书城外语英汉口译红皮书
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第10章 英汉口译基本技能训练(3)

说明:口译时也可以按照字面直译出来,再解释,这样更加形象。例如:“有的国家不要草木皆兵”可以译为“Somecountryshouldnottakeallthegrassesandtreesassoldierswithapanic-strickenmind”。

拆东墙,补西墙。toresorttoamakeshiftsolution长江后浪推前浪,一代更比一代强。AsintheChangjiangRiverthewaves

behinddriveonthosebefore,soeachnewgenerationexcelsthelastone.常将有日思无日,莫到无时想有时。Ifyouthinkofwantintimeofplenty,

you’llhavenoneedtoyearnforplentyintimeofwant.沉舟侧畔千帆过,病树前头万木春。Athousandsailspassbytheshipwreck;

tenthousandsaplingsshootupbeyondthewitheredtree.趁热打铁Strikewhiletheironishot.

吃苦在前,享乐在后。tobethefirsttobearhardships,thelasttoenjoycomforts

吃老本torestonone’slaurels;torestonone’soars

尺短寸长Everybodyhashismeritsandfaults.Everyonehashisstrongandweakpoints.

船到桥头自然直Everythingwillstraightenoutintheend.大同小异largelyidenticalbutwithminordifferences;muchalike当断不断,反受其乱。Hewhohesitatesislost.

独在异乡为异客,每逢佳节倍思亲。Alone,alonelystrangerinaforeignland,Idoublypineformykinsfolkonholiday.

凡事预则立,不预则废。Preparednessensuressuccessandunpreparednessspellsfailure.

万事开头难Nothingiseasyinthebeginning./Itisthefirststepthatistroublesome./Itisthefirststepthatcosts.

分秒必争toseizeeveryminuteandsecond;Everysecondcounts.妇女能顶半边天Womencanholduphalfthesky.工欲善其事,必先利其器。Goodtoolsareprerequisitetothesuccessful

executionofajob./Ahandytoolmakesahandyman.

古今中外ancientandmodern,Chineseandforeign古为今用,洋为中用。Makethepastservethepresentandforeignthingserve

China.

管鲍之交DamonandPythias;DavidandJonathan光明磊落openandaboveboard

海内存知己,天涯若比邻。Abosomfriendafarbringsadistantlandnear.好事多磨Goodresultneedsrepeatedefforts.

喝水不忘挖井人/饮水思源Whenyoudrinkwater,thinkofitssource.花开堪折直须折,莫到无花空折枝。Gatheryerosebudswhileyoumay.化干戈为玉帛toburythehatchet

祸不单行,福无双至。Misfortunesnevercomealone.Blessingsnevercomeinpairs.

祸兮福所倚,福兮祸所伏。Goodfortunelieswithinbad,badfortunelurkswithingood./Fromdisasterfortunecomes,infortunelurksdisaster.

集腋成裘,聚沙成塔。Manyalittlemakesmickle.Manydropsmakeashower.

教学相长Teachingbenefitsteachersaswellasstudents./Toteachistolearn./Teachingothersteachesyourself.

解铃还须系铃人Whoeverstartedthetroubleshouldendit.Itisbetterforthedoertoundowhathehasdone.

金窝银窝,不如自家草窝。Eastorwest,homeisbest.金玉其外,败絮其中。Fairwithout,foulwithin.

精诚所至,金石为开。Faithwillmovemountain./Absolutesinceritywillmoveaheartofstone.

居安思危tobemindfulofpossibledangerintimeofpeace/Inprosperitycaution,inadversitypatience.

乐极生悲,否极泰来。Joyandsorrowarenextdoorneighbours.流水不腐,户枢不蠹。Runningwaterisneverstaleandadoor-hingenever

getsworm-eaten.

炉火纯青highdegreeoftechnicalorprofessionalproficiency

路遥知马力,日久见人心。Timeisarevealerofaman’ssincerity.Afriend

inneedisafriendindeed.

满招损,谦受益。Onelosesbyprideandgainsbymodesty.民以食为天Foodisthefirstnecessityofthepeople.谋事在人,成事在天。Manproposes,Goddisposes.

男尊女卑treatmentoffemalesasinferiortomales破釜沉舟toburnone’sboat

奇文共欣赏,疑义相与析。Aremarkableworkshouldbesharedanditssubtletiesdiscussed.

千里之堤,溃于蚁穴Oneant-holemaycausethecollapseofathousandlidike.(这是传统的直译方法,实际上可以根据英美人的习惯改造、处理。这里的“里”只是个概数,可以用“mile”,这样让国际友人更加容易明白。所以可以直译为“Athousand-miledikecanbecollapsedbyananthole”。)

或:Alittlenegligencemaybreedgreatmischief.Asmallleakwillsinkagreatship.

前车之覆,后车之鉴。Theoverturnoftheprecedingvehiclecanbealessonforthelatecomer.或者Thepreviousfailureshouldbealessonforfuture.

前事不忘,后事之师。Pastexperience,ifnotforgotten,isaguideforthefuture.或者Troublebringsexperienceandexperiencebringswisdom.

巧妇难为无米之炊传统上译为:onecannotmakebrickswithoutstraw也可以直译:Evenaskillfulhousewifecannotmakeamealwithoutrice.

锲而不舍,金石可镂。Patiencewearsoutstones.取其精华,去其糟粕。toextracttheessenceanddiscardthedross去伪存真toeliminatethefalseandretainthetrue人非圣贤,孰能无过。Toerrishuman,toforgivedivine.人穷志不短Poorbycondition,richbyambition.

人生有涯知无涯Artislong,butlifeisshort.人生自古谁无死,留取丹心照汗青。Whatmanwaseverimmunefromdeath?

Letmebutleavealoyalheartshininginthepagesofhistory.

Shortismydate,butdeathlessmyrenown.人往高处走,水往低处流。Manendeavorstorise,waterflowsdownwards.

人无远虑,必有近忧。Ifamandoesnotgivethoughttoproblemswhichare

stilldistant,hewillbeworriedbythemwhentheycomenearer.口译可以简化译为“Withoutlong-termconsideration,apersonwillsurelyhaveimmediateworries”。

瑞雪兆丰年Asnowyear,arichyear.或者Snowforetellsabumperharvest.山重水复疑无路,柳暗花明又一村。Asuddenglimpseofhopeinthedarkmist

ofbewilderment.

上山下乡。goandworkinthecountrysideandmountainousarea少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲。Anidleyouth,aneedyage.或者Lazinessinyouth

spellsregretinoldage.

生搬硬套tofollowtotheletter

生命在于运动Lifedependsonphysicalexercises(oronsports).胜不骄,败不馁。Neitherbedizzywithsuccess,norbediscouragedby

failure.

失之东隅,收之桑榆。Whatyouloseontheswingsyougainontheroundabouts.Oneman’slossisanotherman’sgain.

失之毫厘,谬以千里。Amissisasgoodasamile.

十年树木,百年树人。Ittakestenyearstogrowtreesbutahundredyearstorearpeople.

事在人为Wherethere’sawillthereisaway.是可忍,孰不可忍?Ifthiscanbetolerated,whatcannot?

书山有路勤为径,学海无涯苦作舟。Thereisnoroyalroadtolearning.水可载舟,亦可覆舟。It’sthesamewaterthateitherfloatstheboatorsinks

it.

四海之内皆兄弟Allmenarebrothers.

辞旧迎新toringouttheoldyearandringinthenew天时不如地利,地利不如人和。Thetimeisn’tasimportantastheterrain;

buttheterrainisn’tasimportantasunitywiththepeople.天无绝人之路Thereisalwaysawayout.团结就是力量。Unityisstrength.

团结一致touniteasone

万事俱备,只欠东风。Allisreadyexceptwhatiscrucial.

亡羊补牢,犹未迟也。Betterlatethannever.或者Nevertoolatetomend.巍然屹立tostandloftyandfirm

为山九仞,功亏一篑。tofallshortofsuccessforlackofafinaleffort物极必反Noextremewillholdlong.