi)容而舍形式。

許多漢語成語附著特定的文化背景，有的來自古典經(jīng)籍、寓言或傳說等。此類成語直譯不能達(dá)意，而英語中又找不到與之對應(yīng)的同義習(xí)語。翻譯時則不得不繞過其文化背景，曲達(dá)原意，表現(xiàn)其語義內(nèi)涵，此為成語意譯。如：

粗枝大葉　to be crude and careless

毛遂自薦　to volunteer one’s service

罄竹難書?。╫f crimes）too numerous to record

塞翁失馬，安知非福。It might be a blessing in disguise.

桃李滿天下　to have students all over the world/with pupils everywhere

無孔不入　to take advantage of every weakness

星羅棋布　to spread all over the place

興妖作怪　to stir up trouble

紙醉金迷　a life of luxury and dissipation

12.3.4　直譯加解釋或加注

有些漢語成語是在一定的中國文化背景下形成，有些含有中國古代人名、地名，有些使用了漢語的諧音等，對這部分成語（以典故為例），如果字面翻譯，外國讀者勢必難以接受。為了使英文讀者能夠獲得與漢語讀者一樣的效果,我們可以加上些解釋性的文字。例如：

例9.班門弄斧

to show off one’s proficiency with the axe before Lu Ban, the master carpenter.

如果在譯文中不加上解釋語：the master carpenter，只譯Lu Ban，恐怕大部分英語讀者不知道Lu Ban為何許人也。

例10.三個臭皮匠，抵得上一個諸葛亮

Three cobblers with their wit combined could equal Zhuge Liang, the mastermind.

諸葛亮是個歷史人物，在中國家喻戶曉，但英美讀者卻并不見得了解。如果不加上注釋，他們或許能推測諸葛亮是一個人，但卻難以產(chǎn)生與原文讀者一樣豐富的聯(lián)想。

例11.“葉公好龍”含有特定典故，如直譯為Lord Ye’s love of dragons，會讓缺乏漢民族文化背景的英美讀者感到有些莫名其妙，無法產(chǎn)生理解上的共鳴，也無法產(chǎn)生與原文讀者同樣的感受。因此，最好加上一些背景知識的注釋，以期達(dá)到等效的目的： Lord Ye was so fond of dragons that he adorned his whole palace with drawings and carvings of them. But when a real dragon heard of his infatuation and paid him a visit, he was frightened out of his wit.而在具體行文中可采取簡潔的意譯：professed love of what one really fears.

例12.和尚打傘，無法無天。

毛主席一九七零年和斯諾談話時用的一個歇后語“和尚打傘，無法無天”，是諧音雙關(guān)，翻譯起來比較困難?？擅銖?qiáng)分為三節(jié)來意譯： Amonk under an umbrella—wu fa wu tian (without hair, without heaven)—defying laws human and divine.

但該譯文意思表達(dá)卻仍不是很清楚，需要加注釋為好。

美國朋友William Hinton曾為該歇后語做過如下注解：It is a double pun. Amonk has a shaven head, hence no hair. A monk under an umbrella is cut off from the sky, hence no heaven. But fa also means“l(fā)aw”, and tian also means“heaven”in the sense of supreme ruling power. Thus a monk under an umbrella is a man without law or limit—a rebel like Monkey (who accompanied the monk Tripitaka on his legendary journey to India),unbound by established rules, institutions or conventions, whether earthly or divine. (New China Vol 1 No.2, 1975)

這個注解基本解釋了該歇后語的意義，但漢語中“發(fā)”和“法”這兩個不同的漢字卻被這名外國朋友混為一談（這倆字雖發(fā)音相似但聲調(diào)不同）。若要解釋清楚這一點(diǎn)，還得再中間添上一句：In Chinese, the pronunciation of the character for“hair”is similar to that of the character for“l(fā)aw”, differing only in tones. So here fā (hair) is punned as f? (law).

需要這樣長的注解才能向英語讀者把這個歇后語解釋清楚，說明這種歇后語確實(shí)是翻譯中的難題，具體行文中常常只能譯其喻義，酌情添加腳注或尾注。

12.3.5　綜合編譯法

在某些特定的語境中，成語的翻譯需進(jìn)行綜合加工，即采用編譯法，以符合特殊語用需要。以校訓(xùn)翻譯為例。校訓(xùn)一般力求簡潔明了，朗朗上口，便于記憶，那么校訓(xùn)中成語的翻譯就不能太拘泥于原文，而需進(jìn)行編譯。例如：

例13.清華大學(xué)校訓(xùn)：自強(qiáng)不息厚德載物

Self-discipline and Social Commitment

“自強(qiáng)不息”可按字面直譯則為to practice self-improvement unremittingly；“厚德載物”直譯為Virtuous people could assume great task.但校訓(xùn)中若采用這種譯法則嫌太長，不夠簡潔，所以采用編譯法，使用能代表該校訓(xùn)精髓意義的關(guān)鍵詞Self-discipline and Social Commitment來概括。以下校訓(xùn)同理。

南京大學(xué)校訓(xùn)：誠樸雄偉勵學(xué)敦行Be Honest and Intelligent, Study Hard and Act Sincerely

天津大學(xué)校訓(xùn)：實(shí)事求是Seek Truth from Facts

廈門大學(xué)校訓(xùn)：自強(qiáng)不息止于至善Pursue Excellence, Strive for Perfection

復(fù)旦大學(xué)校訓(xùn)：博學(xué)而篤志切問而近思Rich in Knowledge and Tenacious of Purpose; Inquiring with Earnestness and Reflecting with Self-practice

南開大學(xué)校訓(xùn)：允公允能日新月異Dedication to Public Interests, Acquisition of All-round Capability, andAspiration for Progress with Each Day（編者將最后一部分改譯為Aspiration for Daily Progress，以求結(jié)構(gòu)工整）。